Steve Hauschka has been calmly splitting the uprights, connecting on every field goal he has booted this preseason.

Barring a dramatic change, Hauschka is building a distinct edge in his bid to win the Baltimore Ravens' kicking job.

And rookie Graham Gano hasn't fared nearly as well, pushing his latest attempt a few yards wide of the right upright during a 24-23 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night.

Plus, the Lou Groza Award winner from Florida State clanged one off of the right upright in the Ravens' preseason opener against the Washington Redskins partially due to a high snap.

Midway through the competition to succeed veteran Matt Stover, Hauschka is beginning to separate himself to the point where he could be on the verge of claiming the position if he excels against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday.

"We have two choices to make, we could take it to the last preseason game, I think that depends on what happens here probably through the weekend, or it could be decided next week," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "And if we think it’s decided, we’ll try to see if that guy can be the kicker through the last preseason game. Like they always say, those guys will make that decision for us, and we’ll see how it plays out.”

For Hauschka, it has been a string of success so far this month.

He has hit field goals from 21, 37 and 42 yards with no missed extra points and has generated solid distance on his kickoffs.

Against the Jets, Hauschka converted a 42-yarder in the fourth quarter that boosted the Ravens' lead to 24-17 and ultimately counted as the game-winning margin.

"There's 32 jobs out there and any number of kickers," said Hauschka, who was the Ravens' kickoff specialist last season and hit a 54-yard field goal against the Houston Texans. "I'm not only competing with Graham, but with veterans like John Carney, who just got signed, as well as Matt Stover. You have to do your best and hope they have confidence in you.

"You've got to focus on each kick. If you're thinking about, 'Oh man, if I make this, I might seal it up.' You're choosing your targets and going through your routine and that keeps you focused on the present moment."

For Gano, who was recruited by Ravens special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg minutes after the draft concluded, it's a matter of maintaining his confidence and fundamentals.

There's a lot of pressure on both of these kickers, but this is Gano's first year in the NFL.

"I don't think I've lost any confidence," Gano said. "I struck the ball well. I just have got to hit it straight and put it through the uprights. Every time I go out there, I really don't worry about what Steve's doing. I try to concentrate on what I'm doing. I'm well aware of the competition.”

And Gano attributed his miss to overcompensating for the wind.

"I didn't get my hips all the way into it," Gano said. "I know why I missed it."

Gano got the start after Hauschka began the first preseason game, but was relieved by Hauschka after missing the 46-yard try.

"I wasn't too concerned with Graham's kick," Hauschka said. "I'm hoping for the best for him. I've got to focus on myself. That's the most important thing for a kicker."

The look on Harbaugh's face on the sideline told the story after Gano's miss. He was clearly frustrated by the inaccuracy.

Gano's top contribution against the Jets was a nice tackle on a 52-yard Leon Washington kickoff return to prevent a potential touchdown.

"Graham missed that field goal and that was disappointing, but he kicked a pretty good ball," Harbaugh said. "So, I'd say it's still alive in kicking. But you have to say Steve had an edge because Steve made his kicks and he kicked off well. So, that's probably where it's at right now."

Hauschka is well aware that the Ravens could always bring back Stover, who remains in the area and is staying in shape. Or they could sign a different veteran.

A few days ago, Hauschka was having a rough day in practice. And Harbaugh asked Rosburg if he had Stover's number handy, intentionally raising his voice to send a message to Hauschka.

It’s evident that the Stover factor hangs over this competition.

"I don't know how you could ignore it because he's a legend around here," Hauschka said. "He did an awesome job. [Harbaugh] reminds us every once in a while as a joke, but Stover is in the same zip code."