(My Sportsbook) - Believe it or not, scoring points still counts for something in the NFL these days. Proving that fact are the Oakland Raiders, who are the highest-scoring team in the league and the last undefeated team as a result. All the talk about the importance of a stingy defense and a ball control offense makes for good speeches about the good old days, but racking up yardage and throwing the ball 40 times per game is what makes for thrilling victories in the modern era.

With their slew of senior citizens and a coach nobody knows, the Raiders have raced out to a 4-0 start following a 49-31 win over the offensive-minded Buffalo Bills in Week 5. QB Rich Gannon, the NFL's highest-rated passer, threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score. The grey-haired Gannon has gotten help from veteran wide receivers Jerry Rice and Tim Brown, while RB Charlie Garner has been playing like a man possessed.

"We're not conservative on offense," said Raiders first-year coach Bill Callahan. "We're going to continue to press the ball down the field. The schedule is going to get increasingly difficult, but this team thrives on it."

However, Garner has a mild hamstring injury and is questionable for this week's game. If the nimble back can't play, it may be a small setback. But you still get the feeling that Oakland will be able to compensate against the shellshocked St. Louis Rams.

The Rams' misery continued last Sunday with their lopsided 37-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The debut of Jamie Martin at quarterback resulted in more turnovers, while Pro Bowl RB Marshall Faulk took another beating. Another illustration that offense dictates success is the fact that the last-place Rams are tied for the lowest scoring average in the NFC at 14.8 points per game. St. Louis was dominated by the 49ers, and coach Mike Martz won't have much time to regroup against the supercharged Silver and Black.

"This is a game of intensity, emotion, and attitude, and we haven't shown that," said Martz. "We have to put this thing together, this is a real challenge for this group.

"I think we have been intense up until this point. I think we have made an awful lot of errors. I can't explain this, I wish I could."

SERIES HISTORY: The Raiders have won six of the past seven meetings to claim a 7-2 lead in the all-time series. These clubs have not met since September 28, 1997, when Oakland QB Jeff George threw four TD passes in a 35-17 win.

Oakland has won 11 of its past 12 games versus the NFC and are 3-0 in the past three in St. Louis.

Both Martz and Callahan are each facing their opponent for the first time. Martz is 7-3 versus the AFC, including the postseason.

RAIDERS OFFENSE

The clock may be ticking, but the aging core of Oakland's offense is still setting the standard for their (much) younger NFL brethren. Gannon has been virtually unstoppable in Callahan's system, while Rice and Jerry Porter have each averaged over 14 yards per catch.

Porter broke out last week with seven catches for 117 yards. He has scored a touchdown in three straight games and adds yet another talented target for Callahan to utilize. The West Virginia product has two great role models to learn from, and the 6-foot-2 Porter has used that knowledge to make a serious impact.

"With the addition of Jerry Porter, and what he accomplished [in Week 5], it gives us an added dimension," said the Callahan. " When you can take a guy like Porter and play him a little more productively, it just takes the pressure off Jerry and Tim in that respect, and then of course Charlie gives you that dimension of becoming a receiver out of the backfield and on the perimeter.

"There more downfield weapons with the addition of those two young players emerging."

Garner has been the perfect West Coast back in his time in the NFL. He has played exclusively in that system in his nine seasons; with Philadelphia, San Francisco and the Raiders. He had 94 rushing yards and 83 receiving yards last week, while scoring one TD on the ground and another through the air. He will be depended on as the season progresses to maintain his level of play since his older teammates may slow down in the latter weeks of the campaign.

By the way, did Callahan really call Garner a young player? He's 30. I guess anyone under 35 is considered young in Oakland.

Anyway, the Rams are just not good enough on defense to hold the Raiders in check this week. St. Louis allows 25 points per game, and Oakland's passing attack should move the ball at will. Callahan is thrilled with the amount of success that his team has had, but he isn't ready to slow down.

"We're excited about where we're at," said Callahan, "but we have a long way "We're excited about where we're at," said Callahan, "but we have a long way to go."

RAMS DEFENSE

San Francisco's high-powered offense carved up St. Louis' defense with a run- oriented game plan and some efficient play from QB Jeff Garcia. The Rams allowed 49ers RB Garrison Hearst to run for 116 yards on just 13 carries, that's an 8.6 yard average. If running the ball is that easy, Garner will be hard-pressed to remain on the sideline.

Defensive coordinator Lovie Smith must prevent his unit from losing more confidence. At this point of the season, the St. Louis players have little to play for, and they are already showing signs of packing it in. Martz has seen it, and another heartless effort this Sunday will result in a blowout win for the visiting Raiders.

The Rams were successful last season on defense because of the energy that Smith infused into the group. Smith's swarming style jump-started a defense that had been weak, and now things have come full circle. Somehow, Smith has to find a way to motivate his defense -- and it has to show this week.

Cornerback Aeneas Williams missed last week's game with a turf toe injury, and he is questionable for Sunday's game. He is the vocal leader of the defense, and his absence is costly on a number of different levels. Going from a future Hall of Fame defensive back to a rookie is quite a drop for a defense that is already hurting emotionally. If Williams can't play this week, and it is a turf game, rookie Travis Fisher will fill in again. Don't be surprised if Gannon picks on Fisher all day.

Matching up against the second-best passing team in the NFL without your best defensive back is cause for concern. Oakland averages 324.5 yards per game through the air, second only to Buffalo. And don't expect to force turnovers, since the Raiders lead the NFL with a plus-7 turnover ratio.

If the game is close entering the fourth quarter, St. Louis must stay fresh for the final period. Gannon is 22-for-29 (75.9 percent) for 355 yards, four TDs and one interception with an NFL-best rating of 141.5 in the fourth quarter.

RAMS OFFENSE

Gone are the days when St. Louis could score at will and control the pace of games with their ultra-quick personnel and QB Kurt Warner completing most of his throws. Suddenly, and inexplicably, the Rams have fallen from grace and into the NFC West cellar.

In the wake of Warner's broken finger, Martin has stepped under center and tried to get things back on track. However, he threw two interceptions last week and failed to throw a touchdown until the final seconds of a game that was already determined long before. Martz has not found any answers, since his team is making the same mistakes it made in Week 1.

"We got behind and anytime you turn the ball over and they score a touchdown it is deflating," Martz said after last Sunday's loss. "It is very difficult to overcome those things and we just dug ourselves deep into a hole. To turn the ball over like this is unprecedented. It is hard on your defense when you do those kind of things.

"I think we have to protect Jamie a little better. We just have to do a better job of protecting him."

Protecting the quarterback is essential for any team, and the reason why Warner and Martin each struggled. When the Rams fall behind, and the quarterback feels the need to press, any pass rush just makes things worse and compounds the problem.

Oakland's defense has allowed a ton of passing yards this season (282.5, 15th in AFC) but allows only 22.5 points per game. Martin may not see as much pressure this week, and he will have some opportunities to make plays. The Raiders don't have the best pass-rushing personnel in the game, producing only 10 sacks this season.

Adding to St. Louis' favorable luck, Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson, who broke his right shoulder in Week 2, will not play this week.

Not to be forgotten, RB Marshall Faulk is still a fearsome foe whenever he's on the field. Faulk has posted identical rushing numbers in the past two weeks, carrying 18 times for 73 yards. Oakland has a stifling run defense, and the San Diego State product will have a difficult time breaking the 100-yard barrier.

RAIDERS DEFENSE

On the surface, the 31 points that Oakland allowed the Bills to score last week appears to be a large sum. However, Buffalo and QB Drew Bledsoe have been one of the highest-scoring teams in the NFL this season, and the Raiders shut Buffalo down in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. Rookie CB Phillip Buchanon, who filled in for the injured Woodson, made a key interception and returned it 81 yards for a touchdown.

The reason for Oakland's NFL-leading turnover margin is the fact that its defense has recorded 12 takeaways (eight interceptions, four fumble recoveries). That kind of energy on the defensive side of the ball will make it very hard for the Rams to have very many opportunities to limit their own turnover problems.

St. Louis has a minus-9 turnover margin, due primarily to its 11 interceptions (an NFL high). Even if Woodson is out of the lineup, the Raiders will have a good chance to swipe a few passes this week.

Future Hall of Fame DB Rod Woodson has three interceptions this season, while Buchanon and Tory James each have two. But in spite of the strong pass defense by the secondary, coach Callahan is still wary of the Rams' offensive attack.

"They have an arsenal of weapons that can strike at any time," said Callahan. "We respect St. Louis as a worthy opponent, you may not think so but we do and we respect the fact that they've played very hard and they're gonna give us quite a game."

If the Rams plan to run the ball this week, they might want to reconsider. The Raiders have the best rush defense in the NFL, allowing just 59.5 yards per game.