(My Sportsbook) - For a team that needs a win as badly as the Raiders do, this week's matchup against the well-rested Broncos in Denver couldn't have come at a more inopportune time. Oakland lost its fourth straight game with a 23-20 overtime setback to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9 to fall back to .500, and is in danger of slipping further in the tight AFC West standings.

The Raiders have fallen into a collective stupor after opening the season with four consecutive victories. It's easy to point the finger at Oakland's offense which has not been the same unit that started the season so well. During the current four-game slide, the Raiders have averaged only 16.0 points per game. That's almost 24 points less that their 40.5 scoring average during their season-opening win streak.

QB Rich Gannon is hesitant to place blame, but it's clear that the Oakland has not packed the same punch that it did earlier this season. The team knows that a win on Monday night would go along way in salvaging the campaign.

"At this point we don't have a choice but to respond," said CB Charles Woodson. "We are on a skid now and the only way to get off that skid is to win a ballgame. We've got to regroup this week, just concentrate and stay disciplined. We can't hold out heads down and let the season go down the drain."

Gannon had his worst game of the season last week, and RB Charlie Garner couldn't offer much help either. Gannon threw for a season-low 164 yards and Garner ran for only 52 yards on 14 carries. The Oakland offense picked up a total of 239 yards -- its lowest output of the year. The Raiders are built around Gannon, and if he struggles, they struggle.

Even after last week's letdown, the Raiders still own the top offense (407 ypg) in the NFL. The ability is there to turn things around, but the team is in dire need of a confidence-building win. It won't be easy this week, since the Broncos are the best overall defense in the AFC, allowing only 270.8 yards per game.

Callahan has engineered the same offense each week, and opposing teams have figured out a way to stop Oakland's approach. Since the Broncos own the best rush defense in the NFL, Oakland will have no choice but to live and die with Gannon once again.

Everyone in the NFL knows Oakland's formula for success, and Denver has been playing its best defense in years. Gannon needs to re-assert himself as the efficient quarterback he was four weeks ago after his poor effort last week. He completed a season-low 18 passes in Week 9, after completing 30 or more in the three previous games.

Last year against the Broncos, Gannon completed 60-of-82 passes (73.2 pct.) for 555 yards and five TDs with two INTs for 101.4 passer rating. This season, Gannon has thrown for 300 yards in 6-of-8 games. The NFL record for most in one year is nine.

WR Tim Brown has 33 catches for 381 yards and five TDs in his past four games versus the Broncos. His 13 career TD catches against Denver and 1,669 receiving yards are his second-most against one opponent.

SHUTTING DOWN THE PASS

Oakland has allowed 20 points or more in each of its past six games, and the Broncos have scored over 27 points in their past four games. Looking at Monday's game in these terms, it will take a great effort from the Raiders' defense in order to pull out a victory.

CB Woodson will be facing WR Ed McCaffrey this week, which puts pressure on Oakland's athletic but oft-injured defensive back. McCaffrey is one of the most physical receivers in the league, and Woodson struggled against San Francisco's Terrell Owens last week.

"We did everything we could to stop Owens," said Callahan. "We put CHarles Woodson on him one-on-one, we had double coverage, we had bracket coverage. We had every conceivable coverage known to man, but he continued to break our secondary down."

That sort of effort doesn't give much hope for Monday, since McCaffrey, Rod Smith and Shannon Sharpe are able to beat all sorts of coverages.

COMING UP: The Raiders host the New England Patriots in Week 11.