Chris Miller completed 14 straight passes in the second half at Seattle.

Chris Miller played well in the second half against Seattle last week, at one time hitting 14 consecutive passes. Making good decisions and accurate throws, Miller brought the Broncos back from a 10-point deficit and into a seven-point lead. His experience and veteran leadership have solidified the Denver offense.

Rookie Olandis Gary has given the Broncos a solid running attack. But looking at tape of the loss in Seattle, there were situations when if Terrell Davis were on the field, the Broncos would have had some big plays and maybe even touchdowns because Davis is such a special back.

The offensive line has performed at a high level thanks to Alex Gibbs, one of the game's best line coaches. He knows how to make five linemen play as one unit, picking up stunts, slants and blitzes. They are not making many mistakes. However, the NFL's rule change regarding cut blocks has slowed the Broncos' line from sealing the back side on running plays. The change has affected their offense, preventing the linemen from opening up cutback lanes for Gary.

But the biggest dilemma for the Denver offense has been the absence of Shannon Sharpe, the catalyst for their formation variations. With Sharpe out, Denver is not using the aggressive approach it has in the past. The Broncos offense is more basic, which is understandable considering the inconsistency they have had at quarterback and running back. Sharpe is a hybrid -- not a tight end, not a receiver -- and he always presented matchup problems for the defense.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Smooth sailing on 101: Raiders receiver Tim Brown has a reception in every game he has played since Oct. 3, 1993, when the Chiefs shut him out -- a streak that has now reached 101 consecutive games. Passing the test: The Broncos trail Peyton Manning's Colts and Drew Bledsoe's Patriots to rank third in AFC passing -- despite shuffling three different quarterbacks this season. Ebb and flow: From 1990 to 1994, the Raiders dominated the Broncos, winning nine of 10 meetings. Since the Raiders moved from Los Angeles back to Oakland in 1995, the Broncos have reversed the trend, winning eight of the last nine. If Denver wins tonight, the two teams will have split the 20 games played this decade.

As for the Raiders, the key is a healthy Rich Gannon. They are a shadow of what we all remember of the Raiders' vertical game. They are now a West Coast offensive team under Jon Gruden, seldom throwing the ball down the field. They focus on short, quick drops by Gannon and getting rid of the ball quickly.

They have managed to achieve good offensive balance. Gannon is distributing the ball to a variety of receivers, and the running game has thunder and lightning with Tyrone Wheatley and Napoleon Kaufman. Rickey Dudley has been average at tight end, and he needs to get more involved in the passing game, particularly in the West Coast offense, which relies on the tight end.

Oakland's shaky offensive line has yet to display the consistency it will need against the Broncos and the plethora of zone-blitz schemes. Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson loves to attack the line of scrimmage and the quarterback. The Raiders' line must be sharp physically and mentally because of the looks they will see from the Denver defense.

Here are the keys to Monday night's matchup for both teams:

Oakland Raiders
1. Big passes for big gains: For the most part, the Raiders have been very effective with their short passing game. I still believe they have to go down field to Tim Brown and James Jett. They have to take their chances against Dale Carter. He got beat last Sunday against Joey Galloway, and it was a big play for the Seahawks. Carter is one of the most talented cornerbacks in the league, and Ray Crockett is solid on the other side, but they still need to be challenged.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Raiders RB Napoleon Kaufman: Though he does not start, Kaufman is averaging 5.0 yards per carry for the NFL's second-best rushing team. Raiders WR Charles Woodson: Woodson made his NFL offensive debut last week against San Diego, catching one pass for 19 yards. Will he get the call in prime time? Raiders CB Charles Woodson: The wideout wannabe should have more impact covering Broncos receivers Ed McCaffrey and Rod Smith than he will on the Oakland offense. Broncos RB Olandis Gary: The rookie has carried the ball 151 times in his first six games, which is the most carries ever by an NFL player in his first six starts. Broncos QB Chris Miller: In his last two games, Miller has completed 63 percent of his passes and looked like the Miller of old. Broncos LB Al Wilson: Stepping in for the injured John Mobley, Wilson is showing signs of becoming a future star as a rookie.

2. Offensive efficiency: The Raiders need to try to gain at least four yards every time they run the football. A lot of teams look at average per carry as an important statistic, but I would concentrate more on efficiency running the ball. Some teams might run the ball 20 times and gain 100 yards, but 19 of those plays made 20 yards and they had one 80-yard run, so everyone thinks they had a great offensive day. That's incorrect. To be efficient, the Raiders need to keep the Broncos out of their nickel and dime packages. To keep the Broncos' base defense on the field, they must run the ball efficiently.

3. Pressure Miller: Miller played very well against Seattle, especially for a player who had been out of football for four years. The Raiders need to get in his face, break him down and don't let him get comfortable. The Seahawks let Miller get comfortable in the second half. Russell Maryland and Darrell Russell will give the Raiders a push up the middle, but defensive end Lance Johnstone needs to provide quick pressure from the outside. He needs to make Miller flinch and move in the pocket.

Denver Broncos
1. A fine design: I think the Raiders are vulnerable to the big play. The Broncos need to create big plays by design, with motion and formation variation rather than relying on individual players to break them on their own. This will be a game where scheme will become very important because Ed McCaffrey and Rod Smith aren't speed burners. But Shanahan could move the tight end outside, or bring the receiver inside for a matchup against a linebacker or safety. The Broncos can run play-action, getting the safeties to bite.

For an effective play-action passing game, it's not necessarily true that the running game has to be working. If you are committed to running the ball, and the other teams are aware of that commitment, you can get play-action on the first play of the game. I've seen that 100 times this year. The Broncos need to attempt the play-action. It could almost help the running game by throwing the football. That might be the biggest key in this game.

2. Coghill must be a cog: When George Coghill replaced the injured Eric Brown at free safety, he struggled. The Broncos need better play from Coghill against the Raiders' wideouts or they will be in trouble. When Seattle quarterback Jon Kitna brought the Seahawks down the field on the game-winning drive, Coghill got beat for the touchdown and another big play during that drive.

The Broncos need better play at free safety, which is why -- again -- the Raiders need to attack down the field. Brown, out for the season with torn knee ligaments, was having a great season, getting better every week. He was a ferocious hitter and a solid coverage player. It was clear that the Broncos suffered defensively when Brown left the game.

3. Mush rush: I don't think Rich Gannon has the arm strength to just wing the ball down the field and beat the Broncos consistently. What Gannon likes to do is move out of the pocket. He is not the prototypical NFL pocket-passer. When he feels pressure, he will move out of the pocket. Denver will have to use the mush rush -- plodding up the field, maintaining passing lanes and denying Gannon places to go. If he is going to beat Denver, the Broncos must force him to beat them from the pocket.

Former NFL quarterback Ron Jaworski appears each week on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown and Edge NFL Matchup. He breaks down the Monday Night Football matchup each week on ESPN.com.