What 8-1 record? Raiders insist there's still work to be done

OAKLAND, Calif. - They're 8-1, with a six-game winning streak and a three-game advantage in the AFC West.

Yet they're not celebrating. They're not boasting. The Oakland Raiders are all business, and their business right now is winning.

''You have to be like, 'Look, we've done well, but let's not get too over excited or go too far with it, because we could be doing so many things better than we do now,''' safety Anthony Dorsett said. ''I think that's what keeps us hungry after every game.''

Wait, these can't be the ''Just win, baby'' Oakland Raiders. Where's the swagger? Where's the talk of the ''Greatness of the Raiders?''

''There's not a lack of excitement or enthusiasm, it's just the way we approach it,'' left tackle Matt Stinchcomb said. ''You don't want to get too high or too low. We just want to stay on an even keel and stay focused on what we need to do.''

The only team to beat the Raiders this season has been the AFC West rival Denver Broncos. The Raiders face them for a second time Monday night in Denver.

''They're in the way,'' receiver Andre Rison flatly said.

The Raiders are methodically led by Rich Gannon, who some have dared to suggest put on an MVP-worthy performance in the first half of the season.

Gannon, a 34-year-old journeyman who came to the Raiders from the Kansas City Chiefs, is ranked sixth in the league with a passing rating of 91.8.

He was selected the NFL's AFC offensive player of the week for his performance Sunday against his former team. He completed 20 of 31 passes for 242 yards and four touchdowns, tying a career high. He also ran 33 yards on five carries, two for first downs.

''I don't really get too excited or too enamored with that type of attention,'' he said. ''I'm just really trying to focus on what I can do to help this team.''

Rison, who caught two touchdown passes in Sunday's 49-31 win, said Gannon reminds him of Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre in his heyday.

''When I played with Brett, all he had on his mind was winning and dominating. And that's how Rich is,'' he said.

After the Chiefs game, Kansas City tight end Tony Gonzalez said Gannon made the difference for the Raiders this season. The 6-foot-3 quarterback shrugged off the praise.

''I think I'm part of an organization and a team that's worked very hard to clean up some things that have hurt this team and this organization in the past,'' he said. ''We're more disciplined. We're more structured. We're more professional in our approach.''

The disciple was evident in the individual performances against Kansas City, including Gannon's.

Tyrone Wheatley, who has seven touchdown runs for the Raiders, ran for 112 yards despite two bad ankles. The Raiders currently top the AFC in rushing offense with 144.4 yards per carry.

And Shane Lechler, the Raiders' punter, filled in admirably for ailing kicker Sebastian Janikowski, handling kickoffs and making every extra point. His only failing was a missed 33-yard field goal.

But the Raiders did give up a scary 504 passing yards to Elvis Grbac.

''We got the win, that's cool and everything,'' cornerback Charles Woodson said. ''But there's no way in the world they should have had 500 yards passing and 31 points. It showed us we still have work to do.''

The main problem in the foreseeable future is that the Raiders are hurting from the usual halfway-point bumps and bruises. In addition to Wheatley, fullback Jon Ritchie is nursing both a calf strain and an aggravated groin injury.

Stinchcomb didn't play against Kansas City because of knee injury, and defensive end Lance Johnstone was out with a groin strain. Stinchcomb, who practiced Wednesday, said he would be ready to go against the Broncos.

Janikowski remained hospitalized Wednesday with cellulitis, a bacterial infection, in his kicking foot. The Raiders put their top draft pick in the hospital for aggressive antibiotic treatment.

Although the Raiders tried out kicker Brett Conway, who was most recently with Washington, the feeling was that Janikowski would be able to ready to play Monday.

In the meantime, the rest of the Raiders went back to business.

''We're happy to be 8-1,'' coach Jon Gruden said, ''but we all realize we've got a lot of work to do to finish the job.''