Kansas City, Mo. ? Break out the calculator and make sure that the record book is within easy reach.

The Oakland Raiders are bringing their wounded defense and high-octane offense to face the offensively explosive, defensively inept Kansas City Chiefs today.

“If you can’t keep up with Kansas City’s offense, you’ve got to step aside, because these guys score at record clips,” said Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon. “We’ll just have to try to give ourselves a chance to stay in the game.”

Nobody in the NFL is acquiring real estate (433.8 yards per game) like Gannon and an Oakland (4-2) offense that includes likely Hall of Fame wide receivers Jerry Rice and Tim Brown. They’re No. 2 in the league with almost 33 points a game.

In the meantime, nobody’s giving up yardage and points like a Kansas City defense that’s been ranked dead last from the first quarter of the first game.

The beleaguered Chiefs (3-3) have been surrendering 441 yards and 32.9 points every outing. Six of seven opposing quarterbacks have passed for more than 300 yards against Kansas City, which is last in pass defense with an average yield of more than 322 yards.

And just who is the AFC’s top-rated passer? None other than Oakland’s Gannon, averaging 341 yards a game. In an overtime loss to San Diego last week, the Raiders called only 12 running plays that netted 37 yards. With injuries cutting down their running backs, the Raiders might hardly run at all.

“I’m not saying we’re going to throw the ball 60 times this week,” said Brown. “But it may be a situation where we have to put the ball up and throw it.”

An Oakland defense so crippled in the secondary it was practically pulling guys off the street will be confronting a Kansas City offense that’s No. 2 in total yardage (390 yards per game), No. 1 in scoring (34.1 points) and No. 1 in rushing (163.1 yards).

“What all that probably means,” said Chiefs defensive end Eric Hicks, “is that it will be a 3-0 game.”

Chiefs running back Priest Holmes, seen here diving into the end zone for a touchdown last Sunday against Denver, leads the high-powered KC offense into today's game against Oakland.

Highly unlikely.

The Chiefs, averaging an NFL-best 163 yards rushing, will no doubt make Priest Holmes a big part of their game plan. The Raiders, after starting 4-0 and scoring 40 points a game, were gouged for more than 300 yards on the ground the past two weeks in losses to St. Louis and San Diego.

In Holmes, they’re looking at a back who went for 113 yards last week against a Denver defense that had been giving up only 60 yards rushing a game. His 14 touchdowns in seven games are the most since Jim Brown had 15 in 1958.

“Our defense will be challenged again, for the third week in a row, against who I think is the best back in the NFL right now,” Raiders coach Bill Callahan said.

This key AFC West matchup figures to be not only high-scoring, but close. The last three Oakland games at Arrowhead Stadium have been decided by a Raiders field goal in the final seconds of regulation or in overtime. Five of the last six meetings between these old AFL rivals were decided by three points or fewer.

In 12 of their last 13 meetings in Kansas City, the team scoring last has won.

“It always seems to go down to the wire between the Raiders and the Chiefs,” Hicks said. “You won’t find anybody who thinks this one will be any different.”

The Raiders’ offensive numbers have been dropping the past two weeks, when they averaged only 19 points a game.

“You can’t exceed the speed limit every day and not expect to get pulled over every once in a while,” said Gannon. “Defenses are good. You can’t expect to score 40 points a week. It doesn’t get any easier this week.”

Coaches in both camps were trying to figure out ways to plug holes in the secondary, the Raiders because of injury and the Chiefs out of desperation. Raiders rookie cornerback Phillip Buchanon and kick returner-running back Terry Kirby will both be out. Cornerback Charles Woodson (shoulder) has missed four games, but could be back.

The Chiefs, hopeful of getting safety Greg Wesley back after a two-week absence, were experimenting with a different combination of defensive backs.

“The Chiefs are dangerous no matter what,” said Callahan. “They have a good football team that has scored a lot of points. They’re having some problems on defense right now, but I’m sure they’re going to make some changes. I wish this wasn’t the week they were making the changes.”