Offense Is Different in Name Only : Raiders: Falcons’ Red Gun might evoke painful memories of the run-and-shoot today.

The Raiders and Atlanta Falcons occupy different chapters in football’s history, so their meeting today at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium represents a clash of divergent forces.

On offense, the Raiders have been the ghosts of football past because of their primitive rushing concept. But last week they introduced their Tilt formation, an odd-looking ensemble of seven offensive linemen, three of them tackles stacked on one side of the ball alongside a tight end and lone receiver.

What will they think of next?

“We’ll probably take the quarterback out and snap the ball directly to a back,” Coach Art Shell joked the other day.

“We’ll go back to the Knute Rockne days. If it helps us win, we’ll do it.”

The Raiders (2-1) unveiled the stacked line against Denver in Week 2, using one extra tackle. That move came on the heels of two losses to spread-offense teams--the Buffalo Bills, in the AFC championship game last season, and the Houston Oilers, by the combined score of 98-20.

While some teams roll up points, the Raiders have rolled up their sleeves, intent on proving there is more to the game than receivers called X, Y and Z.

Based on last weekend’s paucity of touchdowns, the rest of the league seems to be listening.

Since a 30-point loss to Houston in the opener, the Raiders have ground out 16-13 and 16-0 victories.

The Falcons (1-2) are another ideological enemy with their version of the run-and-shoot, known in Atlanta as the Red Gun. Not that Falcon Coach Jerry Glanville needs more enemies.

“I’m not a guy who visits with other people,” he said.

The Falcons kept their Red Gun holstered early this season but went back to their quick draw in a rare road victory over the San Diego Chargers last week.

“They were in run-and-shoot 95% of the time,” Shell said.

What works in Houston with quarterback Warren Moon does not always translate to points in Atlanta with Chris Miller. The Falcons’ run-and-shoot has sputtered under Miller, who has thrown six interceptions.

This gives the Raiders hope.

“Not to take anything away from the Atlanta guy, but Moon has been around a long time,” Shell said. “He’s a sharp guy. It’s the guy under center (who counts).”

The Raiders’ offense is much more predictable. It’s all in the name.

“You’ve got seven offensive linemen on the field,” Tilt tackle Reggie McElroy said.

“You feel like it’s going to tilt the whole stadium. So we call it Tilt.”

Quarterback Jay Schroeder has thrown the fewest passes, 62, of any AFC starting quarterback. Glanville said he has an idea about a game plan.

“It makes you feel safe about the pass,” he said of the Raiders’ unbalanced formation.

“I haven’t seen that in a while. It’s different. I won’t tell you what we’re going to do, but we’ve got a way to treat that formation as compared probably with what other people have been doing.”

The Raiders, who have not had much luck stopping the run-and-shoot, might take some clues from the Kansas City Chiefs. Although 17-7 losers to the Oilers Monday night, the Chiefs contained the run-and-shoot by constantly changing their look on defense, making Moon work for everything he got.

Glanville, after studying film of Raider wipeouts in Buffalo and Houston, would seem equipped with the right offense.

“I don’t think there are any guarantees (that) what hurt the Raiders last week, or last month, or the last spread offense, will work this time,” Glanville said.

“You have to be able to adjust as the game’s being played.”

Shell said Atlanta’s run-and-shoot is a problem, as was Houston’s.

“It’s like looking in a mirror,” Shell said. “Jerry (Glanville) was in Houston with (Falcon offensive coordinator) June Jones. June Jones was in Detroit with Mouse Davis, and I guess (Davis is) the father of the run-and-shoot.”

Raider Notes

In 13 games against the Falcons, all with the San Francisco 49ers, Roger Craig has rushed for 914 yards and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He has had four 100-yard days against Atlanta and has caught 52 passes for 501 yards. . . . What happened to Coach Jerry Glanville’s rush defense? Last year, the Falcons were No. 1 against the run, giving up 3.3 yards a carry. This season, Atlanta ranks last at 5.2.

The controversial Glanville says his relationship with the Atlanta media “couldn’t be better.” That wasn’t the case in Houston. Glanville: “Anybody that was criticizing me there, I don’t think I gave a damn about.” . . . The Falcons have led all three of their games by three points at halftime. . . . Atlanta’s first-round pick, cornerback Bruce Pickens, remains unsigned. . . . The Raiders activated running back Marcus Wilson from their developmental squad and waived running back Doug Lloyd.