Silver and Black Report

QUARTERBACK: B

Jason Campbell did not have to do much, as Oakland dominated on the ground and never were in a position in which they had to lean on their passing attack. In the 1^st quarter, on 3^rd and 11 on Oakland’s second drive, Campbell sustained a right knee injury scrambling for eight-yards. He returned after one-possession on the sideline and was a driving force on the Raiders first scoring drive. Campbell’s 20-yard scramble on 2^nd and 20 and 11-yard completion on 3^rd and 7 helped the Silver & Black take a 7-3 lead. That drive was capped with a Chaz Schilens 5-yard scoring reception. More key passes included a 3^rd and 10, 16-yard conversion to Michael Bush and slant on 2^nd and 5 to Schilens before halftime. That drive ended in a field goal, giving Oakland a 10-3 lead. Campbell ended 15-of-25 for 155-yards one touchdown and no turnovers.

RUNNING BACKS/FULL BACKS: A

Michael Bush has a knack for big games in finales. In 2008, his onslaught at Tampa Bay helped the Raiders finish the season strong. Today, he compiled 137-yards rushing on 25-carries and a score. He showed power and explosiveness today, especially on the 26-yard run that gave Oakland a 17-10 lead in the 3^rd quarter. That 9-play 75-yard drive was crippling to the Chiefs especially after they had tied the game at 10, minutes earlier. Bush also added four catches for 34-yards, including a nifty one handed grab. Marcel Reece, Rock Cartwright and Michael Bennett all saw action, but it was Bush’s show.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: C+

The start of the game was disastrous for Oakland, when Darrius Heyward-Bey fumbled on their first offensive play. The end around was fumbled and the Chiefs took over at the Raiders 17-yard line. That helped Kansas City build their only lead of the contest, 3-0. Jacoby Ford had one catch for 35-yards and Louis Murphy tallied two receptions for 29-yards. Ford’s end around run, bouncing off defenders to get in from 10-yards out gave the Raiders a 24-10 lead. Chaz Schilens had his most productive outing with three catches for 24-yards and a score. Zach Miller ended with 31-yards receiving, but had a scary moment when he went out with an injury. When the tight end came back, Tamba Hali beat him for one of his 2.5 sacks. Brandon Myers had one catch for 7-yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B

The Raiders ran for 101-yards at halftime and ended with 209-total for the game. Four sacks were allowed and Campbell took some shots at times, but for the most part, they controlled the line of scrimmage against a very good run stuffing unit. Jared Veldheer had a false start in the 1^st quarter, an illegal use of hands penalty and was tormented by Hali a lot of the afternoon. Langston Walker was beat by Hali for one sack, had a two false start infractions on one drive. Samson Satele handled Glenn Dorsey and Cooper Carlisle and Robert Gallery played solid games all around in the interior.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A

Without Richard Seymour (inactive) and Matt Shaughnessy (left game with injury), Oakland applied constant pressure with their linemen. Matt Cassel was beaten to a pulp most of the day, which effected his play, ending 11-of-33 for 115-yards and two interceptions. Desmond Bryant dominated at times with 5-solo tackles, constant penetration and tallying a sack in one of his best games as a pro. Tommy Kelly again was a force and rookie Lamarr Houston had two tackles for losses and one sack. They held the Chiefs to 115-yards rushing.

LINEBACKERS: A

One of the better games all season by this unit. Rolando McClain closed out his rookie campaign with solid contributions versus the run and playing his best game in space when defending passes. Quentin Groves has had his moments in recent weeks and today, he darted across the line of scrimmage many times to stuff Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones or to force them into other tacklers. Kamerion Wimbley put up gaudy statistics with four solo tackles, two for losses and three sacks.

SECONDARY: A

Tyvon Branch was flying to the ball all afternoon and had a sack on 3^rd and 11 to start the 4^th quarter before the game got out of hand. Stanford Routt began the rout with his 22-yard interception return for a score. He jumped in front of Dexter McCluster and walked into the end zone to give the Raiders a 31-10 lead in the final quarter. Even when Cassel got his passes off cleanly, the Oakland secondary had good coverage on the Chiefs’ targets. Michael Huff had a solid tackle on Chris Chambers on a 3^rd down that was short of the first down marker and had a interception that set up Oakland’s score to go up 24-10.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

Sebastian Janikowski booted a 38-yard field goal and Shane Lechler had five punts averaging 46.8 per with a long of 60-yards. Hiram Eugene had one of the better special teams tackle in the game late in the 4^th quarter and Ford tallied 36-yards on two kickoffs. Nick Miller was a non-factor and on one punt, he flipped the football to Branch to no avail.

COACHING: A

Tom Cable got his team to 8-8 and swept the AFC West by defeating a playoff bound team on the road. Kansas City played all their regulars and got whooped by a motivated Raider bunch. Oakland started sloppy, and again was victorious in a contest in which they tallied ten or more penalties (10-for-77 yards). But the second half pressure they applied and dominance at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball was the most impressive part of the win. Kansas City was held to 201-total yards of offense and were forced into two turnovers (had only 12 giveaways coming into the game). Without Seymour and Darren McFadden, Oakland made a huge statement for their embattled coach. Will he stay, or will Davis let him walk? After this win, it’s hard to imagine the Silver & Black letting him go.

GAME NOTES

• Cable is 17-27 as head coach of the Raiders.
• Inactives for Oakland included: wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins, cornerback Jeremy Ware, guards Daniel Loper and Bruce Campbell, running back Darren McFadden and defensive tackle Richard Seymour.
• Jarvis Moss had one sack and three QB hits.
• Kyle Boller was in on relief again, completing his only pass for 5-yards.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK: B-

Jason Campbell’s first half statistics were respectable; 12-of-17 for 87-yards. But the offensive output for the team was horrendous. Zach Miller dropped a potential 1^st down on a 3^rd and 4, Campbell’s arm was hit as he released the football by Robert Mathis on a 3^rd and 9 and was pressured on another 3^rd and 9 when Jared Veldheer was beaten by Dwight Freeney. One of his best passes was a 10-yard strike to Louis Murphy on 3^rd and 6 in the 2^nd quarter and a 9-yard conversion to Chaz Schilens on a 3^rd and 5 on the same drive. Oakland was able to take a 13-10 lead four plays later on a field goal. He orchestrated a controlled right before halftime, spiking the ball with one-second remaining to give the Raiders another shot at a score. One of the few questionable decisions he had was on 3^rd and 9 in the fourth quarter, when he attempted to hits his tight end on a pass thrown behind him, instead of running for more yardage.

RUNNING BACKS/FULLBACK: C

The coaching and offensive line directly affected their lack of production. The speed of the Colts front-seven prevented big plays on screens and sweeps. Michael Bush had a 15-yard gain during the scoring drive in which the Raiders tied it at 10 and Oakland took the lead 13-10 on the strength of Darren McFadden’s 26-yard scamper to start that possession. McFadden only had six carries for 33-yards at halftime, not enough touches for the MVP of the team. Marcel Reece was ineffective, and his holding infraction negated a Bush 16-yard gain. McFadden ended with 45-yards rushing and 31-yards receiving.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: D

Chaz Schilens tallied his first two catches of the season for 16-yards. Darrius Heyward-Bey has some miscommunication with Campbell on a hitch on 2^nd and 9 in the 1^st quarter, but hauled in a nine yard pass to start their first drive in the 2^nd quarter. He almost broke away from a defender after getting his legs cut out from underneath him on a 11-yard catch. Jacoby Ford had two-catches, his best a 17-yarder early in the 4^th quarter during a drive that the Raiders cut into the Indianapolis lead to 24-19. Murphy had 36-yards on two receptions. Zach Miller’s score with 1:51 left in the game brought Oakland within 31-26. The tight end ended with nine catches for 66-yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE: D

Oakland had 60-yards rushing at the half and 80 at the end of the contest. Langston Walker was inactive and replaced by Mario Henderson at right tackle. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis combined for 2.5 sacks and made Campbell’s day unsteady in the pocket. Robert Gallery saved his passer in the 1^st quarter, fending of Freeney after Veldheer was blown away at the line of scrimmage. Veldheer was flagged for a hold and false start on the same drive in the 4^th quarter.

DEFENSIVE LINE: F

No Richard Seymour meant a shuffling along the trenches for the Silver & Black. Lamarr Houston played all over the interior of the defense, but was overpowered at times and was thoughtless with his unnecessary roughness penalty that aided a Colts scoring drive right before halftime that gave them a 17-13 lead. His actions will likely land him a fine, as tempers flared on the next play when Ryan Diem retaliated and caused a scuffle. Kamerion Wimbley saw action at defensive end, but was ineffective and neutralized during runs. Oakland could not near Peyton Manning and rarely put him in frantic situations. John Henderson had his moments with nine solo tackles and one pass defended. The Colts out gained the Raiders 191-80 on the ground in Dominic Rhodes’ [98-yards rushing] return to Oakland and Joseph Addai’s [45-yards] first action since week-six. “There’s no magic to it,” coach Jim Caldwell said. “We’re running the same plays, running the same defense. We were just playing what we do, and doing it a little better.”

LINEBACKERS: D

This group had their problems with crossing routes and was trailing a few times in coverage. Even though Manning only had 179-yards passing, the linebackers did very little to make their presence felt. Roland McClain was running with Jacob Tamme during Michael Huff’s interception.

SECONDARY: B

Stanford Routt had a tough drive late in the 3^rd quarter, flagged for pass interference and beaten by Blair White for a score, which increased the Colts lead to 24-16. Chris Johnson was Manning’a bull’s-eye a lot of the afternoon, but the cornerback demonstrated great hand-eye coordination intercepting a slant that was tipped by Rolando McClain and bobbled before the pick. He almost had another interception earlier in the contest, but Pierre Garcon broke up the pass as Johnson put his hands in on it. Johnson did get flagged for pass interference on 3^rd and 17 before the half, when Manning and Tamme torched Tyvon Branch in coverage for a 18-yard score. Nnamdi Asomugha won the majority of his match-ups versus Reggie Wayne. “There’s not a quarterback that I’ve played against that controls the game the way that he does, and handles every situation and is basically the coordinator on the fly,” Asomugha said of Manning.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

This group kept the Raiders alive for most of the contest. Jacoby Ford’s 99-yard kickoff return for a score to open the game was electric. After Shane Lechler’s first attempt, which had little power behind it, the ailing punter bombed five kicks, one for 63-yards which was covered instantly by Hiram Eugene and Rock Cartwright. Stevie Brown recorded another stuff during punt coverage and Cartwright forced a holding penalty after bolting through the line of scrimmage and almost getting to the Pat McAfee. Sebastian Janikowski nailed a 59-yard field goal attempt (2^nd longest in team history) and booted three other attempts from 38, 51 and 45-yards.

COACHING: D

Tom Cable coached loose when he sent Janikowski out for a 59-yard field goal attempt down 10-7 early in the game. But the team showed little life after that on offense and was kept in it because of an opportunistic special team. There are no excuses for getting out-rushed by a team that ranks 32^nd on offense running the football and 28^th stopping the run. McFadden did not get enough touches, the offense did not get its first 1^st down till the 2^nd quarter and did not reach the red-zone till the 4^th quarter. Too many three and outs, not enough sustained drives and eventually, the Colts will get to you. Manning toyed with the Raiders at the end of the contest, getting Branch to declare the defense’s intentions and then calling an audible that led to a Garcon score to give them a 31-19 lead before calling a bootleg that netted 27-yards to end the contest. Oakland fought hard till late, but they were listless for most of the game. You have to wonder if being eliminated from any post-season positioning due to Kansas City’s 34-14 romp over the Titans effected their disposition. “The guys were trying not to pay attention to it,” Jason Campbell said. “We were just really trying to focus on our game. That’s the situation you’re in when you have to count on other teams. It’s a tough situation to be in.”

GAME NOTES

• In back-to-back weeks, the Colts stuffed Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden, and teams with top ranked ground attacks. [67 yards vs. Jacksonville & 80 yards vs. Oakland]
• Colts are one win away from clinching the AFC South title for their ninth straight playoff berth.
• Oakland had 10 penalties for 116-yards. The Raiders were also 4-15 on 3^rd downs.
• Ford joins Ike Thomas of the 1971 Cowboys as the only players in NFL history to take the opening kickoff back for a TD twice in the same season. Ford did it November 28 versus the Dolphins and today versus the Colts. He is the only Raider to return opening kickoffs for a score in team history.
• “That’s a heck of a running team. They do a good job; big strong offensive linemen, backs that can certainly run. Our guys did a nice job overall. They had six three and out, one four an out, weathered the storm, showed some poise,” Jim Caldwell after the game about the Raiders offense and the job his defense did.
• “All we did was win today,” Manning said about the Colts playoff hopes. “We have to find a way to win again next week.”
• Manning tied former Raiders OL Gene Upshaw for the most consecutive starts to begin a career with 207.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACKS:

Jason Campbell – C

Again, Jason Campbell was knocked out briefly from the contest in the 3^rd quarter, but he was able to return to end the game. He wasn’t as sharp versus Denver as he was the last two-games, but he made solid decisions with the football and kept the chains moving with his steadiness. Campbell’s first interception was an athletic pick at the line of scrimmage by Kevin Vickerson, snaring the football at the line of scrimmage, within close proximity of the passer. In the 2^nd quarter, he scrambled for 25-yards and then connected with Louis Murphy for 14. He had a scoring pass to Zach Miller negated by a sketchy illegal formation infraction. A play later on 2^nd and 19, Campbell overthrew his fullback, Renaldo Hill hauled in the errant pass and returned it to midfield. One of his best tosses was a 20-yard deep out to Darrius Heyward-Bey. In the 4^th quarter, Campbell orchestrated a nice drive that featured a 15-yard completion to Jacoby Ford, a 4^th and 2 conversion to Miller and a 21-yard pass to Darren McFadden to set up a score. That drive, Oakland went up 39-23 with 3:37 remaining.

Kyle Boller – Incomplete

Had a relief appearance for a second straight game. This time around, Boller was not needed to make a crucial throw or direct the team in a vital spot.

RUNNING BACKS/FULL BACK: A

Darren McFadden piled up 116-yards on 20-carries. He added another four catches for 39-yards. His fumble in the 1^st quarter was costly. McFadden attempted to pitch the ball to Ford after a handoff on a reverse, but Jason Hunter’s recovery set up Denver at the Oakland 32-yard line. The Broncos would take the lead 14-7, but on Oakland’s ensuing offensive possession, McFadden busted a 20-yard run after a spin move at the line of scrimmage. He weaved for 36-yards, showing great patience on 2^nd and 9 a few plays later and eventually, Michael Bush tied the game at 14. Michael Bush had 12-rushes for only 24-yards, but hit paydirt twice during the contest. Marcel Reece demonstrated his versatility once again, hauling in a short toss, evading David Bruton and giving the Raiders a 30-20 lead at the start of the 4^th quarter after his 73-yard reception.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: D

Jacoby Ford was the best of his unit mates. His best catch came off a 26-yard crossing route. The exciting rookie opened Oakland’s offensive attack with a 71-yard end around to give the Silver & Black 7-0 lead in the 1^st quarter. Heyward-Bey had one catch for 20-yards, but excelled in his blocking. Murphy’s 14-yard reception was his best across the middle all season with a defender drapped over him. Zach Miller ended with four catches for 39-yards. He fought off a defender on a short toss to pick up 27-yards in the 3^rd quarter. Miller was mauled by Robert Ayers during a McFadden run that went for a loss of 4-yards and was infracted for a hold on a Ford end around.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B

The Raiders had 150-yards rushing at the end of the 1^st quarter (most in a quarter for Oakland since 1991). That tally was at 201-yards by halftime. Oakland only managed 63-yards the rest of the way, as Hue Jackson strangely enough attacked with the passing game on a rainy and muddy day in the second half. Samson Satele blocked off D.J. Williams on Ford’s opening score, Jared Veldheer and Robert Gallery dominated on the left side when Oakland asserted themselves on the ground and Cooper Carlisle was steady at right guard. Veldheer’s illegal hands to the face wiped out a 17-yard gain. Vickerson, who was blocking on Hill’s interception return, knocked Langston Walker out of the game in the 2nd quarter. Khalif Barnes was serviceable at right tackle, flagged only once, for a false start. This group did not allow a sack today.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A

Tommy Kelly was dominant at times today, nota3bly in the 4^th quarter stuffing Lance Ball for a four-yard loss prior to the safety. He had 0.5 sack, Matt Shaughnessy tallied 1.5 quarterback take downs and John Henderson continues to provide solid veteran play in the trenches. Richard Seymour did not finish the contest, but Oakland controlled the Denver ground game all day, allowing an ineffective 106-yards. Tim Tebow’s 40-yard run for a score jolted the Raiders. But they became more aware of his abilities as the game continued and minimized any damage the rookie can dish out with his legs. Knowshown Moreno was injured early, so Oakland lucked out not facing one of Denver’s most productive talents.

LINEBACKERS: A

Quentin Groves had his best game at linebacker all season. He was stellar in coverage, caging Moreno on a swing pass early in the 1^st quarter for no gain and then darting through the line of scrimmage late to take down Correll Buckhalter for a safety that increased the Raiders’ lead to 32-23. Roland McClain started at middle linebacker after being inactive last weekend, ending with four-solo tackles, including one for a loss. Kamerion Wimbley looked lost in coverage versus Ball on a pass that Tebow put right in the rusher’s breadbasket and should’ve been a score.

SECONDARY: B

Stanford Routt was Tebow’s target and the weak link during the contest. He just missed an interception on Tebow’s 33-yard scoring pass to Brandon Lloyd. Routt was also flagged for pass interference while working against Lloyd on a drive that ended with a Steven Hauschka 35-yard field goal to tie the game at 20. Tyvon Branch was busy, landing some big hits throughout the contest, stout in run support and active in blitzes. He ended with three tackles for losses.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

On a muddy field, Sebastian Janikowski was perfect, hitting field goals of 49, 35 and 47-yards. He also punted for the first time in his career (33-yards), when Shane Lechler was shaken up in the 2^nd quarter. Of Lechler’s three punts, two of them landed inside the 20-yard line. Hiram Eugene was stellar on the coverage units; recovering a fumble and altering the direction of Denver return men. Sam Williams also accounted for a big hit on punt coverage. Nick Miller’s 22-yard punt return and personal foul on Richard Quinn on the same play set Oakland up at Denver’s 24-yard line for a drive that ended with a score.

COACHING: B

Tom Cable’s team went back-and-forth against a Denver club that was primed for an upset with a rookie quarterback at the helm. Eventually, the Raiders controlled the game and won a contest that was crucial for any playoff hopes. At home, you don’t want to flirt with disaster, but the defense really did not face any unanticipated schemes against the Broncos. After Tebow’s scoring run – Denver’s best punch – Oakland did not fear the Broncos’ offense. With no Moreno, they didn’t face much danger of a steady ground attack. Nine penalties, three turnovers and 2-for-11 on 3^rd downs usually spell disaster, but not today. Oakland was unwavering, scoring on three-straight possessions in the second half and exposing the inadequacies of Tebow at quarterback. The rookie did what he was asked to do – manage the contest. He was tough, bouncing off defenders and fighting for every yard. He was poised at times and lucky others. The Raiders were the better team, and it showed as the game wound down.

NOTES

The Oakland Raiders have outscored the Denver Broncos 98- 37 in 2010. The 98-points is more than any team has scored in a single season versus the same opponent since 1970. Oakland’s final totals versus their rival this year (two-games):

• Total yards – 1,010
• Rush yards – 592
• First downs – 49
• Rushing yards allowed – 181

Seymour did not finish the game due to a hamstring injury. Knowshon Moreno was held out for most of the game due to an injury to his side/rib area.

Oakland is now 5-0 within the AFC West for the first time since 1988.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACKS

Jason Campbell: A

The Oakland Raiders got another outstanding performance out of their starting passer today. On 3^rd and 3 during Oakland’s first possession of the 2^nd quarter, Campbell was poised rolling away from pressure towards the sideline and finding Darren McFadden for 16-yards. Later on that drive, Campbell his Zach Miller for 7-yards and eventually, Oakland took a 10-7 lead. At that point, the Raiders needed a sustained drive to give their defense a breather. The following offensive possession, Campbell led a 9-play scoring drive with passes to Miller for 12-yards, a toss to Marcel Reece for 11 after evading pressure and a exquisite play fake on 3^rd and 2, followed by another pass to his fullback for 13-yards. He ended the drive with a dart to Louis Murphy in the back of the end zone to give his club a 17-7 advantage. At halftime, Campbell had a perfect rating (158.3%), 204-yards on 11-of-14 completions with 2 scores. He missed some reps in the 4^th quarter after being sacked and driven into the turf. But he came back to lead the Raiders to a game tying score with 1:53 remaining in the contest. The Raiders knotted it at 31 after Campbell hit Reece with two-completions for 20 yards and Murphy for gains of 12 and 10-yards. He ended 21-of-30 for 324-yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Kyle Boller: Incomplete

The back up had a tough task, entering the game late with the Raiders down seven. On his first play, Boller completed a pass to Miller for 20-yards and then on 2^nd and 9, he smartly scrambled for 6-yards. On 3^rd and 3, Boller was too high on his slant to Murphy and on 4^th and 3, while drifting backward, Don Carey picked him off and returned it for seven-yards.

RUNNING BACKS/FULLBACK: A

Darren McFadden looked like an MVP candidate versus the Jaguars. He gave Oakland a 7-0 lead in the 1^st quarter on a 3^rd and 8 dump off he took to paydirt from 67-yards out (career long reception). After the Jaguars sliced into the Raiders lead [17-14] to start the second half, McFadden cut, weaved and speeded into the end-zone, tallying 51-yards on a run that extended the Silver & Black’s lead to 24-14. McFadden struck for his third-score of the game with 1:53 left in the contest, scampering 36-yards, bouncing off defenders and stiff-arming his way into the end zone to tie the game at 31. He finished with 123-yards rushing and 86-receiving. Marcel Reece was a vital safety valve most of the day, compiling 48-yards on four catches.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: D

Zach Miller had his best outing in weeks. He ended with fur catches for 68-yards. Miller’s lone miscue was a holding infraction that negated a McFadden 14-yard run. Murphy recorded six-catches for 59-yards and a score. His back-to-back receptions for 12-yards on 2^nd and 15 and 10-yards on 3^rd and 3 in the 4^th quarter helped the Raiders move the chains. But it was too little too late for a team in need of more consistent pop at wide receiver. Murphy did run a nice route and showed solid awareness with his feet on his touchdown grab and provided a solid block on one of McFadden’s big plays. Chaz Schilens played again, but was a ghost with Campbell targeting him once on the opening drive on a pass that was almost intercepted by Rashean Mathis when the often-injured receiver was late coming out of his break. Darrius Heyward-Bey hauled in a 16-yard pass in the 2^nd quarter and a 26-yard toss right before halftime. On a deep ball in the second half, Heyward-Bey let a long toss sail right through his arms. Jacoby Ford’s best play was a deep cross in which he hauled in for 27-yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE: C+

Far too often, this group let defenders tee off on their passers. The Jaguars tallied three sacks, the most important one coming with 18-seconds remaining Jeremy Mincey as Oakland attended to tie the game. Khalif Barnes was flagged for a false start, Campbell was drilled on a play in which the Jaguars picked up a fumble and ran it into the end zone, but was nullified due to a personal foul flag on Terrance Knighton. Cooper Carlisle and Samson Satele has stellar blocks on McFadden’s 51-yard scamper and the team did amass 153-yards on the ground (6.1 a carry). But it failed to stay consistent enough to give Campbell a comfortable pocket on a day he was very effective. Langston Walker appeared slow at the point of attack consistently at right tackle.

DEFENSIVE LINE: C-

This group got consistent pressure on David Garrard. Richard Seymour (1) and Matt Shaughnessy (0.5) tallied sacks. At the half, Jacksonville was held to 52-yards rushing and Maurice Jones-Drew had little room to roam when the Raiders were playing from in front. But things changed in the second half, as Jones-Drew (23 carries for 101 yards 1 TD) and Rashad Jennings (5 car. 109 yards 1 TD) exploded for big gains and pounded away at the Silver & Black’s front-seven. Jennings’ 74-yard run for a score cut into the Raiders lead, 24-21. Jones-Drew 30-yard run with less than two minutes left in the game clinched the victory. Lamarr Houston was the Raiders best lineman today with a couple of run-stuffs on short down and distances.

LINEBACKERS: C

With Rolando McClain inactive, Ricky Brown started at middle linebacker. He had a fine play covering Jennings out of the backfield down the field on a 3^rd and 22 and stalling Garrard on a reverse option to end another drive. Kamerion Wimbley had 0.5 sack, but struggled at times in space. Quentin Groves was sidelined a few times, and his reps were given to rookie Travis Goethel.

SECONDARY: C-

Michael Huff started the game with a stellar 8-yard tackle for a loss on an end around by Mike Thomas. He also busted a wide receiver screen on a 2^nd and 10 in the 1^st quarter. But the starting free-safety was torched by Jason Hill for 48-yards and a score to open the 3^rd quarter and did very little in run support when the Jaguars began to roll. Huff was also beat on Sims-Walker’s score to give the Jaguars a 28-24 lead. Marcedes Lewis beat Tyvon Branch on a gain of 20-yards and on the 1-yard score that tied the game at 7. Branch drilled Thomas on a play in which Mike Mitchell recovered for a key turnover that Oakland parlayed into a 17-7 lead. Stevie Brown was beaten in coverage on what could’ve been a long touchdown to Zach Miller, but Garrard failed to connect with his tight end. Nnamdi Asomugha continues to look limited at times due to his injured foot. Chris Johnson returned to the line-up and had a nice pass defended in a 3^rd and 6 while covering Mike Sims-Walker.

SPECIAL TEAMS: F

Shane Lechler had one his worst games in recent years. Yes the wind was treacherous, but he looked awful in his five-punts, never drilling one solidly for an average of 42.0 yards per. Johnnie Lee Higgins provided little on punt returns (3 ret. 9 yds.) and Jacoby Ford’s fumble on a kickoff after Jacksonville cut the Raiders lead to 24-21, was a momentum swinging event. The Jaguars took their first lead at the end of the 3^rd quarter five-plays later. The kickoff unit failed again after Oakland tied the game at 31. Deji Karim’s 65-yard returned was the defining moment in a game full of big plays. On three Jaguar scoring drives, they either started at midfield or deep in Raiders’ territory. Stevie Brown had a solid tackle on one punt covered and Mike Mitchell almost got his hands on a punt block.

COACHING: C

Oakland played a gutsy game. They fought back to stay in the contest when it appeared that Jacksonville was ready to put them away. But on a day where Jones-Drew was controlled early and the Raiders had a ten-point lead at halftime, with their playoff lives on the line, the Silver & Black had to find a way to go home with a victory. Jacksonville took many jabs from the Raiders, but they never were able to knock them out. Once the Jaguars got back into the game, were balanced on offense and could rely on their running back duo, they felt comfortable and at ease. Special teams faltered and the defense was a sieve in key spots. This a totally different defense when they force teams to be one-dimensional and playing with a lead. Tom Cable had his group prepared to take the field on Sunday, but not equipped to come away with a road victory.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK: A

Dare I say, Jason Campbell was Rich Gannon-esque in his play this afternoon versus the San Diego Chargers! The Oakland Raiders passer was efficient, poised and gave the team a chance for positive plays on every snap this afternoon. Campbell on 3^rd and 7 during Oakland’s first scoring drive pump faked, was chased from behind and ran for 6-yards to set-up a 4^th and 1. On the next play, his ball handling was masterful, executing a beautiful fake handoff and then bootlegging untouched from 9-yards out to give Oakland a 7-0 lead. At the start of the next drive, he connected with his fullback after getting away from Shaun Phillips, for 11-yards. Ten plays later, Campbell increased the Raider lead to 14-0 with a touchdown lob to Jacoby Ford from 4-yards out. His legs were important; breaking containment on a 2^nd and 9 for 12-yards on another scoring drive and rushing for 9-yards on 3^rd and 7 up the gut of the Charger defense before Oakland went up 21-3. Campbell’s pocket presence was stellar and his leadership was on display when he chewed out the rookie receiver when aligned wrong and forced to use a time out. His finest play came in the 2^nd half when he adlibbed, dishing the football to Michael Bush after being pressured and almost sacked – a gain of 24-yards on 2^nd and 12. On 3^rd and 1 in the 4^th quarter, Campbell fooled the everyone with nifty ball handling, on a play action pass that ended in  Louis Murphy’s hands for 37-yards. He ended 10-of-16 for 117-yards, one score and 0 interceptions [105.5 rating]. He also ran for 37-yards.

RUNNING BACKS/FULL BACK: A

Darren McFadden was productive after a two-week hiatus. He was explosive, powerful and the game-breaker Oakland sorely missed during losses to the Steelers and Dolphins.  His fumble at the end of the first half could have proved costly, especially because the clock was ticking and Oakland could’ve ran into the halftime with all the momentum. But San Diego did not capitalize on the turnover when Nate Kaeding missed a 50-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds of the 2^nd quarter. McFadden’s best work came in the 2^nd half; a 19-yard reception on 3^rd and 5 on the opening drive of the 3^rd quarter, a 20-yard run on the ensuing play, a 5-yard gain on 3^rd and 5 and the 7-yard run for a score to give the Silver & Black a 28-13 lead. On the pitch, he beat San Diego defenders to the edge and plowed through Eric Weddle at the goal line. McFadden ended with 97-yards on 19-carries and 3 receptions for 30-yards. Michael Bush was used perfectly today, as Oakland mixed both ball carriers to perfection. The bruising rusher tallied 95-yards on 23 carries and a score. Twice, Bush sold Campbell fakes by running into the line of scrimmage and fooling Charger defenders that though he had the ball in his hands. He picked up tough yards all afternoon and his 7-yard scamper, which featured two broken tackles, gave Oakland a 21-3 lead in the 2^nd quarter. Marcel Reece had several run busting blocks. He also had one of the game’s finer plays, hurdling over Brandon Siler on a screen that amassed 23-yards.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: C

The Raiders did not need this grouping today. But Jacoby Ford did continue his solid play with a 4-yard touchdown grab. The play was aided by a Darrius Heyward-Bey screen on Donald Strickland to free up Ford on the fade pattern. Louis Murphy couldn’t get his feet inbounds on a 2^nd and 8 deep ball in the end zone versus Quentin Jammer. Murphy showed great effort on another deep ball that he almost tipped to himself for a completion, before hauling in a vital 37-yard grab to put away the Chargers. Chaz Schilens made his first appearance of the season but was a non-factor in the fame with one-target. Campbell missed the open Schilens on what would have been a 1^st down gain. Zach Miller continues to struggle since his injuries, tallying one catch for 5-yards. Heyward-Bey had a reverse for a second straight contest – today he compiled 13-yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE: A

The team rushed for 251-yards. That’s the most given up by San Diego all season. Jared Veldheer was dominant run blocking on the left side. He played at center when Samson Satele was hurt, but returned back to left tackle to end the contest. Oakland overpowered San Diego all afternoon and pushed around the defensive front when they needed vital yards. The Chargers led the league in sacks coming into the game and they only recorded one; a scramble by Campbell in which he slid at the line of scrimmage to prevent a major loss. The quarterback was kept clean, the running game was dominant – it was one of the better performances in years from this unit. Khalif Barnes was flagged twice, Satele had a hold on a drive Oakland had to punt and Gallery had a false start, but those infractions barely marred what was a cohesive performance. Langston Walker’s personal foul pushed Sebastian Janiwkoski out of range for a field goal attempt.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A

The Chargers managed only 11-yards rushing at halftime. They only gained another 10 the rest of the game, as Oakland took the lead and the Bolts abandoned their ground game. Regardless, the Raiders were stout early and were the more physical bunch when San Diego attempted to get Mike Tolbert going. Lamarr Houston had a pivotal play stuffing Tolbert on a 4^th and short in the 2^nd quarter and then sacking Philip Rivers on a 2^nd and 6 for a 6-yard loss. Tommy Kelly was active, manhandling Tyronne Green for sack no. 6.5 of the season. Desmond Bryant’s roughing the passer flag aided a drive that ended with a Antonio Gates 4-yard score to cut the Raiders lead, 21-13. On that scoring play, Tyvon Branch, Stevie Brown and Rolando McClain had a mix-up that, which freed up the tight end.

LINEBACKERS: B

Rolando McClain’s performance was probably the best of his rookie season. He ended with 7-solo tackles, but more importantly, he was on his assignments versus Tolbert out of the backfield, limiting him to one reception for no gain and shadowing other threats around the line of scrimmage. His physical presence was felt when he cleanly knocked Darren Sproles out of the game with a vicious hit after a 7-yard reception. Kamerion Wimbley was consistently chasing down Rivers, finally getting to the passer for a sack in the 4^th quarter.

SECONDARY: B

Stanford Routt was targeted at one point, so Rivers took advantage of the Raiders cornerback for a few plays in the 2^nd half while working on Seyi Ajirotutu and Malcom Floyd. But otherwise, the defensive backfield fared well against a passer that lit them up for over 400-yards in their first meeting. Rivers ended 23-of-39 for 280 yards, but because of the constant pressure applied, the Raiders’ secondary could get their hands on some tosses. Michael Huff was dominant in the 1^st quarter, recording a sack and an interception. Rookie Stevie Brown landed a big hit on Gates and batted away a potential score on 3^rd and 12 at the end of the 3^rd quarter versus Floyd. Mike Mitchell did an admirable job against Gates, but was stronger as a run defender around the line of scrimmage.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

Oakland again took advantage of a miscue on special teams when Sproles muffed a Shane Lechler punt in the 1^st quarter (recovered by Hiram Eugene). Lechler did not have much length on his punts, but he did place three inside the 20-yard line. Johnnie Lee Higgins was reliable on punt returns, recording 16-yards on one and Rock Cartwright fielded a short kickoff and tallied 28-yards on the return. Travis Goethel had a solid tackle on Sproles early in the game and Mitchell continues to be an energizer on that unit. Ford had a 28-yard return negated by a Ricky Brown holding penalty.

COACHING: A

The win was the most impressive for the Raiders this season for many reasons. San Diego had an 18-0 record in December since 2006, along with a current four game wining streak and a 7-year winning stretch versus Oakland at Qualcomm. Hue Jackson was masterful in his play calling at times; whether calling a bootleg run that fooled many for a score and that his players sold perfectly, a play action toss that again fooled the cameramen and Chargers for a 37-yard gain or perfectly called screens that consistently hurt a blitzing team that could not get to Campbell all afternoon. Oakland executed perfectly at times on offense and had sustained drives that led to an impressive 38:39 versus 21:21 time of possession advantage. John Marshall applied pressure consistently via blitzes from his linebackers and/or members of the secondary. They were well designed and had Rivers running all afternoon. Even with 13-penalties for 105-yards (Chargers only infracted 3-for-19 yards), Oakland had control of the game and clamped down when needed. Tom Cable has this bunch believing and a performance like this, after losing back-to-back games, on the road, in December, goes a long way in selling the owner why he’s the right man for the job. The defense could attack a one-dimensional Chargers attack once they went up 21-3. Norv Turner then put the game on Rivers’ shoulder and the rest is history. Campbell was poised all day and owned the offense that Jackson put together for this contest.

GAME NOTES:

• The Raiders are 4-0 in AFC West for the first time since 1990.
• Oakland swept the Chargers for the first time since 2001. The Raiders last win in San Diego was in 2002, when a Rich Gannon led Silver & Black won 27-7.
• Cornerback Walter McFadden, running back Michael Bennett, cornerback Chris Johnson, linebacker Bruce Davis, guards Daniel Loper and Bruce Campbell and wide receiver Nick Miller were inactive.
• Oakland rushed 52-times for 4.8 yards per carry.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK: B-

The Oakland Raiders and Jason Campbell had a tale of two halves. The passer was terrible in the first half going 4-of-10 for 18-yards and an interception. Campbell lofted a toss into the arms of John McGraw in the 2^nd quarter, missing Johnnie Lee Higgins badly as he stepped into the pocket. He also under threw Jacoby Ford on a flea flicker and had a tough time with receivers dropping some passes. But in the 3^rd quarter, he got into a roll with a 16-yard pass to Ford on a designed roll out and got another 15-yards on a dump off to Darren McFadden on 3^rd and 3 (Oakland’s first converted 3^rd down of the game) before hitting Khalif Barnes on a 2-yard pass to give the Silver & Black their first lead at 14-13. In the game tying drive as time expired, Campbell had a vital connection with Higgins for 12-yards on 3^rd and 11 and again threaded a tight pass to Ford for 7-yards on 2^nd and 6. His 29-yard conversion with Ford with 24-seconds remaining set-up Sebastian Janikowski’s game tying 41-yard field goal. Campbell ended 19-of-33 for 229-yards, one touchdown and one interception. More importantly, he’s 3-0 the last three weeks as the starter. “This win was probably the win that does wonders for our season,” Campbell said.

RUNNING BACKS/ FULLBACK: B

Darren McFadden grinded all-day and ended with 89-yards on 17 carries against a stout Kansas City run defense. He added another 25-yards on receptions. McFadden’s run for 34-yards and 15-yard reception set-up Barnes’ score. Michael Bush was ineffective in 5-carries for 17-yards. Marcel Reece had a small stat line, but blocking was key in the ground game, and especially protecting Campbell. Reece kept a defended off his passer at the end of the 3^rd quarter when Campbell hooked up with Brandon Myers for 13-yards. McFadden made a poor decision as a passer, trying to hit Darrius Heyward-Bey downfield in triple coverage. McFadden also fumbled deep in his own territory – leading to a Ryan Succop 43-yard field goal that gave Kansas City a 10-0 lead.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: B

Jacoby Ford was the player of the game. He did drop a long ball on 2^nd and 7 in the 2^nd quarter against one of the best defenders in the AFC West – Brandon Flowers – but he redeemed himself with a miraculous 37-yard grab on a 3^rd and 8 in the 4^th quarter, where he was falling down and on his knees while grabbing the football. That extended a drive that ended with a 23-yard field goal by Janikowski and gave Oakland a 17-13 lead. His catch for 7-yards on Oakland’s final drive in regulation gave them life and his 29-yard haul as time expired pushed the game to overtime. Ford’s 47-yard gain in the extra period was the decisive play of the contest. It was a great individual performance by the rookie, who ended with 6-catches for 148-yards. Johnnie Lee Higgins added 26-yards on 3 catches (ran a nice route vs. Flowers that tallied 12-yards) and Brandon Myers, playing for an injured and inactive Zach Miller, tallied 20-yards on 3-grabs.

OFFENSIVE LINE: C+

The group allowed four sacks and only managed to help the rushers get 112-team rushing yards. But they were steady late when Campbell needed time to go down the field. Khalif Barnes hauled in his first career touchdown. Jared Veldheer had a crippling holding infraction that could’ve cost the Raiders the contest with 30 seconds remaining after Campbell hit Ford for 19-yards. Tamba Hali also beat the rookie for a sack. Robert Gallery was flagged twice and Samson Satele botched a snap that never got to Campbell’s hands.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A

The Chiefs did not break the 100-yard rushing barrier till overtime. Credit the Raiders rush defense for a solid effort against the top running club in the league. Thomas Jones averaged 1.7 yards per carry and Jamaal Charles was corralled for 53-yards. Richard Seymour was dominant (7 solo tackles), Tommy Kelly recorded a sack and Desmond Bryant had his best game as a pro with one sack and one tackle for a loss. Matt Shaughnessy continues to be steady on the edge versus the run and Lamaar Houston was one of the reasons why the Chiefs managed only 43-yards on the ground at the half, and 104 for the game. Seymour shouldve had a fumble recovery in the 2^nd quarter, but failed to maintain possession after getting his hands on the football.

LINEBACKERS: C

Rolando McClain left the game early with a hip ailment and never returned. Ricky Brown played at middle linebacker and ended with 2-solo tackles. Quentin Groves was active all game with his best play coming in overtime, limiting tight end Tony Moeaki to a 1-yard gain on 2^nd and 4. Kamerion Wimbley facilitated a holding infraction on Leonard Pope in the 2^nd quarter after getting position on the fullback. Moeaki did end up with 63-yards receiving.

SECONDARY: B

The Raiders played without Nnamdi Asomugha, so the Chiefs targeted Chris Johnson as the weak link. Johnson was flagged for a 30-yard pass interference before Verran Tucker hauled in his first NFL reception and score against the cornerback to give the Chiefs a 7-0 lead in the 2^nd quarter. Johnson’s play improved in the second half and after the coaches inserted Jeremy Ware for a few plays. Ware recorded his first NFL interception at the end of the first half in the north end zone – a key play as the Chiefs were driving and were up 10-0 with a chance to add another field goal or touchdown on 2^nd and goal. Mike Mitchell was key on the turnover, as he got his hands on the football and deflected it into the rookie’s hands. Michael Huff was in on 8-tackles and had a sack prior to Ware’s pick. Stanford Routt played well, especially in the 2^nd half. Tyvon Branch was shaken up and replaced in the line-up (concussion).

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

Ford’s days as a receiver and kick returner earned him game-ball honors. His 94-yard return for a score to open the 2^nd half ignited a dead Raider club that went into the locker room down by 10. Janikowski missed a game tying 47-yarder in the 3^rd quarter, but nailed the equalizing 41-yard attempt at the end of regulation and the game winner from 33-yards. Nick Miller could’ve been a goat in this contest with his shaky returns and fumble in the 4^th quarter that led to a Dwayne Bowe 20-yard score 5-plays later and a Chiefs 20-17 lead. Rock Cartwright was stellar on the coverage units, forcing a fumble during Javier Arenas’ kickoff return which was recovered by Hiram Eugene. Kansas City’s stellar return teams were contained. Arenas had a 41-yard return negated by a teammate’s infraction.

COACHING: B-

In the first half, Tom Cable & Hue Jackson were in over their heads. The use of challenges early on almost cost the team late, as they couldn’t review Miller’s botch return due to the coach’s decision to dispute calls early in the contest. What you had to like was the diverse play calling; Oakland debuting a few ‘wild hog’ plays with McFadden taking snaps and finding ways to get their star rusher the ball on the edges and a flea flicker. But Cable’s botched 4^th and 6 fake punt with Cartwright was dreadful and not smart considering the position on the field and how the momentum had swung after they stuffed a Arenas fake punt just a few plays earlier. That allowed the Chiefs to jump on the Raiders 7-0. Oakland awoke in the 2^nd half, and you have to credit the coaches for making the right adjustments and keeping the team alive after going into the locker room down 10-0 in front of a sell-out crowd. The Raiders played a fiery 2^nd half, took the lead, faced desperation as regulation wound down and tasted victory in overtime with two of their best players inactive, their rookie middle linebacker hurt and starting strong safety ailing. “It wasn’t the way we draw it up but it was the way it was supposed to be,” Cable said. “We hung in there, fought, hung in there, fought, got a chance, made a couple of plays, made two kicks and now we’re all happy. It’s a great job by our team of really pulling together.”

GAME NOTES

• Oakland won after being down 10-0 at the half. They tallied 15-flags for 140-penalty yards and going 3-for-12 on 3^rd downs. They also had three turnovers and allowed four sacks.
• Jacoby Ford amassed 158-yards on returns and 148-yards receiving. “It’s something I’ve been wanting to do ever since I was little,” Ford said. “I went out there, and it was a dream come true to be out there having fun making plays with those guys.”
• Oakland has won three in a row and are 3-0 against AFC West rivals.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK: A

Jason Campbell again was at the helm of an Oakland Raiders offense that is rolling right now. He savvy using his legs to avoid pressure and incoming Seattle defenders, while managing the game with efficient decisions. Campbell;s value when up in the eyes of Raider fans when he had a solid block on Lawyer Milloy during Jacoby Ford’s reverse. Some of his best tosses included; 12-yard toss to Darrius Heyward-Bey in the 2^nd quarter on an out to the far sideline and Marcel Reece’s 30-yard touchdown reception, where he threaded the football between two defenders for a 10-0 lead. He even got an antsy Seahawks’ defense to jump offsides on play with his cadence. Campbell’s final stats: 15-of-27 for 310-yards, 2 touchdowns and a passer rating of 120.9.

RUNNING BACKS & FULLBACKS: A

Darren McFadden continues to perform at an elite level. Oakland didn’t feature him early, but he got rolling in the 2^nd quarter with a dump off in which he broke tackles and weaved for 13-yards. He started the second half with a 49-yard run that would’ve been a score if not for a last ditch effort from behind by cornerback Kennard Cox. At the end of the 3^rd quarter he had another burst for 20-yards before a 11-yard reception in which he stiff armed a defender and bulldozed his way near the goal line. McFadden finished with 111-yards rushing on 21-carries and 2 catches for 24-yards. Michael Bush was involved in one of the day’s weirdest plays. On a 3^rd and 9, Bush wound up with a 55-yard gain, as the football landed into hands after it was intended for Heyward-Bey and was batted by Ford. Bush averaged 5.7 yards per carry, totaling 51-yards rushing. Marcel Reece has been an unsung here in recent weeks, and he continued his solid play with a career best day. The fullback tallied 90-yards on 3 receptions and a score along with 32-yards on the ground. His score on 4^th and 1 from 30-yards out put the Raiders up 10-0. His screen for 51-yards on 2^nd and 11 was demoralizing for Seattle, even though Oakland failed to score on that drive when Sebastian Janikowski missed a 45-yard field goal attempt.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: B

Heyward-Bey had his best game as a pro. The performance is significant because of the injuries to Louis Murphy and Chaz Schilens. It was imperative for the second year pro to have a solid effort with the unit being decimated and featuring reserves that otherwise wouldn’t be on the field for extended periods. What was impressive was his technique and fundamentals as evidenced by how he freed himself at the line of scrimmage on a slant for 7-yards in the 1^st quarter and his release, route running and play making on the 69-yard completion that increased the Raider lead to 23-0. Heyward-Bey finished with 105-yards on 5-catches and 30-more yards on a reverse. Jacoby Ford continues to display toughness, delivering a blow at the end of his 11-yard carry and hauling in a 9-yard catch on 3^rd and 6 that was high and coming back into the contest after being shaken up on that play. Zach Miller was quiet with one grab for 8 yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE: A

This group has been stellar in recent weeks. Oakland compiled 239-rushing yards. The offensive line wins at the point of attack consistently and making life easier for Raider ball carriers. Jared Veldheer is settling in at left tackle. He got flagged for another false start today, his 6^th of the season, good for most in the league, but Oakland will take minor dips in play as long as he provides the type of strength he’s given them the last two weeks. Robert Gallery was flagged twice, but his aggressiveness, agility and steadiness was needed on the left side. On one play, he manhandled a Seattle defender till the whistle. Former Raider Chris Clemons took exception, shoving Gallery – a incident that received a unnecessary roughness flag and gave Oakland a first down on 3^rd and 12. Khalif Barnes checked in as a eligible target in the first quarter and caught a 6-yard toss. Of note should be their pass protection. At times this afternoon, Campbell had all day to throw and scan the field.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A

Seattle was shutdown on the ground. They managed only 3-yards rushing at the half, and 47 for the game. Marshawn Lynch was dominated, caged for 7-yards on 9 carries (0.8 yards per carry). This group tallied five of the eight Oakland sacks. Matt Shaughnessy added two to his now team leading total of 6 for the campaign. Richard Seymour tallied two sacks on Ben Hamilton and rookie Lamarr Houston had one. Houston was at his best this year versus the run, along with Desmond Bryant.

LINEBACKERS: A

Kamerion Wimbley had two sacks (5 for the season) and was consistently around the ball. Rolando McClain had one of his best performances, mainly because of his play picking up Justin Forsett out of the backfield. The rookie middle linebacker almost jumped one of his routes, batting the incoming pass away for an incompletion. Quentin Groves also was steady, helping in run support and adding to Lynch’s frustration in the afternoon.

SECONDARY: A

Matt Hasselbeck was held to 160-yards passing, and his interception was the first in 13-quarters. Tyvon Branch got that pick when Stanford Routt tipped away a pass that Golden Tate attempted to catch, but the ball popped into the air as he tried to come down with the reception into the hands of the Raider safety. Branch was stellar with 8 tackles, one sack and the interception. Michael Huff was solid as well, as he recorded a pick that was negated due to an illegal contact flag on Routt. Routt was flagged also for pas interference going against Deon Butler – a 31-yard gain for Seattle. Huff took over at cornerback late when the Raiders best defender went down with an apparent ankle injury. Nnamdi Asomugha was writhing in pain when he landed awkward on his right foot defending Tate. He was helped off the field and his status will be updated after an MRI and further evaluation. Mike Mitchell again was fiery and was a menace around the line of scrimmage. Cornerback Jeremy Ware was targeted by Hasselbeck – Butler had him beat on one play but the ball was out of his reach and he held his ground on a jump ball. Mike Williams came into the contest as one of the hottest wide receivers in the league, but Oakland frustrated him into miscues, including a drop near the goal line that was emphasized with a Stevie Brown hit.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C

Sebastian Janikowski added 15-points to his league leading total. He converted 4-out-of-5 field goals with a long of 49-yards. Shane Lechler ended with a 54.6 punt average with a long of 60-yards. Nick Miller was reckless at times fielding punts and capped of his second week of extended play with 29-yards on 6-attempts. Stevie Brown, Rock Cartwright and Mitchell were solid in coverage units. Leon Washington, who broke his leg in October of 2009 in Oakland, came back strong with 195-total yards on special teams.

COACHING: A

Tom Cable had his team ready to play. Not only did they notch a back-to-back victory for the first time since the end of the 2008 season, but they did it in convincing fashion by totaling over 500-yards of offense for a consecutive weekend. The defense almost pitched a shutout, playing with great tenacity and swarming around the line of scrimmage all day. Hue Jackson’s play calling was gutsy, going to Reece on 4^th and 1 on a slant and feeding Heyward-Bey in key spots. They kept Seattle off-balance at times and stayed consistent in controlling the clock (36:04 time of possession). Seattle did not get their first 3^rd down conversion till late in the 2^nd half, as they finished 1-16 for the day. Yes, Oakland had 11 penalties, but none were in key spots, as was the case with the Seahawks, who shot themselves on the foot all day. John Marshall did not waver in pressuring Hasselbeck and for the first time in awhile, the club managed to thoroughly dominate a ground attack and put together consecutive weeks of dominating football. Oakland has outscored their opponents 92-17 the last two weeks.

GAME NOTES

• Oakland (4-4) as at .500 for the first time this late in the season since 2002.
• Olindo Mare missed his first two field goals of the season (ending a 30 consecutive make streak).

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACKS: A

Jason Campbell turned it around after posting miserable numbers for the Oakland Raiders last week. He was an efficient 12-of-20 for 204-yards and 2-scores (127.9 QB rating). Campbell started the contest with a 9-yard slant to Louis Murphy. Later on the opening drive, he used his legs to pick up 15-yards on a 3^rd and 10 and a few plays later, he found a wide open Zach Miller for 43-yards for a score. Campbell’s feet kept plays alive all afternoon. He made sound decisions; electing to take off when necessary, extending plays by breaking the pocket and tossing the football away the few times Oakland could not tally yards against a soft Denver defense. The elusive passer scampered for a touchdown on 3^rd and goal in the 1^st quarter, but the play was negated due to an infraction on Jacoby Ford. For the first time in 2010, Campbell looked comfortable in the pocket, demonstrating good presence as evidenced by his sliding away from pressure and giving his targets some extra time to get open. Kyle Boller came in during garbage time and rushed for 11-yards.

RUNNING BACKS/FULLBACKS: A

Darren McFadden had his best game as a pro. He showed no signs of distress, ran as hard as he did prior to his hamstring injury and was explosive every time he touched the football. It started with a swing pass on the Raiders second drive for 12-yards. Then on their third possession, he ripped a 43-yard gain before capping the 9-play 57-yard drive with a screen on 3^rd and goal that tallied 19-yards and had Oakland up 31-0. McFadden bowled over Renaldo Hill and plowed through Denver defenders all afternoon. His burst was on display on the 57-yard scoring run that elevated the score to 52-14. McFadden ended with four touchdowns (3 rushing, 1 receiving) and 196-total yards. “You love to go out there and have a big game and coming against a rival it’s even better,” said McFadden. Michael Bush added a workmanlike 15-carries for 52-yards and a score. Marcel Reece also got in on the action with 39-yards on 7 carries. He scored on 4^th and goal to make the score 45-14 in the 3^rd quarter and fully extended himself to grab a 19-yard toss to extend that drive.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: A

Not much burden fell on the shoulders of the wide receivers. But they played well when the spotlight was on them. Nick Miller posted his first career reception, a beautiful 32-yard grab on the sideline in which he showed great athleticism and good body control to stay inbounds. Louis Murphy helped Campbell by coming back to the scrambling quarterback on a 20-yard reception. But Murphy was sidelined with an injured and Darrius Heyward-Bey was in the locker room due to illness. Jacoby Ford had 2-receptions for 15-yards; one a  9-yard reception versus Champ Bailey on a 3^rd and 6 and a screen in which he nearly hit paydirt. His two reverses amassed 29-yards, and in both instances, he showed toughness ending the run delivering a blow to the tackler. Zach Miller led all targets with 65-yards receiving.

OFFENSIVE LINE: A

This was the offensive line’s best performance of the season. Rookie Jared Veldheer started at left tackle and delivered some of the better blocks of the campaign, springing McFadden loose for big carries. He also tallied 3 false start penalties, but that could be overlooked due to his inexperience and solid blocking throughout the contest. Plus, he performed well at center as well when Samson Satele was sidelined with a concussion. Cooper Carlisle was dominant at right guard and Langston Walker finished the game strong after missing a few plays with an upper extremity injury. They allowed two-sacks, but Campbell many times had more then enough time to scan the field and work out of the pocket to extend plays. The Raiders ran for 328-yards – credit the line for being a major part of that.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A

Oakland played from in front all day. And that helped this line play loosely without fear of Denver trying to keep them off-balance. The Broncos are one of the worst rush offenses in the NFL, and today once they were down 21-0 in the opening minutes, it was clear that Josh McDaniels’ game plan had to go out the window. Tommy Kelly was dominant with a sack (2.5 for the season) and stout run stuffing. Richard Seymour also tallied a sack (2.5 for the season) and Trevor Scott who went back to defensive end, continued to provide pressure. Denver had 38-yards rushing at the half and 75 for the game.

LINEBACKERS: A

Roland McClain was beat out of the backfield by Spencer Larsen on a 29-yard gain and he had responsibilities against Knowshon Moreno in the 2^nd quarter when the Bronco rusher hauled in a 7-yard touchdown pass. But he was more active in the 2^nd half, sharing a sack with Trevor Scott and clogging up lanes versus the run. Kamerion Wimbley got his third sack of the season and almost got another one on 2^nd and 8 when Kyle Orton and fumbled into the hands of Tyvon Branch. Quentin Groves started and immediately impacted the game stuffing Moreno for no gain after receiving a toss from Tim Tebow.

SECONDARY: A

Mike Mitchell was the standout on defense. He led the team with 5-tackles, most of them crushing hits at the line of scrimmage in run support. Mitchell also defended a pass and forced a fumble. Chris Johnson contributed to making this game a laugher early on when he jumped a Jabar Gaffney route and picked off Orton for a 30-yard interception return for a score. That was Denver’s first offensive play and it put them behind 14-0. Stanford Routt almost recorded an interception in the 4^th quarter and played a key role in Demaryius Thomas’ fumble that led to a 21-0 Oakland lead. Nnamdi Asomugha did not break a sweat this afternoon and Tyvon Branch played well in coverage, also recovering a fumble. Michael Huff had his best game in 2010. “When you win a game, it’s like, ‘OK, we won, let’s go onto the next one.’ Now, this one, it’s like, ‘We won and we won convincingly. Let’s let this build into a momentum swing for us,” Asomugha said.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

Sebastian Janikowski was kept busy kicking off today. He boomed nearly every kickoff into the end zone and tallied 11-points; a 31-yard field goal conversion and 8 extra points. Shane Lechler demonstrated his touch, landing two balls inside the 20, one in the 4^th quarter that was downed by Hiram Eugene at the 1-yard line. Nick Miller had 6 punt returns for 47-yards.

COACHING: A

This was a day in which Tom Cable could stand on the sideline proud of the job his staff did. His club was confident and prepared to land every punch. Denver never countered and the Raiders delivered a knockout blow in the 1^st quarter with their dominance. “I expected this to be a street fight,” Cable said. “It started like that and we made sure it didn’t go any further.” The annihilation was steady throughout the day. Hue Jackson was masterful in his play calling and for the first time, Raider fans saw what the coordinator could do with both of his prized rushers healthy. The defense, which could play loose, was steady in their attack especially the secondary that latched themselves onto Denver targets all afternoon. No turnovers and even though they tallied 10-penalties, the Raiders had everything going on this historic afternoon. Cable challenged the Thomas fumble in the 1^st quarter and won. He also pressed all the right buttons and got his club to play the most complete game by a Raider team since 2002.

GAME NOTES

• Raiders had 328 yards rushing, third most in team history. The all-time record was 356 – the evening that Bo Jackson gained 221 vs. Seattle.
• At halftime, Oakland led in total yards: 275-122. They tallied 17 first downs, while Denver only managed 5. In San Francisco last week, the Silver & Black finished the contest with 179 total yards and 10-first downs.
• The 59-points marks the most points for the Silver Black since they beat the Titans 52-25 on Sept. 29, 2002 and the most in team history. The 38-points at the half was also the most in team history.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK: F

Jason Campbell had a dreadful afternoon for the Oakland Raiders. He opened the first quarter with some positive plays, releasing the football with a defender on him to Michael Bush on a 3^rd and 6 after evading initial pressure in the pocket, scrambling for 9-yards on a 3^rd and 8 and using his legs to extend plays on other downs. But between the 1:05 mark of the 1^st quarter till the final quarter, Campbell did not complete a pass. His other completions of note; a 2^nd and 8, 8-yard completion to Darrius Heyward-Bey with a lineman converging on him and another dump off to Bush for 6-yards on a 2^nd and 7. On Campbell’s first interception, he tried fitting the football into a small window to his tight end, but Manny Lawson had positioning on Zach Miller. He showed poor awareness at the start of the 4^th quarter when he was almost sacked for a safety. On 3^rd and 3 late, Campbell was on target to Jacoby Ford, but the ball bounced of the rookie and into the hands of Takeo Spikes. The final stats: 8-of-21 for 83-yards, 2 interceptions and a rating of 10.7.

RUNNING BACKS/FULLBACKS: C

Michael Bush filled in as a starter for the injured Darren McFadden once again. He ended with an average of 2.4 yards per carry. The 47-yards were a non-threat to the 49ers, which got to Bush in the backfield often and slowed him down at the line of scrimmage. Marcel Reece was a no-show in the passing attack. Oakland curiously went to the fullback on their opening drive on 3^rd and goal at the back of the end zone, but to no avail. Reece was flagged for holding early in the 3^rd quarter, stalling a Raider drive.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: F

Raider wide receivers have tallied only 10-receptions in their last three games. Going against a secondary that has allowed 227.6 passing yards per game, more should be expected out the under-developed targets. Heyward-Bey again dropped a pass and was overwhelmed at the line of scrimmage against physical cornerbacks and Louis Murphy’s lone contribution of note was drawing a pass interference flag on Shawntae Spencer on the game’s opening play (46-yard penalty) and gaining 43-yards on a reverse. Zach Miller did not record his first reception until midway in the 4^th quarter. The tight end converted on a 3^rd and 8 with a 22-yard catch and on the ensuing play, he demonstrated great concentration getting his hands on a deflection by Taylor Mays for 26-yards. Oakland’s targets needed to show up today. With Miller double covered, as the 49er coaching staff promised and McFadden out of the game, the aerial attack was all but dead and the receivers were ghosts once again.

OFFENSIVE LINE: F

The line was pushed around and failed to sustain any continuity in the ground game. Campbell used his legs far too often to avoid sacks and extend plays. Even when Campbell connected on tosses, he had a defender on him. San Francisco could’ve tallied more than two-sacks this afternoon if not for the mobility of the Oakland passer. Robert Gallery starter and played with no ill effects of the hamstring injury he sustained week-one. Parys Haralson beat Cooper Carlisle on a sack and Khalif Barnes was needed on several plays for added bulk.

DEFENSIVE LINE: D

The front four did a nice job of limiting the 49ers on the ground in the first half. San Francisco managed only 28-yards rushing at intermission, but the constant pounding and demoralizing second half effected their play, as Frank Gore ended with 149-rushing yards, 64 of them on the first play of the 49ers drive after Oakland chopped their lead to 10-9 with 8:21 remaining. A few plays later, Alex Smith connected with Vernon Davis for a 17-yard score and a 17-9 advantage. Matt Shaughnessy was the unit’s best performer on Sunday, versus the run and as a pass rusher, tallying 4-tackles a one sack. Lamarr Houston was flagged for a hit on the helmet and Richard Seymour was infracted a couple of times for offsides. Tommy Kelly notched a sack and at times got some good push in the middle of the 49er front.

LINEBACKERS: D

Rolando McClain had one tackle of note late in the game for a loss, but at that point Gore had done most of his damage. In coverage, the rookie played his best on a 3^rd and 13 in which he locked in on Gore out of the backfield and almost recorded his first career interception. Kamerion Wimbley had three-solo tackles, but rarely did he get to Smith on blitzes. Trevor Scott was the best of the bunch for a second straight week. Scott is proving to be a better weak side linebacker than defensive end.

SECONDARY: D

Nnamdi Asomugha almost landed with an interception on a 3^rd and 3 when covering Michael Crabtree. He covered Davis in the red-zone and was the best Raider defender in a shaky secondary. Chris Johnson also had a few assignments on Davis; playing him best on a 3^rd and 7 knocking him out of bounds to end a drive. Tyvon Branch and Michael Huff had a tough day covering at the back-end. Hiram Eugene was in the defensive backfield and sprinting towards Davis on his 17-yard score that made the game 17-9.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C

Ted Ginn Jr. had 85-total yards of returns. Jacoby Ford had what could have been a momentum swinging 47-yard kick return after the 49ers went up 10-6 on Crabtree’s 32-yard score. But Stevie Brown was flagged for an illegal block in the back. Oakland punted 3-plays later. Shane Lechler showed off his powerful leg with 6-punts that averaged 53.5 per. Sebastian Janikowski was 3-for-3 with a long of 40-yards.

COACHING: D

Oakland had a few stints of being very aggressive with their play calling; opening the contest with a flea flicker and the reverse for big yardage with Murphy. Other times, they went into a cocoon and played too conservatively. Hue Jackson’s play calling left a lot to be desired in many spots, especially in the red-zone, where Oakland continues to struggle, highlighted by a play early in the game in which Marcel Reece was their main option out of the backfield in the end zone. On defense, John Marshall had his share of blitz packages, especially on running downs. But many times, they threatened with extra defenders but only rushed four against a passer that needed to be rattled. Oakland was flagged 8 times for 60-yards, lost to winless club and failed again to notch back-to-back victories. Miek Singletary’s team shot themselves in the foot just as many times and hung around enough to take advantage of a lackluster Raider performance on offense. At one point in the third quarter, the 49ers had more penalty yards (123) than Oakland had total offense (119). All of that falls on Tom Cable. After Gore’s huge run, Oakland’s balloon was deflated. A lowly offensive output (179-total yards of offense), 5-of-15 on 3^rd downs and two turnovers are all indicators of a team not ready to take that next step.

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QUARTERBACK:

Bruce Gradkowski – D

The fiery starter ended the contest 1-of-7 for 14-yards and a rating of 39.6. His lone positive was the first play from scrimmage when he connected with Zach Miller for 14-yards. Gradkowski was inaccurate all day, as evidenced by missing Darrius Heyward-Bey on a 2^nd and 4 and missing Johnnie Lee Higgins on a 3^rd and 6 in the 3^rd quarter. At that point, the tough passer attempted to spark the offense as he’s done in the past after going into the locker room for treatment for a shoulder injury. Shaun Phillips whacked Gradkowski at the end of the 1^st quarter on a play that was eventually ruled incomplete after the officials initially ruled it a fumble on the field.

Jason Campbell – B

Now we have a quarterback controversy for the Oakland Raiders. Campbell was 13-of-18 for 159-yards and one touchdown. His start was a little shaky with a near interception on a 2^nd and 8 by Antoine Cason. On the next play, Campbell scrambled out of bound on a 3^rd and 8. You even thought that Campbell might not have been ready for this relief appearance after he dumped a pass into the turf on a 2^nd and 14, when a Charger defender blew up his screen. But late in the 3^rd quarter, he conducted a 12-play 97-yard drive that ended in 1-yard touchdown toss to Miller, cutting the Chargers lead to 24-22. On that drive, Campbell hit Marcel Reece on a long toss that was ruled out of bounds, connected with Louis Murphy for a 58-yard gain and then capped of the possession by buying time for his tight end to get loose in the end zone. On the drive that Oakland took 28-27 lead late in the 4^th quarter, Campbell hit Miller for 9-yards on 2^nd and 9, tallied 13-more yards on a pass on 3^rd and 11 and then smoothly hooked up with Brandon Myers for 12-yards on a vital 4^th and 1. Gradkowski is fiery, undoubtedly gives life to this unit, but if he’s not healthy, those intangibles do not masquerade the deficiencies he has as a passer. If Gradkowski is not fully healed, Campbell has to be Oakland’s starter. “It definitely meant a lot, just seeing the guys on the sideline, how hard they were fighting,” said Campbell. “The one thing I said was, ‘You didn’t give up.’ And guys said maybe in years past they would have tucked it in, but this time they didn’t.”

RUNNING BACKS/FULL BACKS: B

Michael Bush had a workmanlike 26-carries for 104-yards. His touchdown run gave the Raiders the lead for good in the 4^th quarter and his 3 receptions for 31-yards helped move the chains and keep the Chargers’ linebackers at bay. Marcel Reece had another solid effort with 2-catches for 7-yards. He could’ve added a big gainer, but was nonchalant in his attempt to get both feet down near the sideline. The referees rightfully upheld the call and did not give Reece the reception, as there was no conclusive evidence showing that he indeed made that catch.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT END: C

Again this week, this grade was elevated by the exceptional play of Zach Miller. The wide receivers were non-existent, as Louis Murphy was the lone member of that unit to record any statistics. Myers’ only grab was a key 4^th down 12-yard catch. Miller held his own with 6-receptions for 62-yards. With Antonio Gates on the other side, Miller demonstrated that he is one of the elite tight ends in the league with key grabs on 3^rd down and fighting for every yard he amassed this afternoon. Jacoby Ford saved a possession with his fumble recovery after Miller got first down yardage with his catch.

OFFENSIVE LINE: C-

Oakland ran for 111-yards (3.7 per carry), The trenches allowed three sacks, but held up as the game wound down. It even looked like they wore down a fatigued Chargers front seven in the second half. Jared Veldheer and Mario Henderson again played the left tackle shuffle. Daniel Loper was flagged for a personal foul, but on a 3^rd and 6, he smartly pounced on a loose football and tried to roll forward for a 1^st down – ultimately gaining 5-yards on the play. Oakland’s line showed their toughness on a 4^th and 1 where Bush ran for 9-yards, but in other spots they were stonewalled on short distances. Khalif Barnes saw action at left guard when Loper went out and was flagged on a 3^rd and 2 for a false start.

DEFENSIVE LINE: B-

The maligned run defense held San Diego to 37-rushing yards at the half, and 91-yards total for the game. Richard Seymour dominated along the interior for much of the game, stuffing runs that came his way, chasing down ball carriers and making himself a nuisance when Philip Rivers dropped back to pass. Seymour’s tip at the line of scrimmage on 3^rd and 7 to end a San Diego drive in the 3^rd quarter gave Oakland momentum. Matt Shaughnessy was the unsung hero on this unit with his 2-tackles for losses and a sack. When Shaughnessy got to Rivers on a 2^nd and 7 and stripped him of the football, Oakland was hanging on and keeping the Chargers out of the end zone – San Diego’s second turnover in their red-zone of the contest. His edge control on runs was stellar at times.

LINEBACKERS: B-

Kamerion Wimbley was active as a cover-guy and a pass rusher. Yes, he did get beat by Gates for 23-yards on the opening play of San Diego’s drive that ended in a Mike Tolbert 4-yard run. But, when Oakland needed pressure, he was one of the linebackers that consistently got into the backfield, stuffing Legedu Naanee on an end around and drawing a holding flag on Brandyn Dombrowski at the end of the 2^nd quarter. Rolando McClain tallied 5-tackles and was far better in keeping running backs in front of him as they came out of the backfield. San Diego had far more success in the 1^st half hitting their rushers with short tosses than in the 2^nd half. Trevor Scott, starting his first game at linebacker in 2010, was strong versus the run and steady all afternoon on the weak side. Ricky Brown forced a fumble in the 1^st quarter near the goal line when San Diego was about to get into the end zone. His play thwarted an 11-play drive with Oakland up 12-0.

SECONDARY: D-

FS Hiram Eugene scores on special teams

Rivers torched this group for 431-yards on 27-of-42 completions and a rating of 114.3. His fearless attack was exceptional throughout the day, even going after Nnamdi Asomugha and succeeding, connecting with Malcolm Floyd on a 3^rd and 15 for 34-yards, as the Oakland cornerback also was tagged on the play for pass interference and again on another 15-yard route. “They did a good job of bringing some pressure and we tried to do some stuff to handle it, tried to get another completion or two to give ourselves the position to kick it, and they were able to make the plays to keep it out of the end zone, keep us from getting to where we needed to be,” Rivers said. Stanford Routt was Rivers’ target all day. Routt got burned on Floyd’s 55-yard grab and his 41-yard touchdown, which gave San Diego a 24-15 lead. Michael Huff struggled helping out deep on several plays, as wells as Tyvon Branch. Chris Johnson was given a chance to play against Gates on several occasions. Johnson was beaten by Floyd for 36-yards and was flagged 11-yards for a pass interference as time expired before the game clinching turnover. He was also flagged earlier for the same infraction on a 3^rd and 8. Mike Mitchell deserves a game-ball for the constant pressure he provided as a blitzer and the fine performance on Gates in the 4^th quarter.  Mitchell batted a Rivers toss away on a 3^rd and 5 intended for Gates. Routt had an interception ripped out of his hands by Patrick Crayton and had good coverage deep on Buster Davis on San Diego’s last drive. Branch’s fumble recovery and 64-yard dash to paydirt sealed Oakland’s victory. Huff needs to be credited on that play for getting to Rivers and forcing the turnover. “I knew I had to beat the one on one,” Huff said. “I had to beat Sproles. I did that and just got a hand up and luckily I hit his arm. Once I saw Tyvon running I knew he wasn’t going to get caught, so I started celebrating.” This group struggled in pass coverage all day against a top-notch passer, but ultimately, they played better when Oakland needed it most.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

This is the group that helped Oakland build an early lead and kept them in the contest in the first half. Rock Cartwright was phenomenal with his block punt at the start of the contest that gave the Silver & Black a quick 2-0 lead. On the very next play, he wisely let the free kick bounce out of bound so Oakland can start their possession at midfield. Cartwright was in on numerous coverage tackles, helping to keep Darren Sproles in check for the entire afternoon. Nick Miller finally debuted on special teams; tallying 46-yards on his lone punt return. Brandon Myers blocked Oakland’s second punt, which bounced into the hands of Hiram Eugene at the five-yard line before he ran into the end zone to give the Raiders a 12-0 lead. John Fassel must have observed something this week in San Diego’s protection schemes that Oakland can take advantage of. Myers and Cartwright both bolted across the line of scrimmage from the same position for both blocks. Sebastian Janikowski was 2/2 with a long from 50-yards out and Shane Lechler averaged 52.8 yards per punt.

COACHING: B

Tom Cable had his group fighting till the end. The biggest tactical change Oakland had was late in the contest when it appeared that they blitzed Rivers on almost every down. After San Diego’s passer ripped apart the Raiders secondary all afternoon, John Marshall put him on the run in the 4^th quarter and got him to rush a few of his throws. The constant pressure in the final quarter ultimately led to the game’s biggest play. Hue Jackson had a nice mix of run and pass. Credit needs to be given, especially since his wide receivers have been silent and overwhelmed. Oakland became more efficient as the game wound down on 3^rd downs and the two 4^th down conversions were key. The 12-flags for 85-yards need to be fixed, but when you force three turnovers and get huge plays on special teams, it masquerades a lot of the faults this club had all afternoon. Fassel was outstanding in preparing his unit to play.

OTHER NOTES

• Sunday was the first time Oakland blocked two punts in a game since November 21, 1976 at Philadelphia.
• At the half, Oakland was completely dominated in the box score. San Diego had tallied 322-yards of total offense while Oakland had a diminutive 93-yards. San Diego had 17-first downs at the half, while Oakland had 4. Time of possession was also disparaging, with the Chargers leading that 20:59 to Oakland’s 9:01.
• Malcolm Floyd had a career game, posting 213-receiving yards on 8-catches and a score.
• Rivers  19-yard toss to Gates for a score was a laser that was snagged by the all-world tight end while two Raider defenders converged on him.
• Sam Williams penalty for running into the kicker on a 4^th and 2 in the second quarter revived a drive that ended in a Tolbert 4-yard touchdown run.
• Oakland’s win snaps a 13-game losing streak to San Diego, dating back to 9/28/2003. “That’s a heck of a team, and it’s been nemesis for a number of years, obviously dating back to 2003,” coach Tom Cable said. “They’ve been the champ. And if you ever want to be that, you’ve got to beat the champ. So it’s just a good win.”

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist