After 13 straight losses to San Diego, it took just about everything
bouncing the Oakland Raiders' way to end the skid.
Michael Bush ran 3 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 3:39 remaining
and Tyvon Branch returned a fumble 64 yards for a score as the Raiders
ended the drought with a 35-27 victory over the Chargers on Sunday.
The Raiders (2-3) used two blocked two punts, two long touchdown drives
in the second half led by backup quarterback Jason Campbell and the big
play at the end by Branch and Michael Huff for their first win over San
Diego (2-3) since September 2003. That was the second longest active
streak to Buffalo's 14-game losing streak to New England.
With the Chargers driving for the potential go-ahead score, a blitzing
Huff hit Rivers just before his arm went forward, knocking the ball
loose. Branch picked up the ball and raced 64 yards for the score to
make it 35-27 with 58 seconds left.
When referee Clete Blakeman upheld the call on replay, years of
frustration were let out by the small, but enthusiastic, crowd of
Raiders fans.
Rivers threw for 431 yards and two touchdowns and Malcolm Floyd had a
career-high 213 yards receiving but the Chargers have only themselves to
blame for their third straight road loss of the season, losing three
fumbles deep in Raiders territory.
The Chargers have allowed four special teams touchdowns in those three
losses, including a touchdown and a safety following the two blocked
punts after their first two drives of the game.
Campbell, who was benched halfway through the second game of the season,
replaced an injured Bruce Gradkowski late in the first quarter.
Gradkowski injured his shoulder after being hit by Shaun Phillips and
was in for only three plays the rest of the way.
Campbell completed 13 of 18 passes for 159 yards and a 1-yard touchdown
to Zach Miller, leading drives of 93 and 73 yards in the second half to
give the Raiders the lead. The biggest play on the winning drive came
when Campbell found Brandon Myers for a 12-yard gain on fourth-and-1
from the San Diego 24. Bush, who ran for 104 yards in place of the
injured Darren McFadden, finished it from there.
Rivers' 41-yard touchdown pass to Floyd midway through the third quarter
gave the Chargers a 24-15 lead. With Vincent Jackson sitting out in a
season-long contract dispute, Floyd delivered the big plays at receiver
that have been lack for San Diego this year He also caught passes of 34,
36 and 55 yards.
The Raiders responded with the 97-yard drive. Campbell converted a
third-and-1 sneak to get the drive going and then connected on a 58-yard
pass to Louis Murphy to move the Raiders deep into Chargers territory.
Campbell did a good job extending a play on third-and-goal from the 1,
finding Miller in the back of the end zone for the score that was upheld
after a San Diego challenge.
The Raiders answered again after a field goal by Nate Kaeding early in
the fourth quarter with their final drive.
The Chargers got off to a disastrous start, having two punts blocked in
the first quarter, leading to a safety and touchdown for Oakland. They
also lost a pair of fumbles deep in Raiders territory to fall into an
early 12-0 hole.
But they still managed to take a 17-15 lead when Rivers drove them to a
43-yard field goal by Kaeding in the closing seconds of the half.
Rock Cartwright burst through the middle for the first block against
Mike Scifres, knocking the ball out of the end zone for a safety. The
free kick out of bounds led to a field goal that made it 5-0 and Myers
blocked Scifres' second punt into Hiram Eugene's hands for a touchdown
that made it 12-0 less than five minutes into the game.
