Darren Sproles' long kickoff return set up Nate Kaeding's go-ahead 47-yard field goal with 1:51 to play and LaDainian Tomlinson sealed the Chargers' 10th straight win over their AFC West rivals with a 41-yard TD run in a 28-18 victory Sunday.
The streak by San Diego (2-2) is the longest any team has held against Al Davis' once-proud franchise that has fallen on rough times in recent years. Kiffin's job security had been in question even before the Raiders (1-3) blew a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter last week against Buffalo. Being unable to hold onto a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter this week sure won't help his situation.
Tomlinson overcame a slow start to put together another strong performance against the Raiders, running for 106 yards and two scores. He has 21 touchdowns in 15 career games against Oakland, the most any player has had in his first 15 games against any team in NFL history.
The Raiders took a 15-0 lead in an overpowering first-half performance. But they once again wilted as the game progressed, struggling to stop San Diego's high-powered offense and generating only one first down in the first 22 minutes of the half.
A pair of turnovers by quarterback JaMarcus Russell led to two touchdowns in the fourth quarter that gave San Diego its first lead on a 13-yard run by Tomlinson and a 2-point conversion.
After Kaeding missed his second field goal for the Chargers, Russell finally got the Raiders offense moving with help from a pair of penalties by defensive back Antonio Cromartie. That set up Sebastian Janikowski's 32-yard field goal that tied the game at 18 with 2:47 to go.
But before the Raiders could even finish celebrating that bit of good news, Sproles returned the ensuing kickoff to the 35. The Chargers were unable to get a first down, but Kaeding didn't miss this kick, giving San Diego the lead.
The Raiders' final comeback attempt was thwarted when Luis Castillo pressured Russell into an incompletion on fourth-and-5 from the Oakland 44 with 1:14 to go. Tomlinson finished it off from there, giving the Chargers two straight wins following two crushing losses to open the season.
The Raiders held the NFL's second-highest scoring offense scoreless in the first half. But San Diego found its rhythm in the second half. The Chargers opened by moving the ball on the ground in a 13-play drive that led to a short field goal by Kaeding to cut the Raiders lead to 15-3.
After the teams traded turnovers, the Chargers finally made it into the end zone on Philip Rivers' 9-yard pass to Antonio Gates on the second play of the fourth quarter.
Just over a minute later, Marques Harris beat Kwame Harris on a third-down rush, stripped the ball from Russell and recovered at the 13. Tomlinson ran it in on the next play and a 2-point conversion made it 18-15.
The Raiders led 15-0 at halftime but it could have been even bigger. They settled for a field goal on the opening drive after moving the ball inside the 5 and had another touchdown called back on a holding penalty against Cornell Green. They settled for a field goal on that drive as well.
They did get a defensive score when a blitzing Gibril Wilson hit Tomlinson as he took a handoff from Rivers and knocked the ball loose. Rivers covered it in the end zone for a safety.
Oakland's only touchdown came on a 63-yard TD pass from Russell to Zach Miller. Russell finished 22-for-37 for 277 yards, one touchdown, an interception and lost fumble.
Notes:@ Janikowski attempted a 76-yard field goal at the end of the first half but was unable to reach the goal line with his kick. The NFL record for longest field goal is 63 yards. ... Raiders DT Terdell Sands had two sacks matching his career total from his first 63 games. ... The Chargers had six sacks. ... The Raiders wore white uniforms at home for what is believed to be the first time since they moved back from Los Angeles in 1995.
