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 Interim coach Tony Sparano, making his debut after replacing the
fired Dennis Allen, had the Raiders energized, and they appeared
headed for an improbable win against a San Diego team that had won
four straight games.
The Chargers ruined that feel-good story, however.
San Diego (5-1) scored the final 10 points and escaped with a 31-28
victory against the Raiders (0-5) at the O.co Coliseum.
Chargers running back Branden Oliver, an undrafted rookie out of
Buffalo, scored on a 1-yard run with 1:56 left to play, giving the
Chargers the lead. San Diego sealed the win when rookie cornerback
Jason Verrett, a first-round draft pick from TCU, intercepted Carr's
deep strike intended for wide receiver Brice Butler on second-and-1
from the Chargers' 44 with just over a minute to play.
"When it came down to it in crunch time, both sides stepped up,"
Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said. "I think it was big to win
like this.
"We knew we were going to get their best. There's a lot of good
players over there, and they played well today. When you win games
like this it gives you confidence in the other close games."
Rivers threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns, Oliver, making his
first career start, rushed for 101 yards on 26 carries, and wide
receiver Malcom Floyd caught five passes for 101 yards and a
touchdown.
Carr completed 18 of 34 passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns --
the yardage and touchdown totals both career highs -- with one
interception.
"There's no moral victories," Sparano said. "I did tell them that I
was proud of them. This group, from what they've been through the
last two weeks, came out and played with a lot of energy, a lot of
passion."
Verrett, who grew up in the nearby city of Fairfield, had some 50
family members and friends at the game. What was he thinking as
Carr's pass headed his way?
"Make a play and come down with it," Verrett said. "You saw it when
I picked it I put my hand up. I knew I had it. Happy to have two
feet on the field for us to turn it over. It's a surreal moment,
man. That's all I can say."
Carr said he has no second thoughts about throwing that pass.
"We pumped it. I knew the safety wasn't gonna be in the play so it's
a one on one and that's what we want," Carr said. "You have to give
that guy credit. He made a great play. Brice went up, he had it and
the guy made a great play. Yeah it hurts. It hurts because that's
the way it ended."
Raiders wide receiver Andre Holmes caught four passes for 121 yards
and two scores, including a 77-yard score just 52 seconds into the
game, but it was the Chargers who made the big plays down the
stretch.
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"We didn't execute in the last bit of plays when we needed to, how
we needed to," Raiders linebacker Sio Moore said. "It's a very sick
feeling because we let a team off the hook that's not supposed to be
let off the hook. ...They're not what they're acclaimed to be,
whatever the situation is. I'm pretty (mad) about it."
Oakland snapped a 14-14 tie with Carr's third touchdown pass of the
game, a 47-yarder to Butler with 7:40 left in the third quarter.
Carr hit Butler with a short pass, and the receiver spun away from
safety Marcus Gilchrist, then sprinted to the end zone untouched.
San Diego responded with an 80-yard touchdown drive, Rivers hitting
tight end Antonio Gates with a 1-yard scoring pass. Earlier in the
drive, Rivers threw a 44-yard pass to Floyd, who made a leaping
catch at the Raiders' 9, beating free safety Charles Woodson.
The Raiders moved back ahead 28-21 with 10:01 to play when Carr
faked a handoff, rolled right and hit Holmes in the back right
corner of the end zone.
San Diego cut Oakland's lead to 28-24 with 5:52 left after stalling
at the Raiders' 12 and settling for kicker Nick Novak's 30-yard
field goal.
After forcing the Raiders to go three-and-and out, Chargers wide
receiver Keenan Allen returned the punt 29 yards to the Oakland 39.
"That was definitely what I was hoping for, just a chance to get
something started," said Allen.
The Chargers marched 39 yards in six plays, with Oliver gaining the
final 29 yards on four consecutive carries.
"I'm the type of guy, I feel like if you keep giving me the ball, I
get stronger as the game goes along," said Oliver, who cracked the
100-yard rushing mark for the second straight game.
NOTES: Raiders starting RT Khalif Barnes (quadriceps) was inactive,
and Menelik Watson started in his place. ... Chargers RBs Donald
Brown (concussion) and Ryan Mathews (knee) were inactive. ... San
Diego C Rich Ohrnberger, who was inactive the past two weeks because
of a back injury, made his third start of the season. ... Chargers
CB Brandon Flowers left the game midway through the third quarter
with a groin injury, and WR Eddie Royal left with a rib injury.
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