Butler Hooks Chip Shot, Raiders Get Sub-Par Win : Pro football: Bears miss chance for a comeback when kicker misses for second time in fourth quarter, 16-14.

On one sideline at Soldier Field Sunday, the Raiders stood in agony, watching a game they once had firmly in their grasp about to slip away.

On the other sideline, the Bears stood, about to celebrate a victory they never thought possible.

And in the middle of the field stood kicker Kevin Butler, a mere 30-yard field goal away from the victory, a chip shot for the nine-year veteran.

Raider quarterback Jeff Hostetler was disgusted.

Running back Greg Robinson was “scared.”

But Butler was resolute. He had missed a 21-yarder a little over five minutes earlier. He was determined to not miss again.

Between Butler and the goal posts was a swirling wind and a muddy and sandy field.

So he put a little extra on the kick. But it proved to be too much.

Butler hooked the ball a couple of feet to the left and the Raiders hung on by their gloved fingertips to a 16-14 victory.

“I just tried to blast it,” Butler said, “and that’s what happens.”

Raider Coach Art Shell was thrilled to see his team improve to 5-3, half a game back of the AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs, who play tonight.

Shell was relieved to escape with the victory on the cold, bitter day.

But he wasn’t happy.

“I’m happy about winning the game,” he said, “but I’m not happy about the way we played. With the talent we have on this team, it should never come down to the way it did.”

The Raiders unleashed their long-dormant running game, played tough defense and converted a crucial turnover to roll up a 13-0 halftime lead.

A week ago, Hostetler had thrown for a club-record 424 yards against the San Diego Chargers, but the Raiders lost anyway because of an ineffective running game, a problem they have had all season.

Faced with the added problem of battling the windy conditions at Soldier Field--conditions that could keep a long-range passing attack off course all afternoon--the Raiders were determined to establish a presence on ground.

And that they did. They ran and ran and ran some more despite facing the sixth-ranked defense in the NFL.

The Raiders ran on their first five plays. They used five running backs, including Napoleon McCallum, who hadn’t run from scrimmage in two years.

The Raiders got a season-high 70 yards Sunday and a 5.8-yard average out of Robinson. They got a season-high 179 yards rushing overall. They got 50 yards and a touchdown in nine carries by McCallum.

They had 101 yards rushing in the first half alone. Their highest previous rushing total for a game was 105.

The Raiders scored in the first half on two Jeff Jaeger field goals, from 31 and 21 yards.

And they scored a touchdown after safety Eddie Anderson picked off a Jim Harbaugh pass and returned it 25 yards to the Chicago one. From there, McCallum took in it off right tackle, stretching his body to break the plane of the end zone. It was only his third rushing touchdown in his five season with the Raiders.

“It’s hard,” McCallum said of his Raider duty, which has consisted of special teams work since 1991. “You want to carry the ball. You want to score touchdowns. You want to do the fun things. But sometimes you don’t get to play in the position you want.

“But because I get to play at all, I consider myself blessed. I want to showcase my talents, but if the coaches feel other guys are better qualified, you’ve got to go with that.”

Meanwhile, the Raiders were shutting down a Bear offense ranked last in the NFL.

Chicago produced 47 net yards in the first half, including eight passing.

So what happened? How did a laugher nearly turn into a crier?

“We have to put people away,” said Hostetler, who completed 11 of 23 passes for 108 yards.

Instead, the Bears, aided by a couple of crucial Raider penalties, put together a seven-play, 81-yard drive in the third quarter that ended in a three-yard Neal Anderson touchdown run.

Jaeger’s 20-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter made the score 16-7.

That seemed to be enough when Butler missed for the first time.

But when the Raiders’ next drive fizzled, the Bears got another chance with 2:52 to play.

This time, Harbaugh was equal to the assignment, putting together a 66-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Terry Obee.

One minute, 13 seconds remained. Time for the on-side kick.

It was supposed to be handled by Tim Brown. Instead Lionel Washington tried to grab it and failed.

“It seemed like the ball took forever to get there,” Washington said. “I should have let Tim have it. But I was in position. I got my hand on it, but somebody hit me and I didn’t know where the ball was.”

It was securely in the arms of Chicago’s Keshon Johnson at the 50-yard line.

From there, Harbaugh scrambled 25 yards and the ball went to the Raider 12 on a late hit by Anderson.

After the Bears’ Anderson gained a yard, confusion reigned.

The clock was ticking.

With 21 seconds remaining, Harbaugh went down on one knee, but that didn’t stop the clock. The Raiders claimed Bear lineman Troy Auzenne called a timeout. The problem was, Chicago didn’t have one.

The Raiders wanted a penalty called. They didn’t get one.

The clock was still ticking.

The officials finally stopped it with five seconds remaining to set the lines.

Harbaugh spiked the ball with one second left.

Time enough for Butler to be a hero.

But not this time.