Raiders Carry On Despite Left-Out Feeling

Minutes into their game Sunday, the Oakland Raiders found out their slim playoff hopes were dead.

That didn’t stop them from picking on the San Diego Chargers’ pass defense, the weak link in a unit that allows the fewest yards per game in the NFL.

Wade Wilson, who turns 40 on Feb. 1, threw touchdown passes of 45 yards to James Jett and 12 yards to Tim Brown on consecutive possessions in the second quarter, and Oakland beat the Chargers, 17-10. Wilson, four years older than Raider Coach Jon Gruden, got his first win as a starter since 1993, when he was with New Orleans.

The Raiders (8-7) ended a four-game losing streak, but the victory came much too late. New England’s 24-21 victory over San Francisco ended Oakland’s hopes of making it to the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

“I was personally dejected about it,” Wilson said. “But you can’t lose your focus on the game.”

Especially because the Raiders have a matchup they exploited again: Jett versus Charger cornerback Terrance Shaw.

This was a rematch from the Raiders’ 7-6 win at Oakland on Oct. 11, a dismal performance by both teams that featured 27 punts and five interceptions. The Chargers were headed toward a 6-0 win when they allowed a 68-yard touchdown pass from Wilson, then the third-stringer, to Jett with 1:28 to play.

The Raiders used play-action to take advantage of the Chargers’ aggressiveness, and Jett ran the same pattern as the one that burned the Chargers in October.

“I guess if you send Jett on a post route, good things happen,” Wilson said. “We practiced it all week and didn’t complete it once. I was surprised that Gru called it.”

Shaw fell down just before Jett made the catch and ran it in.

“Well, he had no chance at that point anyway,” said Jett.

San Diego’s only touchdown was scored by rookie Mikhael Ricks, who bobbled Craig Whelihan’s pass, but held on for a 39-yard score one play after dropping a short pass.

Wilson was 14 for 25 for 167 yards, with two interceptions. Whelihan was 19 for 39 for 251 yards.

Brown’s touchdown catch gave Oakland a 14-3 lead with 6:10 left before halftime, and the Raiders stayed ahead despite gaining just 78 yards in the second half. Special teams breakdowns and dropped passes hurt the Chargers.

The Chargers (5-10) lost their fourth consecutive game, and on fan appreciation day were forced to endure chants of “Raiders! Raiders!” from the large contingent of black-clad fans during a timeout with 3:10 left.

That was just before San Diego’s Tony Gaiter returned a punt 39 yards to the Raider 37. But on the first play of the drive, Craig Whelihan threw the ball straight to safety Anthony Newman. It was Whelihan’s second interception of the day and 13th in three games.

“There are not a lot of things that we have confidence in right now,” Charger safety Rodney Harrison said. “I mean, can it get worse?”

Chargers interim coach June Jones, who will become Hawaii’s head coach at season’s end, started Whelihan over embattled rookie Ryan Leaf because he felt the fourth-year pro would make the fewest mistakes .

“This season, it seems like we’re always a catch away or a turnover away,” Chargers running back Terrell Fletcher said.

Jones said there’s a good chance Leaf will play in the season finale at Arizona next Sunday. That decision will be made Wednesday.

“I have full confidence I can get the job done,” Whelihan said. “I’m not worried about getting pulled or not throwing interceptions and that’s what’s frustrating. We have one game left and we better show up.”

Gaiter fumbled a punt early in the third quarter to set up a 25-yard field goal by Greg Davis, who was with San Diego for 12 games in 1997 after John Carney got hurt.