Cable likely out as Raiders' coach after two-plus seasons

Tom Cable is unlikely to return as the Oakland Raiders' coach, a league source said Sunday.

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Raiders owner Al Davis is expected to survey the coaching landscape, and he will not decide Cable's future until some time in the middle of the month.

With a 31-10 victory over the AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Cable led the Raiders to an 8-8 record this season, including a perfect 6-0 mark in the division. But Cable is 17-27 overall since taking over as coach in the middle of the 2008 season.

Cable presently doesn't have an official contract with the Raiders, but Davis can pick up an option for two more years.

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Raiders finish with 6-0 division record, but rival Chiefs advance to play Ravens

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If this turns out to be Tom Cable's last year as Oakland's head coach, at least he'll know he made history.

After beating Kansas City 31-10 Sunday in their regular-season finale, the 2010 Raiders became the only team since the 1970 merger to go unbeaten in their division and still not make the playoffs. The short-handed Raiders (8-8) wrapped up a division record of 6-0, while the Chiefs (10-6) went 2-4 in the division and will host the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday at 1 p.m. EST as AFC West champions.

The Chiefs are the No. 4 seed, the Raiders are through for the year.

"We are disappointed because we are not going to the playoffs, but at the same time we stuck to the goal and stuck to the plan as we have done very week, and we got our eighth win," said Cable, whose job status with the Raiders has been the subject of speculation. "I'm very happy about that."

Michael Bush rushed for 137 yards and Jason Campbell threw a TD pass for the Raiders, who beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium for the fourth year in a row and ruined their perfect home record.

Running back Darren McFadden and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Richard Seymour were inactive because of injuries, but the Raiders dominated from start to finish, intercepting two of Matt Cassel's passes and getting seven sacks. The interceptions both led directly to Oakland's last two scores. Jacoby Ford scored on a 10-yard reverse after Michael Huff's interception, and Stanford Routt returned a pick 22 yards for the Raiders' final TD when Cassel was hurried while throwing from his end zone.

The Chiefs were still digesting their lopsided loss several hours later when Indianapolis beat Tennessee 23-20 and determined their seed and first-round opponent.

The Chiefs' worst home game of the season came on the heels of news that offensive coordinator Charlie Weis is returning to college coaching to become Florida's offensive coordinator. Weis, in one year with the Chiefs, has been given much credit for developing Cassel into a top-flight quarterback and turning Jamaal Charles into a Pro Bowl running back.

"Charlie Weis is moving on. He's going to go to the University of Florida as a coordinator," said Chiefs coach Todd Haley. "This is a bittersweet thing for me as the head coach. Charlie was obviously someone I was excited about having in here. That being said, Charlie is a family guy and he's got a family situation, where he can go to Florida and be with his son, who is going to get into coaching. This is a great situation for Charlie and I respect it 100 percent."

Weis was not made available to the media.

The Raiders posted their best record since 2002 amid talk that Cable may be out; the team went to 17-27 since he became head coach four games into the 2008 season. It was the first time since '02, when Oakland went to the Super Bowl, that it didn't lose at least 11 games.

The Raiders had 344 total yards to Kansas City's 201 and held the top-rated rushing offense to 115 yards on the ground.

Asked if he thinks he's coming back, Cable did answer directly.

"We're not losers anymore. We're 8 and 8," he said. "That's not what we wanted. We wanted to be a playoff team. We came here to get the sixth win, which means we went 6-0 in the division and most importantly, we are done with that losing. We are not losers anymore."

Charles, who trailed Houston's Arian Foster by 56 yards for the NFL rushing lead, had 87 yards on 14 carries, including a 47-yard burst that was KC's offensive highlight. He finished the regular season with 1,467 yards and came within a whisker of catching Jim Brown's NFL record of 6.40 yards per carry. He finished at 6.38.

"I wasn't even paying attention that I wasn't in the record books. I wasn't even worried about it," said Charles. "I was just going out there and just running the ball like I do every week. My goal is to go out and win. I'm disappointed we lost, but we've got to bounce back. We've got another week going. The Raiders don't."

The Chiefs' pass protection, good most of the season, began breaking down in the second quarter. Cassel was flagged for intentional grounding and then sacked for an 11-yard loss on the next play by Jarvis Moss.

Campbell got the Raiders going with a 9-yard completion to Zach Miller. On third-and-10 from the Oakland 46, Campbell dumped off to Bush and he turned it into a 16-yard gain. With 7 seconds left in the half, Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 39-yard field goal for a 10-3 lead.

Campbell, after sitting out a series when he apparently hurt his right knee, scrambled 21 yards during a 14-play, 91-yard drive. He hit Jacoby Ford for a 35-yard gain to the 6 and Chaz Schilens was wide open in the end zone for the touchdown pass that gave the Raiders a 7-3 lead.

The Chiefs managed a meager 72 yards in the first half to Oakland's 192, but Charles broke free for a 47-yard run to the 8. From the 5, Charles went in almost untouched for a 10-10 tie the Raiders erased on their next possession.

Aided by a 15-yard face mask penalty against Jovan Belcher, the Raiders moved 75 yards in nine plays. Bush went over the right side of the defense virtually untouched for a 27-yard touchdown, the first TD rushing the Chiefs allowed at home all season.

Notes: Kamerion Wimbley had three of Oakland's seven sacks. ... KC's Tamba Hali had 2.5 sacks, the ninth multisack game of his career. ... Former coach Marty Schottenheimer was inducted into the Chiefs' Hall of Fame at halftime. ... Huff has four career interceptions against Kansas City.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Manning's late run seals win over Raiders, who are eliminated from playoffs

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Peyton Manning put Indianapolis in the lead with his arm and sealed the game with his legs. No matter what happened against the Oakland Raiders, Manning knew he'd need one more big game to get the Colts back into the postseason.

Manning threw three touchdown passes and iced the game with a 27-yard keeper to help the Colts beat the Oakland Raiders 31-26 Sunday in a game that turned out to have little playoff meaning.

"All we did was win today," Manning said. "We have to find a way to win again next week."

The Colts (9-6) allowed Jacoby Ford to return the opening kick for a touchdown, overcame a pair of interceptions by Manning in the second half and survived four field goals from Sebastian Janikowski, including two from more than 50 yards, to move within a win of clinching the AFC South title for their ninth straight playoff berth.

But when Jacksonville lost 20-17 in overtime to Washington in the early game Sunday, the Colts knew that no matter what happened in this game they could clinch the division with a win at home next week against the Titans or a Jaguars loss at Houston.

"I don't know what the coaches do or what everybody else does, but I didn't know who won the morning games," Manning said. "All we knew was the time of our kickoff and the defenses and offensive plays that Oakland was going to run. That's really was where our focus was."

The results in the early games also robbed this game of any real meaning for the Raiders (7-8), who were eliminated from playoff contention when Kansas City wrapped up a 34-14 win against Tennessee early in the first quarter of this game.

The Chiefs had long been in control of that game so any Oakland player who had caught wind of the score in pregame warmups knew there was only pride on the line.

"The guys were trying not to pay attention to it," quarterback Jason Campbell said. "We were just really trying to focus on our game. That's the situation you're in when you have to count on other teams. It's a tough situation to be in."

The Raiders hung close with the Colts for much of this game but were unable to score an offensive touchdown until Campbell's 6-yard pass to Zach Miller with 1:51 to play.

Manning took advantage of a 31-yard pass interference call against Stanford Routt to throw a 4-yard TD pass to Blair White to give the Colts a 24-16 lead late in the third quarter. But little came easy for Manning against Oakland's defense. He threw a pair of interceptions in the second half, giving him 17 for the season, which is his most since 2002.

He responded from the second interception by leading the Colts on a 68-yard drive that was capped by a 7-yard TD pass to Pierre Garcon on third down to give Indianapolis a 31-19 lead.

After the Colts recovered a late onside kick, Manning ran out the clock with a 27-yard keeper on third-and-2. He faked the ball to Dominic Rhodes and then ran around the left side before sliding down at the 4, instead of scoring, to allow the Colts to run out the clock.

"That was just a great call by him," Rhodes said. "They had been biting, they were trying to stop me from running the football. Even I thought I had the football, along with everybody else. The whole defense converged on me. It was just a great play all around, he made it happen and we pulled out a great victory."

Manning completed 16 of 30 passes for 179 yards as he struggled at times against Oakland's aggressive cornerbacks. But the Colts managed to gain 191 yards on the ground, including 98 from Rhodes, who returned to Indianapolis earlier this month.

Joseph Addai added a 6-yard touchdown run in the first quarter in his first game since hurting a nerve in his left shoulder Oct. 17.

"We went out and out-physicaled a physical team," Rhodes said. "For the last few weeks, we've done that. We're gearing up for playoff football. And this is what you have to do in the playoffs."

Indianapolis' much-maligned run defense once again stepped up to the challenge a week after holding Maurice Jones-Drew and Jacksonville to 67 yards in last week's key win. Oakland's second-ranked rushing attach was held to 80 yards.

"There's no magic to it," coach Jim Caldwell said. "We're running the same plays, running the same defense. We were just playing what we do, and doing it a little better."

Ford's team-record third kickoff return for a TD got the Raiders started. Oakland went ahead 13-10 after Janikowski made field goals of 59 and 38 yards. The 59-yarder was the second longest in team history.

But Manning led a late touchdown drive helped by a personal foul on Lamarr Houston for poking Kyle DeVan in the eye and a 25-yard pass interference call on Chris Johnson. Manning found Jacob Tamme on a 14-yard pass on the next play to make it 17-13 at the break.

"There's not a quarterback that I've played against that controls the game the way that he does, and handles every situation and is basically the coordinator on the fly," Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said.

Notes: Manning tied former Raiders OL Gene Upshaw for the most consecutive starts to begin a career with 207. ... Raiders DT Richard Seymour missed the game with a hamstring injury.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Raiders QB Gradkowski re-injures shoulder in return

Bruce Gradkowski is likely headed back to the bench for the Oakland Raiders. But it doesn't have anything to do with the quarterback's performance.

The Contra Costa Times reported on Sunday night that Gradkowski re-injured his throwing shoulder in Oakland's 33-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Gradkowski told the paper that his shoulder felt similar to when he suffered a third-degree separation against the San Diego Chargers in Week 5. That injury cost him five weeks.

The fifth-year pro was back into the starting lineup on Sunday in place of Jason Campbell. For the season, Gradkowski is 66 for 125 (52.8 percent) for 807 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions.

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Henne leads the way as Dolphins top Raiders to keep playoff hopes alive

Chad Henne had quite the roller-coaster month, going from Miami Dolphins starting quarterback to getting benched then injured and then back as starter.

He finished the up-and-down month on quite a high.

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Henne made a triumphant return to the lineup to throw for 307 yards and two scores and Dan Carpenter kicked four field goals to help the Miami Dolphins beat the Oakland Raiders 33-17 Sunday.

"I knew my day would come again," Henne said. "The biggest thing is just staying confident in myself. I know I can get it done out there, I know I can get some wins out there. So, for me, it's just staying confident, fixing mistakes and just keep on improving as a quarterback."

Davone Bess had 111 yards receiving in his first game as a pro in his hometown, and Ricky Williams ran for 95 yards and a score for the Dolphins (6-5), who won for the fifth time in six road games to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Raiders (5-6) returned home following a 35-3 beating in Pittsburgh and put together another dud. Fan favorite Bruce Gradkowski got the nod ahead of Jason Campbell at quarterback, but threw two interceptions and led Oakland to just one offensive touchdown.

The Contra Costa Times reported on Sunday night that Gradkowski re-injured his throwing shoulder in the loss. Gradkowski previously suffered a third-degree separation of the shoulder in Week 5, an injury that cost him five weeks.

Rookie Jacoby Ford was the entire Raiders offense, returning the opening kickoff 101 yards for a score and catching a 44-yard TD pass from Gradkowski in the second quarter. But the Dolphins held Oakland to 16 yards rushing, including 2 on eight carries for Darren McFadden.

"We've played some great quarters, and we've played some great halves, but we haven't put a game together on defense," linebacker Channing Crowder said. "We played a complete game."

Miami also had an offensive turnaround, gaining 471 yards and holding the ball for 41:38 a week after being held to 187. But with Henne at the helm, it was a different story.

Raiders rookie WR Jacoby Ford is making a name for himself with acrobatic catches like the one to the right. Was this image of him making a grab vs. Miami the best from Week 12? Vote now!

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Henne lost his job to Chad Pennington earlier this month, then was sidelined by an injured left knee after Pennington's return to the lineup was cut short by a shoulder injury. But after Tyler Thigpen struggled in a 16-0 loss to Chicago last week, the Dolphins went back to Henne against the Raiders.

The improvement was evident from the start. Henne led Miami to scores on the first two possessions as the Dolphins' offense clicked all day.

"I want somebody to go out there and make me wrong," coach Tony Sparano said. "That's good. I have no problem with that. But Chad was really positive, and he knew all along here, that as we got on in this thing, that we we're going to be counting on him."

Henne had success going against Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who still looks hampered by a sprained right ankle, and rookie Walter McFadden, who got his most extensive action with Chris Johnson out with a groin injury.

McFadden looked especially bad on the first drive of the second half when he went for an interception on an out route to Marlon Moore. Moore caught it and cruised for a 57-yard score that game Miami a 20-14 lead. Henne kept targeting McFadden after that for big plays.

"That's something we definitely scouted and wanted to exploit early and fast," Bess said. "They gave up some big plays to us and we took advantage of it."

Carpenter added a 44-yard field goal, but Miami missed a chance to break the game open after a 47-yard punt return by Bess when Carpenter missed a 47-yard field goal.

Gradkowski threw an interception to Chris Clemons in the end zone on an underthrown pass to Ford. Ford then beat his former Clemson teammate Clemons for a 52-yard catch that set up a 30-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski. That cut Miami's lead to 23-17 early in the fourth quarter.

Carpenter added a 25-yard field goal and Williams iced it with a 45-yard TD run with 3:12 remaining.

The Raiders did nothing between Ford's two first-half touchdowns. Gradkowski threw an interception to Yeremiah Bell and Marcel Reece lost a fumble.

Gradkowski completed 17 of 32 passes for 252 yards and reinjured his shoulder on his final throw of the game so Oakland will likely go back to Campbell next week at San Diego.

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"There was some good stuff and some inconsistency," Cable said of Gradkowski's play. "Again when you only have the ball a handful of times you don't get a real chance to go out and get some rhythm."

Henne, who threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Cobbs in the first quarter, drove the Dolphins downfield late in the half to lead to Carpenter's second field goal, a 23-yarder with 4 seconds left that made it 14-13.

Notes: Henne has six career 300-yard passing games, second to Dan Marino's 63 in Miami history. ... The Dolphins have scored on their opening drive a league-best eight times this season. ... Ford's kickoff return was the third longest in Raiders history.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Raiders' Seymour ejected for striking Steelers' Roethlisberger

PITTSBURGH -- Oakland Raiders defensive end Richard Seymour was ejected from Sunday's game for an open-handed punch to Ben Roethlisberger's face as the Steelers quarterback celebrated a touchdown pass.

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After completing the 22-yard throw to Emmanuel Sanders, Roethlisberger jumped into the arms of offensive tackle Flozell Adams. Roethlisberger then began walking forward and appeared to say something to Seymour, who turned and struck the quarterback in the jaw with his open right hand.

As Roethlisberger went to his back, lineman Chris Kemoeatu grabbed Seymour. Both Seymour and Kemoeatu drew penalties, but only Seymour was ejected.

Seymour also was ejected Dec. 27 for hitting Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Harrison after a play was over. Seymour was fined $10,000 for that infraction.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Steelers survive penalties, punches to rout Raiders and stay in AFC North race

PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers returned to the Steel Curtain days of the 1970s. The Raiders went back to the bad old days of the last seven years.

There were punches and penalties, a Steelers defense that wouldn't stop and a Raiders offense that couldn't get started. One week after getting embarrassed by the Patriots, a year after losing to Oakland, James Harrison and the Steelers tossed around the Raiders like it was a playground pickup game while beating them 35-3 on Sunday.

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Raiders defensive end Richard Seymour punched Ben Roethlisberger in the jaw with an open hand, but the Steelers never flinched. They shrugged off a club-record 163 yards in penalties, chased a bewildered quarterback Jason Campbell from the game and punished the Raiders like the Steel Curtain teams of the '70s did so many opponents.

The Steelers (7-3), still tied with Baltimore for the AFC North lead, were motivated by last week's 39-26 home-field loss to New England and last year's 27-24 defeat to Oakland that all but ruined their season.

"It definitely was an old school, physical type game from back in the day," linebacker James Farrior said. "That's the type of game we wanted to make it, a physical game, and improve from our performance of last week."

Harrison, the former AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, did much of the damage with five tackles, two sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. He also took one of the Steelers' six personal foul penalties for slamming Campbell to the turf as the quarterback threw a pass.

"We didn't worry about the calls," Harrison said. "When you're getting a lot of penalties against you, it brings you together."

Seymour, long one of the NFL's top defensive players, displayed Oakland's frustration by striking Roethlisberger in the face as the quarterback celebrated his TD pass to Sanders late in the second quarter.

"I've never seen a quarterback get punched since I've been in this league," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

Several Raiders were certain Roethlisberger said something to Seymour.

"I'm not sure why he ran up on me," Seymour said.

"I heard that Big Ben said something," defensive lineman Tommy Kelly said. "I guess Big Rich didn't like it."

What the Raiders (5-5) most disliked was getting shoved around like the Raiders teams that lost at least 11 games each season from 2003-09. Oakland fell out of a tie for the AFC West lead as Kansas City (6-4) beat Arizona 31-13.

Oakland averaged 458 yards and 38.6 points during its three-game winning streak, but had only 52 yards -- 11 rushing -- as the Steelers opened a 21-3 halftime lead.

"We played against a really tough defense today that got after us," said Campbell, who was 7 of 19 for 70 yards and an interception. "Once we got behind the 8-ball and they got all the momentum, they just kept bringing it and bringing it."

Campbell never had a chance against a Steelers defense that forced three turnovers, two that became touchdowns, had six sacks and limited Darren McFadden to 14 yards on 10 carries, 94 below his average. The Steelers have allowed only one 100-yard rusher in 44 games.

The Raiders were so ineffective, the Steelers had more penalty yards than they had offensive yards until deep in the third quarter. The Steelers outgained them 431-182 as Roethlisberger threw touchdown passes of 52 yards to Mike Wallace, 22 yards to Emmanuel Sanders and 16 yards to Isaac Redman and scrambled 16 yards for a touchdown.

"I don't know how a team can overcome that many penalties, but we did it," Sanders said.

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Roethlisberger was 18 of 29 for 275 yards and had 55 yards rushing. Wallace had his fifth 100-yard receiving game with 116 yards, and Rashard Mendenhall's 15-yard TD run put Pittsburgh ahead to stay 7-3 in the second quarter.

Bruce Gradkowski, who threw three touchdown passes during the final 8 ½ minutes of Oakland's stunning win in Pittsburgh last season, replaced Campbell but also couldn't get anything going.

While the penalties didn't affect Pittsburgh's domination, the many calls inflamed their fans. The Harrison penalty so upset the crowd of 64,987 that it booed for the ensuing three plays, and fans began a derisive cheer aimed at referee Tony Corrente.

"Their defensive guys were hitting our offensive guys and there were no penalties," Harrison said. "I believe if it happened the other way, there would have been a lot more penalties called and maybe they would have kicked five or six of us out of game."

Notes: Oakland had 55 yards in penalties. ... Oakland's defensive end Trevor Scott tore the ACL in his left knee, usually a season-ending injury. ... Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey was pulled in the second half with a thigh injury. ... WR Hines Ward made three catches for 28 yards a week after a concussion sidelined him for the final three quarters against New England, ending his streak of 186 consecutive games with a reception. ... Oakland still hasn't won in Pittsburgh in successive seasons. ... Pittsburgh didn't allow a point in the second half after giving up 29 to New England. ... Shaun Suisham, the Steelers' new kicker, didn't attempt a field goal.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Raiders' Cable leaning toward sticking with Campbell at QB

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Jason Campbell might have done enough to win back the starting quarterback job for the Oakland Raiders even after Bruce Gradkowski recovers from a separated shoulder.

Just last week coach Tom Cable said the quarterback situation was "clear cut" and Gradkowski would be the starter when he was healthy. But Cable backtracked Monday and said he might stick with Jason Campbell, who just led Oakland to its first three-game winning streak since 2002 following a 23-20 overtime win over Kansas City.

"I really haven't wavered, but I do have a belief in me about, you know, when you're dealing it and you got the hot hand, and things are going in the right direction for your football team, you know, why would you make a change?" Cable said. "That's what I think right now, but in the back of my mind I also say, 'It's not really making a change. He was a starter before I made the change with Bruce and he's kind of come back and done a lot of good things for our team."'

Campbell opened the season as the starter after being acquired in a draft-day trade from Washington. That lasted all of six quarters before he was benched in favor of Gradkowski at halftime of the home opener against St. Louis.

Gradkowski rallied the Raiders (5-4) to a win over the Rams and started the next three games before being sidelined by a separated shoulder against San Diego.

Campbell led a rally against the Chargers to give the Raiders a win and then had a miserable performance in his first game back as the starter against San Francisco.

But Campbell has been much better since then. He completed 57.5 percent of his passes the past three weeks for 743 yards, five touchdowns and one interception and a passer rating of 104.3.

Cable said he would probably announce his decision next Monday when he has a better grasp of Gradkowski's health, but it's clear which way it's looking when the Raiders return from the bye to face Pittsburgh Nov. 21.

"What's the negative of this?' Cable asked. "Well I have another problem. I got two good quarterbacks healthy again. That's the only negative I see about it. I'm probably leaning toward staying with the hot hand. That's just where I'm at."

It's a far different tune than what Cable said a week ago after Campbell led the Raiders to a 33-3 win over Seattle.

"There's no issue there in my mind," Cable said last Monday. "What we've done is some nice things in the last two weeks. You got to take your hat off to Jason. ... It's a nice job on his part, as well as the rest of the offensive players. But, we know who our quarterback is."

The Raiders could have plenty of other players back after the bye as there's a chance that they could be completely healthy for the first time all season.

Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (sprained right ankle) and leading receiver Zach Miller (sore foot) missed the Chiefs game, but could be back Nov. 21 against Pittsburgh.

Oakland also could get defensive tackle John Henderson back from a stress fracture in his foot that caused him to miss seven games. Receivers Louis Murphy, who has missed two games with a bruised chest, and Chaz Schilens, who has not played since undergoing knee surgery in training camp also could be back.

The Raiders did well without those injured players, with Jacoby Ford catching six balls for 148 yards as a starting receiver. Chris Johnson and Jeremy Ware played well at cornerback, while Brandon Myers caught three passes and offensive lineman Khalif Barnes scored a touchdown on a tackle-eligible play as Oakland adjusted without Miller.

"Just seeing the guys go out there and perform has been great to watch," Murphy said. "I can't be more excited to be back a part of it. It's just good for the overall team. That's been our whole thing, receivers got to make plays, once we start making plays we'll be able to get this thing rolling and the last two weeks that's what's happened. It's just good to see that happened."

The Raiders will practice Tuesday and Wednesday before getting four days off to relax. Then they will return to focus on a trip to Pittsburgh and a second half of the season that looks much more promising than it did just a few weeks ago when they were 2-4.

The key now is maintaining that momentum following the week off.

"If you don't handle it right, it can be bad," defensive lineman Richard Seymour said. "You can gain a lot from it, and you can lose a lot but I think if we handle this thing the right way - the way things have been going - with the attention to detail and the ways guys have bought into what we're trying to do, I think it's going to be a really good thing for us."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Raiders beat Chiefs, enter bye week half-game behind KC in AFC West

OAKLAND, Calif. -- As the Oakland Raiders poured out onto the field to celebrate Sebastian Janikowski's overtime kick, the 13 penalties, three turnovers and long stretches of offensive ineptitude were merely a footnote.

The Raiders won their biggest game in nearly eight years and are once again a contender in the AFC West.

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Jason Campbell threw a 47-yard pass to rookie Jacoby Ford in overtime to set up Janikowski's winning 33-yard field goal that capped Oakland's 23-20 victory over the division-leading Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

"It wasn't the way we draw it up but it was the way it was supposed to be," coach Tom Cable said. "We hung in there, fought, hung in there, fought, got a chance, made a couple of plays, made two kicks and now we're all happy. It's a great job by our team of really pulling together."

Campbell and Ford hooked up on a 29-yard pass in the closing seconds of regulation to set up Janikowski's tying 41-yard field goal. The Raiders (5-4) then won it in overtime for their most significant victory since winning the 2002 AFC championship. Oakland hasn't had a winning record at any time since being 2-1 in 2004 and not this late since '02.

By winning their third straight game for the first time since that season, Oakland heads into its bye week just a half-game behind Kansas City (5-3).

"This win was probably the win that does wonders for our season," Campbell said.

The Chiefs won the overtime toss but were unable to generate a first down. Campbell then hit Ford on a diving catch on the first play for Oakland. Ford, a fourth-round pick, caught six passes for 148 yards and returned the opening kick of the second half for a touchdown.

"It's something I've been wanting to do ever since I was little," Ford said. "I went out there, and it was a dream come true to be out there having fun making plays with those guys."

After a short run and a timeout by the Chiefs, Janikowski came on for the winning kick. As soon as it sailed through the uprights, the Raiders celebrated with the first sellout crowd in Oakland since last year's opener.

The talk all week was about the revival of a rivalry that was one of the sport's best for a decade starting in the 1960s. While the play was sloppy at times with five turnovers, 27 penalties and two blown fake punts, the intensity was top-notch.

The Raiders trailed 20-17 when they took over at their 25 with 2:06 to play. The big play came when Ford ripped a ball away from a defender for a 29-yard gain to the 22. Oakland rushed to the line and spiked the ball with 7 seconds left, setting the stage for Janikowski's tying field goal.

"Unfortunately, they took it down at the end of the game and we weren't able to produce in overtime," Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel said. "It's difficult to take when you make the mistakes that we did today and lose."

Kansas City had taken a 20-17 lead on a 20-yard pass from Cassel to Dwayne Bowe with 6:13 to play. That score was set up when Nick Miller muffed a punt and Kansas City's Verran Tucker recovered at the Raiders 30. It appeared as if Miller's knee might have been down before the ball came loose, but Cable had already used his two challenges so Kansas City kept the ball.

The Raiders had gained just 54 yards with their only score coming on Ford's 94-yard kickoff return to open the second half when they took over trailing 13-7 early in the third quarter.

The offense finally got going as Campbell hit Ford on a 16-yard pass and Darren McFadden followed with a 34-yard run. A 16-yard pass to McFadden moved the ball to the 2 and two plays later Campbell found tackle Khalif Barnes for a touchdown that gave Oakland a 14-13 lead.

The Raiders tacked on a 23-yard field goal by Janikowski after Campbell found Ford on a key third-down conversion for 37 yards.

After Rock Cartwright was stopped on Oakland's fake punt try, the Chiefs appeared to score on a slant from Cassel to Tony Moeaki on third-and-2 from the 6.

Cable challenged the call and won it when replays showed Moeaki's knee went down at the 1. Instead of giving the Chiefs a first down, the officials originally called it fourth and goal from the 1. After a holding call on Kansas City, the officials corrected the down and the Chiefs had first-and-goal at the 11.

Tucker made an acrobatic catch in the back of the end zone on the next play. Cable challenged that call and lost it, meaning Oakland was out of challenges with 14:31 left in the half.

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The Chiefs added a field goal from Ryan Succop after McFadden lost a fumble to make it 10-0 and could have had an even bigger lead at the half but had a touchdown and field goal erased by penalties. Cassel also threw an interception in the end zone in the final minute of the half.

"You can't have minus plays and expect to win in this league, you can't turn the ball over in the red zone and expect to win, you're just not going to do it - it's going to come back to get you," coach Todd Haley said. "You leave points out there, it usually comes back to haunt you."

Notes: Kansas City had won seven straight in Oakland, tied for the longest active streak by a visiting team. ... Oakland S Tyvon Branch left with a concussion in the third quarter.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Raiders likely without CB Asomugha, TE Miller against Chiefs

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Boller, Campbell or Gradkowski? Raiders will wait to decide

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Oakland Raiders quarterback Kyle Boller could make his first start of the season Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Or it could be Jason Campbell under center. Injured starter Bruce Gradkowski hasn't been ruled out, either.

For a second consecutive day, Raiders coach Tom Cable put off making a decision on who will start after all three quarterback practiced in some fashion Thursday.

Boller, who started four games with the St. Louis Rams in 2009 after four years as a starter for the Baltimore Ravens, took the initial snaps in practice with the Raiders' first-team offense and alternated reps with Campbell. Gradkowski worked out on his own in individual drills.

Boller is the healthiest of the three. Campbell injured his left knee during last weekend's 17-9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and has been limping noticeably since. Gradkowski hasn't played since reinjuring his right shoulder in the first half of a Oct. 10 game against the San Diego Chargers.

"They all did a little bit more today, but it was kind of like yesterday in terms of rep breakdown and all that," Cable said. "It was pretty even for Kyle and Jason. Bruce did a lot of individual work and some light throwing but nothing more than that."

Cable hasn't ruled out any of the three quarterbacks, saying Gradkowski would be the starter if he's healthy. If he's unable to play and Campbell can, then the job is his.

Gradkowski would need to make significant progress in his recovery to be in the lineup Sunday.

"He felt really good today," Cable said. "Yesterday, it didn't bother him, and if he can do a lot tomorrow, who knows?"

Campbell, handed the starting job in the offseason after being acquired in a trade with the Washington Redskins, also is hurting but is closer to playing than Gradkowski.

Cable said Campbell wouldn't have been able to play if the game was Thursday. Since the Raiders have a day before they fly to Denver, the coach will wait to see how Campbell is doing before making a decision.

Campbell earlier this week underwent an MRI, which was negative.

"I don't know that he could have (played) today," Cable said. "He could go back, call plays and throw it, but to be able to run and do the things he's got to be able to do, it'd be pretty iffy."

Even if Campbell is healthy, the Raiders might turn to Boller.

In last Sunday's loss to the 49ers, Campbell completed just 8 of 21 attempts for 83 yards and a career-low 10.7 rating. He has been booed during home games and was benched at halftime of Oakland's Week 2 victory over St. Louis, when Cable handed the job to Gradkowski.

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Regardless of who starts, the Raiders say they won't change their offense. That bodes well for Boller, who previously worked with Raiders offensive coordinator Hue Jackson when both were in Baltimore.

"I've pretty much stayed on top of it over the last six weeks, and that's part of your job," Boller said. "(It) doesn't matter if you're a starter, second-stringer or third-stringer. You have to always be into the game plan and doing just the same things the starter's doing, so I don't think I'll miss a beat."

Boller has made 46 career starts but never passed for more than 2,559 yards in one season. The 2003 first-round draft pick, by the Ravens, has more interceptions (50) than touchdowns (48) and possesses an NFL rating of 70.6 over six years.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Raiders' Gradkowski still can't practice; McFadden questionable

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Oakland Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski missed practice for a second consecutive day Thursday with an injured shoulder, and running back Darren McFadden said he is questionable for Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers with a hamstring injury.

Gradkowski was knocked out last week after taking a hard hit from San Diego Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips. The quarterback has only been able to watch practice this week, and third-stringer Kyle Boller has taken extra snaps in practice in case he needs to be Jason Campbell's backup Sunday.

"There's some improvement with Bruce, but unless he could work tomorrow, then we kind of know where we're headed with it," Raiders coach Tom Cable said.

Cable said if Gradkowski is healthy enough to play, he likely would be the Raiders' starter.

McFadden will be the backup to Michael Bush if he is able to play. McFadden has practiced this week but said he isn't yet 100 percent. Cable said he will not use McFadden if he's not fully healed.

"I just think that if they're tentative, they can't cut it loose," Cable said. "And if you can't cut it loose, you're not going to run hard or at the best of your ability. And if you do try to, you'll probably pull it again."

McFadden injured his right hamstring on a run in the fourth quarter two weeks ago against the Houston Texans and missed last week's game against the Chargers.

McFadden also missed a couple of weeks in training camp with a left hamstring injury and doesn't want to rush back too soon out of fear of making this injury even worse.

"You just try to tell yourself you just want to go out and try to coast, don't hit a burst until you feel like you can all the way," he said.

McFadden got off to a fast start this season, rushing for 345 yards in the first three games as he finally started to show signs of why he was drafted fourth overall in 2008. He has 454 yards from scrimmage in his first four games and scored two touchdowns.

Bush, who missed the first two games with a broken left thumb, has picked up where McFadden left off. He had a strong fourth quarter after McFadden's injury two weeks ago against Houston, then rushed for 104 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter against San Diego.

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The Raiders are looking forward to having both backs healthy in the same game. That could create matchup problems when Oakland uses both on the field at the same time.

"We're going to play to their strengths," offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said. "The key in that situation is let them play. I think they both know and understand that whoever has the hot hand, they're going to get the ball. That's just the bottom line. There's no egos there, which is fun for me."

The Raiders are expected to have starting left guard Robert Gallery back for the first time since he injured his hamstring in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans.

Oakland has endured a run of hamstring injuries this season, but Gallery's was one of the more severe as his popped while he was chasing after an interception against the Titans.

"Until this week, I wasn't able to drive out of a stance," he said. "You can't fight through that. I just have to be comfortable with the stuff I do in practice and go in a game and do that. Obviously, it's probably not going to feel great or 100 percent -- nobody is -- but if I can go, that's what I am going to do."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Raiders QB Gradkowski exits vs. Chargers with shoulder injury

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski made a surprise, brief return at the start of the second half after being knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury.

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Gradkowski was hit hard by San Diego's Shaun Phillips on a pass play in the final minute of the first quarter Sunday. The play was originally ruled a fumble. The Raiders challenged and it was changed to an incomplete pass.

Gradkowski went to the locker room and was replaced by former starter Jason Campbell. The Raiders originally said Gradkowski would not return but he came out to start the second half. He threw two incompletions on one drive and then was replaced again by Campbell.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Raiders get first win over Chargers since 2003

OAKLAND, Calif. -- 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 Oakland Raiders snapped a 13-game losing streak against the San Diego Chargers with a 35-27 victory Sunday over their AFC West rivals.

All it took to end the seven-year drought for the Raiders (2-3) was 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.

This was Oakland's first win over San Diego (2-3) since September 2003 -- which 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 35-27 with 58 seconds left.

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Raiders' McFadden rests bad hamstring, likely out vs. Chargers

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden sat out his second consecutive practice with a sore hamstring and almost certainly will miss Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers.

Michael Bush, off to a slow start after missing the first two games with a broken left thumb, handled the majority of reps in practice Thursday and likely will start against the Chargers.

McFadden's absence would be a blow to Oakland's sputtering offense. The former first-round draft pick is tied for third in the NFL with 392 rushing yards, 35 more than he had all last year. It's the best start by a Raiders running back since Lamont Jordan ran for 424 yards after four games in 2007.

The Raiders insist McFadden's injury isn't like the one that sidelined him early in training camp, but coach Tom Cable said it was "very, very doubtful" that the third-year pro would play Sunday.

Instead, Oakland will lean heavily on Bush, who has just 10 carries this season after leading the team in rushing in 2009.

Bush's power running is in stark contrast to the quicker, slashing style of McFadden, although Cable doesn't believe the Raiders will alter their offense much because of the change.

"If you look at when Mike's played, it's been the same things," Cable said. "He runs more physical in the box, maybe. You may not get as much play on the perimeter, but you'll get it running downhill at the defense. (McFadden) has been very productive, so we've got to find a way to get that same production, but I think Michael's ready to take that load."

Neither Bush nor McFadden were made available to the media Thursday. McFadden didn't attend practice.

McFadden isn't the only Oakland player hurting.

Backup running back Michael Bennett (hamstring), left tackle Robert Gallery (hamstring), defensive tackle John Henderson (foot) and linebacker Thomas Howard ((knee) sat out Wednesday's workout. Linebacker Quentin Groves (hamstring) was limited in practice but isn't expected to play much, if at all, against San Diego.

Additionally, quarterback Bruce Gradkowski (shoulder) was limited, and first-round pick Rolando McClain was excused for a second consecutive day because of personal issues, although the rookie linebacker will play against the Chargers.

Rock Cartwright has taken only a handful of plays on offense for Oakland this season and will be Bush's backup if McFadden and Bennett are ruled out of the game.

The Raiders could receive a lift if Gallery is cleared to play. Gallery hasn't played in three weeks, but Cable apparently is willing to start the lineman if he practices Friday.

"The workout was good this morning, so if we can get some work out of him tomorrow, we'll see what happens," Cable said. "It depends on how the work goes. If it looks erratic and all that, it's not worth doing that."

Notes: The Raiders failed to sell out for a 10th consecutive home game, dating to last season, and the game will be blacked out in the Bay Area. ... Rookie OL Jared Veldheer took reps at center and left tackle with Oakland's first-team offense.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Report: Raiders sign LB Davis, cut ties with DL Alford

Looking to add depth to a linebacker corps ravaged by injuries, the Oakland Raiders have signed Bruce Davis off the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad, the Contra Costa Times reported Tuesday.

To make roster room for Davis, the Raiders have released defensive lineman Jay Alford.

It's unknown whether or not Davis will be ready to play for the Raiders on Sunday against the San Diego Chargers, but the team certainly could use reinforcements sooner rather than later.

Oakland lost two linebackers -- Quentin Groves (hamstring) and Thomas Howard (knee) -- in its 31-24 loss to the Houston Texans last Sunday. Two other Raiders linebackers, Ricky Brown (hamstring) and Travis Goethel (back), also have been sidelined.

Davis was a third-round draft pick (No. 88 overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008. He played five games for the Steelers, was released at the end of 2009 training camp and spent October of 2009 through the remainder of the season on the New England Patriots' practice squad.

Alford, a former New York Giant in his fifth season out of Penn State, was signed by the Raiders on Sept. 8. He had two tackles in limited action for Oakland this season.

The Raiders also have waived cornerback Joey Thomas from injured reserve.

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