Vikings DE Griffen wants to put offseason issues behind him

Everson Griffen won't deny that his offseason has been unacceptable. Now the Minnesota Vikings defensive end is trying to show his team that he's back on the right track.

Griffen was arrested twice in the Los Angeles area in January, but he relocated to Minnesota last month to focus on training for a new season, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Saturday.

"I had a little rough stretch," said Griffen, who works out daily with linebacker E.J. Henderson, linebacker Jasper Brinkley and quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. "Coaches want me back, and that's the place for me to be. ... I'm just trying to make changes. I've got big years coming up. I'm just trying to show the Minnesota Vikings I'm here for good."

Griffen was arrested for allegedly being drunk in public and resisting arrest over the course of one week (the charges were later dropped, he said). When the 23-year-old later announced that he was hosting a Facebook-advertised party in Las Vegas, Vikings coach Leslie Frazier intervened. The party was called off after Frazier delivered a clear message on what's expected from Griffen both on and off the field.

"He said, 'Know what you're here for,' " Griffen said. "I'm here to play football. I'm here to represent the Minnesota Vikings, and I want to represent them in a good way, not a bad way."

Griffen was a fourth-round draft pick by the Vikings last year after skipping his senior season at USC, and the team acknowledged his penchant for inconsistent play. But Griffen saw more playing time toward the end of his rookie season and finished with 11 tackles, also playing on special teams. The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder in line to compete for a more significant role in 2011 with starter Ray Edwards on the verge of free agency.

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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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Rams earn first back-to-back wins in two years behind Bradford, Jackson

ST. LOUIS -- Steven Jackson was a question mark until the first snap.

There was no way he was going to miss this one for the St. Louis Rams. So, he went out and showed the Seattle Seahawks he could play hurt and still make a big impact.

"I knew I wouldn't be 100 percent, but I knew I had enough to give," said Jackson, who blocked out a strained groin Sunday. "I feel like the team is going in the right direction, and I wanted to be a part of it."

Just because he is a rookie, does not mean that Sam Bradford isn't capable of posting big numbers. He proved that again Sunday. Check out where he landed among the weekly leaders.

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The two-time Pro Bowler had 126 yards rushing and receiving, complementing another strong game by No. 1 pick Sam Bradford and a stout defense in a 20-3 victory Sunday that gave the Rams consecutive wins for the first time in two seasons.

Bradford, who threw two touchdown passes, knew he wouldn't have been nearly as effective without the two-time Pro Bowler in the lineup.

"I never doubted he would be out there," Bradford said. "He's a huge part of this offense. Anytime he's in the huddle, there's no doubt that it boosts the spirits of everyone in the huddle."

Jackson had 70 yards on 22 carries to pass Marshall Faulk for No. 2 on the Rams' rushing list, shaking off an injury that sidelined him the second half of last week's win over the Redskins. He added three catches for 54 yards, including a 49-yarder before Kenneth Darby scored on a 21-yard screen pass.

Officials stopped the game after a 15-yard gain early in the fourth quarter put Jackson ahead of Faulk. Jackson has 6,991 yards in seven seasons with the Rams and trails only Eric Dickerson, who had 7,245 yards from 1983-87.

"From Day 1, I set a tone that I wanted to leave here putting my footprint on this organization," Jackson said. "It's very meaningful, but I ain't in first place."

Bradford completed 23 of 41 passes with one interception as the Rams (2-2) ended a 10-game losing streak against Seattle and topped their win total from last year.

"It feels great," Bradford said. "To get ourselves to 2-2 and just be in the conversation for the division lead, I think that's big for this team."

Big for the Rams to get such poise so soon.

"We got after him pretty good, we chased him around a lot," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "We're looking at a guy that's going to be a really big-timer."

The last time St. Louis won consecutive games was Weeks 5 and 6 of 2008 under interim head coach Jim Haslett.

Throughout the week, coach Steve Spagnuolo made sure players weren't content with winning just once.

"I was a little concerned that the hunger was gone," Spagnuolo said. "I thought the team came out with the right mind-set."

The Rams sacked Matt Hasselbeck four times, had one interception and forced a fumble. St. Louis' special teams bottled up returner Leon Washington, who had two touchdown returns last week, and Golden Tate, who had been averaging 25 yards on punt returns. There was no daylight for Washington (26.7 yard average) or Tate (6.0 yards) against the Rams.

"Excellent," Spagnuolo said. "I spent time talking about it and I don't know anything about special teams. There was a fire, an intent."

The Seahawks peaked with a 14-play drive in the first half that stalled, leaving them with only a chip-shot field goal by Olindo Mare. The Rams foiled a fake 51-yard attempt near the end of the half when Darby ran down holder Jon Ryan on a would-be roll-out pass to John Carlson.

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Seattle averaged 29 points during its 10-game streak over the Rams dating to 2005, but is 3-18 in its last 21 road games. Two of the victories came in St. Louis.

The Seahawks scored their fewest points since a 44-6 loss Oct. 5, 2008, at the New York Giants.

"I give them credit, but that's not really the issue for us," Hasselbeck said. "We've got to get better and I've got to get better. I know I can and I know we can."

The Rams led 10-3 at the half, but missed a couple of chances in the second quarter that would have made it a much wider gap.

Brandon Fletcher's interception return to the 3 was wasted on Earl Thomas' end zone pick for Seattle, an errant throw that had a dismayed Bradford holding his helmet with both hands on his way to the sideline.

Notes: Rams CB Kevin Dockery injured his right hamstring in the third quarter after sustaining facial lacerations on the Seahawks' foiled fake field goal in the half. ... Seahawks LB Dexter Davis (hamstring) was sidelined in the second half. ... The Rams last held an opponent to single-figure scoring in a 9-7 loss at Washington in Week 2 last season. ... Seattle scored at least 23 points in all 10 of the victories in its streak against St. Louis.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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