Chargers-Raiders Preview

SCOUTING REPORT

Raiders must hit the ground running to have a chanceOver the years, the Chargers and Raiders -- division rivals who know each other well and crave California bragging rights -- have consistently staged hard-fought battles. Both trail the AFC West-leading Broncos by two games, so neither can afford to drop even one step back this week. One of the league's rising stars, Oakland RB Darren McFadden, will get a chance to trade blows with San Diego RB LaDainian Tomlinson, arguably the best the NFL has to offer at any position. If for no other reason, this future-versus-present matchup makes the game worth the price of admission.

· Full Scouting Report

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
SDG	8-8	439	347	5-3	3-5	5-1	7-5
OAK	5-11	263	388	2-6	3-5	2-4	4-8
· Complete Standings

Individual Leaders

San Diego Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Rivers 65.2 4254 28 9 Volek 64.5 231 1 1

Oakland Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Russel... 48.8 1287 3 11 Gradko... 54.7 1007 6 3

San Diego Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Tomlin... 223 730 3.3 12 Sprole... 93 343 3.7 3

Oakland Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Bush 123 589 4.8 3 Fargas 129 491 3.8 3

San Diego Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Jackso... 68 1167 17.2 9 Gates 79 1157 14.6 8

Oakland Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Miller 66 805 12.2 3 Murphy 34 521 15.3 4

Full Player Stats: San Diego | Oakland

TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS
TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	SDG	349.0
	OAK	272.0
Yards Passing	SDG	241.1
	OAK	148.1
Yards Rushing	SDG	107.9
	OAK	124.2
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	SDG	349.9
	OAK	360.9
Pass Yds Allowed	SDG	247.4
	OAK	201.3
Rush Yds Allowed	SDG	102.6
	OAK	159.7

HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUPS (SINCE 2001)
San Diego leads 12-4
Dec 30, 2007	SDG 30, OAK 17
Oct 14, 2007	SDG 28, @OAK 14
Nov 26, 2006	SDG 21, @OAK 14
Sep 11, 2006	SDG 27, OAK 0
Dec 4, 2005	SDG 34, @OAK 10
Oct 16, 2005	SDG 27, OAK 14
Nov 21, 2004	SDG 23, OAK 17
Oct 31, 2004	SDG 42, @OAK 14
Dec 28, 2003	SDG 21, @OAK 14
Sep 28, 2003	SDG 31, OAK 34
Dec 8, 2002	SDG 7, @OAK 27
Oct 20, 2002	SDG 27, OAK 21
Dec 15, 2001	SDG 6, @OAK 13
Nov 18, 2001	SDG 24, OAK 34

Through three games, the San Diego Chargers have the 29th-ranked defense in football, two heartbreaking losses and a disappointing start for one of the AFC's preseason favorites.

Still, they're much better off than the Oakland Raiders.

With uncertainty swirling around Oakland coach Lane Kiffin, the host Raiders will look to end a nine-game losing streak against the their AFC West rivals on Sunday, while San Diego hopes to build on a high-scoring victory.

After allowing an AFC-high 94 points in their first three games, the Chargers (1-2) certainly haven't looked like they're on their way back to the conference title game -- especially with star linebacker Shawne Merriman out for the season with a knee injury.

But at least they're sure their coach will still be around tomorrow. That hasn't seemed such a certainty in Oakland this week, with rumors surfacing that owner Al Davis was set to fire Kiffin.

The Raiders (1-2) went 4-12 in Kiffin's first season last year, and after they blew a nine-point lead in the final five minutes in a 24-23 loss at Buffalo on Sunday, reports -- but nothing official -- emerged that Oakland's unpredictable owner had seen enough.

"Until I am told by Al Davis that I'm not the head coach here anymore, we're going to keep plugging away the same way we have been," Kiffin said Monday. "So I have not been told by Al Davis that I am not the head coach. Until he tells me directly, we'll keep plugging away."

So far, he hasn't produced the best results. The Raiders were blown out at home in their opener, losing 41-14 to Denver on Sept. 8, and though they earned a 23-8 victory in Week 2 at winless Kansas City, they couldn't finish the job last weekend.

They allowed the Bills to charge down the field twice in the latter stages of the fourth quarter, going three-and-out in between and eventually giving up a game-winning field goal as time expired.

While the defense has been spotty, quarterback JaMarcus Russell has mostly struggled. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft hasn't thrown an interception in 2008, but he's completed 51.6 percent of his passes for just 391 yards in three games.

The doubt surrounding the team's coach isn't likely to help.

"I'm not going to sit up here and lie and say it helps and that it brings our team together and we're going to bond together like the movie 'Major League,' like somebody told me," Kiffin said. "It doesn't help. But I can't control it so all I can do is keep our team together."

Against San Diego, the Raiders haven't been able to produce a victory in exactly five years, since they beat the Chargers 34-31 at home on Sept. 28, 2003.

In nine losses since then, they've been held to 17 or fewer points while allowing 21 or more points in each meeting. Last year, they lost twice by a combined score of 58-31.

They could be the perfect fix for a San Diego club looking to get back to .500. Despite their woeful defense, which has allowed more than 400 yards per game, the Chargers feel like they could be 3-0 after they coughed up leads in the final 30 seconds in each of their first two games. They lost 39-38 at Denver in Week 2 after an incomplete pass call that referee Ed Hochuli admitted was incorrect.

Coach Norv Turner's team made sure nothing like that happened Monday night, beating the New York Jets 48-29.

"It was a good win, a good win to build on," quarterback Philip Rivers said. "We're 1-2. We didn't all of a sudden become 3-0 like we wished we were."

Rivers threw for 250 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on Monday, continuing his torrid start. The third-year starter has the highest passer rating in the NFL this season -- 124.8 -- completing more than two-thirds of his passes while hitting for nine touchdowns and just two interceptions.

"I'm not a stat guy; I don't get caught up in that stuff," Rivers said. "My purpose and our team's purpose to go win, and all of that stuff takes care of itself."

While Rivers has thrived, LaDainian Tomlinson struggled to get going against the Jets, carrying 26 times for just 67 yards -- an average of 2.6 per carry. The 2006 NFL MVP has been dealing with a toe injury.

"We have the best back in football in LT," Turner said, "and we need to get him going like he's done."

The Chargers don't want to take the same path, but they started 1-3 last season before winning 10 of their last 12 and advancing within a game of the Super Bowl.

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