OAKLAND, Calif. — For three quarters, the Oakland Raiders stopped LaDainian Tomlinson and appeared poised to stop a long losing streak to the San Diego Chargers.
Then Tomlinson got loose, the Chargers pressured JaMarcus Russell and the longest winning streak any team has held against the Raiders grew to 10 games.
Darren Sproles’ long kickoff return set up Nate Kaeding’s go-ahead 47-yard field goal with 1:51 to play, and Tomlinson sealed the 28-18 victory Sunday with his second fourth-quarter touchdown that gave him yet another 100-yard game.
“Every year is different. They’re a better team,” said Tomlinson, who had 75 of his 106 yards in the fourth quarter. “We pride ourselves on no matter how we start, finishing the game strong. It didn’t matter that it was against the Raiders.”
Closing out a game was important for the Chargers (2-2), who lost their first two games of the season in the final minute. But those games weren’t against the Raiders (1-3), who showed they can blow a lead against the Chargers as easily as they can get blown out.
The loss marked the second straight week the Raiders (1-3) were unable to hold onto a two-score lead in the fourth quarter and might finally signal the end of coach Lane Kiffin’s tenure in Oakland.
The Raiders blew a nine-point fourth-quarter lead last week in Buffalo. They led 15-0 at halftime Sunday and went into the fourth quarter with a 15-3 lead. Now with a bye coming up this week, the questions about Kiffin’s job security will only intensify.
“That’s not my call,” he said. “I don’t know what I expect.”
A pair of turnovers by quarterback JaMarcus Russell led to two TDs in the fourth quarter that gave San Diego its first lead on a 13-yard run by Tomlinson and a two-point conversion.
After Kaeding missed his second field goal for the Chargers, Russell finally got the Raiders offense moving with help from a pair of penalties by defensive back Antonio Cromartie. That set up Sebastian Janikowski’s 32-yard field goal that tied the game at 18 with 2:47 to go.
But before the Raiders could even finish celebrating, Sproles returned the ensuing kickoff to the 35. The Chargers were unable to get a first down, but Kaeding didn’t miss this kick.
The Raiders’ final comeback attempt was thwarted when Luis Castillo pressured Russell into an incompletion on fourth-and-5 from the Oakland 44 with 1:14 to go. Tomlinson finished it off from there with a 41-yard run.
