Entering into the game today against Oakland, Cincinnati was feeling good about their team. The Bengals had a 7-2 record and led the AFC North, while the Steelers and Ravens, the two leading rivals in their division, earlier this afternoon lost their games.

However, as they are flying home tonight out of Oakland, Cincinnati will be not feeling so great.

In an upset that came as a complete shock and that will serve to reshape the playoff race in the AFC, the Raiders were able to score 10 points during the last 41 seconds of the game to defeat Cincinnati, 20-17

The Bengals had what look to be a safe fourth quarter 17-10 lead. However Louis Murphy was able to reel in a Bruce Gradkowski touchdown pass of 29 yards with just 41 seconds left in the game that tied the score.

On the ensuring kickoff Andre Caldwell, return man for the Bengals, fumbled. The Raiders were able to recover and sent in Sebastian Janikowski without even trying to move the ball to kick the field goal to win the game.

The Bengals now have a 7-3 record and there is still a race on in the AFC North. With a record of 3-7 the Raiders are not in playoff contention. However they are also not the NFL laughing stocks that they are portrayed as sometimes. The Raiders usually do play competitive football.

The Colts may have been the biggest winners. They now lead the AFC by three games.

Since mid 2007, no other NFL team has been as bad as the Chiefs. Somehow all of the mistakes and losing seem to disappear when Kansas City visits Oakland.

On a run of 44 yards, Jamaal Charles scored to give Kansas City their first rushing touchdown this season, and Kansas City took advantage of an interception late in the game to win on Sunday 16-10 for the seventh time in a row on the road versus Oakland.

Dwayne Bowe, receiver said, we have a winning streak I guess. Every time we are playing a division team it is our goal to win the game. But when we play against the Raiders there is the hated rivalry. All week coach stressed it. Hate the Raiders. We have to defeat the Raiders.

It is practically the only thing that the Chiefs (2-7) have been able to get done lately. Kansas City has only managed to win five out of their last 35 games. However three of the wins have been in the Oakland Coliseum. Kansas City holds the longest visiting team winning streak there.

Ryan Succop had three field goals, while the Chiefs were able to pull out a close game once again versus the Raiders playing in Oakland. It was the first game for Kansas City since the release of Larry Johnson, former running back. Charles was able to step in and rush for 103 yards and got the only touchdown for Kansas City on a fourth down and one play during the second quarter. The touchdown was the first rushing one for Kansas City since December 21, 2008 when Tyler Thigpen had one versus Miami.

Charles said, I fell like I am getting a chance to play. I am trying to really take the spot over. I don’t want just to take it over. I want us to win. It isn’t about taking the job over. It is about who can make the plays.

On the opening drive Oakland scored a touchdown, but after that only managed to get three points along with 202 yards. For their second home game in a row, Oakland benched JaMarcus Russell, their former No. 1 overall draft pick due to ineffectiveness.

Last month Russell was benched during the first half playing against the Jets after he committed three turnovers in the first half. This week Russell was able to last until the second half before he was replaced with Bruce Gradkowski late third quarter after he went 8 out of 23 for a total of 64 yards. Russell stated that he was disappointed and surprised by the decision of coach Tom Cable.

Russell said, it was going ok. We were not able to move the ball toward the end as well.

A change didn’t give Oakland any immediate spark. Gradkowski was unable to get the first down following a fumble that gave Oakland the ball on Kansas City’s 49 yard line. Then during the next drive Gradkowski had a tipped pass intercepted by Mike Brown which gave Kansas City the ball on Oakland’s 47 yard line.

Kansas City drove the football all the way to the 11 yard line before they settled for a field goal of 31 yards from Succop, giving them a lead of 16-10 with just 6:17 left.

Gradkowski then led Oakland down to the 26 yard line of Kansas City before Darrius Heyward-Bey, a rookie, bobbled a pass while inside the ten yard line. The ball got intercepted by Brown to seal the game.

Gradkowski said, it is a tough thing to swallow. It kind of summed things up today. There were plays that we needed to make.

Cable stated that before deciding who his starter will be against Cincinnati next week that he wanted to review the game film. He did blame the eight dropped passes for some of their poor play, but also said that Russell did miss receivers that were open too often.

Cable said, the game is all about making the plays. We didn’t do it, whether JaMarcus or Bruce was in there. All I am looking for is the guy who will give us our best chance of winning.

Oakland was playing with an offense that was healthy for the very first time this season and started out fast. The sixty yard run of Michael Bush set up Justin Fargas’ one yard plunge for the touchdown. The only other score for Oakland was a field goal of fifty yards from Sebastian Janikowski, following a muffed punt from Dantrell Savage late first quarter.

Note
There was a play during the third quarter that did provide some comic relief. Following a catch of 12 yards, Dwayne Bowe of Kansas City fumbled the football. Six players at least had a chance of falling on the football. However the ball kept on squirting down the field. Finally Brian Waters, offensive lineman, fell on the ball on Oakland’s 22 yard line to give Kansas City an additional 23 yards. The Chiefs were not able to capitalize after Matt Cassel on fourth down and one threw a pass incomplete. During the third quarter Janikowski missed a field goal from 45 yards which ended his streak of making 20 in a row.

LaDainian Tomlinson was able to do the same things that he always does when he plays against the Raiders.

Shawne Merriman was able to break his “Lights Out” spasmodic sack dance out. The last time that occurred was in 2007.

For the Chargers it was just business as usual, as they defeated the Raiders on Sunday 24-16, with two Tomlinson touchdowns and one of them coming from the wildcat. It was San Diego’s 13th win in a row versus hapless Oakland, to preserve the NFL’s longest active winning streak of one team against another.

San Diego (4-3) have been able to sweep the series six seasons in a row. Many of the Chargers players, including Philip Rivers, quarterback, haven’t ever lost to Oakland (2-6). It was the Charger’s seventh win in a row at home versus the Raiders.

Tomlinson, who San Diego drafted in 2001 said, at first the atmosphere and intensity kind of rubbed me wrong. Beating them 13 times means that their fans had to go home 13 times hanging their heads.

Tom Cable, Raiders coach, said it was a big hump for them to get over. This year we had two great opportunities. We are closer, but you can’t take away from that until we are able to get past the hump.

With Denver losing at Baltimore 30-7, San Diego moved to within two games for the lead in the AFC West. The Chargers are attempting to win their fourth division title in a row.

Merriman was able to get his first sacks since 2007. He was able to sack Russell twice, once late second quarter and then again late fourth quarter. The Chargers outside linebacker is attempting to come back from his knee surgery. Last year he missed the last 15 games of the regular season as well as two playoff games.

Merriman said, it was a long time coming. I don’t put a big emphasis on sacks like everyone else does. They are important though. I know I need to make the plays and get the sacks for us to be a good defense. As long as I do that and pressure the quarterback and force him into doing things he doesn’t want to, we will be better.

The Chargers had five sacks, a season high, and also allowed only 180 yards, a season low. Shaun Phillips, San Diego’s other outside linebacker, had two sacks as well.

Rivers, who only got sacked once, was impressed with his defense.

Phillips said, they have been applying pressure. Still it was great to see. Getting the quarterback onto the ground, there is something to it. I think it is really huge. When it comes to sacks, from what I have seen on the sideline, the guys in some of the games have been a force. But it doesn’t get a lot of attention when there aren’t any sacks.

With sacks it is funny how for a few games you have a spurt and then all a sudden get six or seven. It shows just how huge a pro that he is. The guys keep hammering away.

San Diego didn’t need to rally for a win like the opening game of the season in Oakland where the Raiders beat them up physically but they still got a 24-20 win.

Antonio Cromartie, cornerback, intercepted a pass from Russell when Zach Miller, the tight end, fell down. For Cromartie, it was his first interception in twenty games. In 2007 he had 10 interceptions, but only had two last season.

San Diego’s first play was a pass from Rivers over to Malcolm Floyd of 53 yards. Floyd was in the Chargers starting lineup replacing a struggling Chris Chambers. The play gave the Chargers a first down and goal from the six yard line. Tomlinson took the snap, running to the right to give San Diego a lead of 7-0.

Early second quarter the Raiders tied the game after a pass from Rivers to Vincent Jackson bounced off Jackson’s hands and Chris Johnson intercepted it. Johnson returned the ball twenty yards down to the 27 yard line of San Diego. The short drive was capped by a 3 yard run by Justin Fargas to score the touchdown.

On their next two drives the Chargers scored to make the score 21-7. Rivers connected with Jackson, who was wide open, on a scoring pass of eight yards and Tomlinson also scored on a run of 10 yards.

Rivers went 16 for 25 for a total of 249 yards. Tomlinson rushed for 56 yards in 18 carries. Fargas carried the ball 18 times as well for a total of 59 yards.

During his career of nine years, Tomlinson has had 28 touchdowns versus the Raiders. Twenty two have come rushing, three passing and three receiving.

For the remainder of the game, Oakland only got three field goals from Sebastian Janikowski from 28, 41 and 48 yards.

Russell, who a week earlier was benched at home in a 38-0 loss to the Jets, went 14 for 22 for a total of 109 yards.

Cable said, he seemed today to be very in control. He probably had a few throws he would like to do over. However overall today he did give us the chance to win.

Notes
Chargers inside linebacker Tim Dobbins was taken off the field on a cart due to an injured knee but did return. The Raiders sustained the following injuries: cornerback Chris Johnson (injured groin), defensive tackle Tommy Kelly (injured elbow), defensive tackle Gerard Warren (injured toe), and linebacker Jon Alston (injured shoulder).