Monday, November 29, 2004

Davis has hairline fracture, is out indefinitely

Full Story Here KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chargers won a game but lost a starting cornerback indefinitely. Sammy Davis sustained a hairline fracture of his lower right leg in the second quarter of yesterday's 34-31 victory over the Chiefs and might be sidelined for the rest of the regular season.

One to hold on to

Full Story HereKANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chargers had no intention of characterizing yesterday's 34-31 win over the Chiefs as just another victory. This one was special to them. It ended a seven-year losing streak in Arrowhead Stadium and turned grown men into little boys.

In the locker room afterward, some players cheered, others hugged and a few of them wiped their eyes after reflecting on what it feels like to be a postseason contender so late in the year.

Chargers 34, Chiefs 31

Full Story Here: "KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Strip away the great plays and the wild action and San Diego's 34-31 victory over Kansas City is reduced to a simple fact: big plays.

The revitalized Chargers (8-3) showed why they keep winning and the distraught Chiefs (3-8) showed why they continue to lose. San Diego made the big plays Sunday, got expert quarterbacking from Drew Brees and let tight end Antonio Gates and running back LaDainian Tomlinson carry most of the load.

The Chiefs gave up big plays, sustained costly penalties and turned the ball over at the worst possible time."

Chargers win in Arrowhead, 34-31

Full Story Here: "A sea-saw battle between the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs took it to a new level in the fourth quarter. The Bolts put 17 points on the board while Kansas City netted 14 and Nate Kaeding - almost a goat - turned into the hero as the Chargers erased the demons of Arrowhead and won 34-31."

Saturday, November 27, 2004

Chargers at Chiefs Preview

Full Story Here: "The San Diego Chargers have had a tough time figuring out the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead. Considered one of the toughest places in the league to play, it has lived up to its hype when linked to the Bolts. This year, the teams are heading in opposite direction and the Chargers hope that allows them to pull out a victory in Missouri, especially since Priest Holmes will sit this one out."

Minus Priest, Chiefs hope Green can save them

Full Story Here: "It remains to be seen whether the absence of Chiefs running back Priest Holmes will be a positive or negative for the Chargers when the teams meet Sunday in Arrowhead Stadium.

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Since signing with Kansas City as a free agent in 2001, Holmes has been a big problem for the Chargers, accounting for 810 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns in five games. Twice he has run for more than 160 yards, and on two other occasions he has exceeded 95 yards in receptions."

Rivers sits while Brees rolls on for Chargers

Full Story HereSAN DIEGO – Philip Rivers' introduction to life in the NFL was the same as for most newly rich rookies.

His veteran San Diego Chargers teammates took him along to dinner at a fancy steakhouse in La Jolla and, as is tradition, made the young multimillionaire quarterback pick up the check – for a whopping $25,000.

Tight end meets power forward

Full Story Here KANSAS CITY, Mo. – It was Kellen Winslow who redefined the tight end position, giving it a shape and dimension that before him it had not possessed.

Enter Tony Gonzalez. He is doing the same things Winslow did when he was with the Chargers, only faster.

Basketball traits well-serve Gonzalez, Gates

Full Story Here: "Tony Gonzalez went to five Pro Bowls in his first seven NFL seasons and is good enough to be regarded as one of the greatest play-making tight ends to don shoulder pads and cleats.

Yet he acknowledges he can learn something from a second-year tight end who didn't play organized football in college.

'He's impressed me,' Gonzalez said of the Chargers' Antonio Gates. 'He's a great football player . . . I'd be a fool not to watch Gates. I'm looking forward to seeing him play in person because he's been doing some pretty good things this year and he can help me out in my game.'"

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Destiny's darlings? Chargers hope so

Full Story Here: "They missed a PAT and a field goal. They lost a fumble inside the Oakland 5-yard line and failed to score a touchdown after having a first-and-goal at the 1. They routinely allowed receivers to get free in the end zone and even allowed Ronald Curry to get behind the secondary for the potential go-ahead score with under five minutes to play.

Oh, yeah . . . they also won."

Schottenheimer: Chargers 'got away with one'

Full Story Here: "SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Things are going so well with the surprising San Diego Chargers that they're asking season-ticket holders for playoff deposits and one of their least-known players is dating Pamela Anderson.

So leave it to Marty Schottenheimer to snap things back to reality.

Schottenheimer didn't like much about the Chargers' 23-17 win at Oakland on Sunday, except for seeing LaDainian Tomlinson run the best he has in six games."

Monday, November 22, 2004

Raiders fall to Chargers

Full Story Here: "Ronald Curry had a dream scenario but not the outcome he desired in the Oakland Raiders 23-17 loss to the San Diego Chargers Sunday in Oakland.

The Oakland Raiders had the ball at their own 38-yard line and were poised for a game-winning drive. Quarterback Kerry Collins launched a pass down the middle of the field with Curry having beaten his defender. Curry, however, dropped the ball. The Raiders had to punt three plays later and the San Diego Chargers ran out the clock."

Bolts complete Raiders sweep

Full Story Here: "OAKLAND, Calif. - Chargers Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer said all week that the Oakland Raiders were a better team than what they showed in their 42-14 loss to the Bolts three weeks ago at Qualcomm Stadium. On Sunday afternoon, the Chargers found out just how much better the Raiders are as they gave the Bolts all they could handle in a 23-17 Chargers' win in front of 46,905 fans at Network Associates Coliseum."

Just barely, baby

Full Story HereOAKLAND – If the Chargers took glee in whipping the Raiders by four touchdowns three weeks ago, it was nothing compared with the pleasure some of them derived from beating them by six points yesterday in Network Associates Coliseum.

The Chargers did just about everything possible to hand the game to their hosts, but still found enough ways to walk off with a 23-17 victory that produced their first season-series sweep since 1992.

Chargers 23, Raiders 17

Full Story Here: "OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- San Diego's slow, uninspired start nearly cost the Chargers a share of first place.

And they knew it.

Antonio Gates had eight receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown, LaDainian Tomlinson ran 37 times for 164 yards and a score, and the Chargers won their fourth straight game, 23-17 over the Raiders on Sunday.

Drew Brees passed for 226 yards and also ran for a touchdown to help the Chargers (7-3) beat the Raiders for the second time in three weeks after their 42-14 win on Halloween."

Friday, November 19, 2004

A leader of the San Diego Chargers' pack

Full Story Here: "The San Diego Chargers talked about bringing in veteran leadership to mentor the young team they assembled. They made a few such moves but one that is panning out in its entirety is the addition of Keenan McCardell to the wide receiving corps.

Keenan McCardell has been around. And when the veteran wide receiver looks around the Chargers' locker room, he likes what he sees.

'We're pretty good,' he said. 'But it's up to us to stay good.'

The Chargers have had a good rest, and now crank it up again with a visit to Oakland on Sunday. Three weeks after demolishing the Raiders, 42-14, they try to stay hot by proving they can do it on the road."

What is different this year? Solidarity

Full Story Here: "Linebacker Steve Foley has heard so many stories about the Chargers' struggles last season he almost feels as if he were in the middle of it. The tales began filling his ears shortly after he signed as a free agent in the offseason. He heard how there were cliques here and there was controversy there. How wins were harder to come by than personal accountability.

'I heard how last year there was a lot of finger-pointing and guys not willing to take the blame for their mistakes,' Foley said. 'They'd find some kind of scapegoat or some reason to put it on someone else.'"

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Oakland Raiders Scouting Report

Full Story Here: Less than three weeks ago, the Chargers hosted the Oakland Raiders at Qualcomm Stadium on Halloween in one of the most anticipated matchups of the season. While the intensity reached a fever pitch during warmups, it went up another notch when the Bolts scored two touchdowns in the opening period and cruised to a 42-14 win over their fierce rivals.

The win gave the Bolts their fourth victory in five games, while the 28-point margin was the team’s largest since beating the Cincinnati Bengals 34-6 in the 2002 season opener. The last time the Chargers beat the Raiders by that many points was in 1981, when they ran away with a 55-21 win at Oakland.

The waiting game

Click Here For Full Story: While some Bolts players enjoyed their bye week in Las Vegas and others remained glued to their couches, running back LaDainian Tomlinson spent most of his time in the Chargers’ training room.

Tomlinson was at Chargers Park for countless hours this past weekend receiving treatment on his injured groin and rehabbing with Chargers Head Athletic Trainer James Collins.

It may not sound like the most glamorous way for a professional athlete, let alone the highest paid running back in NFL history, to spend his time off, but Tomlinson’s determination to regain his prior form wouldn’t allow him to do anything else.

LT to practice? Let the healing begin

Full Story Here: "Running back LaDainian Tomlinson has said he won't really know how much his strained groin has healed until Sunday's game at Oakland. But the injury must be healing, because coach Marty Schottenheimer said he expects Tomlinson to practice today.

If Tomlinson does participate, it would be the first time in more than a month he has practiced on Thursday. In previous weeks he sat out the workouts to receive treatment."

Smith refuses to gloat, but he should

SignOnSanDiego.com >Full Story Here: A.J. Smith acknowledges it was a difficult offseason. The Chargers not only were coming off a 4-12 record that tied for last in the NFL, but also were humiliated by Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning, who said he would sit out the season and re-enter the 2005 draft if the Chargers selected him with the first pick.

Things weren't much better in training camp. Almost every major publication ranked the Chargers last in the league.

Nine games into the season, the Chargers are back in the headlines – for the right reasons. They're arguably the NFL's biggest surprise this season, winning five of their past six to improve to 6-3 and remain tied with Denver atop the AFC West.

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Raiders still haunted by Halloween nightmare at the Q

Full Story Here: "The Raiders were frighteningly bad the last time we saw them, just 2 1/2 weeks ago in a 42-14 Halloween loss to the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium that was every bit as bad as the final score indicated. It was Oakland's fifth straight loss (allowing 30 or more points each time), its 13th straight on the road and its 16th in its past 20 games overall."

The final stretch

Full Story Here: "After a four-day break for the bye weekend, the Chargers reconvened at the practice facility Monday to shake off any cob webs that gathered and begin preparations for the Oakland Raiders.

Although seven players missed the team period of practice, including running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the team seemed rejuvenated and refocused to make a run in their final seven-game stretch."

San Diego Chargers -- Powder blues still considered stylish

Full Story Here: "Don't look now, but your San Diego Chargers have officially made it into the world of high fashion.

This month's issue of GQ magazine names the 20 best and five worst professional sports uniforms of all time, and the Chargers' powder-blue jerseys, circa 1967-71, came in at No. 3 on the best list."

Brees likes Raiders game after bye

Full Story Here: "Quarterback Drew Brees couldn't think of a better opponent to face coming out of the bye week than the Raiders, who will play host to the Chargers on Sunday.

Mention the word 'Raiders' around Chargers Park and it immediately gets people's attention. Pulses race. Brows furrow. Intensity surges."

Chargers get 'Super' man in Steeg

SignOnSanDiego.com > Full Story Here: "In a move that was about the future as much as the present, the Chargers yesterday named Jim Steeg executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Steeg, 53, will oversee all business operations for the team, including its push for a new stadium. He has been involved with the NFL for 29 years, the past 25 as its vice president for special events. In that role he was responsible for organizing and overseeing every Super Bowl since 1980."

Tomlinson feeling better after weekend off

Full Story Here: "SAN DIEGO (AP) -- LaDainian Tomlinson can't wait to regain his shiftiness and elusiveness.

``I think it'll be all at once,'' the San Diego Chargers' star running back said Monday.

Whether it happens Sunday at Oakland remains to be seen. The Chargers had last weekend off, giving Tomlinson a chance to rest his strained groin, which has hampered him for five straight games."

Chargers hire NFL Super Bowl guru Steeg

Full Story Here: "SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Jim Steeg, the NFL official who's been in charge of the Super Bowl for a quarter century, is taking on another Herculean task -- trying to get a new stadium built for the San Diego Chargers.

Steeg was hired Monday as the Chargers' executive vice president and chief operating officer. He'll take over the team's business operations, and his main task will be continuing the Chargers' difficult push to replace Qualcomm Stadium."

Friday, November 12, 2004

Still work to be done

Full Story HereAt first glance, the Chargers’ remaining schedule appears easier than the first half. Only two of the six teams—Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts—have winning records, while the other four teams (the Bolts play the Kansas City Chiefs twice) have a combined record of 12-21.

Run stoppers

Full Story HereWhen defensive coordinator Wade Phillips arrived this offseason, he implemented a 3-4 scheme, which is generally a tougher defense to run against than the 4-3 alignment.

The results have been impressive. The Chargers rank second in the league, allowing only 81.1 rushing yards a game, and they’re the only team in the NFL to have not given up a run of more than 20 yards. The run defense certainly has come a long way since last season, when they gave up an average of 138.6 yards per contest.

Midseason recap

Full Story Here: "Coming off a 4-12 season with a re-built offensive line, a new defensive scheme and one of the youngest teams in the NFL, the Chargers entered training camp with a lot of uncertainty. The team made no bold promises or predictions, but did vow to work hard, take one game at a time and let the chips fall where they may."

Seau not prepared to call it a career

Full Story Here: "His season is over, but not his career. Linebacker Junior Seau says he plans to return for a 16th NFL season next year if the Lord and Seau's body are willing.

'This is not it,' Seau said from his Mission Valley restaurant this week, a few days after undergoing surgery in San Diego to repair tears of his right pectoral muscle and biceps. 'I'm going to assess everything once I fully recover, but I definitely left something on the table."

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Wait watcher

Full Story Here: "During a recent afternoon at the San Diego Hall of Champions, Chargers rookie quarterback Philip Rivers fidgeted in his chair. He leaned forward, then back. He tugged the jacket of his black, pin-striped suit closed, then flipped it open.

His uneasiness had nothing to do with what was happening in the Hall and everything to do with what was happening in his belly and heart. An emotional tug-of-war was taking place."

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Chargers sign TE Baber

Full Story Here: "SAN DIEGO (Ticker) - Tight end Billy Baber has a new home in the AFC West.

Waived by the Kansas City Chiefs on November 2, Baber signed a one-year contract Wednesday with the San Diego Chargers.

A 6-4, 260-pounder in his fourth season, Baber spent three years with the Chiefs after being selected in the fifth round out of Virginia in the 2001 draft.

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Primarily a blocker, Baber played in 29 games for the Chiefs, including two starts, and caught three passes for 30 yards and a touchdown. He began the 2004 season on Kansas City's reserve-injured list."


Final Scoreboard, Saints-Chargers 11/7/04


The San Diego Chargers ran away with their fourth consecutive home win 43-17 over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, November7, 2004 at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.


The San Diego Chargers ran away with their fourth consecutive home win 43-17 over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, November7, 2004 at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.


Charger Cheerleaders 11/7/2004, Saints vs Chargers


The San Diego Chargers ran away with their fourth consecutive home win 43-17 over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, November7, 2004 at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.


The San Diego Chargers ran away with their fourth consecutive home win 43-17 over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, November7, 2004 at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.


The San Diego Chargers ran away with their fourth consecutive home win 43-17 over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, November7, 2004 at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.


The San Diego Chargers ran away with their fourth consecutive home win 43-17 over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, November7, 2004 at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.


The San Diego Chargers ran away with their fourth consecutive home win 43-17 over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, November7, 2004 at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.

Starring role

Full Story HereThe Chargers’ Kassim Osgood offers one name to explain how he has readily accepted his role as a special teams player and blocking receiver in the NFL after etching his name in the NCAA record book at San Diego State.

Hines Ward. He’s the Pittsburgh Steelers receiver who caught only 15 passes his rookie year in 1998 but has since evolved into a Pro Bowler.

Bolts look to re-charge

Full Story HereMost teams welcome their bye week as a reprieve from the daily grind of an NFL schedule and an opportunity to rest up and recuperate before the season’s final stretch.

The Chargers feel the same way, for the most part.

Similar to how a basketball player that has hit five of six three-pointers wants the ball, the Chargers, who have won five of their past six games by a combined 99-point margin, want to keep playing.

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Chargers.com - All for one

Full Story HereThe Chargers of 2004, similar to the Air Coryell Chargers of two decades ago, are among the NFL’s highest scoring teams. That’s a comparison made with increasing frequency as quarterback Drew Brees and tight end Antonio Gates continue to put up numbers that have them ranked among the NFL leaders in offensive categories just as Dan Fouts and Kellen Winslow were in their day.

Hope whispers

Full Story Here: "As much as the Chargers try to walk in step with their head coach, reciting cliche's about playing each game as it comes and not getting too far ahead of themselves, there are moments when the curtain parts and their real feelings materialize.

Several such instances occurred after Sunday's 43-17 rout of New Orleans. The victory was the Chargers' fourth in a row at home and fifth in six games overall, pushing their record to 6-3. And with no opponent to focus on this week because of a bye, some of the Chargers leaders allowed themselves to gaze beyond November and December."

Schottenheimer: Chargers not among elite in AFC

Full Story Here: "SAN DIEGO (AP) -- All that talk of swagger and playoffs was gone when the San Diego Chargers reconvened Monday.

That's what happens when Marty Schottenheimer is the coach.

The high-scoring Chargers head into their bye week at 6-3 after a 43-17 rout of the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. As impressive as they've looked in winning three straight and five of six, Schottenheimer doesn't want his players to get too far ahead of themselves."

Monday, November 08, 2004

Bolts send Saints marching home

Full Story HereIt’s tough to outdo a career-high five-touchdown game, especially when it comes in a runaway win over a fierce division rival, but quarterback Drew Brees came awfully close Sunday afternoon against the New Orleans Saints.

After being named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his role in the Chargers’ win against the Oakland Raiders last Sunday, Brees gave the 59,662 fans at Qualcomm Stadium a superlative encore performance. He passed for 257 yards and four touchdowns on 22-of-36 passing in leading the Chargers to a 43-17 win over the Saints.

Lightning-fast starts

SignOnSanDiego.com >Full Story Here: "A quick summary of the Chargers' recent performances at home: four games, four fast starts, four blowout victories.

Coincidence? Not a chance."

San Diego Chargers -- Flood Gates

SignOnSanDiego.com >Full Story Here: "After sacking New Orleans quarterback Aaron Brooks early in the fourth quarter yesterday, Chargers linebacker Steve Foley stood over his fallen opponent and acted as if he were wiping dirt from the bottom of his cleats.

Foley drew a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, but it's doubtful there was a better metaphor for what the Chargers are doing to opponents in Qualcomm Stadium this season. After having sand kicked in their faces for so many years, they're doing a little kicking of their own."

Chargers 43, Saints 17

Full Story Here: "SAN DIEGO (AP) -- These clearly are not the San Diego Chargers of the recent gloomy past.

They can pass. They can catch. They can play defense. And even with LaDainian Tomlinson hurting, they can win big.

In routing the New Orleans Saints 43-17 on Sunday, they even showed a bit of a swagger."

Chargers rain on Saints parade

Full Story Here: "The San Diego Chargers won convincingly for the second straight week, beating the New Orleans Saints 43-17 with sporadic rain drops raining down. They built up a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter and cruised the rest of the way."

Sunday, November 07, 2004

Offensive line is no punch line

Full Story Here: "They are five men with one mind. They come from different backgrounds, different cities, even different countries, yet they share a common objective when the bottoms of their cleats hit a football field.

'They want to be the best offensive line in the league,' wide receiver Tim Dwight said of his Chargers teammates. 'They want to give up the fewest sacks; they want to have the rusher go over 2,000 yards for the season; and they want Drew (Brees) to be able to play well at quarterback.'"

Saturday, November 06, 2004

Chargers' Tomlinson returns to practice

Link Here: "SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson practiced for the first time this week Friday and is listed as probable for Sunday's game at New Orleans.

Tomlinson, 10th in the league in rushing with 653 yards, has been nursing a groin injury. Since sustaining the injury on Oct. 3 in a win over Tennessee, he has practiced sporadically and hasn't rushed for 100 yards.

He was upbeat after Friday's workout.

``It feels better and better every week,'' Tomlinson said. ``It went good today.''

The Chargers are 5-3. The Saints are 3-4."

Thursday, November 04, 2004

Half and have

Full Story Here: "The Chargers have been one of the NFL's bigger surprises this season. Predicted by many to be among the league's worst teams at the start of the season, they have won four of five and are tied with Denver atop the AFC West at 5-3. Quarterback Drew Brees ranks third in passer rating, the defense is No. 1 against the rush and the young punter and kicker have been among the best at their positions."

Saints at Chargers preview

Full Story Here: "The New Orleans Saints are the back half of a two game homestand for the San Diego Chargers this Sunday. After the game the Bolts head into their bye week and have a chance to get healthy for the stretch run."

Brees earns Offensive Player of the Week

Full Story Here: "San Diego Chargers quarterback Drew Brees has had a lot of firsts this year. He is playing consistently well for the first time. He has the support of the city for the first time. And he backed it up with Player of the Week honors for the first time and should be a finalist for Player of the month of October."

Wednesday, November 03, 2004


DeQuincy Scott celebrates after sacking quarterback Kerry Collins - Photo: Getty Images


The San Diego Chargers take on the Oakland Raiders at Qualcomm Stadium on October 31, 2004 in San Diego, California. The Chargers defeated the Raiders 42-14. (Chargers Photo/Mike Nowak)

Marty Schottenheimer press conference

Link Here

Chargers: Scouting report

Full Story Here: "San Diego will face its third consecutive sub-.500 team. But unlike the Panthers and Raiders, who entered Chargers week with losing streaks of at least three games, the Saints are coming off a win, albeit against the same horrible Oakland club San Diego just routed."

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

Pick your poison

Full Story HereThe quarterback, Drew Brees, hit 88 percent of his passes to set a Chargers record. His quarterback rating of 151.3 nearly maxed out the highest possible score of 158.3 in the Bolts’ 42-14 win over the Oakland Raiders Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium.

One QB too many?

SignOnSanDiego.com >Full Story Here: "The better Drew Brees plays, the more often people wonder aloud what will happen with him in the offseason.

Understandably, the Chargers are as evasive as a cornered politician when confronted with the matter. They've won four of five and are tied with the Denver Broncos atop the AFC West at 5-3, so the last thing they want is for something to break their focus or rhythm.

But Brees has played so well the last five weeks, throwing 11 touchdown passes against only one interception, that questions about his future dominated coach Marty Schottenheimer's news conference one day after the Chargers routed the Raiders 42-14."

Brees is near perfect in rout of Raiders

SignOnSanDiego.com >Full Story Here: "Chargers fullback Lorenzo Neal joked during the week that the playing field might be the safest place in Qualcomm Stadium when the Raiders come to town.

He was right, unless you were an Oakland player or coach yesterday.

The Chargers whipped the Raiders so thoroughly before a crowd of 66,210 that San Diego supporters could have mocked the Silver and Black with 'Drew's Your Daddy' instead of 'Who's Your Daddy?'

Behind five touchdown passes from Drew Brees and a suffocating performance by the defense, the Chargers won for the fourth time in five weeks, burying the Raiders 42-14 in a game that wasn't as close as the score."

Raiders' like vanilla, especially on offense

Full Story Here If it looked as if the Chargers defense knew what was coming yesterday from the Oakland offense, well, there was a reason.

"We felt we had a good game plan against them," safety Jerry Wilson said. "We studied them pretty well, and the things we studied were the things we saw. They pretty much went according to what we saw on film."

Previous teams the Chargers played this season looked familiar, but not identical, to what the Chargers saw on film. The Raiders were almost like Memorex – an exact copy.

No wonder San Diego had little trouble handling Oakland's offense, holding the Raiders to seven points and 126 total yards through the first 42 minutes. By the time the Chargers stepped off the gas, the offense had rolled up a 42-7 lead en route to a 42-14 blowout at Qualcomm Stadium.

Raiders of a lost cause

SignOnSanDiego.com >Full Story Here: "This time, Al Davis wasn't summing up the ambitions of the team he has created in his image as 'Just win, baby.'

The Raiders had not won yesterday. They had been, in a word many of them chose, embarrassed. They had played so poorly that it was difficult to accept that they were, indeed, the team that has measured its triumphs not by games but by decades.

Yet after everything, after a 42-14 victory for the Chargers, after a fifth consecutive defeat this season for the Raiders and a 16th failure in their last 20 games, Davis still was defiant."

A softer, gentler Schottenheimer?

SignOnSanDiego.com >Full Story Here: "Attitudes aren't the only things changing with the Chargers. So are coach Marty Schottenheimer's rules. Schottenheimer acknowledged yesterday that he broke one of his longstanding commandments by allowing running back Jesse Chatman and wide receiver Tim Dwight to play against the Raiders even though they did not practice during the week."

Chargers 5-3 at midpoint and looking for a lot more

Full Story Here: "SAN DIEGO (AP) -- After last season's nightmare, who could have imagined the San Diego Chargers with a winning record, a reinvigorated quarterback and one of the NFL's highest-scoring offenses?

Yes, the Chargers are a surprise at this season's halfway point, and they'll be an even bigger one if they can finish their respectable start by actually making it to the playoffs."

Chargers Report Card: Week 8 Oakland

Full Story Here: "When the San Diego Chargers beat the Raiders this thoroughly, it is tough to find fault anywhere on the field. Even the miscues have a rosy tint to them as the Bolts sent the black hole spiraling into the abyss. Raider fans had to leave the game early for fear of ridicule, eureka!"

Chargers roll, 42-14

Full Story Here: "The San Diego Chargers handled business in style and the arm of Drew Brees was the catalyst to a 42-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

The Chargers scored 14 points in each of the first three quarters as they cruised to victory over the Raiders at Qualcomm."