ESPN NFL

Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie talked to reporters during Stanford’s pro day on Thursday.

McKenzie dropped several nuggets:

Oakland's plan is indeed to move Stefen Wisniewski from left guard to center. That became apparent when the Raiders re-signed guard Cooper Carlisle. He is expected to play left guard and newly signed Mike Brisiel will be the right guard. McKenzie left open the possibility that the team could yet bring in a center — but I’d expect Wisniewski to be the center and for him to do well there.

McKenzie said the Raiders have less than $4 million in salary-cap room. But because Oakland still needs another player or two — and must account for its rookie class — there always could be some more restructured deals.

McKenzie said the Raiders need an outside linebacker. Oakland hopes to get No. 97 as a compensatory draft pick for several free-agent losses in 2011 and that’s where it could look. Manny Lawson, who can play defensive end and linebacker, has also caught the Raiders’ eye.

It sounds like McKenzie is starting to focus on the draft and is looking at free agency to add depth in a few spots. It seems that other than outside linebacker, the Raiders feel pretty set with their starting lineup.

McKenzie indicated that the team will address the backup situations at quarterback and running back at a later date. I would like to see the Raiders upgrade at tight end. Brandon Myers or David Ausberry will likely vie to start at this point.

In other AFC West news:

Kansas City linebacker Jovan Belcher signed his restricted-free-agent tender.

San Diego free-agent linebacker Everette Brown signed with the Lions. He was used little last year and the Chargers had no plans to bring him back.

The Raiders have re-signed right tackle Khalif Barnes. He started all 16 games in Oakland last season. The team may opt to give second-year player Joe Barksdale a chance to start. Barnes will provide excellent depth and insurance if that ends up being the case.

NFL Network reports the Raiders brought in former Packers defensive back Patrick Lee on a one-year deal. He played for new Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie with the Packers. This move was strictly a depth and a special-teams signing.

The Colts have signed Oakland free-agent center Samson Satele. He was expected to return to Oakland. The Raiders are expected to move left guard Stefen Wisniewski to center and play former right guard Cooper Carlisle at left guard. Newly signed Mike Brisiel will play guard. Former Colts’ center Jeff Saturday is visiting Denver this week andmay be reunited with Peyton Manning.

In other AFC West news:

ESPNChicago.com is reporting Denver is visiting with former Chicago backup quarterback Caleb Hanie. The Colorado State product likely would be the No. 3 quarterback in Denver.

Former Kansas City receiver Joe Horn said the Chiefs had a bounty program when he was there and he said every NFL team has a program. I would be shocked if the NFL investigated the Chiefs based on Horn’s comments. He played for the Chiefs from 1996-99.

It appears Stefen Wisniewski is going to move to center in Oakland for his second season.

Nothing is official, but there are indications the Oakland Raiders will use former right guard Cooper Carlisle at left guard and use newly signed Mike Brisiel at right guard. That would enable the Raiders to move Wisniewski from left guard to center. He had a strong season as a rookie at left guard, but the Raiders drafted him in the second round last year the plan was to use him at center.

Carlisle was re-signed Monday after being a salary-cap dump last week. If Wisniewski is in fact moving to center, Matt Williamson of Scouts thinks it will work.

“No doubt about it,” Williamson said. “I didn’t think he was quite as good as a rookie as many made him out to be, but I also don’t have any worry that he will be a legitimate NFL starting center.”

The Raiders are expected to use the zone-blocking scheme and he thinks a interior line of Wisniewski, Brisiel and Carlisle could be a serviceable group.

“I can’t argue too much with the moves and they all are mobile and fit the new blocking scheme,” Williamson said.

When the Oakland Raiders cut guard Cooper Carlisle last week in a salary-cap move, they told his agent they wanted him back.

They stuck to their word and have re-signed Carlisle.

It will be interesting to see what they are going to do with him. He is a right guard as is newly signed Mike Brisiel. One of them could be moved to left guard and the Raiders could make second-year standout left guard Stefen Wisniewski a center. That was the original plan when they draft him.

If not, Carlisle gives Oakland good depth on the line.

UPDATE: A source close to the situation said that, while plans can change, there is a strong chance Carlisle will move to left guard and enable Wisniewski to move to center. I think that would be a smart move. Carlisle is a solid pro and Wisniewski may be better suited at center. In Brisiel, Carlisle and WIsniewski, the Raiders would have a strong interior line.

Nothing is official, but it seems like that may be way the Raiders are leaning.

In other AFC West news:

If Oakland doesn’t sign Matt Leinart to be its backup quarterback, John Johnson or Dennis Dixon could also make sense.

Cincinnati is visiting with Denver free-agent defensive lineman Derrick Harvey. He is not expected to be back with the Broncos.

We have our first reported visit by the Oakland Raiders as they clear cap room to pursue free agents.

The Houston Chronicle reports Texans’ guard Mike Brisiel is visiting Oakland. It makes total sense. Former Houston offensive line coach Frank Pollack has taken over as the Raiders’ offensive line coach and former Houston quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp is Oakland’s offensive coordinator.

The Raiders will move back to a zone-blocking scheme, and Brisiel is skilled in that area. Brisiel has started 47 games in six NFL seasons. He’s been a part-time starter the past three seasons after starting all 16 games in 2008.

He would be a candidate to start in Oakland. The Raiders cut Cooper Carlisle in a salary-cap move Wednesday. He could potentially come back at a lesser price, but he will look at other options.

Another name to keep on eye an in Oakland is St. Louis cornerback Ronald Bartell. The Raiders badly need cornerbacks and he is on the team’s list.

The Oakland Raiders pulled the plug by jettisoning two veterans, guard Cooper Carlisle and defensive tackle John Henderson.

The moves should give Oakland decent breathing room in its salary cap and it should soon be able to start pursuing some free agents. The team is also expected to cut linebacker Kamerion Wimbley within the next 72 hours unless he restructures his deal. But, Wimbley has not been interested in a pay cut.

Carlisle’s agent, Frank Murtha, said there is a chance the Raiders could bring Carlisle back. He is a solid zone-blocking guard, and the Raiders are returning to that scheme. However, Carlisle will entertain other offers in the meantime.

Because they had to cut six players for salary-cap reasons, the Raiders have more holes to fill than expected. The team desperately needs to get in on the cornerback market and it may need to add some offensive linemen as well.

Henderson was cut after failing his physical. The Raiders shocked the league last year when they gave the rotational player a two-year, $8 million deal. The aging Henderson was valuable against the run, but his health has been an issue.

These moves will help kick start Oakland’s foray into free agency, although the team is expected to be bargain hunters anyway.

NFL.com reports cornerback Stanford Routt will visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday. The Oakland Raiders cut Routt on Thursday. ESPNDallas first reported the Chiefs’ interest in Routt last Friday.

Routt was in Buffalo on Monday for his first visit since becoming the best available free agent on the open market. He has several other visits planned and the process could take some time to develop. If the Chiefs, who have more than $62 million in salary-cap room, sign Routt, it will be an indication they are not interested in signing Brandon Carr, who is going to be one of the better free-agent cornerbacks available on the market. The Chiefs could be looking at Routt to compare what he wants to what Carr is looking for in a deal.

Like Carr, Routt would be a good fit with Kansas City No. 1 cornerback Brandon Flowers. Routt was better as the No. 2 cornerback to Nnamdi Asomugha before he became the lead cornerback last season when the Raiders chose to give Routt a big contract instead of Asomugha. Oakland’s new leadership cut Routt last week.

Meanwhile, Oakland guard Cooper Carlisle is considered a candidate to be salary-cap causality. However, there are indications the Raiders will consider keeping him. New Oakland offensive line coach Frank Pollack tried to recruit him to Houston few years ago as a free agent and Carlisle is a natural fit for the zone-blocking scheme Pollack coaches.

Jack Bicknell Jr. will reportedly be the Chiefs’ offensive line coach. He was the Giants’ assistant offensive line coach.

New Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie isn’t wasting much time shaping his roster and his first move was to cut cornerback Stanford Routt, one of the team’s better defensive players. It might have been necessary as McKenzie reshapes the team’s salary cap.

The Raiders signed Routt to a three-year, $31.5 million deal, with $20 million in guaranteed money, last February, essentially choosing Routt over Nnamdi Asomugha, who is considered one of the NFL's best cornerbacks. Asomugha walked to the Eagles as a free agent.

Routt’s deal was later restructured to five years and $54.5 million, with the $20 million in guarantees — of which $10 million was reportedly to kick in this year.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that this move will cost Oakland $2.2 million in salary-cap space in 2012. The exact cap figure has yet to be figured, but the Raiders will have to make other moves.

This move might be an indication that Oakland is going to be aggressive in making cuts. It will have to go get help in several years in free agency – beginning with possibly two cornerbacks — and it has free-agent priorities in running back Michael Bush and safety Tyvon Branch. One of those two will likely be given the franchise tag.

You have to wonder what other high-dollar Raiders could be on the chopping block. Among those who have signed big recent contracts are defensive lineman Richard Seymour, linebacker Kamerion Wimbley and defensive back Michael Huff. Other players who could be candidates for restructuring or to be cut to save cap room include defensive tackle John Henderson, linebacker Aaron Curry and guard Cooper Carlisle.

Many around the NFL scoffed at Routt's big contract — and it is clear McKenzie is in that camp.

Routt is a decent player, but he is probably best suited to be a No. 2 cornerback. He was better playing alongside Asomugha than he was as the team's No. 1 corner. Routt was solid in coverage, but was penalized 17 times and gave up eight touchdowns, tied for the second-highest total in the NFL last season.

Still, the release of Routt is risky because the Raiders now don’t have any reliable cornerbacks on the roster. They hope to develop young players DeMarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa; perhaps Huff will be moved to cornerback. The Raiders have a small draft class, so most of their additions at the position will probably come through free agency.

Among the top cornerbacks available in free agency (depending on who is given the franchise tag) will be Atlanta’s Brent Grimes, Tennessee’s Cortland Finnegan and Kansas City’s Brandon Carr. A name to keep an eye on is New Orleans’ Tracy Porter, who played under new coach Dennis Allen in New Orleans.

This move doesn’t hurt Routt, 28, much. He was paid an enormous amount last season and now becomes one of the better cornerbacks available. Plus he gets jump on free agency, free to sign with a team at any time.

He could help all three of the other teams in the AFC West as a No. 2 cornerback, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Denver, Kansas City and San Diego all look at him.

Here are some thoughts from the Raiders’ 20-3 loss at Seattle on Friday night:

A rough preseason for the AFC West is over. The division won a total of four games, which was the lowest combined total of any division in the NFL. Oakland and Kansas City both went 0-4, joining Atlanta as the only winless teams in the league.

My thoughts on Oakland’s winless preseason? No biggie. No biggie at all. Again, I’m the wrong guy if you’re looking for a dose of preseason panic.

I was surprised that the starters played a lot. It seems many coaches changed their philosophy -- the fourth preseason game is traditionally a game when the starters stand on the sideline in a ball cap -- because of the lost time due to the lockout.

Quarterback Jason Campbell put in another nice performance. He completed 8 of 11 passes. He was strong all preseason.

It looks like Kyle Boller is going to be the backup ahead of Trent Edwards. Boller played much more than Edwards on Friday night.

The following group appears to be Oakland’s starting offensive line: Jared Veldheer, Stefen Wisniewski, Samson Satele, Cooper Carlisle and Khalif Barnes. This has been the starting group for weeks and expect to see it in Denver. I like Veldheer and Wisniewski on the left side, but the rest of the group is a little worrisome.

I’m not surprised Terrelle Pryor didn’t play. I know Oakland coach Hue Jackson said he would last week, but Jackson was far less committal this week. It is clear Pryor wasn’t ready to play. That’s understandable. He been in the system for a week. I don’t look at it as a bad sign that Pryor was kept on the sideline.

Oakland’s poor defensive effort continued. The struggling Seattle offense gained 377 yards. It will be interesting to see if this Oakland defense will be ready when the team opens at Denver in nine days.

Veteran receiver Derek Hagan had 224 receiving yards in the preseason, which was the second most in the league. Expect him to be in Oakland’s rotation.

It’s not exactly the onslaught, but there is movement in the AFC West.

• The San Diego Union Tribune reports the Chargers signed right tackle Jeromey Clary for four years, $20 million. Clary was a target of the Chargers, who have plenty of cap room. The Chargers have several free agents and are working on keeping targets Eric Weddle and Kevin Burnett. Clary is an underrated part of a strong offensive line. Keeping him means continuity for a strong offensive line.

• In Kansas City, center Casey Wiegmann reportedly has signed for one year. This has been expected. His agent Joe Linta, told me last week that Wiegmann, 38, wanted to play one more year in Kansas City. The Chiefs have long wanted him back. Wiegmann is an anchor to a strong offensive line. He is a leader on and off the field. Wiegmann will groom second-round pick Rodney Hudson, who can also play guard.

• The Raiders brought back former Denver first-round pick Jarvis Moss. He is strictly a backup. The Raiders have plenty of high-profile free agents, but keeping Moss is just for depth reasons.

• The Oakland Tribune has an unofficial list of the Raiders’ rookie free agents.

• Meanwhile, keep an eye on Seattle free agent Brandon Mebane in Denver. If the Seahawks don’t re-sign him, he could fit with the Broncos.

• I continue to hear linebacker Nick Barnett would love to play in San Diego. I’m sure the Chargers would have interest in him at inside linebacker. Barnett has been told by Green Bay he’ll either be cut or traded soon.

• Oakland guard Cooper Carlisle was at the Raiders’ facility Tuesday. There has been reports that he could be cut as Oakland tries to get under the salary cap. Oakland has been working on contract restructuring to get under the salary cap.

• Ohio State has made a decision that could help Terrelle Pryor get a spot in the supplemental draft. There had been questions whether or not he’d be eligible. Pryor has been connected to Oakland.

• San Diego also brought back tight end Randy McMichael for one year. He is a favorite of head coach Norv Turner. McMichael is a solid backup receiver and an underrated blocker. He is good insurance if starter Antonio Gates has another injury-filled season. McMichael, 32, had 20 catches for the Chargers in 2010.
• Carolina defensive end Charles Johnson said the Broncos were in on him before he re-upped with the Panthers. Johnson played for Broncos coach John Fox in Carolina. I hear the Broncos are clearing cap room and want to be players for key defenders.
• Kansas City backup receiver Terrence Cooper reportedly is coming back to the team. I don’t think that will keep the Chiefs from looking for more receiver help.

We won’t know exactly what the salary cap situation for each team will be until the new collective bargaining agreement is set. But we do have a sense of what range each team is in. ESPN’s John Clayton reported that the new salary cap will be $120 million. Each team could use a $3 million exemption. The numbers do not reflect tender numbers that have not been officially set yet.

Denver

Salary-cap range: $770,000 under.

Summary: The Broncos have work to do in free agency, so they will have to rework some contracts of some older players including safety Brian Dawkins. Trading quarterback Kyle Orton would also help.

Kansas City

Salary-cap range:$34.3 million under.

Summary: The Chiefs are in fine shape as usual. They can do some spending and there are some areas which they need to focus on. So, this team can get better.

Oakland

Salary-cap range:$11.7 million over.

Summary: The Raiders will likely have to cut some veterans including guard Cooper Carlisle and restructure the deals of some players.

San Diego

Salary-cap range: $19.4 under.

Summary: The Chargers have a lot of free agents to re-sign and they have the means to do it. As usual, free agency in San Diego will start with keeping their targeted in-house players first.

The NFL and players have made strides toward finalizing a new collective bargaining agreement. Let’s look at some key recent developments that affect the AFC West:

Earlier Monday on "SportsCenter," ESPN’s Adam Schefter said San Diego receiver Vincent Jackson and New England guard Logan Mankins will likely play a key role in the talks this week. Jackson and Mankins are among the 10 players who are plaintiffs against the NFL in the lockout lawsuit. Both players have been franchised by their respective teams. Schefter reported both players could balk at that and try to become free agents.

It seems unlikely that Jackson will end up being an unrestricted free agent, although he’d love to be one. It’s a fluid situation that could be settled this week. Still, I expect Jackson to be in San Diego this season unless there is a dramatic turn of events.

Last week, ESPN’s John Clayton reported the salary cap will be at $120 million in 2011. The Raiders will be about $11.7 million over that. The number would rise when restricted free-agency tender numbers are counted.

The Raiders may be forced to cut a few players, including guard Cooper Carlisle. They will also have to restructure contracts to get under the cap. It may be unrealistic to think Oakland will be overly active in free agency unless it gets creative. Still, Oakland did a good job of tying up some key players before the lockout started.

Some fans may have been disappointed to see the NFL scuttle its proposal for teams to have the right of first refusal for up to three unrestricted free agents. The proposal would have given teams a better chance of keeping their own key players, but there wasn’t a strong chance that proposal was ever going to fly.

As part of the new rookie scale, 2011 No. 2 overall pick Von Miller will get a lot less money than Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh received last year. Suh, the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft, signed a deal for five years and $60 million. Miller’s first NFL deal will likely be for four years and in the $20 million range.

It’s still good work if you can get it.

This is the fifth in our series of position-by-position rankings. It is a little different this season because we’re ranking the players before free agency starts and before rosters are set. We will adjust accordingly as we go along. Onto to a solid group of offensive linemen:

1. Ryan Clady, Denver: Clady was a little rusty early last season due to an offseason knee injury. He is still an upper-echelon player and a cornerstone on a weak Denver team.

2. Nick Hardwick, San Diego: Cagey, tough veteran is the anchor of a strong line.

3. Kris Dielman, San Diego: Big, tough Pro Bowler who is a lot to handle for defensive tackles.

4. Marcus McNeill, San Diego: There’s a reason why the Chargers gave him a long-term deal. He solidifies this line.

5. Ryan Lilja, Kansas City: He was a great addition last year. He helped set the tone for a strong run game and is a real tough guy.

6. Brian Waters, Kansas City: He’s aging, but Waters is still near the top of his game. He’s a great leader.

7. Casey Wiegmann, Kansas City: The Chiefs hope to get one more season out of the steady Wiegmann.

8. Chris Kuper, Denver: He’s an underrated player who gives Clady a lot of help on the line.

9. Louis Vasquez, San Diego: The young guy on the Chargers’ offensive line has been a good fit.

10. Branden Albert, Kansas City: He’s a good, not great, player who needs to improve in 2011.

11. Jeromey Clary, San Diego: Everyone wants the Chargers to replace him, but he’s a gamer.

12. Jared Veldheer, Oakland: Veldheer has a chance to zoom up this list soon. I look forward to seeing him at left tackle for a full season.

13. J.D. Walton, Denver: He got great experience as Denver’s center last season and has potential.

14. Cooper Carlisle, Oakland: Oakland could replace him. But he always gives an honest effort.

15. Barry Richardson, Kansas City: Like Clary, everyone wants to replace him. But Richardson looks like he has another season in him with the Chiefs.

16. Zane Beadles, Denver: Like Walton, Beadles got a lot of great experience as a rookie last season. He’s not great, but he should get better.

Footnote: Veteran Ryan Harris (Denver) and Robert Gallery (Oakland) are expected to leave through free agency and that’s why they are not listed. We are not averse to listing rookies, but we are keeping promising rookies Stefen Wisniewski (Oakland), Orlando Franklin (Denver) and Rodney Hudson (Kansas City) and second-year player Bruce Campbell (Oakland) off this list. I simply want to see each of these guys play before ranking them.

It appears for the second time in a year; Bob Wylie will be in charge of moving an AFC West offensive line away from the zone-blocking scheme to the power-blocking scheme.

Oakland just announced that Wylie will coach the offensive line. Former Raiders great Steve Wisniewski was added as assistant offensive line coach last week.

“Bob is a spectacular teacher, motivator and drill sergeant,” Oakland head coach Hue Jackson said in a statement released by the team. “His vast knowledge and experience, including last year with a team in our division, will really help us as we move forward in assembling a good offensive line.”

Wylie coached the offensive line in Denver in 2009. Former coach Josh McDaniels moved away from the zone-blocking scheme that Mike Shanahan used and that McDaniels adopted in 2008. Wylie was not retained by new Denver coach John Fox.

It seems like Oakland will likely make the move to the more traditional power-blocking scheme that Wylie specializes in. Former Oakland coach Tom Cable used a zone-blocking scheme. Cable’s offensive line coaches Jim Michalczik and Chris Morgan will not return, either.

This could mean the Raiders will be looking for some new personnel on the line. Guards Cooper Carlisle and Robert Gallery are better suited for a zone-blocking scheme. Bruce Campbell, who just completed his rookie season will likely get a chance to compete to be a starter. The massive Campbell should translate well to the power-blocking scheme as does left tackle Jared Veldheeer, who just finished his rookie season. Veldheer visited Denver before the draft last year, so Wylie is familiar with him.

SAN DIEGO –- The Oakland Raiders apparently wanted company on the dreaded “win out or go home” road to the NFL playoffs.

So the Raiders pushed the San Diego Chargers around the field all day, ensuring their stressful and unlikely journey to the playoffs won’t be a solo ride. After gladly assuming the role of the NFL’s hottest and most dangerous team heading into their favorite month of the year, the Chargers saw their long reign atop the AFC West go on life support after a 28-13 loss to the Raiders.

Things got so bad in San Diego on Sunday that late in the game, when only jubilant Raiders fan remained in the stadium, San Diego’s cheerleading squad was loudly booed during its final number of a forgettable day for the home team. It’s not supposed to be this way for San Diego in December and it’s certainly not the way the previously streaking Chargers planned on opening a stretch of three home games in 11 days.

Sunday’s upset in San Diego was cause for a big celebration in Kansas City hours after the Chiefs improved to 8-4 with a 10-6 win over Denver. Oakland and San Diego are now both 6-6 and trail the Chiefs by two games with four games remaining. Oakland owns the tiebreaker over San Diego based on its season sweep. The Raiders and Chargers are both two games behind in the AFC wild-card race.

If Kansas City wins in San Diego next Sunday, it will eliminate San Diego -- which has won four straight division crowns -- from the AFC West title race. In that scenario, Kansas City would be 9-4 and San Diego would be 6-7. The Chiefs would have a three-game lead with three games to go and they would hold the tiebreaker over San Diego based on a season sweep. Oakland can’t be eliminated next week when it plays at Jacksonville, but the Raiders know they are on thin ice and have to continue to win if they want to advance to the postseason for the first time in eight years. At 3-9, Denver is the only AFC West team eliminated from playoff contention.

“We’ve been in playoff mode for three weeks now,” Oakland fullback Marcel Reece said. “The first two weeks didn’t go well, but we got back to playing Raider football and if we keep that up, we’ll be fine. We know we can play with anybody, but it was nice to get back to doing it today.”

The Chargers were clearly shocked by Sunday’s developments. Well after the game, several pockets of players huddled in the locker room discussing what went wrong on the field.

“This is not where we expected to be,” San Diego defensive lineman Luis Castillo said.

This was San Diego’s first December loss since the Philip Rivers era started in 2006. San Diego entered this month winners of four straight games, including a 22-point win at Indianapolis last week. But the Chargers were run over by a resurgent Oakland ground game, which took over after the Raiders jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter via another San Diego special teams miscue and a Rivers interception.

While keeping its playoff hopes alive, Oakland also reached a major milestone in its journey from the depths of the NFL. The Raiders have won six games for the first time since 2002. The Raiders set an NFL record for futility by losing at least 11 games in seven straight seasons.

“It means we’re improving,” Oakland defensive lineman Tommy Kelly said. “I just want to see it carry over next week.”

The following are some key aspects of the game:

Raiders run through San Diego: If the Raiders can run the ball effectively, they usually win. If they can’t move the ball on the ground, they don’t have much of a chance to win.

“Yes,” Oakland guard Cooper Carlisle said, “that’s the truth in the simplest terms.”

In losing to the Steelers and the Dolphins by a combined 48 points the previous two weeks, the Raiders ran for a total of 77 yards. Sunday, against the top-ranked defense in the NFL, Oakland ran for 251 yards on 52 carries. The Raiders fed San Diego a healthy dose of both Darren McFadden and Michael Bush.

McFadden had 97 yards on 19 carries and Bush added 95 yards on 23 carries. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Raiders sliced through San Diego up the middle, which has been their calling card when the ground game works this season. Oakland had 137 yards on 30 rushing attempts up the middle Sunday. In October, Oakland had 69 rushing yards up the middle against San Diego, which was a season high for the Chargers’ defense this season.

Oakland’s ground success kept the pressure off quarterback Jason Campbell and allowed him to pick his spots, which is when he is at his best. Campbell completed 10 of 16 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown. Oakland will take a 251-117 rush-pass yardage ratio any time.

Oakland made Rivers uncomfortable: San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers completed 23 of 39 passes for 280 yards. But he was never comfortable. The Raiders were always putting heat on him. Rivers was sacked four times.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Rivers' passer rating against five or more pass-rushers Sunday was 19.9. In the first 11 games of the season under the same pressure, Rivers’ passer rating was 94.2

Because it fell behind by two touchdowns in the first quarter, San Diego ran only eight times for 21 yards. Rookie Ryan Mathews, even though he was healthy for the first time in a month, did not have a carry.

McClain hit legal: Referee John Parry said the helmet-to-helmet hit Oakland rookie middle linebacker Rolando McClain registered on San Diego running back Darren Sproles was legal because Sproles was not defenseless. After spending several moments on the grass, Sproles left the game and he did not return because of a concussion.

The San Diego crowd was incensed McClain wasn’t penalized. Parry’s explanation probably means McClain will not be fined. However, the league has been aggressively fining defenders who lead with their helmet because of concussion concerns.