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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Rivers helps Chargers defeat Raiders, 24-20


By JOSH DUBOW
Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. — Philip Rivers walked into the huddle unfazed by another fourth-quarter deficit and poised to prove why the San Diego Chargers made him their $93 million man.

Rivers answered a pair of go-ahead scores by Oakland by leading two touchdown drives and Darren Sproles scored the game-winner on a 5-yard run with 18 seconds left to give the Chargers their 12th straight victory over the Raiders, 24-20, last night.

This might have been the toughest one of the bunch. JaMarcus Russell had given Oakland a 20-17 lead with a 57-yard touchdown pass to rookie Louis Murphy with 2:34 left. But despite having two backup linemen in the game, Rivers led the Chargers down the field for the winning score.

"One thing I know is no team in this league can practice 2-minute situations as much as we do," Rivers said. "It's a little different executing it on Murphy Canyon Road as it is in Oakland. ... I said: 'Well, we've done this a million times, let's go score. All we need is three.' "

Rivers was 6 for 7 for 79 yards on the winning drive.

Raiders offensive lineman Cornell Green let out Oakland's frustration with an expletive-laden outburst as he left the field, screaming that the Chargers got lucky to win.

The Raiders took a 13-10 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 35-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski before Rivers drove the Chargers down and gave them the lead with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson.