Raiders 37, Chargers 29
SAN DIEGO -- The Oakland Raiders dominated early and held on for a 37-29 win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.
Quarterback Derek Carr threw three touchdown passes as Oakland handed the Chargers their third straight loss.
The Raiders (3-3) were keen from the get-go, racing to a 30-6 halftime lead as they dominated all three phases of the game.
They scored on their first seven drives and kept the Chargers from the end zone until the fourth quarter.
The Chargers (2-5) lost their previous two games in the final seconds. That wasn't the case on Sunday, as they were pushed around by Oakland before outscoring the Raiders 23-0 in the fourth quarter.
San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers completed 38 of 58 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted twice, which the Raiders converted into 10 points.
Carr finished with 289 passing yards, connecting on 24 of 31 passes with no interceptions. Raiders rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper caught five passes for 133 yards and a touchdown.
Oakland started the third quarter, eager to show the first 30 minutes weren't a fluke.
Wide receiver Michael Crabtree caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Carr to start the half, pushing the Raiders' advantage to 37-6.
Chargers running back Danny Woodhead had two scoring catches and tight end Ladarius Green added one in fourth quarter.
The Raiders took control of the game with a 20-point second quarter.
Carr hit tight end Clive Walford for a 23-yard touchdown two minutes into the quarter for a 17-3 lead.
Rivers then heaved his second interception -- after having none while throwing for 503 yards the previous week -- and again, the Raiders cashed in.
This time, kicker Sebastian Janikowski was good from 32 yards for a 20-3 Raiders edge.
Janikowski delivered another field goal, this one from 31 yards, on Oakland's next possession, padding the cushion to 23-3.
Cooper showed his speed and wiggle on a 52-yard scoring strike from Carr. With numerous Chargers in pursuit, Cooper out ran most of them and then saved a cutback move that removed safety Jimmy Wilson from the equation. That put the Raiders ahead 30-3, and the Chargers clearly were getting embarrassed on both sides of the football.
San Diego added kicker Josh Lambo's 44-yard field goal in the final seconds of the first half. When heading into the locker room, trailing 30-6, the Chargers heard a barrage of boos.
Lambo's 40-yard, first-quarter field goal sliced the Chargers' deficit to 10-3.
Janikowski kicked a 29-yard field goal with six minutes left in the first quarter for a 10-0 advantage.
Running back Latavius Murray rushed over from the 1-yard line for a 7-0 lead on Oakland's first possession. The Raiders got the ball on the first of Rivers' two interceptions.
NOTES: Chargers FS Eric Weddle (groin) missed his first start since 2009. ... San Diego TE Antonio Gates (knee) was a late scratch. ... Chargers G Orlando Franklin sustained a knee injury in the fourth quarter and left on a cart. ... Raiders NT Stacy McGee started in place of Justin Ellis (ankle). ... Oakland signed DE Shelby Harris from its practice squad and waived S Tevin McDonald.