NFL notes: Chargers humble rival Raiders

LaDainian Tomlinson can still run the ball and his San Diego Chargers finally looked like world-beaters.

It might not matter, though, because the Chargers still need a miracle to get to the playoffs.

Tomlinson scored on a 3-yard run against his favorite punching bag and Philip Rivers threw three touchdown passes, including a 59-yarder to Vincent Jackson, to give the Chargers a 34-7 victory against the Oakland Raiders on Thursday night.

The Chargers beat their archrivals for the 11th straight time in a series dating to the birth of the AFL in 1960.

The Chargers (5-8) snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in seven games. Once considered favorites to reach the Super Bowl, they're still in deep trouble, trailing Denver by 2 1/2 games in the AFC West. The Broncos have four to play.

"It was desperately needed but it was one win for us," Tomlinson said. "We don't want to make it more than what it is."

On Sunday, Tomlinson was held to 24 yards, the second-lowest total of his brilliant eight-year career, in a listless 22-16 home loss to Atlanta.

"After the showing last week, I think we wanted to prove to everyone that that wasn't us," said Tomlinson, who's having the worst season of his career. "It's good that it was a short week. We got to show people who we are as a group."

San Diego's Darren Sproles caught two TD passes. His 87-yard touchdown on a punt return in the fourth quarter was called back after rookie Antoine Cason was called for an illegal block in the back.

Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell was intercepted twice by linebacker Stephen Cooper and also lost a fumble, leading to 17 points for the Chargers. Russell sprained his right ankle after his second pickoff and didn't return. X-rays were negative, and Russell left the locker room on crutches.

Andrew Walter replaced Russell at the start of the third quarter. Walter was intercepted by Matt Wilhelm late in the fourth quarter.

The Raiders (3-10) reached double digit losses for the sixth straight year. They are 22-71 since being routed by Tampa Bay and former Raiders coach Jon Gruden in the Super Bowl in San Diego on Jan. 26, 2003.

"It's clear that we're not close," cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said. "We don't play good football, we don't play sound football. We've been undisciplined. You just wonder how many people care and how many people are upset."

Tomlinson's TD midway through the first quarter was his 137th, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the career list. He had been tied with Marshall Faulk, who was at the game working for the NFL Network.

L.T. had 91 yards on 25 carries. He has 1,906 career rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns, 19 on the ground, in 16 games against the Raiders. They are his most yards and touchdowns against any opponent.

"I think there are always certain teams that you enjoy playing and you seem to match up well against and seem to have a great game against," Tomlinson said. "I can't explain it."

Three plays into Oakland's first possession, Russell fumbled as he was being sacked by outside linebacker Shaun Phillips, and inside linebacker Jyles Tucker recovered at the 12-yard line. Tomlinson carried three straight times, scoring untouched off left tackle for a 10-0 lead.

Rivers threw an 8-yard TD pass to Sproles early in the second quarter, capping a 15-play, 96-yard drive that took 8 minutes, 29 seconds. Tomlinson and Sproles carried five times each and Rivers had three carries on the drive.

San Diego got the ball back on Cooper's first pickoff. Jackson got behind two defenders and hauled in Rivers' scoring pass down the right sideline to make it 24-0.

Russell was hit by Phillips while passing late in the second quarter and the ball went straight to Cooper, who lateralled to Antonio Cromartie for a 14-yard gain. Russell was hurt on that play.

San Diego's Nate Kaeding kicked field goals of 20 ad 39 yards.

After Kaeding's second field goal, Oakland's Justin Miller returned the kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown.

Rivers was 10-of-22 for 214 yards. Jackson had five catches for a career-high 148 yards.

"I'm sick of losing, especially like that," Raiders tight end Zach Miller said. "We never really got going on offense and when we did, penalties and interceptions and fumbles killed us. As an offense we were inept again."

• Ex-Lion Rogers jailed: Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Charles Rogers is being held in the Oakland County Jail on $100,000 bond for a probation violation.

Jail records show the 28-year-old Rogers has been locked up since Wednesday.

The Oakland Press of Pontiac and the Detroit Free Press reported that Rogers was arrested Sept. 12 in Novi following an incident involving him and a woman. Rogers was later charged with assault and battery, pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of trespassing and was sentenced to probation and partial confinement.

The Oakland Press also reported Rogers was charged with violating probation by taking unauthorized leave from confinement and testing positive for narcotics. He is to appear in court at 9 a.m. Monday.

The Lions drafted the Saginaw native out of Michigan State with the No. 2 overall pick in 2003. Rogers was cut before the 2006 season after playing in just 15 games.

A message seeking comment was left with Rogers' lawyer, Joshua Ben of Bingham Farms.

• Jets' Ellis arrested: New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, speeding and driving without insurance after being pulled over by police last weekend.

Ellis, the Jets' longest-tenured player, was stopped last Saturday in Hanover, N.J., a few miles from the team's training facility after speeding, the Daily Record of Morris County reported on its Web site Thursday.

Capt. Shawn Waldron, the information officer for the Hanover Township Police, wasn't available for comment Thursday night and wasn't due back at the station until Friday morning.

Ellis played the day after the arrest in New York's 34-17 loss to Denver, and a team spokesman confirmed that he will play Sunday at San Francisco.

"I apologize to my family, the fans and the organization," Ellis said in a statement issued by the team Thursday night. "As a captain, I set a poor and selfish example for my teammates, as well as all NFL players. Although this is a pending legal matter, I understand that I have to be responsible for my actions."

This is believed to be Ellis' first offense, which means he won't be suspended by the league, but will be enrolled in the league's substance abuse program.

Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said in a statement that he and coach Eric Mangini both spoke to Ellis about the incident.

"He is disappointed with himself and has apologized for his actions," Tannenbaum said. "Personal conduct is important and an area that we stress to the entire organization. Shaun has been a leader on this team and I am confident that he will handle this in the appropriate fashion. The legal process will run its course and the league will handle this matter."

Ellis has enjoyed a resurgence this season with a team-leading seven sacks, his most in four years. He was the 12th overall pick out of Tennessee in the 2000 draft and has 6 1/2 career sacks.

It's the latest legal incident involving players from the New York-area NFL teams.

Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the right thigh at a nightclub last Saturday morning and was charged with illegal weapons possession, a felony that requires a mandatory minimum 3 1/2 years and a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted. The Giants also fined and suspended Burress for four games, and placed him on the reserve non-football injury list, which means he won't be back for the playoffs.

Giants offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie was charged with drunken driving after a traffic stop on Nov. 14. A Breathalyzer test found McKenzie's blood-alcohol level was above New Jersey's legal limit of 0.08. He wasn't suspended by the team.

• Infection haunts Titans' Young: Tennessee Titans backup quarterback Vince Young was sidelined for practice again Thursday because of an infected right thumb, while starting cornerbacks Nick Harper and Cortland Finnegan also sat out for a second straight day.

Coach Jeff Fisher said Harper (ankle) and Finnegan (hamstring) each had a chance to practice Friday. Harper missed two games with an injured foot before starting in the 47-10 win at Detroit. Finnegan is tied for second in the NFL with five interceptions.

Young took antibiotics for an infection near the cuticle on his thumb after the Detroit game, but the infection spread. The 2006 Offensive Rookie of the Year lost his starting job after spraining his left knee in the season opener and prompted a police search for him a day later in an incident the Titans said was blown out of proportion.

Fisher said Young is improving. Asked if Young could be Kerry Collins' backup without practicing, Fisher said, "He has a good feel for this game plan." The Titans' other quarterback is Chris Simms.

• Williamses practice with Vikings: Minnesota's Williams Wall has been rebuilt, for now, even if it might have to be taken down again.

Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, their four-game suspensions temporarily overturned in court, resumed their places in the middle of the Vikings' defensive line for Thursday's practice while the team worked toward Sunday's game against the winless Detroit Lions.

Veteran wide receiver Robert Ferguson was waived to clear room on the roster — the Vikings were one over the 53-man limit, following the suspensions and subsequent signing of defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy — and Winter Park was back to normal.

Sort of.

"I can't say I've ever been a part of anything like this," linebacker Ben Leber said. "It's definitely kind of a roller coaster, because one day they're out, one day they're in. It's just speculation. I think that's the hardest part ... it's all speculation."

Added defensive tackle Ellis Wyms: "There's still, I guess, a cloud in the air of how long they're going to be able to stick around, but as long as they can stick around we're a better team with them in here."

A federal judge will be asked to decide Friday whether the Williamses — and three other players with the New Orleans Saints — should be allowed to play this weekend in spite of the NFL's ruling they violated the league's anti-doping policy.

The Williamses and the NFL Players Association are fighting the punishment in separate lawsuits filed this week, claiming weight-loss pills they took weren't properly labeled.

Wyms, the backup to Kevin Williams, criticized the NFL's action.

"I think the league is kind of too tough on us sometimes," Wyms said. "I don't think the other leagues have as tough a policy as we have in this league. Those guys aren't doing anything to try to gain an unfair advantage. Those guys are just taking something to kind of help them with their weight.

"It's kind of sad how the league kind of attacks us and fines us and kind of takes from their livelihood. Those guys work hard to earn their salaries, and for something silly like that to even threaten taking money out of their pocket or threaten hurting us in a playoff run right now, it's just silly and stupid to me. I guess it just brings a little bit more attention to it, and guys have got to be a little bit more careful."

The Williamses declined interview requests Thursday.

The Vikings have vigorously defended their players, sending owner Zygi Wilf to New York for their appeal hearing two weeks ago and issuing a statement on Tuesday after the NFL's announcement that the team was "very disappointed" in the decision.

However, the legal haggling could wind up hurting the Vikings worse than if the complaint was never brought forward.

If the Williamses are allowed to play against the laughably bad Lions, as weak of an opponent as there has been in the league in years, they could be forced to sit out a first-round playoff game if the Vikings qualify and then the suspensions are upheld.

Coach Brad Childress declined to acknowledge concern about that scenario.

"Just because we're in the now, this week," Childress said.

Childress said he wasn't consulted by the players regarding pursuing this in court; they only asked what they needed to do to catch up on the game plan after missing Wednesday's practice. The coach said he had an opinion on the timing of the action, but declined to share it.

Angelo Wright, the agent for Pat Williams, acknowledged concern about a delay potentially affecting postseason status. But Wright said in an e-mail it's up to the attorneys to "fight this out" and that he expects his client to continue to play.

None of the players queried in the locker room Thursday acknowledged concern about the ramification of a delayed suspension for their stalwart tackles, or even that the entire situation meant much of a distraction for the playoff chase.

"We're focusing on playing the Detroit Lions," defensive end Jared Allen said. "Right now Pat and Kevin are back, and we're excited about that. I'm not going to sit here and think about what could be or what might be or what had been."

Both Childress and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said they were unsure whether they'd have the Williamses this weekend, though getting rid of Ferguson was a sign they felt reasonably confident. Childress said they "mixed and matched" the Williamses with second-stringers during practice.

"You don't know," he said. "You can't exclude anybody."