Kicks Weren’t Hard to Find in This Game

OAKLAND —  It has to be how the people who witnessed the first four-minute mile felt, or those fortunate enough to be there when Nolan Ryan or Sandy Koufax pitched one of their no-hitters.

Call it life’s random reward for being in the right place at the right time, but there is no better feeling than actually being there when history is made, like personally seeing, along with 42,467 others in the Oakland Coliseum Sunday, the worst NFL game ever played.

The greatness of the Raiders prevailed, of course, 7-6, as Leo Araguz--with 16 punts--shattered in Mark McGwire-like fashion the team record of 11 and, for good measure, eclipsed the NFL individual record of 15.

Tension mounting with each failed third-down conversion, San Diego punter Darren Bennett could only tie a club record with 11.

‘This is about as low as you can feel,” said Charger Coach Kevin Gilbride, who seemed to do everything he could to try to get Bennett his record.

The Chargers (2-4) will kick themselves today when they review videotape because they should have had four more punting opportunities. But once again that blunderbuss Ryan Leaf messed things up, throwing three interceptions. He was replaced by Craig Whelihan, who had an interception of his own, denying Bennett his chance to tie the previous NFL individual record.

“We just got to come back,” Bennett said.

The Raiders (4-2) did their part to emblazon Araguz’s name into the record books by making only six first downs--one in the second half.

“I am very proud of them,” Raider Coach Jon Gruden said.

The Raiders and Chargers combined to gain no first downs in the third quarter and that’s hard to do. San Diego had built a 3-0 prohibitive lead at halftime and seemingly put the game away with 3:09 to play when they doubled their score.

But the Raiders got the ball back and punted--what did you expect?

The Chargers took possession with 2:18 to play, needing only to run out the clock to win--and punted. This was somewhat surprising because as sure as the sun comes up you can depend on a Gilbride team scoring one touchdown a game.

Under Gilbride, whose expertise is offense--seriously--the Chargers have 22 offensive touchdowns in 22 games. The team has gone nine games in a row with no more than one touchdown. But who needs a touchdown when you’re playing the Raiders, and with 1:53 to play and ancient Wade Wilson in the game at quarterback.

Wilson’s first pass was incomplete, like his previous four. He threw another incomplete pass and with third-and-10 and 68 yards to go for a touchdown, the Chargers looked like a lock.

But these are the Chargers, slapstick artists extraordinaire, and falling back into a four-deep zone, they allowed James Jett to catch a pass and run untouched to a 68-yard touchdown with 1:28 to play, in the process allowing the Raiders to record their only first down of the second half.

“We found a way to win a game we might have lost in the past,” said Wilson, realizing the Raiders cannot play the Chargers every week.

Charger cornerback Terrance Shaw, charged with the bonehead play of letting Jett explode beyond him, said, “You were there, you saw it, write what you want.”

At that point it was hard to tell if those in attendance were laughing or cheering as the Raiders added the extra point to apparently put the game out of reach.

The Chargers got the ball back with 1:28 to play, and after a 15-yard facemask penalty on Kenny Shedd, the Chargers advanced to the Raiders’ 38-yard line--where with fourth down and six yards to go they try for a first down or a 55-yard John Carney field goal.

Carney, of course, is the Chargers’ offense. During his career he has connected from 50 yards or longer 11 times in 20 attempts, but the longest he has ever made only traveled 54 yards.

This one was 55 yards, and special teams coach Wayne Sevier, according to Gilbride, said it was not only too far, but too far into the wind.

Last week the Raiders were involved in a similar situation, relying on the brainpower of losing coaches. The Cardinals had the ball, five seconds to play, and instead of trying a 56-yard field goal, opted for a pass play that was completed but allowed the clock run out, giving Oakland a victory.

Gilbride had Whelihan pass to Natrone Means, who dove for the first down, but after a measurement, came up a foot short. Hard to believe. Game over.

“Until we can throw the ball more effectively it’s going to be very difficult to become the kind of team I think we can become,” said Gilbride.

Translation: Leaf’s probably headed to the bench.

Of course, if Gilbride benches Leaf with the idea of giving his team a better chance to win, he will be handing it to Whelihan--0-7 in his career as a starter.