Raider Situation Is Advantageous

L.A. Times Archives

Dec. 29, 2002 12 AM PT

From Associated Press

OAKLAND — The Oakland Raiders worked their “bad weather plan” to near perfection.

They ran and ran and ran.

Charlie Garner made running in deep puddles and a steady downpour look easy, cutting from side to side and grinding out yards in the Raiders’ 24-0 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.

Garner carried 29 times for 135 yards and a touchdown as the Raiders (11-5) assured themselves of being top-seeded in the AFC playoffs and earned a much-needed bye they will use to get healthy. They shut out the Chiefs for the first time in franchise history -- the teams have played 88 times -- and will have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

“I pride myself in being able to go out and run the football in any conditions,” said Garner, who for the first time since coming across San Francisco Bay from the 49ers last season was not limited in his carries.

“Ever since I came over I wanted [that chance]. It didn’t present itself until today,” he said. “When it does, you take it.”

The Chiefs (8-8) had to win and have several other teams help them to make the playoffs. They missed the postseason for the fifth consecutive season.

Rich Gannon completed four of his first five passes, but finished seven for 14 for a season-low 79 yards and a touchdown.

Gannon needed 475 yards to break one of the league’s most prestigious records: Dan Marino’s 5,084 yards passing in 1984. Gannon, one of the favorites for the NFL most valuable player award, also fell short of becoming only the second quarterback to go over 5,000 yards in a season. He needed 390 to do that.

“Fine with me,” Gannon said. “That was not really my focus.”

Garner had a one-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, then on Kansas City’s next possession, Rod Woodson intercepted Trent Green to set up another Oakland touchdown -- a 15-yard pass play from Gannon to Doug Jolley.

Zack Crockett had an eight-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter and Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 27-yard field goal.

Kansas City played without star running back Priest Holmes, who was sidelined with a hip injury. Holmes leads the league with 2,287 yards from scrimmage.

The Chiefs managed only 63 yards in the first half -- 22 rushing -- and 21 offensive plays to the Raiders’ 39. The Chiefs also had only three first downs before halftime.

Kansas City did not reach the red zone until the final play of the game when players were already walking onto the field from the sidelines. The Chiefs failed on fourth down at the Raider 38 in the third quarter and at the 30 in the fourth.

“The offense sat there on the sideline and got cold and wet, and then when we got back in there, we couldn’t get in a rhythm,” Chief receiver and kick returner Dante Hall said.

The rain fell hard from the start. The field was so soaked before kickoff that the Raider logo in the middle of the field smeared and paint was spread for several yards. The south end zone was a pool, as was a 10-yard area at the other end of the field.

But the Raiders surely prefer these conditions over the thought of having to make another playoff trip to the frigid Northeast, where they were eliminated last season in a snowy, disputed playoff loss to eventual Super Bowl champion New England.

Saturday’s win avenged a 20-10 loss at Kansas City two months ago -- Oakland’s lowest scoring output of the season.

The Raiders have been striving for offensive balance, and they’re finally getting it. For two straight weeks, the running game has carried them. In a 28-16 win over Denver that earned the Raiders their third division title in a row, Oakland used six straight running plays in one touchdown drive.

On Saturday, Oakland ran for 280 yards, only the team’s second game over 200 this season.Aside from Garner, Crockett rushed for 72 yards and Tyrone Wheatley ran for 69. “We got here with the pass, and now we can finish it with the run,” left tackle Barry Sims said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Playoff Picture

AFC

Clinched: Oakland, Tennessee, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis

In Control: Miami

Need Help: Cleveland, N.Y. Jets, Denver, San Diego, New England and Baltimore

NFC

Clinched: Philadelphia, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, San Francisco and N.Y. Giants

In Control: Atlanta

Needs Help: New Orleans