Editor: Joe Bryant. Game Recap Contributors: Mike Anderson, Michael Brown, Chris Burtt, J.D. Caldwell, David Dodds, Bobby Elder, Jim Enochs, Joel Faulhaber, Michael Flynn, Kevin Goldblum, Clayton Gray, Bob Harris, Fred Hebert, Jesse Hilsenrad, Drew Kendall, Jeff Lewis, Joey Matusek, Justin Oliver, Steve Prosapio, David Shick, Cody Smith, Scott Smith, Jeffrey Stout. San Diego 27 at Oakland 21 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW San Diego Chargers: RB LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 100 of his 153 yards in the second half and overtime period. He didn't seem to wear down at all as the game progressed. QB Drew Brees started slowly with only 46 passing yards in the first half but completed nine second-half passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. WR Tim Dwight racked up 94 total yards, including a 19-yard reverse in the first half. The rush defense was excellent, allowing only 37 yards on 12 carries but Rich Gannon lit up the defensive backfield for 353 yards and three touchdowns. Oakland Raiders: The passing game was again the focus and Rich Gannon put up monster fantasy numbers (361 yards, 3 TDs). RB Charlie Garner only ran 7 times but he was one of Gannon's favorite targets, catching 7 balls for 80 yards. The defense suffered another blow when rookie corner Phillip Buchanan left midway through the 2nd quarter with a broken wrist. Gannon completed passes to 7 different receivers but the three-headed monster of Rice, Brown and Porter combine for 20 catches for 216 yards and two scores. PK Sebastian Janikowski missed two field goals, the first one a 27-yard chip shot. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW San Diego Chargers QB: Drew Brees - started slowly with only 46 passing yards in the first half but completed nine second-half passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. Took full advantage of a weakened Raiders pass defense, despite the slow start. Looked very sharp with excellent timing and touch. Really didn't make a poor decision all day. Looks very mature for a second-year quarterback and as long as he has a running game to play off of, he will put up efficient numbers. Also scored a rushing touchdown, the first of his career. Don't look for much of that but it was a nice bonus for Brees owners this week. RB: LaDainian Tomlinson - ran for 100 of his 153 yards in the second half and overtime period. He didn't seem to wear down at all as the game progressed. Is becoming a fantasy version of Emmitt Smith but he plays faster. Stays low and has excellent balance and vision. Looks trimmed down a bit this year but has not lost an ounce of toughness. His game-winning run was a thing of beauty as he barreled through a gaggle of tackles near the goalline. Also caught five balls for 28 yards and a touchdown. WR: Tim Dwight - racked up 94 total yards, including a 19-yard reverse in the first half. Made some tough catches over the middle. Dwight is a guy that can score in a variety of ways but he is not always a big factor in the offense. Brees looked to him for consecutive 3rd and 10 conversions on the final drive. Curtis Conway - still Brees' go-to guy, caught 5 for 55 and kept the chains moving when they needed it. Reche Caldwell - not a big part of the offense but did catch his second touchdown of the year. His first touchdown catch came last week against Kansas City. Keep on eye on him as the Chargers search for a reliable slot receiver. TE: Stephen Alexander - was questionable for the game, played but was not involved in the passing game. Chargers Defense Note: San Diego played without two key components of their defense in LB Jr. Seau and DE Marcellus Wiley. Chargers Pass Defense: couldn't stop Oakland's pass-heavy attack, giving up 353 yards through the air. The bright side is that they only gave up three scores and sacked Gannon four times. Also stopped a potentially scoring drive in the first quarter when Garner batted up a shovel pass and Donnie Edwards picked it off. Rookie corner Quentin Jammer went out in the 4th quarter with an injury and the staff had his pads off, listening to his heartbeat. Definitely something to keep an eye on. Chargers Rush Defense: the rush defense was excellent, allowing only 37 yards on 12 carries but Rich Gannon lit up the defensive backfield for 353 yards and three touchdowns. Chargers Special Teams: Steve Christie hit all three extra point attempts but had no field goal opportunities. Caldwell nearly broke a long kickoff return but was tripped up after a 39-yard gain. The good news is that there were no blocked punts this week but punter Shane Bennett appeared to be limping on his non-kicking leg. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/** Oakland Raiders QB: Rich Gannon - The passing game was again the focus and Gannon put up monster fantasy numbers (35-45, 361, 3 TDs, 1 INT) once again. He looked great. His only mistake was forcing a shovel pass that Garner never got his hands on and it was intercepted. That turnover stopped a potential scoring drive. Now is the time to begin watching Gannon closely, as he has already passed the ball 259 times and is projecting almost 700 attempts. That's a lot to ask from a 36-year old but head coach Bill Callahan seems content to let Gannon air it out until his arm falls off. With all the strange injuries around the league, it's more important than ever to have a good backup. Now might be a good time to take an ultra cheap flyer on Gannon's backup, Marquis Tuiasosopo, just in case. RB: Charlie Garner -only ran 7 times but he was one of Gannon's favorite targets, catching 7 balls for 80 yards. Looks completely healed from his injury woes of the past few weeks. Terry Kirby ran twice for two yards. Jon Ritchie caught his first touchdown of the year, a seven-yarder that was his only catch of the day. It tied the game with less them two minutes left. WR: Jerry Rice - caught nine balls for 86 yards and a score. Was clearly Gannon's #1 target but 30 of his yards came on one play. Tim Brown - caught six for 83 yards, including a 45-yarder. Pairs with Rice as the smartest wide receiver duo in the game. If one isn't open, the other is. Jerry Porter - continues to become a more important part of the offense. Four of his five catches came in the second-half, including a 17-yard touchdown. TE: Roland Williams - caught five for 27 yards. He's really only getting looks because Gannon drops back so much. Was not able to get open deep, so his value was limited. Mainly just a dump-off option today. Doug Jolley played when they went to two tight ends and had a couple of catches for 11 yards. Raiders Pass Defense: suffered another blow when rookie corner Phillip Buchanan left midway through the 2nd quarter with a broken wrist. They were already without Charles Woodson, who still hasn't returned from his injury. Buchanan could be done for the regular season but watch his status. Brees took advantage of lapses in coverage and over-aggressiveness but only threw for 170 yards on 25 attempts. That equates to less than seven yards per attempt, so they did their job. Eric Barton had two sacks and a forced fumble. Raiders Rush Defense: did a decent job of containing Tomlinson in the first half but fell apart as the game wore on, surrendering 100 rushing yards in the second half and overtime. Tomlinson's punishing style wore down the guys in the middle and his final run was like hot butter through a knife, it looked so smooth and effortless. Raiders Special Teams: Sebastian Janikowski's timing is terribly off and it cost the Raiders the game. Although he connected on all three extra point attempts, his two field goal attempts were wide. The first miss, on a 27-yard attempt, laid waste to the Raiders opening possession, a 9-play, 67-yard drive. The second attempt, a 48-yarder in the 4th quarter, was way left. Janikowski has a history of being hot and cold. He's only 7 of 11 now and has missed two inside forty yards.