Welcome Home, Carson

Palmer could help Oakland reach the postseason
for the first time since 2002.

Born and raised in San Diego and a Heisman Trophy recipient while attending the University of Southern California, Carson Palmer was happy to be home Thursday.

Palmer and his Oakland Raiders seized first place in the AFC West with a convincing 24-17 victory over the high-powered offense of the San Diego Chargers. After losing each of the first two games he appeared in as a Raider, Palmer earned his first career win in the legendary silver and black.

The San Diego native went 14 for 20 while throwing for 299 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the win. Both of his touchdowns came with wideout Denarius Moore on the receiving end of them, doubling the rookie's season total. Despite losing a fumble, Palmer took care of the football, something he hadn't done in his two previous games with the Raiders.

In the six quarters Palmer had played in for Oakland prior to Thursday night's game in San Diego, he turned the ball the same number of times with 6 interceptions.

His 14.95 yards per attempt are also the highest total ever in a single game by a Raider quarterback, surpassing Daryle Lamonica's previous mark at 14.33, a record he set in a game against the Miami Dolphins in 1963, when both teams were members of the AFL.

But it wasn't t just the work of Palmer that handed Oakland their fifth win of the season.

With star running back Darren McFadden out for the second straight week, former Louisville tailback Michael Bush stole the show. Bush rushed for 157 yards, the second highest total of his career and the most for a Raiders running back in a game against the Chargers. The previous mark had been held by Clem Daniels, who rushed for a 144 yards against San Diego in 1964.

Bush also totaled 242 yards from scrimmage, the fourth most in franchise history and the most since Art Powell accumulated 247 total yards from scrimmage in a game against the '63 Houston Oilers.

At one time holding a 24-10 lead in the second half, Oakland had only surrendered a 14-plus lead to San Diego in their long and well documented history. The Raiders have now beaten the Chargers three times in-a-row after losing their previous thirteen meetings.

As for the Bolts, they have now lost four in-a-row, their worst losing streak since they lost nine straight in 2003. Normally notoriously slow starters, San Diego got off to a fast start this season, kicking off the year 4-1. That all has since been erased with Philip Rivers and Co. falling to second in the division and under .500 for the first time all year long, with a trip to Solider Field against the suddenly surging Chicago Bears (5-3) waiting in the wings.

In a division that it still up for grabs, it might be the arm of Palmer that decides the crown rather than Rivers, something nobody saw coming.