SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 30, 2012
Chargers 24, Raiders 21: Philip Rivers passed for a pair of touchdowns and Micheal Spurlock ran a kickoff back 99 yards for a score as San Diego held off visiting Oakland to end the season with a victory.
Antonio Gates and Danario Alexander each caught a touchdown pass for the Chargers (7-9), who won three of their last four.
Terrelle Pryor made his first career start at quarterback for the Raiders and went 13-of-28 for 150 yards, two touchdowns and one interception and also ran for 49 yards and a score. Darren McFadden rushed for 57 yards on 19 carries for Oakland (4-12), which lost eight of its final nine games.
Spurlock got things started on the right foot for San Diego when he ran the opening kickoff of the game back. It was the third career kickoff return TD for Spurlock, who had a punt return for a touchdown last week.
The Chargers extended it out to 24-7 on Rivers’ 34-yard touchdown pass to Alexander with 5:06 left in the third quarter but had to sweat out the win. Pryor capped a 76-yard drive with a 3-yard TD run and hit Denarius Moore with a 5-yard scoring pass to cut it to 24-21 with 2:00 left before San Diego ran out the clock.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Chargers LB Takeo Spikes and Raiders RB Mike Goodson were each issued personal foul penalties and ejected following an altercation. Spikes had to be restrained by teammates and other officials from going after the referee announced the ejection. … Pryor was starting in place of QB Carson Palmer (broken ribs), who was hurt last week. Pryor beat out Matt Leinart for the start during practice. … Gates has 11 career touchdowns against Oakland, tied with former Chargers TE Kellen Winslow for the most against the Raiders since the AFL-NFL merger.