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San Diego Falls 24-17 To Raiders

SAN DIEGO, California -- The Los Angeles Raiders spoiled San Diego's fun with Jeff Hostetler's 6-yard touchdown pass to Rocket Ismail with 7:23 left, giving them a 24-17 victory over the Chargers.


The Chargers (9-4) needed a victory Monday night to clinch their second AFC West title in three seasons. The Raiders, meanwhile, needed a victory to stay alive in the scrambled playoff picture and joined four other AFC teams with 7-6 records.


A record crowd of 63,012 hoped to celebrate a division title for the Chargers, but the Raiders won at Jack Murphy Stadium for the fourth time in five years.


Ismail's second TD catch of the night came at the end of an 81-yard, nine-play drive on which Hostetler completed passes of 31 and 16 yards to Tim Brown. Ismail also caught a 6-yard scoring pass from Vince Evans in the second quarter.


The Chargers began their final drive at their 8-yard line with 1:28 to play and got to the Los Angeles 48 before a holding penalty moved them back. Aaron Wallace sacked Stan Humphries to end the game.


The Raiders outscored San Diego 10-3 in the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter had been a problem for the Raiders, who had been outscored 98-49 in their 12 previous fourth periods.


The Chargers squandered two big opportunities in the second half.


Natrone Means' halfback pass from the Raider 19 sailed way over the head of wide-open Shannon Mitchell, and Means fumbled two plays later, with safety Eddie Anderson recovering at the 20.


The Raiders moved 65 yards for Jeff Jaeger's 43-yard field goal and a 17-14 lead. Rookie Andre Coleman returned the ensuing kickoff 68 yards to the Raider 24 and the Chargers eventually got to the 6, but had to settle for John Carney's 24-yard field goal.


Hostetler was 22 of 29 for 319 yards and two touchdowns, including a 76-yarder to Alexander Wright on the Raiders' first play from scrimmage, and threw one interception. Brown caught seven passes for 96 yards.


The Raiders tied a team record with 17 penalties for 146 yards.


Humphries was 17 of 33 for 202 yards with one touchdown. Means was held to 41 yards on 18 carries, his worst output of the season.

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