by JIM ALEXANDER, THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE , The Press Enterprise

San Diego won its 13th straight game against Oakland on Sunday, a 24-16 victory that was closer than it should have been primarily because the Chargers' offense sputtered in the second half.

Tomlinson scored his second and third touchdowns this season, a 6-yard run out of the Wildcat formation in the first quarter and a 10-yard run toward the end of the first half that also pushed him over the 12,000 mark in career rushing yards.

"It felt good to get into the end zone again, to find some open space," Tomlinson said.

Merriman, seven games into his return from knee surgery, got his first and second sacks of the season. He performed his "Lights Out" dance for the first time since 2007 when he wrapped up JaMarcus Russell for a 3-yard loss toward the end of the first half, and got Russell for another 3-yard loss with 1:18 left in the game, derailing Oakland's final drive two plays after Shaun Phillips had thrown Russell for a 13-yard loss.

"You have to listen to (the talk), no matter how well you're playing, that you don't have any sacks," Merriman said. "That's tough.

"I know these things come in bunches. I've done a bunch of great things other than sacks. I'm just happy to get that part of it out of the way."

Phillips also had two sacks, and the re-emergence of the two dynamic pass rushers could be a critical piece of the Chargers' defensive puzzle, especially given their upcoming schedule. They've gotten to 4-3 by fattening up on AFC West laggards Kansas City and Oakland (2-6), but the next two weeks they brave the NFC East, facing the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.

"We're excited, seeing those guys make plays," linebacker Stephen Cooper said. "That's what we expect them to do.

"People questioned (Merriman's) knee and his ability, but this just shows he's out there playing tenacious defense like he always does ? I think he's finally catching his wind, back out there playing fast and explosive."

The onus was on the defense at the end, especially since the Chargers - limited to 93 yards total offense in the second half after 253 and three touchdowns in the first half - were forced to settle for a field goal on their lone fourth quarter drive after having a first-and-goal situation at the 3.

A touchdown there "would have ended the game," quarterback Philip Rivers said. "To be in the situation where we're stopping them in the end to win the game, we should have never been in that."

But they got the result and kept the streak against their rivals alive.

"I'm proud of it," said Tomlinson, one of just six players on the roster who recall what it's like to actually lose to Oakland. "I remember when I first got here (in 2001), the intensity and the atmosphere of this game, and them having a lot of fans here at our games. It kind of rubbed me the wrong way when I first got here, and I wanted to make sure I did everything possible to make sure their fans went home unhappy.

"Thirteen in a row. That means 13 times their fans leave with their heads down - and I love it."

Reach Jim Alexander at 951-368-9543 or jalexander@PE.com

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