Raiders finally found way to finish in K.C.

ALAMEDA – A common thread throughout the Raiders' free fall from their 2002 Super Bowl season has been an inability to close out games.

Even with a lead and a few minutes left on the clock, they have found ways to let teams off the hook. In fact, opponents openly talked about it.

Much to his displeasure, first-year coach Lane Kiffin already has experienced it several times himself. But Sunday in Kansas City, Mo., was different. The Raiders, on a 14-yard touchdown run by Justin Fargas, moved in front with 9:34 to go and made the 20-17 lead stand up.

At his weekly news conference Monday, Kiffin, with Oakland having ended a 17-game AFC West losing streak, said not fading under pressure is something the Raiders must overcome to return to respectability.

"It's extremely important," he said. "The more you do it, the more it becomes the norm, it becomes (what they) expect to happen."

Kiffin said the defense often gets most of the blame for letting up, when in reality the burden should be shared by the offense and special teams.

"In this game," he said of halting a nine-game slide against the Chiefs, "it just happened to be the offense (meeting the challenge). With (4:22) left on the clock, we got the ball and never let them have it again. You can't draw it up any better."

First downs on three consecutive plays, with Fargas the key, ensured the victory that has lifted the Raiders' spirits heading into Sunday's home game against Denver, another hated rival they have difficulty beating.

Before the offense's clinching series, though, the Raiders' defense did its job by stopping the Chiefs on fourth and one after they reached the Oakland 23, only three points behind with less than five minutes remaining.

Asked Monday why the Chiefs didn't try to tie the score with a field goal, Kiffin said it probably was because Kansas City coach Herman Edwards was confident of making it since the Raiders hadn't had a fourth-down stop until then.

"It feels good, especially to get a division win on the road. It definitely builds momentum," said starting safety Stuart Schweigert, one of a few Raiders in the locker room Monday because Kiffin gave the team the day off.

The Raiders are trying to claim their second two-game winning streak after a 2-2 start to the season. If they do so, it would further stem a division slide in which 17 consecutive losses had become a major embarrassment. In fact, the streak lasted so long only 15 players on the Raiders' current active roster endured the entirety of it.

"It felt like forever for the people who are new," Kiffin said. "It's a step in the right direction, but doesn't mean much if we don't go out and play well this week."

Kiffin said Daunte Culpepper would remain the starting quarterback but that he was undecided whether Josh McCown or rookie JaMarcus Russell would be Culpepper's immediate backup.

Certain, however, is that special-teams standout Jarrod Cooper won't play and probably is out for the year with a knee injury, Kiffin said.