OAKLAND - The Raiders beat the Chicago Bears, 25-20, to improve to 7-4 on the season, their best record through 11 games since 2002.

Sebastian Janikowski made a team-record six field goals in the win. Shane Lechler set a team record with an 80-yard punt.

Janikowski had made five field goals three times and shared that record with Jeff Jaeger.

Lechler broke the record he shared with Wayne Crow, a 77-yard punt.

There was plenty of praise for both after the game.

"Those guys are game-changers," said quarterback Carson Palmer. "There's not many punter-kicker combinations in the league, they're can't be a better one. Shane with as big a task as anybody this week. We really focused on Devin Hester and Shane was focused on him. Some of the balls he hit just didn't give him a chance. That's something we needed Shane to do and we needed our punt team to really focus on Devin and he did a great job of it all day."

Added safety Mike Mitchell: "Clearly we have the two best specialists in the game."

• Both were needed because most of the game the Raiders struggled on offense. The Raiders were 3-of-15 on third downs and had one touchdown in five trips to the red zone.

Carson Palmer passed for 301 yards but had no touchdowns and had an interception.

• Unlike the Cleveland game, the Raiders recovered the onside kick late when the Bears pulled within 25-20.

Hue Jackson called a timeout to make sure the Raiders were ready.

The ball was recovered by tight end David Ausberry after safety Matt Giordano was drilled by Charles Tillman trying to recover the ball.

"Matt took a big hit for the team and I had to take advantage of the opportunity," Ausberry said.

At the bottom of the pile Ausberry had to do all he could to hold on to the ball.

What happened down there?

"Everything you could imagine," Ausberry said.

• The Raiders did a lot of good on defense (three interceptions, four sacks) but gave up 172 rushing yards.

Fifty of those yards were to quarterback Caleb Hanie on scrambles.

Matt Forte ran for 59 yards on 12 attempts and Marion Barber managed 63 yards in 10 rushes.

Linebacker Aaron Curry acknowledged the statistics show the Raiders struggled to stop the run, but he was happy Forte did not have a big impact.

Forte also caught six passes but for only 25 yards.

"I'll take it just to not let Forte be as a huge as he has been because when you watch film on him he's the answer," Curry said. "He's the answer. If you get it him out the game, it's easier to win that way. It's hard to win with him in the game."

• Perhaps my writing about how good Jared Veldheer was playing jinxed him. Veldheer had a tough time dealing with Julius Peppers, who recorded two sacks.

• The Raiders had a good day with penalties -- six for 44 yards.

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