(Best E Casino) - The knife in the back of Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin is there for the whole world to see.

A loss for Kiffin to ex-Raiders coach Norv Turner and the visiting San Diego Chargers on Sunday would twist that knife, perhaps to a fatal degree.

For the past two weeks, reports that mercurial Oakland owner Al Davis was set to fire his coach of one-year-plus have been widely circulated. It was believed that a decisive win at Kansas City in Week 2 might have temporarily saved Kiffin from a seemingly inevitable fate, but last Sunday's heartbreaking loss to the Buffalo Bills had the buzzards circling again.

Oakland blew a nine-point lead inside of five minutes to fall, 24-23, and a conservative play-calling approach and questionable use of timeouts by Kiffin were not seen as factors that would help the former USC offensive coordinator avoid the firing line.

But Kiffin made it through another week of preparation, in spite of reports to the contrary, which leaves him at least one more chance to impress his boss and remain gainfully employed.

The man he'll have to beat on Sunday, Turner, knows all too well about being subject to Davis' whims.

Turner was at the helm of the Raiders in 2004 and 2005, and though by Silver and Black standards he enjoyed an extensive career as the team's head man, he was canned after two seasons and only nine wins.

Since Turner's departure, the Raiders are 7-28.

Meanwhile, the Chargers have been the toast of the AFC West over that span, and shook off a slow start to their 2008 season by blowing out the Jets, 48-29, this past Monday.

The win, which followed narrow defeats to the Panthers (26-24) and Broncos (39-38), helped San Diego keep pace with first-place Denver (3-0) in the AFC West.

SERIES HISTORY

Oakland has a 54-40-2 record in its all-time regular season series with San Diego, but has lost the last nine in a row to the Chargers, including home- and-home sweeps in each of the past four seasons. San Diego dealt Oakland a 28-14 setback at Qualcomm Stadium in Week 6 of last year, and finished its regular season with a 30-17 win in the Bay Area in Week 17. The Raiders' last win in the series was a 34-31 overtime triumph at home in 2003.

Oakland won the only postseason meeting between the teams, prevailing by a 34-27 count in the 1980 AFC Championship.

Turner is 3-1 all-time against the Raiders, including 1-1 in his tenure in Washington (1994-2000). Oakland's Kiffin is 0-2 against both Turner and the Chargers as a head coach.

WHEN THE CHARGERS HAVE THE BALL

In a month during which All-Pro running back LaDainian Tomlinson (190 rushing yards, 2 TD, 8 receptions) has been slowed by a toe injury, the Chargers have shown the ability to morph into a pass-first offense as needed. Quarterback Philip Rivers (844 passing yards, 9 TD, 2 INT) leads the NFL in touchdown passes through three weeks, and has allowed wideouts Chris Chambers (6 receptions, 4 TD) and Vincent Jackson (12 receptions, 1 TD), along with tight end Antonio Gates (10 receptions, 2 TD), to be particularly productive. Rivers threw for 250 yards on 19-of-25 passing with three TDs on Monday night against the Jets, though he did throw a pick-six interception to David Barrett to open the scoring. Tomlinson scored twice against New York, but was limited to 67 yards on 26 carries for the night. Darren Sproles (94 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 2 TD) and fullback Mike Tolbert (9 receptions, 1 TD) have also generated an impact in the San Diego backfield during September. The Chargers line has surrendered just two sacks thus far, and could have center Nick Hardwick (foot) in the lineup for the first time this year on Sunday.

Since struggling mightily in an opening-week loss to the Broncos, the Oakland defense has acquitted itself reasonably well in a win over the Chiefs and loss to the Bills. Oakland is 13th against the run (104 yards per game) after finishing near the bottom of the league in that category a year ago, and has come up with big plays against the pass in each of the last two weeks. The Silver and Black posted three sacks of Buffalo's Trent Edwards last Sunday, including the second as a Raider for pass rusher Kalimba Edwards (6 tackles) and half-a-sack for Derrick Burgess (10 tackles, 1.5 sacks). Free agent pickup DeAngelo Hall (19 tackles, 0.5 sacks) added value in the loss in the form of his first interception with the team, and ex-Giants safety Gibril Wilson (22 tackles) came up with a fumble recovery. The team could have a problem against the run this week if defensive tackle Gerard Warren (8 tackles, 2 sacks), who tore a pectoral muscle against the Bills, is unable to go. Tommy Kelly (9 tackles) and linebackers Kirk Morrison (21 tackles, 1 sack) and Thomas Howard (17 tackles, 1 sack) have been among the club's top tacklers thus far.

WHEN THE RAIDERS HAVE THE BALL

Though the Raiders managed 23 points for a second straight week in last Sunday's 24-23 loss to the Bills, it would be a reach to say that Oakland played well offensively for a second consecutive Sunday. The attack posted just 10 first downs in the loss to Buffalo, going 2-of-12 on third-down conversions, and four of the team's five scoring drives totaled fewer than 27 yards. After running the ball well in Kansas City one week prior, the Silver and Black mustered just 98 yards on 30 carries versus the Bills (3.3 yards per carry), including 42 on 14 totes by Week 2 star Darren McFadden (252 rushing yards, 1 TD). Though JaMarcus Russell (391 passing yards, 3 TD, 0 INT) made highlight reels from coast to coast by hooking up with Johnnie Lee Higgins on an 84-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, take out that play and Russell was 8-of-18 for 71 yards with no touchdowns and a lost fumble for the afternoon. Only four of Russell's completions went to wide receivers on the day, including two to Javon Walker. Justin Fargas (groin) remains out for Oakland, which should spell more touches for McFadden and Michael Bush (145 rushing yards, 1 TD). Left tackle Kwame Harris (knee) is questionable for a Raider line that has allowed a modest four sacks to date.

A much-maligned San Diego defense helped turn the tide in the win over the Jets, forcing a Thomas Jones fumble that the Chargers turned into a touchdown in the first quarter, then benefiting from an Antonio Cromartie pick-six to up the lead to 17-7. A team that had not pressured the passer particularly well through the first two weeks managed three sacks of the usually well-protected Brett Favre, including two from Jyles Tucker (10 tackles, 2 sacks), Shawne Merriman's replacement at one of the outside linebacker spots. Fellow OLB Shaun Phillips (15 tackles, 1 sack) had the other sack. A secondary that had been mostly clueless against Jay Cutler and the Broncos one week prior suddenly looked like itself again, as Cromartie (17 tackles, 2 INT) bounced back from a weak performance in Denver to intercept Favre twice. Opposite corner Quentin Jammer (20 tackles) had the key fumble recovery that set up the team's first touchdown, and safety Eric Weddle (22 tackles, 1 INT) turned in a pick of his own. In addition, the Jets never established a ground game, totaling only 36 rushing yards in the contest. The three-man line of Jamal Williams (3 tackles) in the middle and Luis Castillo (7 tackles) and Igor Olshansky (6 tackles, 1 sack) on the ends will look to slow McFadden and Bush, with inside linebackers Matt Wilhelm (18 tackles) and Derek Smith (9 tackles) working behind them.

FANTASY FOCUS

After years in which Tomlinson and Gates were the Chargers' most attractive fantasy options, it certainly seems appropriate to raise Rivers to that level at this point. San Diego's offensive brain trust seems to be allowing Rivers to turn it loose more often, which has meant good things for the quarterback and targets including Gates, Chambers, and Jackson. Tomlinson hasn't rushed for 100 yards yet this season, but he's still good for a touchdown or two and is not a candidate for the bench. Kicker Nate Kaeding is still worth starting as well, and against a rookie quarterback, the Chargers defense could be in for a big day.

The Raiders have played well offensively in just one of their three games, so starting anyone other than perhaps McFadden is foolish. The defense hasn't been great either, and should remain a free agent in most leagues. Kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who has six field goals in the past two weeks, is certainly worth considering, however.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

Is it possible that Kiffin is being kept on for another week because the Raiders don't want to start a new coaching era with a near-certain loss? That's a conspiracy theory that won't be soon confirmed by the tight-lipped Oakland front office, but given the way this organization operates, it's a plausible one. Russell has little chance to be productive in the face of the Chargers' pressure, especially since his accuracy problems are likely to be taken advantage of by Cromartie and the San Diego secondary. On the other side of the ball, the Raiders have allowed lesser offenses than that of the Chargers to move the ball down the field. This one has all the makings of a rout, which is not a good thing for Kiffin's job status.

Best E Casino Predicted Outcome: Chargers 38, Raiders 7