An Early Christmas Gift

When Vincent Jackson wakes up Monday morning, the first thing he should do is sit down and write a thank you note to referee Mike Carey and his officiating crew.
The Chargers receiver was the beneficiary of one of the worst calls of this or any football season as San Diego played one of its worst games in years, yet still beat the Raiders 21-14 on Sunday.
On a fourth-and-2 from the Raiders' 40-yard line and the Chargers trailing 14-7 in the fourth quarter, Jackson caught a 13-yard pass from Philip Rivers, fell to the ground untouched, then got up and celebrated the key reception by spinning the ball forward -- doing his best Plaxico Burress impression.
The Raiders recovered the ball as Charger fans watched Jackson's stupidity in stunned disbelief. It would've been a good time for Jackson to start looking into the Witness Protection Program.
But wait a minute.
Carey originally signaled that it was the Raiders' ball, but then things got confusing.
While nearly everyone in the stadium thought it was a fumble, Carey and his crew discussed the play longer than you and your family talked over Thanksgiving dinner.
When the mega-conference was over, Carey called the play an "illegal forward pass" by Jackson -- not a fumble -- meaning the Chargers were penalized 5 yards, but retained possession.
The only thing more bone-headed than Jackson flipping the ball away was Carey's ruling.
"That was a lame move by Vincent Jackson," said CBS analyst Randy Cross. "That's indefensible."
Cross wasn't thrilled with Carey's call, either.
"I see an apology coming from the league office," Cross added.
The bizarre call is just the latest example of every break and every bounce going the Chargers' way this season. While things might seem great now, you've got to wonder how much longer they can push their luck.
Four plays after Carey's strange ruling, LaDainian Tomlinson threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates to tie the game at 14, and the rest was just a formality.
LT was clearly the best passer on the field Sunday, and that tells you what kind of an offensive day it was.
Rivers misfired so often that he gave Bolts fans a glimpse of what it would've been like if Eli Manning had become a Charger.
Rivers, who as a youngster played excitable neighbor "Ricky" on "My Three Sons," completed just 14-of-31 passes for 133 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. And if Oakland defenders were capable of catching a ball thrown right at them, Rivers easily could've had four interceptions.
Oakland QB Aaron Brooks was impressive at times, but in the end, he remembered he's Aaron Brooks and threw two fourth-quarter interceptions to kill any chance the Raiders had to come back.
The Chargers' first-half performance Sunday was similar to those of recent weeks. Although the Bolts didn't trail at halftime -- they were tied 7-7 -- it was a miserable offensive display. In the first half, the Chargers had more punts (4) than first downs (3).
But thanks to Carey and his crew, the Bolts can chalk up another victory, despite the lackluster effort.
You know, it really shouldn't be this difficult to beat the Raiders.
For most of the day Sunday, it looked like the Raiders wanted it more.
Which raises the question: How poorly do you have to be playing to make the Raiders look like the more inspired team?