Football: Lowly Raiders finally making presence

OAKLAND, Calif. - Louis Murphy sprinted upfield and laid out a defender with a punishing block. Not satisfied, he caught up to the play again and delivered a second block that allowed Zach Miller to cruise into the end zone on an 86-yard catch-and-run.

For an offense criticized for lacking big plays, intensity and leadership, a rookie receiver gave the Oakland Raiders all three in one play that answered the skeptics.

Miller scored the only touchdown of the game, Justin Fargas helped control the clock by rushing for 87 physical yards and Oakland's defense harassed Donovan McNabb all day in a 13-9 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

"We went out and threw a fight on somebody and said, 'Enough. Let's play,'" coach Tom Cable said. "That's all you can say. There's no magic words or anything like that."

It was a major turnaround from the past three weeks when the Raiders lost by at least 20 points for the first time in franchise history, capped by a 44-7 loss to the Giants last week.

The key Sunday was the Oakland defense. Coordinator John Marshall mixed in more zone coverages and blitzes than usual to combat a high-powered Philadelphia offense that was averaging the second-most points in the league.

The Eagles abandoned the run early, only had Michael Vick on the field for two plays, allowed six sacks and were the first team in three years to fail to score a touchdown against the Raiders (2-4).

David Akers missed a pair of field goals for the Eagles, a 43-yarder wide left in the first quarter and a 47-yarder wide right in the third quarter that proved crucial down the stretch.

McNabb finished 22 for 46 for 269 yards. He struggled without left tackle Jason Peters, who left in the first quarter with an injured left knee.

"I'm embarrassed by the way we came out here and played," McNabb said.