They haven't played in a Super Bowl since 1995, and have never won one.</p><p>They're annually picked to challenge for conference supremacy, but usually fall short.</p><p>And this year in spite of a talent-sopped roster, they're just 3-3 through six games.</p><p>But like an average-looking guy who hangs out with his homeliest male friend, the San Diego Chargers have found the perfect Week 8 way to feel better about themselves.</p><p>Play the Oakland Raiders.</p><p>As difficult as the ride has been for Norv Turner and Co. through the season's initial stages, it's hardly comparable to the tumultuous trip for a moribund Silver & Black, which reached a collective low last Sunday with a 38-0 loss to the slumping New York Jets at Bay Area home.</p><p>The loss dropped the Raiders - who'd been coming off an upset of the Philadelphia Eagles - to a particularly ugly 2-5, good for third in an AFC West Division that's rapidly becoming the personal playpen of the surprisingly still-unbeaten Denver Broncos at 6-0.</p><p>Oakland has allowed nearly three points for each one it's scored, saw maddeningly unimpressive quarterback JaMarcus Russell benched in favor of journeyman Bruce Gradkowski against the Jets and only barely escaped further embarrassment when head coach Tom Cable avoided prosecution for an alleged run- in with former assistant Randy Hanson, in which Hanson suffered a broken jaw.</p><p>Not exactly the "Commitment to Excellence" Al Davis had in mind, it seems.</p><p>And it's seemingly left Cable and his charges in "circle the wagons" mode.</p><p>"It's seven weeks into the season. There's a lot of football left," he said. "I still know that this team's gonna succeed this year. To what degree, that will be decided in the next nine weeks, 10 weeks. And I'm not gonna lose faith in it. I haven't. And so we'll just keep moving forward. And I just think the biggest issue for us right now is making sure we take care of each other on this football team."</p><p>On the contrary, even at .500, San Diego is second in the woeful four-team loop...ahead of the Raiders and 1-6 Kansas City. In fact, the Chargers have beaten the Raiders 12 straight times.</p><p>And in relative terms, they're George Clooney to Oakland's Gene Wilder.</p><p>"To a certain extent, we are what our record says we are, which is a .500 football team," said Chargers QB Philip Rivers, during a radio interview on Wednesday's Jim Rome Show. "But knowing the way we come to work and prepare between Monday and Saturday - what most people don't see - there's no doubt in my mind that we're going to finish up better than that at the end."</p><p>SERIES HISTORY</p><p>Oakland has a 54-43-2 record in its all-time regular season series with San Diego, but has lost 12 in a row since last defeating the Chargers at home during the 2003 season. The Bolts were 24-20 road winners when they visited Oakland for a Monday night game in Week 1, and will be looking to pull off their sixth consecutive home-and-home sweep over the Silver and Black. The Raiders are 0-6 in San Diego since last winning there in 2002.</p><p>Oakland won the only postseason meeting between the teams, prevailing by a 34-27 count in the 1980 AFC Championship.</p><p>Chargers head coach Norv Turner is 6-1 all-time against his former employer the Raiders, including 5-0 since coming to San Diego. Oakland's Cable is 0-2 against both Turner and the Chargers as a head coach.</p><p>WHEN THE RAIDERS HAVE THE BALL</p><p>In spite of the 6-for-11, two-interception start that led to Gradkowski's insertion last week, Russell will get the start again under center for the Raiders with Cable's blessing. Overall, he's completed just 74-of-160 passes, been intercepted eight times and accounted for only two passing touchdowns for a traditionally aerially-inclined team. He has, however, passed for 200-plus yards with a touchdown in three career home starts against San Diego - including a career-high 277 yards last September - so even a road start within the same state might not be a debacle. On the ground, the recently Darren McFadden-less Raiders now feature youngster Michael Bush, who made his first NFL start last month and gained 55 yards on 12 carries with a TD in the Chargers' narrow 24-20 win. Workhorse Justin Fargas led the team for the second straight week with 67 yards against the Jets. On the outside, rookie Louis Murphy averages 14.5 yards per catch and had 87 yards and a touchdown against San Diego in September. And at tight end, Zach Miller is among the league's best while leading the team with 123 catches and 1,591 yards since 2007. He leads all tight ends in the NFL with a 16-yard per-catch average this season.