Chargers have lost four close games

SAFETY COOPER WINS COURAGE AWARD

The Raiders’ next opponent is the San Diego Chargers, who have won four games in a row and have played much better than their 7-4 record might indicate. San Diego’s four losses are by a combined 12 points — and the Chargers came within a play of winning each of those games.

Consider:

The Chargers lost their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys 28-24. The team’s decision to suspend tight end Antonio Gates for the first game as punishment for not reporting to training camp backfired.

The Chargers had a firstandfrom the Cowboys’ 7yard line on their final drive but failed to score a touchdown. The Cowboys scored the go-ahead touchdown on a drive kept alive by a holding penalty on a third-and-16 play.

The Chargers lost to the Denver Broncos 20-17 on Sept. 18 when Jason Elam kicked a field goal as time expired.

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Chargers 24-22 in a Monday night game Oct. 10 on Jeff Reed’s 40- yard field goal with six seconds left. Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson was stopped shy of the goal line on a two-point conversion attempt minutes earlier.

The Chargers’ field-goal attempt was blocked and returned 65 yards for a touchdown by Matt Ware late in their 23-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 23. That erased a 20-16 lead.

‘‘In this league anymore, the margin between winning and losing games is so small,’’ Chargers Coach Marty Schottenheimer said in a conference call with Bay Area reporters Wednesday. ‘‘It used to be six or eight, and now it’s a play or two.’’

Raiders players voted strong safety Jarrod Cooper the winner of the Ed Block Courage Award for overcoming a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Cooper was injured in April, underwent surgery in May and returned by the end of training camp, even though trainers told him that he would be out for the season.

Cooper will be honored along with the 31 other winners around the league at a dinner in Baltimore.

The Raiders signed San Jose State product William Obeng to their practice squad. The rookie offensive lineman spent time in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings.

Left guard Brad Badger (knee) remains questionable for Sunday’s game, though he is expected to be available, Raiders Coach Norv Turner said.