SAN DIEGO — The Chargers prevailed on Sunday and that was the reminder on Monday.

“The No. 1 thing is to go out and find a way to win,” coach Mike McCoy said.

Check that.

But the Chargers’ 13-6 victory over the Oakland Raiders was far from a work of art.

“The only thing I worry about is winning and we won the football game,” McCoy stressed.

So let others mention the Chargers have one touchdown in their past two games. Or their inability to convert third downs (7-for-26) is a trend and no longer an aberration.

McCoy is right, of course. A win is a win and after three straight losses, the Chargers will embrace that saying.

“There was lot of positives from the game overall,” McCoy said. “Coaches, we always want better, and the players are shooting for a perfect game.”

That search continues after the Chargers had trouble moving the ball against the winless Raiders. But regardless of the opponent, the Chargers got the triumph and pulled to within one game of the AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs.

“It was the one we had to have to get back on track,” McCoy said. “We are going to learn from this one and move on to the next one.”

That’s where some concern comes from.

Quarterback Philip Rivers was sacked twice and hit nine times. At one time he barely made it to the sidelines, later saying he had the wind knocked out of him.

Tight end Antonio Gates, though, said Rivers is playing with a “severe rib injury”.

McCoy said Rivers is fine and Rivers said the same after Sunday’s game.

But with the pass-rushing St. Louis Rams on deck, Rivers’ health is a talking point.

The point, though, on Monday was what happened on Sunday: the Chargers won.

NOTES, QUOTES

–Running back Ryan Mathews gave the Chargers’ morbid running game a boost, playing for the first time in Sunday’s win since spraining his right knee in Week 2. “It was fun,” said Mathews, who rushed for a game-high 70 yards on 16 carries, with a long of 20. “It wasn’t just me thought. It was everyone. The linemen, receivers, the quarterback putting us in good position and the tight ends. Everyone contributed.”

–Wide receiver Keenan Allen said Sunday’s win did more than give the Chargers’ record a lift. “It was big for us, not just for the record but for our confidence,” said Allen, who had game-highs in receptions (eight) and receiving yards (63). “Getting a win after the bye is big. Now we have our confidence back and are ready to roll.”

–Outside linebacker Jarret Johnson said the defense being able to rebound was significance. “I think we needed a game like this,” Johnson said. “We struggled the last three weeks and to come out and play like this was great. You have to give (Oakland) a ton of credit. I’ve never played against a team that’s in the situation they are in, 0-9, and playing with so much heart. You’ve got to give those guys a ton of credit. It’s pretty rare.”

REPORT CARD VS. RAIDERS

–PASSING OFFENSE: C — Philip Rivers has had better days, completing 22 of 34 passes for 193 yards a score. That’s a decent day for some, but not for Rivers as so much hinges on how well he plays. The Chargers stuck with the underneath stuff for the most part, not wanting to but Rivers, we can speculate, in harm’s way with the deep drops. Rivers was sacked twice and hit numerous other times. The receivers were keen — no drops. Big catch by Antonio Gates to ice the win.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: B — A pulse here as the return of Ryan Mathews gave the running game another dimension with his hard-nosed running. The Chargers went for 120 rushing yards, which helped take some pressure off Rivers. The run-blocking, though, remains a work-in-progress and we more changes along the offensive line this is worth watching. But Mathews’ coming back was huge and he proved it with giving the running game a physical presence.

–PASS DEFENSE: B — Derek Carr torched the Chargers for four touchdowns the last time they played. But on Sunday the Chargers were able to make Carr look like a rookie. Their coverages, for the most part, were solid. And there was more of a pass rush with linebackers Jerry Attaochu and Melvin Ingram returning to the mix.

–RUSH DEFENSE: A — It was the Raiders, so we do grade on a curve. But it’s not the Chargers fault the Raiders’ running game is built around two backs well past their prime. So regardless, holding a team to 71 rushing yards is just that. Kavell Conner was active, so was Donald Butler in one of his better games of the season. His fumble recovery helped set up the Chargers only touchdown.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: A — Punter Mike Scifres was sensational with his nine punts, which kept the Raiders in bad field position for most of the game. He had five efforts downed inside the 20 and he had a long of 51. His net of 41.4 yards was impressive. Keenan Allen is showing something as a punt returner (average 11 yards), something the Chargers have been searching for since the season started. K Nick Novak missed from 48 yards to snap his streak of 32 straight field goals. But he rallied with a 52-yarder later in the game. Coverage units were fine.

–COACHING: D — How does one get such a mark in a win? Simple. The Chargers had an extra week to prepare for the Raiders but didn’t look like it. The offense never got in sync, with its lone touchdown set up by an early fumble. The third-down plays being called either didn’t work or were the wrong calls for the defenses they faced — either way, the Chargers didn’t pass the eye test on Sunday. Defensively, the Chargers were more active and energetic than they have been. The infusion of players helped that side of the ball as the Raiders were kept from reaching the end zone.