SAN DIEGO — It is Raiders Week at Chargers Park. Does that still mean anything?

Yes and no.

“I come from Kansas City, so that’s all I know,” San Diego Chargers cornerback Brandon Flowers said of a rivalry with Sunday’s opponent, the Oakland Raiders. “And I hear here it’s turned up a notch.”

On the other hand, coach Mike McCoy said, “It’s one of 16 games. They’re all the same weight.”

Whenever the Chargers wrestle with the Raiders, it is a big deal to the fans. However, heading into Sunday’s game in Oakland, the teams are headed in opposite directions.

The streaking Chargers are seeking a fifth consecutive win.

The befuddled Raiders hope to avoid falling to 0-5.

Despite the opponent’s record, the Chargers are approaching Sunday in a workmanlike fashion.

It is not quite like the old days, when coach Marty Schottenheimer would all but get a city proclamation declaring it “Raider Week” while unearthing his best motivational speeches.

McCoy won’t go to such lengths.

Instead, he is more concerned about his team staying on track despite a spate of injuries.

“This is the most important game of the year for us,” McCoy said.

The Chargers were ambushed in Oakland last year, so the memory is still fresh.

While they won’t admit, the Chargers are preparing to face a team with an interim coach, Tony Sparano; a rookie quarterback, Derek Carr; and a team leader, cornerback Charles Woodson, who said of his team last month, “We suck.”

Sparano, who took over when Dennis Allen was fired last week, tried to start anew Tuesday by digging a hole and burying a football in front of the team. That was the funeral. The Raiders expect a lively wake Sunday.

As always, there is a bit different attention given to the Raiders, especially when visiting their Black Hole, the same venue the Chargers have visited since the 1970s — not counting the few years when the Raiders made Los Angeles their home.

“We know we are going to get their best,” quarterback Philip Rivers said. “They’ve had a bye week, they’ve had a lot of things happen in the last week or so.

“Knowing the players on that team, and some that they have added, it’s a powerful group. We got to be ready to go.”

Ready or not, it is Chargers-Raiders again.

In Oakland.

“It’s a heck of a tough place to play,” Rivers said, but he added that the Chargers’ heads are in the right location.

“When you’ve won a handful in a row, you can’t just think that winning is easy,” he said. “It’s hard to win a game every week, and we have that mind-set.”

Running back Ronnie Brown, released by the Houston Texans on Tuesday, signed Wednesday with the Chargers, who outdueled the division rival Denver Broncos for his services. Brown played for San Diego in 2012-13.

“There are a lot of familiar faces,” Brown said. “It was a no-brainer because I’m familiar with the system.”

Rivers was glad to see Brown back.

“He is a heck of a player, but his value is more than just what he does on the field,” Rivers said. “He brings leadership and toughness and a trust at that position.”

NOTES: Among those not practicing Wednesday were RB Donald Brown (concussion), OLB Jarret Johnson (shoulder, ankle), CB Shareece Wright (knee), RT D.J. Fluker (ankle) and ILB Manti Te’o (foot). Limited in practice were WR Malcom Floyd (calf), S Darrell Stuckey (quad) and OLB Jerry Attaochu (hamstring).