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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Coach Jim Haslett gathered his special teams players together and told the Saints they were about to line up for one of their most important kickoffs of the season.

A rookie took it to heart.

Allen's Analysis

Saints-Raiders: How big a win was this for the Saints heading into their bye week? A win outside the comforts of home may have saved coach Jim Haslett's job. But this win doesn't erase the fact that this should be a more dominant football team. They are extremely talented at key positions but are too up and down to be considered a true threat. If the Saints actually were to play up to their talent level, Haslett wouldn't have to worry about his job because teams would be too worried trying to find ways to beat them. Eric Allen played cornerback for 14 NFL seasons with the Eagles, Saints and Raiders. He's a regular contributor to Insider.

Moments later, Colby Bockwoldt scooped up Carlos Francis' fumble on the kickoff and ran it 6 yards into the end zone for what turned out to be the deciding score Sunday in New Orleans' 31-26 victory over the Oakland Raiders that snapped the Saints' three-game losing streak.

"That was pretty nice," said Bockwoldt, who made a similar play last season while with BYU. "We practice these drills, fumbles. You don't have time to think about it. My eyes were on the goal line."

His big play made it 31-19 only 14 seconds after John Carney kicked a 41-yard field goal for the Saints with 4:31 left. Oakland charged back down the field to score again -- on Jerry Porter's first touchdown catch of the season with 2:34 left -- making the special teams' performance so critical.

"I told them field position was going to be big, and try to stick them inside their own 20," Haslett said.

It took New Orleans nearly a half to get a first down. Once the Saints finally found a little success, they practically did whatever they wanted.

Deuce McAllister ran for two short touchdowns, Aaron Brooks threw for 282 yards and a touchdown, and Joe Horn had nine receptions for 123 yards.

Jerome Pathon added six catches as the Saints (3-4) used a strong second half to send the Raiders to their fourth straight defeat.

"That's all we needed, to get a first down," said Brooks, who was 23-for-39 with a 4-yard TD pass to Lamont Hall. "Once we got into the groove, we were able to take it to them."

Ten points in 14 seconds was a nice way for New Orleans to end its first visit to the Oakland Coliseum in seven years -- the Saints beat the Raiders 13-10 during that 1997 trip. The teams last played in 2000, when the Raiders won 31-22 at the Louisiana Superdome.

Now, let the finger-pointing begin again in Oakland. Feuding was the story of the Raiders' sour 4-12 season a year ago.

Oakland (2-5) ended a seven-quarter touchdown drought when Kerry Collins connected with wide-open tight end Doug Jolley on a 34-yard TD pass 26 seconds into the fourth quarter.

But that wasn't enough to satisfy the unforgiving Raider Nation, which booed its struggling quarterback for the second straight week when he headed out to the huddle. Collins even encouraged the fans one time by waving his arms toward the rowdy Black Hole section behind the south end zone.

"I guess it's the competitor in me," Collins said. "I get fired up. When people get down on you and are calling for you to get pulled, it gets my juices flowing."

Collins has thrown nine interceptions and only four touchdown passes in 4½ games since taking over as starter after Rich Gannon broke a vertebra in his neck last month. Collins still finished 26-of-45 for 350 yards.

It was another disappointing day for an Oakland offense that generated only 145 total yards in a 31-3 loss to the Broncos last week.

Sebastian Janikowski kicked field goals of 28, 42, 44 and 40 yards for the Raiders, who outgained New Orleans 432-322.

"We ended up kicking field goals, and that has an effect as the game goes on," Raiders coach Norv Turner said.

Collins completed passes to nine receivers in the Raiders' first game without Jerry Rice, who was traded to Seattle last Monday.

Tebucky Jones intercepted a pass by Collins late in the third quarter and returned it 55 yards, setting up McAllister's second touchdown, from 1 yard.

The Saints went three-and-out on their first four offensive series against Oakland's swarming defense.

New Orleans finally got a first down with 5:30 left in the second quarter on Brooks' 27-yard completion to Pathon on third-and-three, which led to Hall's 4-yard touchdown that sent the Saints into halftime trailing 9-7.

Raiders left guard Frank Middleton was carted off the field with a left leg injury midway through the first quarter.

Guard Brad Badger blocked a New Orleans player into him, causing the 6-foot-3, 330-pound Middleton to fall awkwardly with most of his weight on his left leg. The Raiders said he was taken into the locker room for observation of a quadriceps injury.

Collins completed a 32-yard pass to Alvis Whitted on the play.

Game notes

Raiders defensive line coach Sam Clancy was on the sideline three days after leaving the team's practice facility on a stretcher and being rushed to the hospital after complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath. ... CB Jason Craft stripped Francis on the fumble and the ball rolled to Bockwoldt. ... Porter caught a 13-yard TD pass. ... Raiders DT Ted Washington sustained bruised ribs.