Raiders Stomped by 49ers 38-17 As Defense Collapses, Turnovers Abound

The Las Vegas Raiders were outclassed and outscored by the San Francisco 49ers, 38-17, as their defense offered little resistance and the Raiders struggled with brutal turnovers in the second half as they ran up a total of five for the game.

This was a JV vs. varsity game between two teams with a wide quality gulf between them, and it showed throughout. It was never really competitive, and while the Raiders have taken some tough losses this year, this was the worst beatdown by far in a season that’s featured some bad ones. 

The first half was close to a rerun for the Raiders, as San Francisco scored early and often  to romp to three touchdowns and take a 21-10 lead. 

The 49ers completely controlled the game with their offense, as Brock Purdy ran for one touchdown and threw for another, with running back Christian McCaffrey running for one touchdown while catching Purdy’s touchdown pass. 

The Raiders scored on a two-yard run by quarterback Kirk Cousins, and Matt Gay added a 50-yard field goal shortly before the half. Cousins was solid on that drive, as he hit tight end Brock Bowers for 20 yards and receiver Tre Tucker for another 14. 

That left Las Vegas within theoretical striking distance, but it didn’t last long. The offense turned into a turnover machine after halftime, with Cousins trying to make a play after fumbling and instead throwing a pick-six to linebacker Jaden Dugger. 

That was bad, but things got a lot worse. The Raiders were able to come back with a touchdown on a 21-yard Cousins throw to Bowers to make it 28-17, but two more fumbles in the quarter allowed San Francisco to pull away with another touchdown, and at 35-17 the game was basically over after the third quarter. 

Cousins threw two more picks in the fourth quarter, though, which will almost certainly raise the hue and cry for rookie Fernando Mendoza to start. Coach Klint Kubiak has backed Cousins to date, but this may be the point where the coach starts to admit that this is a roster reconstruction, not a potential playoff team, and shift into a different mode of operating. 

The Niners got to enjoy a laugher, as they ran their record to 7-1, while the Raiders dropped back below .500 at 4-5. This is going to be an interesting week with the Seattle Seahawks coming to town, as Kubiak once again tries to right the ship after another bad blowout.