The Raiders went back to the Bay Area as a Las Vegas team for the first time in the regular season. They came home 38-17 losers to the San Francisco 49ers, sitting at 4-5, after a second half that fell apart one giveaway at a time.
It was the Raiders' first regular-season game in the Bay Area since moving from Oakland to Las Vegas after the 2019 season, played Sunday, November 8, at Levi's Stadium.
Seventeen Seconds Into the Second Half, It Broke Open
San Francisco scored touchdowns on its first three possessions and led 14-0 after one quarter. Kirk Cousins answered with a 1-yard sneak and Matt Gay hit a 50-yard field goal, and the Raiders trailed 21-10 at halftime.
Then came the first play of the third quarter. Cousins recovered a misread handoff, threw toward Tre Tucker, and rookie linebacker Jaden Dugger returned the interception 35 yards for a touchdown, just 17 seconds into the half.
It was Dugger's first career interception and his first NFL touchdown. Cousins answered with a 21-yard touchdown to Brock Bowers, cutting it to 28-17.
Then the giveaways took over:
- Fred Warner forced a fumble from Bowers, and Dre Greenlaw recovered it, wiping out field position earned after Treydan Stukes intercepted Purdy.
- Michael Mayer fumbled just short of the goal line, with Upton Stout forcing it and Warner recovering in the end zone for a touchback.
- Purdy hit Jordan Watkins for a 37-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 35-17.
- Renardo Green intercepted Cousins in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
- Malik Mustapha intercepted Cousins on the Raiders' final possession to close it out.
Eddy Pineiro's 35-yard field goal with just over five minutes left set the final margin.
The Numbers That Hurt Most
| Stat | Raiders | 49ers |
|---|---|---|
| Turnovers | 5 | 1 |
| Rushing yards | 24 | 190 |
| Quarterback line | Cousins: 216 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT | Purdy: 232 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
The fresh insight in this loss is not just the turnovers. The Raiders have now allowed at least 30 points in six straight games in the same season, tying an NFL record and becoming the fifth team ever to do it, per the Associated Press.
Las Vegas has lost five of those six after a 3-0 start. San Francisco's five second-half takeaways were its first five-takeaway half in 20 years, also against the Raiders, at Candlestick Park.
Bowers was the bright spot, with seven catches for 111 yards and the score. Purdy added 40 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, and his 12-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey was the 100th of his career, reached in his 57th regular-season game.
“Sometimes when you get behind, you try to get it all back in one play and it’s hard to be patient,” Cousins said.
Maxx Crosby was blunter on the defense.
“You’re not going to win games if you’re letting up 30 points a game,” he said. “We have to be better.”
One injury to track: offensive lineman Trey Zuhn left in the second half with a concussion, per the AP report.
Now the Clock Runs the Raiders' Week
The NFL trade deadline hits Tuesday, November 10, at 1 p.m. PT. This loss is the last evidence head coach Klint Kubiak and general manager John Spytek get before deciding whether to buy, sell, or stand still.
Kubiak did not tip his hand.
“Every day, the calculus changes,” he said. “You get new information about your team, and that goes into the decision-making moving forward.”
Crosby shut down trade speculation fast. “I don’t pay attention to that at all,” he told reporters.
Here is the fan checklist for the week:
- Tuesday, 1 p.m. PT: the trade deadline. Watch whether Las Vegas adds defensive help or starts collecting draft picks.
- Sunday, November 15: Seattle visits Las Vegas, 1:05 p.m. PT on CBS and Paramount+. A win gets the Raiders back to .500.
- Getting there: Allegiant Stadium, 3333 Al Davis Way, Las Vegas, NV 89118. Arrive early and allow time for parking and entry.
