Blunders on the Bay: Raiders cough up too many chances against 49ers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.-- The last few meetings between the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers have taken on the vibe of a Super Bowl contender facing off against a team trying desperately to return to the ranks of the NFL’s elite. While the two teams are no longer in immediate proximity, the fires from the rivalry that once gripped the Bay Area every fall continued to burn bright. With the 49ers once again having legitimate Lombardi Trophy aspirations and the Raiders showing marked improvement from last year, the heat has only intensified. It would take nothing short of flawless execution from the Raiders to return to Las Vegas with a statement win on their season. Unfortunately, such a plan would never materialize, as the 49ers would take this latest chapter in the rivalry with a 38-17 victory at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. At first, it was expected that the defense would be the unit that struggled to keep things together. The run defense continued to struggle to the tune of surrendering five yards per carry, with most of the damage being done by Christian McCaffrey with 58 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Brock Purdy also put together an excellent first half with 123 passing yards and a touchdown, as well as adding another score on the ground. The struggles at the beginning would lead to the Raiders giving up 30 points or more for the sixth consecutive game. “We’ll look at the film, and we’ll make our decisions when we have cool heads,” said Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak on if changes were coming to the defense. However, the plot twist would come not necessarily in the way of the defense cleaning up, but in the offensive execution completely falling apart. On the first offensive play of the second half, Kirk Cousins would mishandle a snap from Tyler Linderbaum for a fumble, then pick it up and throw it directly into the hands of 49ers linebacker Jaden Dugger for a touchdown. It would be a prelude to how the remainder of the half would be played, as the Raiders were responsible for five turnovers in the second half alone. Cousins would throw for three interceptions, while both Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer were responsible for fumbles that were recovered by San Francisco. Even though Treydan Stukes would record an interception in his own right for the Raiders, it was impossible for Las Vegas to come back with the offense continuing to turn the ball over and keeping the defense on the field for the majority of the time remaining. While Cousins has typically been a bright spot even when games do not fall in the Raiders’ favor, this is the first point in the season where he carries the brunt of the responsibility for a loss. As a result, the fervor surrounding Fernando Mendoza will only continue to grow, and the Raiders will have to at least consider shortening the leash. While it was telling that Mendoza did not come into the game at any point, this feels like the first genuine point where a change is going to be considered. Whether the Raiders decide to give the first overall pick an opportunity is up for them to decide. Regardless of whoever is in at quarterback, the Raiders have another challenging week ahead of them when the Seattle Seahawks continue their title defense when they enter Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.