The Raiders are back in the Bay Area for the first time since leaving after the 2019 NFL season, and they’re walking into a tough one. San Francisco is 6-1, and Las Vegas still hasn’t knocked off an upper-tier opponent this year. That makes Sunday more than just another Week 9 game - the result could even shape what John Spytek does before the Tuesday trade deadline.
There’s also a familiar backdrop to this one: a Battle of the Bay with a lot of eyes on how the Silver and Black handle a heavyweight. The Raiders have hung around with some of the AFC’s better teams, but now they’re staring at what looks like the best team in the NFC.
On the injury front, Las Vegas will be without Thomas Booker IV, who is out with an ankle injury. That thins the defensive tackle group, though Tim Keenan III was elevated from the practice squad for the third straight week to help fill the gap.
Darien Porter is questionable with a groin injury, while Dylan Laube was added Saturday with an illness but did not get a game designation. Dont’e Thornton Jr. showed up on the report Thursday with a back issue but also carries no designation.
Foley Fatukasi and Ian Thomas have been dealing with injuries for weeks, but both are still set to play without a designation. Tonka Hemingway is also off the report after dealing with a stinger in Week 8.
San Francisco’s injury list is more dramatic on the offensive side. Mike Evans is out with ribs and Achilles injuries, Christian Kirk is out and on injured reserve because of a knee injury, and Deebo Samuel is also out with a hamstring issue.
Demarcus Robinson is questionable with an ankle injury, while Nate Hobbs, Upton Stout and Siran Neal are all questionable on the defensive side. Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa and Marques Sigle are listed without designations.
The 49ers are also expected to get Robinson back, but that still doesn’t make up for being down three wide receivers.
That shortage of pass-catchers matters because Brock Purdy and the offense have leaned on Evans, and now they’ll have to adjust without him, Samuel or Kirk. George Kittle and McCaffrey remain major threats in the passing game, which only makes the challenge tougher for Rob Leonard’s defense. On the other side, the 49ers also added DeForest Buckner to their roster since the last time they played.
One of the biggest questions for Las Vegas is how the backfield is going to look. Last week, Klint Kubiak shifted the workload and gave Mike Washington Jr. the heavier carry share instead of Ashton Jeanty.
Jeanty still had a role in the passing game and made an impact there, but Week 8 raised the question of whether that was a one-week wrinkle or the start of a new pattern. Kubiak has said both players will be involved, and that he needs both of them - along with Dylan Laube - to win Sunday.
Another major issue is whether the Raiders defense can slow down an offense that is built to punish mistakes. Leonard’s group gave up 33 points to the Jets last week, and this matchup looks even more dangerous.
San Francisco can run it, throw it, protect the ball and block well. If Las Vegas is giving up close to 40 points, the game is probably over.
There’s one more wrinkle worth watching: the crowd. Raider Nation had a noticeable impact in New York, where the fans helped make life difficult for the Jets and forced penalties. The hope is that Bay Area Raiders fans can create something similar in Santa Clara and turn this into a home-game feel for Las Vegas.
In Other News...
Raiders Face A Trade Deadline Choice That Could Define This Run
The Raiders have spent the first part of the season making a better case for themselves than almost anyone expected, and that has turned the next few weeks into a real test of how serious they are about staying in the playoff picture. With the November 10 trade deadline approaching, the front office has a chance to answer a simple question: is this a team content to ride the momentum, or one willing to push chips in while the window is open?
The roster has clear pressure points, even if the record has softened some of the early skepticism. Help at wide receiver would make life easier on Ashton Jeanty and give the offense more balance, while the defensive front could use another body to complement Maxx Crosby and keep the pass rush from wearing down. Several names have surfaced as possible fits, and the Raiders now have to decide whether to stand pat or make the kind of move that can shape the rest of this run. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Face Early Roster Pressure Around J.K. Dobbins And Secondary
Maxx Crosby has been one of the more steady voices around the Raiders as camp chatter starts to settle into real roster questions, and he sounded encouraged by where the team is headed. The veteran edge rusher said he likes the locker room and trusts the new leadership, while also pointing to both Klint Kubiak and first-time defensive coordinator Rob Leonard as reasons for his optimism about the direction of the group.
On offense, the conversation around Ashton Jeanty has already taken on a familiar training-camp split: what he has done as a receiver versus what he has shown as a runner. Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said Jeantys work in the passing game has been stronger than his production on the ground, but the team is treating the rushing issues as something bigger than one back, a sign that the Raiders are still sorting out how the whole offense wants to function. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders May Have Found A First Round Answer To Their Guard Problem
The Raiders have spent enough time searching for stability inside that any promising young lineman is worth a long look, and Minnesota guard Greg Johnson is starting to look like the kind of first-round option that could fit the bill. He brings the size teams want up front, and his tape points to a blocker who can help in both phases, giving Las Vegas a potential answer to a spot that has been a recurring problem.
What makes Johnson especially intriguing is how much more than a simple guard prospect he appears to be. His versatility gives him appeal across the offensive line, and his work in pass protection and run blocking suggests a player who could step into a bigger role quickly if he continues on this path toward the 2027 NFL Draft. For a Raiders team trying to build real durability in the trenches, that kind of flexibility is hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]