The Raiders’ return to the Bay Area turned into a rough night fast, and the 38-17 loss to the 49ers left plenty to chew on. San Francisco controlled the game from the opening stretch, and Las Vegas never really looked like it had a foothold.
That kind of result naturally sparks big-picture reactions, and the first one is hard to avoid: the Raiders may need to start thinking seriously about Fernando Mendoza. Kirk Cousins had arguably his worst outing of the season, and the three interceptions only sharpened the conversation around his physical decline as an aging veteran. As the losses pile up against stronger opponents, it’s time to have real discussions about getting Mendoza on the field, no matter how Cousins is playing.
The timing feels closer than ever. The Raiders are at the point where their identity is becoming clear, and it’s not one built to hang with teams that are loaded across the board.
Matchups against clubs like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New England expose the gap in talent and coaching. Mendoza needs reps, and he needs them soon.
Whether it comes this week against Seattle or after the bye week, the case for playing No. 15 keeps getting stronger.
There’s also a broader reality setting in around this team. The Raiders are going to handle the weaker opponents, maybe steal a win against a better one, and drop most of the rest against quality competition.
A 7-10 finish is a reasonable line for this roster, and in Year 1 of a rebuild, that would count as a success. After a 3-0 start, these losses sting, but they also fit the shape of what this team appears to be.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t reason for optimism. Las Vegas has a future built around Mendoza, Brock Bowers, a young secondary, and quality linebackers.
The organization wants to stay disciplined in how it rebuilds, even when the losses are ugly. The frustration is real, but the path forward is still the path forward.
One more development could be coming on the roster front as the trade deadline approaches Tuesday at 4 pm Eastern (1 pm Pacific). Jackson Powers-Johnson, once a promising Oregon prospect and now in his third season, is back on the bench after losing his starting job to Caleb Rogers, then Trey Zuhn III. The former second-round pick may have played his final down for the Raiders.
Powers-Johnson should draw interest from teams looking for offensive line depth, especially with one year left on his rookie deal and a ceiling that still hasn’t been fully tapped. It wasn’t working in Las Vegas, and since he wasn’t a John Spytek selection, the cleanest move may be to get whatever Day 3 value the Raiders can and let him reset somewhere else.
In Other News...
Raiders Rivalry Put The 49ers In Focus For The Wrong Reason
What should have been a routine chapter in the Bay Area rivalry instead turned Levis Stadium into a scene of repeated trouble, with multiple brawls breaking out among fans in the stands and parking lots during the 49ers-Raiders game. The matchup has long carried added security concerns, and on this occasion the law enforcement presence was not enough to keep the incidents from spilling over into violent altercations.
Efforts to calm things down did not work, leaving authorities to sort through the aftermath and identify the people involved. For the Raiders, the football itself was quickly overshadowed by the kind of off-field behavior that can turn a rivalry game into a public safety issue, and officials are now focused on holding those who broke the law accountable. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Rivalry Game Turned Into A Dangerous Scene Fans Will Hate
A preseason rivalry game at Levis Stadium between the 49ers and Raiders turned ugly in a hurry, with multiple brawls breaking out among fans both in the stands and in the parking lot. The matchup has long carried extra edge because of the history between the two teams, and security was visibly stepped up around the stadium, but it still wasnt enough to keep tempers from boiling over.
Videos from the scene showed fans from both sides trading punches and tumbling over stadium seats as the chaos spread. The incidents led to arrests and renewed questions about how much can really be done to keep a charged rivalry from spilling beyond the field and into the crowd. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Suddenly Face A Roster Crossroads After Ugly 49ers Loss
The Raiders Week 9 loss to the 49ers did more than add another ugly result to the ledger. It also sharpened the questions around a roster that is still very much in motion, with coach Klint Kubiak acknowledging that the teams thinking around personnel is evolving as the trade deadline approaches. After a game in which Kirk Cousins was picked off three times and the defense had its own problems keeping San Francisco in check, the margin for patience only seems to be shrinking.
Kubiaks comments fit the broader reality in Las Vegas, where every new game seems to bring a fresh layer of urgency to the roster conversation. The Raiders are trying to sort out what they have, what they need and how aggressively they should act, all while the quarterback situation and the defensive issues remain front and center. For a team already searching for stability, the next move may be just as important as the last one. [Read more 🡒]