The San Francisco 49ers walked into Week 9 with the NFC West looking a little less locked down than it had a couple weeks earlier. A loss to the Atlanta Falcons, followed by a bye, gave the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams a window. San Francisco shut it fast.
Now sitting at 7-1, the 49ers have reestablished themselves as the team to beat in the division after a 38-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. With Week 10 coming up, the gap between the top of the West and everyone else looks pretty clear.
Kyle Shanahan had two weeks to get ready for a Raiders defense that has been one of the league’s worst, and the 49ers made the most of it. The offense was rolling by the end of the third quarter, powered by the ground game in a game that never felt close for long.
Shanahan wanted 40 rushing attempts, and San Francisco finished with 43. Christian McCaffrey and Kaelon Black continue to look like one of the league’s most dangerous backfield pairs.
The division race isn’t officially over, but the 49ers are in the driver’s seat as long as the injury bug stays away. Their next test comes Sunday, Nov. 15 at Dallas.
The Rams, meanwhile, are hanging around because the talent on the roster is too strong to ignore, even if the résumé is still light. None of their five wins have come against elite opposition, and their best-looking victory came against a Giants team that lost its starting quarterback in the first quarter. Still, there was a major jolt in their 20-13 win over the Washington Commanders: Myles Garrett returned and immediately made his presence felt with three sacks in his first game back from the knee injury that kept him out for most of the season.
Los Angeles still had to grind for that win, and the offense never really found a clean rhythm. But when Garrett is on the field and this roster is healthy, the Rams can’t be dismissed in the NFC West conversation.
They head to Arizona next on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Seattle’s issues are harder to ignore. The Seahawks beat the Cardinals 17-3, but it was the kind of game that says more about the opponent than the team itself.
Even with Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet back, the rushing attack didn’t do much. And with no real passing threat beyond Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the offense remains stuck in a narrow lane.
The quarterback situation only adds to the concern. Sam Darnold is expected to miss another game in Week 10 because of quad and rib injuries, and time is starting to run short for Seattle to get its offense moving in the right direction. The good news is the schedule softens next, with the Raiders coming to town before a bye.
Arizona, after a promising stretch, dropped back down in a hurry. Gardner Minshew’s comeback magic from the Cowboys game didn’t last long.
Against Seattle, the Cardinals managed only three points and came up empty on both red-zone trips. Minshew finished with 166 passing yards and a 39.4 QBR, and the offense never recovered from the slow start.
In Other News...
49ers-Raiders Win Turned Into A Disturbing Levi's Stadium Security Story
The 49ers 38-17 win over the Raiders at Levis Stadium should have been remembered as a cleanly handled preseason result and another step in the Bay Area rivalry. Instead, the postgame conversation quickly shifted away from the scoreboard and toward what was happening in the stands and around the venue, where multiple fan fights broke out and turned an otherwise routine night into something far more troubling.
Security and police were left dealing with a wave of disorder that stretched beyond the field, with incidents serious enough to draw video attention and prompt a broader response from authorities. The investigation is ongoing, and officials are asking witnesses to come forward as they try to piece together how a game that was supposed to be about football became a disturbing scene outside the stadium. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Face One More Trade Deadline Decision At Wide Receiver
With the trade deadline approaching, the 49ers are still weighing whether to make one more move to steady a receiver group that has been hit hard by injuries. The front office has already shown a willingness to keep looking for help, and the latest possibility centers on a receiver who could fit both the immediate need and the long-term roster picture.
Indianapolis has reportedly already received at least a fourth-round offer for the player in question, which puts San Francisco in a position to decide how aggressive it wants to be. The appeal is clear: a young receiver on a rookie deal who has asked for a trade, but the 49ers still have to determine whether meeting the market is worth the cost as the deadline closes in. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Enter Cowboys Week With One Big Question At Receiver
The 49ers are heading into Week 10 with their receiver rotation still in flux, and the timing is hardly ideal with Dallas on deck. Kyle Shanahan said Deebo Samuel is expected back at practice on Wednesday, which at least gives San Francisco a chance to get one of its top playmakers moving again as the week opens.
Mike Evans, though, remains the bigger concern. John Lynch said his absence is being handled cautiously to protect his long-term health, and the veteran receiver is not expected to practice this week after missing the last two games. With a third straight absence now in play, the 49ers may have to keep adjusting their plan at a spot where they can least afford uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]