This was a wild one. Get ready to break down the Las Vegas Raiders vs San Francisco 49ers game.
The Good: Jarret Stidham scores three touchdowns
Before the game, the Las Vegas Raiders benched Derek Carr in favor of Jarret Stidham, and boy did the move pay off at first. Jarret Stidham started the game 4 of 5 for 48 yards and a touchdown in his opening drive. Stidham then completed two more touchdowns to give the Raiders a 24-14 lead in the third quarter.
Compare those three touchdowns to the hit-or-miss performances Carr has had as a starter and you see a major difference. Stidham even managed to utilize Davantae Adams for two touchdowns, making for great chemistry with his primary receiver. Everything just seems to be running smoother under Stidham.
Of course, Stidham did give up a crucial interception in the second half, but the Raiders’ defense was able to force the 49ers to take a field goal on the next drive. The defense deserves a lot of credit for stopping San Francisco from scoring a touchdown.
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The Bad: The Las Vegas defense gave up a score for the first three quarters
While the Raiders’ defense usually holds up strong in the first half, they gave up a score almost every quarter. Brock Purdy connected with George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk in the endzone for two of those scores. Running back Christian McCaffrey also took 17 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown of his own against the Raiders.
When all was said and done, the 49ers cut up Las Vegas for 454 yards, 170 yards of those with the ground game. The 49ers managed to score a touchdown in every quarter of the game against the Raiders, which hasn’t happened since November against the Seattle Seahawks. The Raiders also gave up a first-quarter score for the first time since December 4th against the Chargers.
Breaking down the stats further, the Raiders allowed 27 first downs, four three-point conversions in eight attempts, and only punted twice. Of course, the Raiders were only forced to punt two times as well, but the Raiders’ defense just collapsed too many times. That’s a reoccurring trend in the history of this franchise and it needs to stop.
The Ugly: Las Vegas Raiders lose after a field goal in overtime
What’s so ugly about this game is that the Raiders actually deserved better. They cut down on their mistakes and Jarrett Stidham was thrilling in his debut, but it wasn’t enough. The Raiders still fell victim to missed scoring opportunities and a last-minute field goal to lose the game. The team just doesn’t seem to possess that killer instinct in the fourth quarter.
This all came after Stidham went 23 of 34 for three touchdowns, two interceptions, and 365 yards. His two interceptions were ill-timed, but he moved the ball. That’s something Carr has failed to do all season, proving that he might actually be the problem.
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