Jaden Dugger returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second half, the San Francisco 49ers forced five turnovers after halftime, and San Francisco beat the Las Vegas Raiders 38-17 on Sunday, November 8, at Levi’s Stadium.
San Francisco improves to 7-1, stays atop the NFC and is 5-0 at home. It was the first time in 20 years that the 49ers forced five second-half takeaways, last done against the Raiders at Candlestick Park. Las Vegas falls to 4-5 in its first regular-season game in the Bay Area since leaving Oakland after the 2019 season, with plenty of old Raiders fans in the crowd of 71,753.
Touchdowns on the first three drives
The 49ers scored touchdowns on each of their first three possessions. Christian McCaffrey ran in from 1 yard out, Brock Purdy did the same later in the first quarter, and McCaffrey caught a 12-yard touchdown pass in the second for a 21-7 lead. Kirk Cousins had answered with a 2-yard touchdown run, and Matt Gay’s 50-yard field goal with 1:12 left in the half made it 21-10.
Five takeaways in a half
Dugger jumped a Cousins throw on the opening snap of the third quarter and ran it back for a 28-10 lead. The Raiders responded with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Brock Bowers, and Treydan Stukes intercepted Purdy to give them good field position, but the giveaways kept coming. Fred Warner forced a fumble from Bowers. After Las Vegas stopped Purdy on a fourth-down sneak, tight end Michael Mayer lost a fumble just short of the goal line.
Purdy then found Jordan Watkins for a 37-yard touchdown with 36 seconds left in the third quarter, making it 35-17. Cousins threw two more interceptions in the fourth, one to Renardo Green in the end zone and another to Malik Mustapha, and Eddy Pineiro added a 35-yard field goal. “To come out the second half and have five of those was unbelievable,” Warner said. “It was guys being in the right spot doing their job.”
The numbers
- Brock Purdy: 17 of 25 for 232 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, plus 40 rushing yards and a touchdown. He became the 10th quarterback since the merger with 100 touchdown passes in his first 57 career games.
- Christian McCaffrey: 18 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown, plus a receiving touchdown. Rookie Kaelon Black led the team with 70 rushing yards on 11 carries.
- Jordan Watkins: four catches for 86 yards and a touchdown with Mike Evans out with Achilles tendinitis. George Kittle had four catches for 58 yards.
- Kirk Cousins: 22 of 32 for 216 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, plus a rushing touchdown.
- Brock Bowers: seven catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, and a lost fumble.
- Raiders run game: 24 yards on 15 carries; Ashton Jeanty had 25 yards on six attempts.
- Team totals: San Francisco 414 yards to 240, 190 rushing yards and 38:18 time of possession.
What it means
“He’s made a huge step forward,” coach Kyle Shanahan said of Watkins, who could see a bigger role if the 49ers do not add a receiver before Tuesday’s trade deadline. The Raiders tied a league record by allowing at least 30 points in a sixth straight game in the same season, the fifth team to do so, and have lost five of six after a 3-0 start. “You’re not going to win games if you’re letting up 30 points a game,” Maxx Crosby said. Cousins said he “probably needed to be a little more patient” when trying to rally.
San Francisco rookie defensive tackle Gracen Halton was carted off in the fourth quarter with a broken left ankle that will end his season. Green left after his interception with a back injury, and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir hurt his foot late. Raiders lineman Trey Zuhn left with a concussion.
What comes next
Las Vegas hosts the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, November 15. San Francisco visits the Dallas Cowboys the same day.
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