Sports 5 min read

Busters for Raiders Week 9 vs 49ers

By The Best News Network November 11, 2026

It was another week of defensive ineptitude for the Raiders. Only this time they added offensive mistakes. Certainly the 49ers defense played a part in that. But it only served to show the Raiders that even their offense is a long way from being able to stand up to the bully defenses in this league. And perhaps showed the Raiders defense how far away they are from being presentable.

Busters

DC Rob Leonard

Play after play you see the Raiders defenders looking defeated and discouraged. Basically throwing their hands up as opposing offenses continuously know exactly how to attack them. Just as in previous weeks, the Raiders defense surrendered scores on every drive in the first half. This time it was on three long touchdown drives. And it wasn’t until the third quarter, when they were already down 28-10 that the Raiders made their first stop.

The 49ers were doing all this without both to their top two receivers. Instead, Jordan Watkins put up career-highs in catches (four) and yards (86), and had the first TD of his career. Rookie RB Kaelon Black averaged 6.4 yards per carry and Christian McCaffrey had two touchdowns – one on the ground and one through the air.

LB Quay Walker

He was flagged for offsides on the first play of the game. And it got worse from there. At the end of that drive, the 49ers had three straight runs go right through his position for the final 16 yards and the touchdown.

The second TD drive saw him so focused on Christian McCaffrey he didn’t notice Brock Purdy run right past him for 18 yards on third and 18. The third TD drive, he gave up a 17-yard catch and then went on a blitz, leaving CMC open for a 12-yard touchdown catch.

And just as he had begun the game with a mistake, he ended it too, getting blocked on an 18-yard run that put the 49ers in range of their final field goal to put it at a 21-point game in the fourth.

QB Kirk Cousins

While he did lead the Raiders to two touchdown drives, his mistakes ended several other possessions. Some in disastrous fashion. With the 49ers driving for a TD to open the game, the Raiders needed an answer. They went three-and-out with Cousins throwing too high and wide for Brock Bowers to get it on third down.

Coming out of the half, Cousins was looking at a 21-10 deficit. Not insurmountable, especially with the Raiders’ getting the ball to start the third quarter. Another touchdown drive and the Raiders are back in it. They got a touchdown on the first play. And by “they”, I mean the 49ers. Cousins took the snap, faked a handoff to Mike Washington, bumped him with the tip of the ball, causing it to fall to the turf. Cousins picked it up and threw a terrible pass right to 49ers LB Jaden Dugger who picked it off and returned it for the touchdown.

Down 35 to begin the fourth quarter, Cousins led the Raiders on a long drive to the San Francisco three-yard line. But on third down, he threw for Tre Tucker on the right side only to underthrow it and had it intercepted in the end zone by Renardo Green. That was the dagger.

TE Michael Mayer

Just prior to that interception in the end zone that put the nail in the proverbial coffin, it looked like Mayer had a touchdown. But he pushed off trying to get open and was flagged for offensive pass interference, backing it up to the 13-yard-line.

That was the second would-be Mayer touchdown that led to a turnover. The previous drive, Cousins found Mayer over the middle with the big tight end making the catch and rumbling 24 yards where Upton Stout punched the ball out just prior to him crossing the goal line and Fred Warner recovered it in the end zone for a touchback.

He was also tackled for a loss on the Raiders final drive of the second quarter because he didn’t sell the block on the screen and Nick Bosa stuck with him to make the tackle behind the line. The Raiders ultimately had to settle for a long field goal, squandering the great field position off the 54-yard Dylan Laube kick return.

DT Adam Butler, NT Folorunso Fatukasi

The final two runs of the first drive went through Butler for four yards and Fatukasi for the TD from one yard out. The second drive, Butler was pancaked on an eight-yard run with Fatukasi giving up the first down on the next play. Then Butler watched and jogged as Brock Purdy escaped for an 11-yard first down scramble to put the 49ers in first and goal at the eight. The two of them combined for three tackles (one solo).

CB Eric Stokes

He gave up an 11-yard catch to lead out the 49ers first drive. His pass interference penalty in the end zone gave the 49ers first and goal at the one at the end of their second drive. And he gave up the longest catch of their third drive for 24 yards.

G Trey Zuhn

Twice he was beaten badly on the block with nearly disastrous results. Once late in the second quarter to give up a run stuff and tackle for a loss of five that stalled the drive, causing them to settle for a long field goal at the half. The other so badly blew up a screen attempt that is nearly caused an interception behind the line.