49ers @ Raiders
Final Score: 49ers 24 – Raiders 24
Writer: Brendan Boe (@BeeBoeFF on Twitter)
A bit of background: I grew up in the Bay Area, so I was stoked to hop on a game that represented both of my lifelong franchises. I’ve always loved watching these teams battle it out, but that said, I want to give an unbiased perspective from an analytical point of view. So here goes… The 49ers wanted to give Brock Purdy another chance to show what he can do. So they gave him two of his best weapons, and it could’ve gone better. Not a total trainwreck, but c’mon man, it’s the preseason – let’s see what other talent is on your team! Meanwhile, the Raiders did exactly that: show us what else you have to offer. Sure, it was hit or miss, but we got to see some exciting plays from lesser-known (or unknown) talent who are clawing their way onto the roster with this final opportunity before the season.
Three Up
- Jordan Mason – Yet another solid outing, it would be a surprise if he hasn’t earned the #2 spot.
- Tyriek McCallister – Great night with 2 touchdowns, and although he had few touches on offense, he made the most of them.
- Joshua Dobbs – Had the highest QB rating by a wide margin (130) as he continued his excellent preseason campaign.
One Down
- Dylan Laube – Concerns for his awareness on the field, particularly running into his teammate which ended the play.
49ers
Quarterback
Brock Purdy: 9/12, 96 Yards, INT | 1 Carry, 14 Yards
Purdy completed the majority of his passes for decent gains, but he seemed to lean on Deebo and Kittle to move the ball. I suspect he wanted to make up for his subpar performance from last week, but I was hoping to see more opportunities for players we’re less familiar with. The interception made his final stat line look worse than it was; it’s worth noting that the defender put his hand where it needed to be to deflect the pass to another defending player.
Notes
- A couple of great passes to his #1 guys in the first drive
- Nice QB scramble for 17 yards
- Patience to complete his reads and get the ball into the hands of his offense
- With Kittle and Deebo on the field, Purdy seemed to lean on them as his crutches
Missed Opportunities
- Intercepted when targeting Deebo; the ball was deflected, good defensive play
- Took a sack, losing 3 yards
Brandon Allen: 5/7, 60 Yards | 1 Carry, -1 Yard
Decisiveness is Allen’s bane as he was unable to find targets on multiple drives. His performance could’ve been worse as a ball was nearly intercepted, but regardless he took a couple of sacks that could’ve been avoided if he had more awareness and mobility.
Notes
- Beautiful spiral for a 24-yard pass
- Seems unwilling to commit to his first or second reads; holds onto the ball for too long
Missed Opportunities
- 3-and-out on multiple drives
- Took a sack; he seemed indecisive with the ball. Sacked again 2 plays later for -12 yards
- Nearly intercepted throwing deep; lucky for him, just an incomplete pass
Josh Dobbs: 8/10, 72 Yards, 1 TD | 2 Carries, -3 Yards
The Passtronaut is at it again! Outside of a sack for loss, Dobbs marched down the field for a touchdown without a single incompletion in his first drive. Throughout the second half, he displayed confidence in his receivers as he was willing to target multiple players. He’s shown great awareness and vision throughout the preseason, and his performance tonight reinforced the confidence we should have in him as Purdy’s backup.
Notes
- 5 out of 5 passes in his 1st drive for a total of 38 passing yards and a touchdown
- Showed great decisiveness and willingness to spread the ball out
Missed Opportunities
- A nearly perfect drive was interrupted by a sack for a loss
Running Back
Jordan Mason: 8 Carries, 42 Yards, TD | 1 Catch, 7 Yards
Mason’s first carry was for a loss, but he made up for it with each one afterward being a positive gain, amassing 40 yards by the end of the 1st quarter. He’s looked excellent this preseason, and although nobody can fill the shoes of his teammate Christian McCaffrey, Mason is making a strong case for being the #2.
Notes
- Tough run for 11 yards; forced a missed tackle
- Back-to-back runs with good gains, 12 and 7 respectively
- Powered through the D-line for a touchdown
- Great catch for 7 yards, with about 8 yards after the catch
Missed Opportunities
- Loss of 5 yards on his first carry
Isaac Guerendo: 11 Carries, 32 Yards | 2 Catches, 3 Yards
Guerendo boasts the Niners highlight of the night as he booked it down the field for a 92-yard kick return, leading to a short touchdown by his teammate. At 6′ 2″ and 221, this big back uses a combination of strength, speed, and awareness to power down the field. Outside of Mason, he was the rushing attack in this game.
Notes
- A couple of strong runs down the middle for 6 yards each
- 92-yard kick return! Forced several missed tackles to get the ball inside the 10
- Had multiple catches; despite being short, RB involvement in the passing game is always noteworthy
Patrick Taylor Jr.: 4 Carries, 15 Yards, 1 TD
A relatively quiet night outside of his touchdown, he seemed to be third in the pecking order. The final game stats imply that Cody Schrader was more involved, but the 49ers were trying to run out the clock at that point.
Notes
- Two carries inside the 10 to get the touchdown after Guerrendo’s massive kick return
- Elusive 12-yard run for a first down; nearly broke away for the touchdown
Cody Schrader: 7 Carries, 27 Yards
All seven of Schrader’s carries were in the final drive as the 49ers were hoping to run out the clock. Outside of his 12-yard rush, there’s not much else of note here.
Notes
- Seven carries in one drive – Niners were trying to end this game
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Deebo Samuel: 2 Catches, 32 Yards
We know what to expect with Deebo – he played in this game because Purdy didn’t look so hot the week before.
Notes
- Big catch for 27 yards
Missed Opportunities
- Couldn’t secure the ball in tight coverage, leading to an interception; great defensive play
George Kittle: 3 Catches, 34 Yards
He’s here for the same reason as Deebo: Purdy was definitely missing his boys last week. Not much to say here, Kittle and Deebo are both super talented.
Notes
- Nice catch for 15 yards
- Beautiful 19-yard catch in tight coverage between LB and S
Cameron Latu: 3 Catches, 42 Yards
Up until Trent Taylor made a desperate attempt to seal the game with the final play, Latu was the receiving leader of the night. He had short, medium, and deep passes as he displayed versatility as a pass catcher.
Notes
- Caught all 3 of his targets
- Perfectly placed ball for a deep catch for 24 yards
Missed Opportunities
- Offensive holding penalty for 10 yards
Raiders
Quarterback
Nathan Peterman: 12/19, 108 Yards, TD | 3 Carries, 7 Yards
Slow to start, but heated up toward the end of the second half. Peterman showed great chemistry with his receivers, especially Khristian Wilkerson, who had multiple explosive gains and finished the drive with a touchdown.
Notes
- Fought hard to gain 1 yard rather than take a sack for a loss
- Showed accuracy with his passes, but the defense had good coverage
- Spread the ball around to several players, but only for short passes
Missed Opportunities
- 3-and-out on his 1st drive
Carter Bradley: 9/21, 169 Yards, TD, INT | 1 Carry, 1 Yard
The biggest pro from his performance was his arm strength as he expressed a willingness to hit players down the field. However, when under pressure he had a difficult time making plays, which put an end to drives that otherwise could’ve been more promising.
Notes
- Amazing 35-yard touchdown pass to Tyriek McCallister
- Perfectly thrown pass for a 22-yard gain in tight coverage
- Shows good arm talent and awareness in the pocket
- Difficulty making plays under pressure
Missed Opportunities
- 3-and-out on his 2nd drive
- Intercepted in the end zone
Running Back
Dylan Laube: 3 Carries, 12 Yards | 1 Catch, 6 Yards
Though he had okay awareness in short-yardage situations, Laube made some egregious errors. I understand that sometimes fumbles happen, but there should be no excuse for running into your own teammate to end a play. His awareness needs improvement moving forward.
Notes
- Back-to-back touches: catch for 8 yards followed by a 3-yard run for a 1st down
Missed Opportunities
- Lost a fumble after taking a hit from a defender
- Ran into his own teammate, stopping what could’ve been a decent gain
Sincere McCormick: 5 Carries, 26 Yards | 2 Catches, 6 Yards
Rushing leader of the night with a 5.2 average yards per carry, paired with involvement in the passing game. McCormick was the best RB on this team tonight. Sure, Laube’s blusters made that easier to notice, but McCormick deserves recognition for holding down the fort.
Notes
- Showed involvement in the passing game
- Decent 10-yard run down the middle
Brittain Brown: 2 Carries, 7 Yards | 2 Catches, 32 Yards
Every team has 2-minute drill plays – and players. Brown was mostly quiet this game but shined within this brief window as he caught two passes for large gains and first downs.
Notes
- Multiple targets in the 2-minute drill before halftime
- 2 catches for large gains (12 and 20 yards) with good yards after catch
Missed Opportunities
- The ball bounced off him, should’ve been caught
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tyriek McCallister: 2 Catches, 56 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, 7 Yards
This undrafted free agent had two touchdowns on the night, one on special teams and the other from a deep pass on offense, McCallister put his versatility on display as he made multiple dynamic plays to get into the endzone. He’s making a statement that he deserves a spot on this team.
Notes
- Displayed his breakaway speed for an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown
- Incredibly acrobatic and difficult catch and run for a 35-yard touchdown
- Given a carry for 7-yards, reinforcing his versatility in this offense
- 21-yard pass in the 4th quarter
Khristian Wilkerson: 3 Catches, 35 Yards, TD
With the second-most targets on the team, Wilkerson was integral in moving the ball on a significant drive to give the Raiders their first lead of the night. The majority of his yardage was in the 2-minute drill before the half, and he showed up when his team needed him most.
Notes
- Highly involved in the 2-minute drill before halftime: caught 2 passes for 14 and 18 yards respectively
- Caught a laser thrown in tight coverage for a 3-yard touchdown
Jalen Guyton: 3 Catches, 19 Yards
I’m seeing a trend here: the majority of the Raiders WRs produced when the stakes were high, as three out of four of Guyton’s targets came within the last minute of the 2nd quarter. The Raiders need to make improvements in their passing attack, but clearly, they figured out how to get their guys involved during 2-minute drills.
Notes
- Targeted twice in the red zone within the last 32 seconds of the half
Ramel Keyton: 4 Catches, 76 Yards
He was non-existent all night, but in the last drive, he had massive production by catching three passes for 54 yards in an attempt to take this game back. He is highly responsible for tying the game with 16 seconds left in the 4th quarter.
Notes
- Dominated in the 2-minute warning at the end of the game
- Receiving leader for the 49ers, all achieved within the final drive of the game