49ers look to win big in Las Vegas
SF still has to contend with several stars on Carr-less Raiders
When the Raiders relocated from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020, the 49ers unveiled a “Faithful To The Bay” motto.
A dig at the Raiders? A tribute to the “49ers Faithful” fan base? A victory lap for now having the Bay Area’s market to themselves?
Tight end George Kittle put a spin on what it all means entering Sunday’s stateline crossing of this rivalry, as the 49ers (11-4) make their first Vegas trip to visit the Raiders (6-9).
“I’m honestly a fan of the Raiders fans in Oakland. Their team abandoned them. Just left the state completely,” Kittle said Thursday. “But they’re still fans and I really respect them.
“The Niners, we’re still here,” Kittle added. “We left San Francisco but we’re still close to San Francisco (at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium since 2014). Our team stayed in California because we’re loyal out here.”
Loyalty. Derek Carr had it for nearly nine seasons with the Raiders, up until his benching Wednesday in favor of them giving Jarrett Stidham his first career start against the 49ers’ topranked defense.
The Raiders’ playoff hopes are all but dashed, and they could be eliminated before kickoff if the Miami Dolphins clinch the AFC’s final wild-card spot. Regardless, the 49ers will remain full throttle in an attempt to win their ninth straight game and possibly climb from the NFC’s No. 3 playoff spot.
Here are four keys for that 49ers’ victory:
1. WATCH OUT FOR WALLER >> Who’s a young quarterback’s best friend? A top-tier tight end, all due respect to a quality offensive line and a complementary defense. What’s worked for Brock Purdy’s NFL initiation as a starting quarterback could also pay dividends for Stidham, who should seek out Darren Waller.
Waller blossomed into a Pro Bowler and two-time, 1,000-yard receiver since joining the Raiders (and Carr) in 2018.
“The only thing that’s productive is to support Jarrett going forward,” Waller told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We’re rallying around him and letting him know we believe in him and doing what we can to prepare for San Francisco. … I see him locked in, as he has been throughout
TUNE IN 49ERS AT LAS VEGAS When: Sunday, 1:05 p.m. TV/Radio: FOX/96.1
the season. Makes a lot of good throws, and guys have been excited for him and his overall knowledge of the system.”
After missing two months with a hamstring injury, Waller returned two games ago (seven catches, 106 yards). He’s gone over 100 yards in four of his past 11 home games.
The Stidham-Waller connection will be hard pressed to match the chemistry Purdy has going with George Kittle, who has two touchdown catches in each of the past two games. Kittle has 16 catches on 21 targets for 263 yards since Purdy replaced Jimmy Garoppolo on Dec. 4.
“I really love throwing to tight ends, just because of the mismatch on safeties and linebackers that they have, and George’s speed and Charlie (Kolar) in college (at Iowa State) as well,” Purdy said. “… Yeah, I love tight ends.”
2. ADAMS VS. WARD >> Once Emmanuel Moseley suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 5 at Carolina, Charvarius Ward wanted to become a cornerback who’d shadow opponents’ top target. “I want some work,” Ward said.
He’s clocked in against Deandre Hopkins (Cardinals), D.K. Metcalf (Seahawks), Mike Evans (Bucs), Terry McLaurin (Commanders). Next up: Davante Adams, whom he faced last season with the Kansas City Chiefs against Green Bay.
“He’s one of the best receivers in the game with his ball skills and what he can do at the catch point,” Ward said. “He can go up and get it with one hand, two hand, whatever, he’s just a great receiver at the catch point, but also his route running and his releases.”
“The way he runs routes is hella different. Sometimes it looks like he’s moving in slow motion but he has five yards of separation. He’s really deceptive the way he changes up the speed of his routes.”
Adams came to the Raiders via trade to reunite with Carr from their Fresno State days. Adams may want to use this game’s platform to pay some respect to Carr upon his exit. “You can tell he thrives in that one-onone moment,” DeMeco Ryans said of Adams. “I know Mooney is looking forward to the matchup as well.”
Adams has gone three straight games without a touchdown for the first time since 2019. He didn’t score in last season’s divisional playoff loss to the 49ers in Green Bay, but he’s averaged 120 yards and scored five touchdowns in four regularseason games against them. 3. BEWARE OF CROSBY >> Crosby beat out Nick Bosa by one vote for second-team AllPro spot last year. Now, Bosa likely will beat out all comers for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors this season. But Crosby still remains a productive, dominant force, and it goes beyond his 11 ½ sacks and career-high 33 quarterback hits.
Crosby’s 81 tackles and league-leading 19 for loss represent the damage he can do to a run game.
“He presents a unique style,” said Chris Foerster, the 49ers’ run-game coordinator and offensive line coach. “He’s hard to get his hands on and in the run game, he’s kind of like J.J. Watt a little bit, in that he can swim around blocks and still make plays. It’s not only that he’s really talented and really good, it’s unconventional.”
Crosby is heading to his second straight Pro Bowl. But he won’t have Chandler Jones coming in from the other defensive end spot Sunday. Jones is out with an elbow injury.
Protecting Purdy from Crosby’s edge rush will be tackles Mike McGlinchey and Trent Williams, the latter of whom says he’s “great now” after a high-ankle sprain sidelined him three games in October.
4. KEEP STOPPING RUN >> Facing the NFL’s leading rusher in Week 17 should present drama. Not really? The 49ers possess the league’s No. 1 rushing defense.
Jacobs has six 100-yard games this season; the 49ers have not yielded even 60 yards to a single rusher in any game. He’s not racked up 1,539 yards, he’s scored 11 touchdowns on the ground; the 49ers have not allowed a rushing touchdown the past five games.
Jacobs’ frustrations boiled over after the Raiders’ loss Sunday at Pittsburgh, after being held to a season-low 2.9 yards per carry (15 carries, 44 yards).
What the 49ers plan to do, Ryans said, is starting their run-defensive plan by setting the edge, with defensive ends Nick Bosa, Samson Ebukam and Charles Omenihu physically knocking back tight ends and perhaps offensive tackles to keep Jacobs from reaching the perimeter. “Those guys put up a stop sign on the edge of our defense and funnel them back inside to where all our pursuit is,” Ryans said.