SANTA CLARA – Take a look at what the autumn wind blew into Levi’s Stadium: the 49ers’ old neighbor.
Sunday’s 1:25 p.m. kickoff features the Raiders’ first visit since relocating in 2020 from Oakland to Las Vegas.
“Nothing’s changed. When they come here, it’s the Battle of the Bay,” 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw said. “Anytime we can just play a team that our fan base, our coach and everybody hates, and you get to beat them, that’s a great feeling right there.”
Ever since the John Madden-coached Raiders won the initial 49ers-vs.-Raiders turf war in 1970 in Oakland, the Bay Area has devoured this rivalry. Yet this is only the 16th regular-season meeting, and the 49ers lead 8-7, having won 6-of-7 over the past 25 years.
“I’ve had several people on the outside tell me, ‘Hey, you all better beat the Raiders.’ It means a lot,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “Even though they’re not in Oakland anymore, this week they’re the Oakland Raiders.”
These Raiders are off to a 4-4 start under first-year coach Klint Kubiak, who was the 49ers’ passing-game coordinator three years ago on their Super Bowl team. His younger brother, Klay, is the 49ers’ offensive coordinator and in his sixth season on coach Kyle Shanahan’s staff.
After taking the bye week to stew over their first loss this season in Atlanta on Oct. 25, the NFC-leading 49ers (6-1) must execute these five keys to win Sunday:
**1\. DEFENSIVE FRONT DOMINATION**
DeForest Buckner is back on the 49ers’ defensive front, courtesy of last week’s return-to-sender trade from Indianapolis after 5 ½ seasons there. Also expected back is Nick Bosa, who missed the past five games with a calf strain.
That dynamic duo fuels the 49ers’ strongest defensive front this season, further complemented by Osa Odighizuwa, Keion White, Mykel Williams, Gracen Halton, and, Romello Height, the latter of whom is being asked by defensive line coach Kris Kocurek to morph into a Dee Ford-like edge rusher who excelled on the 2019 line next to Buckner, Bosa and Arik Armstead.
“It’s been a lot of fun being around (Buckner) and to have that whole unit being able to come back relatively healthy,” defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said. “To see these guys probably for the first time altogether, for the first time this year, it’d be a lot of fun.”
While 49ers fans still may yearn for Maxx Crosby (three sacks in 2026) to crossover from the Raiders, it’s likely up to Buckner and Bosa to provide the veteran push for a Super Bowl berth on Valentine’s Day. “It’s crazy, but I feel I’ve been playing some of my best ball in years,” Buckner said.
**2\. THE ‘YOU LIKE THAT’ GUY**
Shanahan is not the only one with a long-standing affinity for Kirk Cousins, tracing to their Washington days 15 years ago. Left tackle Trent Williams was on that team, too, and said: “I have a lot of fond memories. Probably my favorite is the ‘You like that?’ moment,” Williams said, referring to Cousins’ viral postgame clip after a 2015 comeback over Tampa Bay (and second-year Bucs receiver Evans).
Before Cousins bequeaths his job to 2016 No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders are getting top-10 quarterback production, highlighted by Cousins’ 19 touchdown passes (second-most in the NFL) and 101.4 passer rating (seventh best).
“We kind of joke that he’s kind of Joe Montana right now, that he’s throwing the ball really well and doing good stuff,” said Greenlaw, adding that Cousins reached out to him with first-hand advice following Greenlaw’s Achilles tear in the Super Bowl three years ago.
**3\. RUN-GAME RELIANCE**
It’s quite a stretch to say Christian McCaffrey’s job is in jeopardy or that the 49ers want to trade for Jonathan Taylor or Derrick Henry. McCaffrey’s dual skills as a rusher and receiver are in demand more than ever because of the 49ers’ injury woes at wide receiver, with both Mike Evans (Achilles) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring) out another game. Christian Kirk (knee) also won’t play.
But the Raiders’ generosity should be inviting McCaffrey to run for his first 100-yard game this season, if his hamstring injury last game in Atlanta does not hinder him. He’s averaging 4.6 yards per carry, and the Raiders are allowing a league-high 5.1 ypc.
McCaffrey hasn’t broken a run longer than 16 yards, and of his eight touchdown runs, seven have come from the 1-yard line. His rookie backup, Kaelon Black, needs to atone for last game’s lost fumble.
**4\. BOWERS VS. KITTLE**
Reigning All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers is a Napa-boy-done good, and as the Raiders’ undisputed top offensive weapon, he is on pace for a career-best season in Year 3. Bowers leads the team with 41 catches, 62 targets, 547 yards and five touchdowns.
“The talk of the town is going to be about Brock Bowers and the threat he is as a receiver,” Warner said. “He is a tight end and a receiver. It speaks more to his ability to run every route in the route tree and use his hands to catch the ball away from his body, and do everything a high-end receiver does.”
George Kittle, the AP All-Pro tight end in 2019 and ’23, said of Bowers: “He runs routes fully extended like he’s Mike Evans, or you put him in tight and he’s running around safeties and linebackers. And then the way he attacks the ball, there’s no one really like him. People don’t give enough credit for his burst and speed.”
Kittle’s burst after Achilles repair has been impressive, to the tune of a team-high 425 receiving yards on 34 catches with five touchdowns.
**5\. MORE 49ERS DEFENSE**
The 49ers must rebound from their defensive woes in Atlanta to stop more than just the Cousins-to-Bowers connection.
Ashton Jeanty, last year’s No. 6 overall pick, already has 376 receiving yards (30 more than his rookie season) but saw rookie Mike Washington cut into his carries last game, with Washington producing career highs of 25 carries for 83 yards against the Jets.
Blanketing the Raiders’ options, including tight end Michael Mayer, will be a task that stresses the 49ers’ nickel defense, which could stabilize with Upton Stout’s return as the third cornerback. Jack Jones got cut for failing in Stout’s place, so the 49ers might test out other options in Ephesians Prysock and Nate Hobbs.