Raiders’ offensive leaders face injury questions against 49ers’ No. 4 total defense

Santa Clara - The Las Vegas Raiders bring a 5-3 record and several injury questions surrounding their offensive leaders into Levi’s Stadium, where the 4-3 San Francisco 49ers will counter with the league’s fourth-ranked total defense. The matchup places a productive Raiders rushing attack against a San Francisco defense that ranks seventh against the run.

Both teams have gone 3-2 over their past five games, though they arrive from different directions. Las Vegas is coming off a road loss to the Jets after consecutive home victories over the Rams and Bills. San Francisco most recently won on the road against the Falcons, ending a two-game slide that included losses to the Commanders and Seahawks.

The central matchup begins with Las Vegas averaging 137.6 rushing yards per game, eighth in the league, against a 49ers defense allowing 113 yards per game on the ground. San Francisco also ranks fourth in total defense at 344.7 yards allowed per game and 10th against the pass at 231.7. The Raiders enter averaging 370.6 total yards, which ranks 14th, including 233 passing yards per game.

Las Vegas’ ability to challenge those numbers comes with uncertainty around its primary statistical leaders. Fernando Mendoza has completed 135 of 210 passes for 1,542 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions, but he is listed on the injury report with a dislocated elbow. Kirk Cousins also appears on the report with a broken thumb. No gameday availability has been established for either quarterback.

The questions extend to the Raiders’ leading rusher and receiver. Ashton Jeanty has gained 511 yards and scored one touchdown on 75 carries, while Jack Bech has 43 receptions for 575 yards and four touchdowns. Jeanty is dealing with broken ribs, and Bech is listed with a pulled groin. Their conditions add another layer to an offense preparing to face San Francisco’s highest-ranked unit.

On the other side, the 49ers average 27.6 points per game, ranking 12th, and 366.1 total yards, ranking 17th. Brock Purdy has completed 165 of 238 attempts for 1,731 yards and 15 touchdowns, along with 10 interceptions. Christian McCaffrey leads San Francisco’s ground game with 654 yards and three touchdowns on 104 carries, while Ricky Pearsall has caught 33 passes for 485 yards and three scores.

That San Francisco offense will meet a Las Vegas defense with sharply different yardage and scoring rankings. The Raiders rank 24th in total defense at 363.8 yards allowed per game, including 22nd against the run and 24th against the pass. Yet they are eighth in scoring defense, allowing 22.9 points per game. San Francisco’s ability to convert movement into points, and Las Vegas’ ability to maintain that scoring resistance, will be another key part of the matchup.

The Raiders’ injury report also reaches the defensive front and offensive line. Maxx Crosby is listed with broken ribs, while Kolton Miller has a foot fracture and Jackson Powers-Johnson has an upper arm fracture. Their availability has not been established. San Francisco, by contrast, has no players listed on its injury report.

Las Vegas also carries favorable historical context from the teams’ previous meeting, though it came in a different season. The Raiders defeated the 49ers 31-10 in Week 11 of Season 34. That result does not determine the present matchup, but it provides a backdrop as the teams meet again in Santa Clara.

The immediate question is whether the Raiders can generate their usual rushing production and protect the football against San Francisco’s No. 4 total defense while navigating the uncertainty around several key players. For the 49ers, the test is to sustain their recent road result at home and challenge a Las Vegas defense that has limited scoring more effectively than yardage.