The bye week is over, and the San Francisco 49ers are back to football for Week 9. This week, they’ll welcome a once-familiar foe as the Las Vegas Raiders return to California. I say “once” familiar because, as you know, the Raiders were once based in Oakland and the Battle of the Bay was a regular thing. One that came with some interesting fan experiences in the past. With the Raiders in Vegas, it’s a bit different, but the rivalry may be the same. This will be an afternoon game; Kevin Kugler has
the play-by-play, and Daryl Johnston will provide color.
The 49ers went into their bye week suffering their first loss of the season at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons. The 49ers did not look good in any phase of that game, committing costly turnovers and suffering bonehead penalties. It didn’t help that running back Christian McCaffrey was limited in the game and Mike Evans did not play at all.
The defense failed to generate consistent pressure against the Falcons offense. Fortunately, help is on the way as the 49ers traded for DeForest Buckner from the Indianapolis Colts. Since the trade happened last week, Buckner has had plenty of time to acclimate to Raheem Morris and the 49ers defense. Buckner last played with the 49ers in 2019 when Robert Saleh was defensive coordinator.
The Raiders surprised everyone opening the season with three straight wins. These were wins over the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, and New Orleans Saints, teams that have issues not as severe as the Raiders. After that string of victories, the Raiders lost four straight to the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and Los Angeles Rams.
The point is that the Raiders can beat bad teams, but they can’t beat good teams. That doesn’t mean they can’t hang around; two of those losses were by three points. The Raiders have weapons and can surprise you, but if the schedule is any indication, when they go up against better talent, they can’t hang in there.
There’s also Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins has a history of making life miserable for the 49ers—at least when he was with the Minnesota Vikings. In a 2023 Monday Night Football game, Cousins went 35 for 45 (77.8 percent completion) for 378 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Could Cousins’ stats be different with the Raiders? Only one way to find out.
The 49ers’ injuries have grown worse; wide receiver Christian Kirk was placed on Injured Reserve Saturday, most likely putting an end to his season (and time with the 49ers). Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson was activated Saturday as well, so there are some positives. Further complicating matters are wide receiver Mike Evans (Achilles) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring), both but. Cornerbacks Upton Stout (neck) and Nate Hobbs (adductor) as well as Safety Siran Neal (knee/foot) are listed as questionable.
The Rams will be without defensive tackle Thomas Booker (ankle). Cornerback Darien Porter (groin) is questionable.
Date: Sunday, November 8, 2026
Kickoff: 1:25 PM PST, 4:25 PM EST
Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Network: Fox
Play-by-Play: Kevin Kugler
Color Analyst: Daryl Johnston
Broadcast Map (Via 506sports):
SB Nation Affiliate: Silver and Black Pride
Odds: 49ers -9.5 atFanDuel Sportsbook
Total: 51.5
