On paper, the Las Vegas Raiders did one of the hardest things in football well Sunday. They converted six of their nine third downs against the San Francisco 49ers, a 67% clip most offenses would gladly take every week.
But the rest of the paper was a mess. A 38-17 loss in Santa Clara dropped the Raiders to 4-5, and the week 9 report card show where it went sideways.
Quarterback: D
Kirk Cousins completed 22 of 32 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown, and he kept the chains moving on those third downs. He also scored on a short sneak for the second straight week.
His three interceptions were his most in a game since Week 13 of the 2024 season, though, and one went the other way for six. Turnovers decide grades on days like this, and his handed San Francisco seven
free points.
Running backs: F
Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. combined for 22 rushing yards on 12 carries, and Washington finished in the red at minus-3.
Jeanty somehow lost ground as a receiver, too, with five catches for minus-5 yards on seven targets. When the backs can't gain yards running or catching, there isn't much left to grade.
Receivers and tight ends: C+
Brock Bowers did his part as a receiver, catching seven of his eight targets for 111 yards and a 21-yard touchdown. Tre Tucker chipped in four catches for 55 yards.
On the flip side, two of the five giveaways came from this group, and Michael Mayer also had a late touchdown wiped out by offensive pass interference. Jalen Nailor managed 9 yards on four targets.
Offensive line: C-
The 49ers hit Cousins six times without dropping him once, so the pass protection held up against a deep San Francisco front.
Opening holes went far worse. The Raiders picked up just two first downs on the ground all game, a clear sign of how little push the line created.
Defense: D-
The 49ers converted eight of 13 third downs, went 2-for-3 on fourth down and scored touchdowns on their first three drives. Brock Purdy averaged 9.3 yards per pass attempt, and running back Kaelon Black ran for 70 yards on just 11 carries.
Linebacker Nakobe Dean made 18 tackles, which says more about how long this unit stayed on the field than anything else. Maxx Crosby's sack and Treydan Stukes' interception keep this out of F territory.
Special teams: A-
Matt Gay was perfect on a field goal and two extra points, and punter AJ Cole needed just one punt, which he dropped inside the 20.
Dylan Laube handled all seven kickoff returns, while the coverage unit held the 49ers to 20.7 yards per return. Nothing broke for a score this week, which is the only reason this isn't an A.
Coaching: D
Klint Kubiak's offense ran just 47 plays, and the defensive staff watched San Francisco march 69 yards in 12 plays for a touchdown on the opening drive.
Turnovers fall mostly on the players, but a defense that keeps getting carved up early is a coaching problem, too. Nine games in, the fix still hasn't arrived.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders report card: One unit earned top marks in Week 9 loss to 49ers
