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Writer's pictureJose Rocha

Buzz after Pre-season Week 1 - (49ers @ Raiders)

A great showcase of depth for Las Vegas against a team that is known for depth in the 49ers. Really held SF, and played mistake free football.


For the 49ers, the attention will of course be on the QB play for the most part with Sam Darnold and Trey Lance. Unfortunately couldn’t capitalize on some moments.


Some of the glaring areas of concern during the 49ers first game for the pre-season was their offensive line depth. Of course, with a pre-season game you are going to see a lot of starters rest, but this is an area the 49ers are known for having depth. Quarterback Trey Lance seemed to be off his game, but it was all his fault. It was surprising to see the offensive line get beat on many areas in the first half of play, and it forced Trey Lance to really hold the ball longer. The area of concern, regarding Lance's gameplay, was some of the choices throwing the ball. If it wasn't for a bobbled ball caught by Tight End Ross Dwelly, the 49ers would have zero points to show for against Las Vegas. Two notable plays saw Lance look like he was standing in place allowing the Raiders defense to basically swarm him. The main stand out for the 49ers during the game was Wide Receiver Ronnie Bell. Although he only had three catches, it seemed that he was the only one getting open for the offense. It's clear that Brock Purdy will be the starter at the beginning of the regular season, and I believe he deserves it from his play last season.


To me, personally, where a player was drafted doesn't mean anything, but when it comes to hold organizations accountable it may mean everything due to who the team didn't pick. As someone who has been watching Raiders football, I know of this all to well. Draft capital seems to be not as important to the more successful teams, but due to the move the 49ers made to get Trey Lance it will be talked about to the mainstream media. I believe with the situation, at the time, the 49ers would make the same move again. None of the teams viewed Purdy as an draft option until the 49ers took him with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and Trey Lance just had the "better" tape and anticipation. The rest of the 2021 draft class, where Lance was drafted, has also been underwhelming so far too except for Trevor Lawrence specifically. Mac Jones, another name connected to the 49ers, has been doing ok for the Patriots, but yet there are rumbles of replacement with him. Justin Fields has the skill, but we have yet to see everything come together for the Bears even though they seem to have a better team on paper for this season.


To the Raiders, it was refreshing to see the depth that the team has currently on the roster. O'Connell really seemed to have a higher level of play, and it seemed like he has been with many the team for years. The way he was commanding the offense really shows his quick growth, and in the case of a injury to Jimmy Garoppolo, he looks like he could lead this team without missing a beat. The defense looked really impressive, and made some major plays that allowed them to basically keep the 49ers under wraps.


Aiden O’Connell plays majority of the game for LV, and is 15/18 for 141 and 1 TD


Trey Lance is 10/15 for the first two quarters with 112 Yards and 1 TD


Raiders Zamir White, Keelan Cole and Sincere McCormick all with touchdowns.




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