Raiders Return to Bay Area

The Las Vegas Raiders will face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, marking their first regular-season contest in the Bay Area since relocating from Oakland after the 2019 season. The 49ers currently hold a 6-1 record and top the NFC standings, while the Raiders sit at 4-4.

Defensive end Maxx Crosby is one of three remaining Raiders who played in Oakland, joining tackle Kolton Miller and punter AJ Cole. Crosby was a rookie during the team's final season in the old stadium. He noted that the atmosphere will carry both tension and excitement, citing the deep history between the two franchises and their shared fan base.

The teams last met in the Bay Area in 2018, a Week 9 game in which the 49ers defeated the Raiders 34-3. Since the move, the only meeting was in Las Vegas during the 2022 season, where San Francisco won 37-34 in overtime. The 49ers lead the all-time series 8-7.

San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner said fans outside the team have urged them to beat their former rivals. He described the week as a return to the Oakland Raiders identity, predicting a packed stadium and heightened intensity for both players and spectators.

The Raiders enter the game with a .500 record after a 38-33 victory over the New York Jets last week. The 49ers have a bye week ahead and previously lost to Atlanta on Oct. 25. The matchup is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. EST on Fox, with the 49ers favored by 9 1/2 points.

Raiders tight end Brock Bowers is the first player with at least 70 receiving yards in his first six games of a season. His 217 career catches are four behind Trey McBride's record for a tight end in their first three seasons. San Francisco has allowed 18 catches for 127 yards by tight ends over the past two weeks.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins has passed for 2,124 yards and 20 total touchdowns in the first eight games, a first for the franchise. The Raiders have scored 221 points, their fourth-most through eight games, but they have allowed at least 30 points in five straight contests. The 49ers have won six of their last seven games following a bye.