49ers rout Raiders 38-17 in 'Battle of Bay' revival

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Three touchdowns on the San Francisco 49ers’ first three series set the stage for Sunday’s rout, which featured a season high in points.

But it was the 49ers’ greedy defense that stole the spotlight, forced five turnovers after halftime and valiantly protected the lead in a 38-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Levi’s Stadium.

Having spent their bye week stewing over their first loss of the season at Atlanta, the NFC-leading 49ers (7-1) weren’t threatened much by their old Bay Area rival. Next comes a storied NFC foe, with the Dallas Cowboys (4-5) hosting the Niners next Sunday.

The 49ers’ fifth takeaway, a Malik Mustapha interception, came one snap after rookie defensive tackle Gracen Halton was carted off with a season-ending fracture to his left ankle. “He’s played at a very high level, an awesome first seven games,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We’ll miss him a lot. And guys love him, too.”

It was a cruel exit for Halton from a defensive line that was debuting DeForest Buckner back in the starting lineup after his recent trade from the Indianapolis Colts, not to mention Nick Bosa’s return from a five-game calf injury hiatus.

The 49ers did not punt, ran 43 times for 190 yards and saw Brock Purdy pass for 232 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The Raiders had 240 yards, including just 24 on 15 carries.

A 21-10 halftime lead figured to be enough against the Raiders (4-5), as Christian McCaffrey scored two touchdowns and Purdy ran one in himself.

Then came a barrage of turnovers, starting with rookie Jaden Dugger’s 35-yard pick-six on the second half’s initial snap.

With former 49ers and Raiders linebacker NaVorro Bowman serving as the game’s honorary captain, it was fitting that Dugger, in Bowman’s old No. 53, channeled “Pick-at-the-Stick” lore. Dugger’s 35-yard interception-return touchdown put the 49ers ahead 28-10. Kirk Cousins botched a handoff to Mike Washington, Bosa hurried Cousins’ ensuing pass, and Dugger cut in front of Tre Tucker for a carefree defensive score.

Ah, but the 49ers taketh and giveth. The Raiders responded with Napa product Brock Bowers making a 21-yard touchdown catch, cutting the 49ers’ lead to 28-17 only 3:31 into the second half. The Raiders would not get any closer.

More turnovers followed, including the Raiders’ Treydan Stukes intercepting a Purdy pass for George Kittle near midfield.

But then came Fred Warner’s fifth forced fumble this season, freeing the ball from Bowers with Dre Greenlaw recovering it. The third quarter wasn’t over until Upton Stout punched the ball from Raiders tight end Michael Mayer at the 1-yard line and Warner recovered in the end zone for a touchback.

The exclamation mark on the turnover trend came early in the fourth quarter: Cornerback Renardo Green made an interception in the end zone on another Cousins pass to Tucker. Green was slow to get up and gingerly walked off with a back injury; fellow starting cornerback Deommodore Lenoir also didn’t finish after sustaining a foot injury, Shanahan said.

Halton got hurt with just under four minutes remaining, when Keion White fell into the back of Halton’s left leg. Fellow Oklahoma product Trent Williams helped Halton up and onto the cart while all 49ers were on the field to offer their condolences.

The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET if the 49ers are prompted to deal for reinforcements to their defensive line or elsewhere. The Raiders’ Maxx Crosby, a potential trade target for contenders around the league including the 49ers, had one sack Sunday.

Even though the 49ers’ wide receiver crew is weakened without Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel, Purdy engineered touchdown drives on each of the 49ers’ first three drives.

Purdy’s 100th career touchdown pass found McCaffrey wide open for a 12-yard score and a 21-7 lead 5:15 before halftime. It also served as McCaffrey’s 37th career touchdown catch (most by an NFL running back in the Super Bowl era); and it was his NFL-record 18th game with both a rushing and receiving touchdown.

McCaffrey and Purdy scored on 1-yard touchdown runs the previous two series. Not to be overlooked was embattled kicker Eddy Piñeiro converting each point-after kick as well as a 35-yard field-goal attempt to cap the scoring with 5:21 remaining.

The 49ers pulled ahead 35-17 by converting the Raiders’ third turnover of the third quarter into the first touchdown of Jordan Watkins’ career. Watkins, starting while Evans (Achilles) and Samuel (hamstring) again sat out, caught Purdy’s 37-yard, third-and-3 shot on a post route at the goal line against Cal product Hezekiah Masses in the final minute of the third quarter.

The 49ers got off to an idyllic start, from a 5 1/2 -minute touchdown drive on the opening series to then a prompt three-and-out forced by their defense.

McCaffrey’s ninth touchdown run this season – and his eighth from 1 yard out – put the 49ers ahead 7-0, capping off a 12-play, 69-yard drive that stayed alive with a fourth-and-2 reception from Kittle past midfield. An 11-yard run by McCaffrey through right side got the 49ers to the 5, then a 4-yard charge up the gut by Kyle Juszczyk set up the scoring run.

Purdy not only engineered and keyed a second touchdown drive on the 49ers’ next series, but he also finished it off with a 1-yard scoring run. He earlier had an 18-yard scramble on third-and-14 — longer than McCaffrey’s longest rush of the year — and then made an 11-yard dash to the sideline for a first down inside the Raiders’ 10. With 1:52 left in the opening quarter, the 49ers led 14-0.

Cousins’ 1-yard touchdown sneak pulled the Raiders within 14-7 early in the second quarter.

The Raiders scored on their next series, too, although they had to settle for a 50-yard Matt Gay field goal once the 49ers got back-to-back tackles-for-loss from Bosa and then Osa Odighizuwa and Romello Height.

From there, though, the 49ers took over the second half with their turnovers and now move on to five consecutive NFC games.

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