Sportsnaut
The Las Vegas Raiders will host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 of the preseason. On Saturday, the offense needs to build chemistry, and the defense must establish a standard.
In their preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks, the Raiders had a slow start, but they ramped up the intensity in the second half and rallied to finish in a 23-23 tie.
Even though scores in exhibition games are inconsequential, the Raiders can take some positives from battling back from a 16-3 deficit. They also have to tighten up in areas before those issues become regular-season problems.
Here are the biggest Raiders storylines ahead of their preseason matchup with the 49ers.
In the Raiders’ Week 1 preseason game, most of their first-team offense took the field for just one four-play drive that ended with a punt near midfield. That’s not enough time for an offense with new veterans and rookies set to take on prominent roles to establish rhythm.
Jordan Meredith and Jackson Powers-Johnson were the only two potential starters who played beyond the first quarter, which made sense as the Raiders sort out the interior of their offensive line.
Last week, several teams played their starting offense for multiple drives to avoid a slow regular-season start. Because of the youth on the offensive side of the ball, the Raiders should follow suit in Saturday’s game against the 49ers.
The 49ers defense will be a good test for rookies who are trying to grasp the speed of the pro game and Chip Kelly’s system.
The Seahawks ran all over the Raiders defense to the tune of 170 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Head coach Pete Carroll told reporters that the team hadn’t tackled anybody until that game.
Pete Carroll says the tackling “stunk” in the #Raiders preseason opener.
“First time we’ve tackled anybody. That’s why you play these games… We’ve got work to do.” #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/w5SGyNXHED
— Taylor Rocha (@TaylorRochaTV) August 8, 2025
With Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce and Adam Butler on the field for their normal workloads, you’ll see better tackling up front from this unit. However, the coaching staff could employ a deep rotation on the interior after the club released Christian Wilkins.
The Raiders’ second- and third-stringers must do a better job in run pursuit and tackling because they will likely see the field in rotational roles.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan is known for his run-oriented offenses. The 49ers are banged up, but they will test the Raiders’ run defense on early downs. Carroll better have his guys ready to stop the ground attack on Saturday.
The Raiders have a slew of young, unproven players who put themselves on the radar to make the 53-man roster in a couple of weeks.
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