Raiders vs. 49ers: Oakland Raiders Take a Step Backwards in Second Preseason Game

The Raiders gave fans something to be excited about after their first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. Considering it was the first preseason game after a shortened off season, the Raiders looked surprisingly prepared for the regular season.

In their second preseaoson game, the Raiders gave their fans something to be worried about. Just a week after the 49ers saw their quarterbacks get demonilshed by the New Orleans Saints, the Raiders struggled to put pressure on the 49ers quarterbacks.

Not only did the Raiders defensive line struggle to put pressure on 49ers passers, they also began to look like the Raiders of seasons past who just could not stop the run. 49ers runningbacks had a great day against a Raiders defensive line that many thought could make a legitimate argument for being one of the best in the league.

If the struggles along the defensive line weren’t bad enough, the Raiders offense looked, well Niners-esque on Saturday. The running game never got going and the passing game struggled at times, especially in terms of keeping pressure off of the Oakland Raiders quarterbacks.

Shockingly, one of the few bright spots for the Raiders was former first round pick, Darrius Heyward-Bey.

In his first preseason game, Heyward-Bey mad an impressive catch (with his hands and not his body no less) that caught many fans off guard. Then, against the Niners, Heyward-Bey made two very impressive catches. Both while in tight coverage and neither was an easy catch.

Meanwhile, the reciever that everyone was anxious to see did not have the breakout game that most were hoping. Fifth round pick, Denarious Moore has been all the talk of the Radiers off season. Impressing in camp with his playmaking abilities, he appeared to be the next Jacoby Ford.

Moore had back to back catches for first downs in the first half of the game, but was unable to do anything else at the wide receiver position. He did however, have the opportunity to return a kickoff, and once again looked explosive, taking it 48 yards and putting the Raiders in good field position.

Even if Moore does not break the starting lineup as a wide receiver, he should be the Raiders new kick returner come opening day. This is big for two reasons. First, it means that the Raiders’ struggles to find a good kick returner are in the past as they have both Moore and Ford. It is also important because if Ford is going to have a big season as a wide receiver, the Raiders will not want to risk him getting injured on kick returns.

This was only a preaseason game, but it certainly did not go the way that the Raiders had hoped it would. It is not the end of the world by any means, but it made one thing clear: the Raiders still have a lot they need to work on if they want to make a push for the playoffs this season.

Injuries

The Raiders’ ridiculous string of injuries continued on Saturday as starting quarterback Jason Campbell and starting tight end Kevin Boss both suffered injuries against the 49ers.

It appears as though Campbell may have suffered a concussion when he was sacked towards the end of the first half. Fortunately for the Raiders, it does not look too serious, and he will likely be back practicing sometime this week.

Kevin Boss on the otherhand, may miss a little more time. Boss sprained his knee in the game and is week to week, which means he will likely miss at least one preseason game.

So far, none of the Raiders’ injures, besides the injury to Hiram Eugene, have been too serious, with Louis Murphy being the only player likely to miss the start of the season. It is however, still very disconcerting to see so many Raiders go down with injuries this preseason. Having a healthy squad is pivitol to the Raiders success this season.

VIDEO: 49ers and Raiders Fans Brawl At Candlestick Park

Two People Shot Outside Candlestick Park Following 49ers-Raiders Preseason Game

Battle of the Bay: 49ers Defeat Raiders 17-3

It wasn't pretty, but the 49ers pulled out a victory Saturday night at Candlestick Park against the cross-bay rivals Oakland Raiders, 17-3. The Niners' first team offense didn't look overly impressive, led by Alex Smith's 8-13, 126 yard, 1 interception performance. He was met with a mixture of cheers and boos despite initially engineering a 16-play, 79 yard opening drive that resulted in a 49er field goal. Smith failed to lead the offense to a touchdown while playing in the first half, however, and threw an interception to defensive end Matt Shaugnessy. The pass was intended for TE Vernon Davis, and after the game he remained positive:

"Despite not getting in the end zone, I think we still did a tremendous job with learning a new offense and putting everything together within three weeks," Davis said. "I think we have a promising future ahead of us. Once it's the opening of the season, I think we'll be where we need to be."

The 49ers defense fared a little better though, shutting out the Raiders in the first half and only giving up a field goal in the fourth quarter. Nothing flashy, but something to build on for a team that's shown some effects of the lockout-shortened offseason.

For more on the 49ers, check out Niners Nation. For more on the Raiders, check out Silver & Black Pride Follow the rest of preseason week two at SB Nation NFL.

49ers vs. Raiders: Game Time, TV & Radio Schedule Information

The San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders square off in their annual preseason rivalry contest Saturday evening at 5:00pm. This year's contest takes place at Candlestick Park where game time temperatures will likely be in the 50s by the time kickoff gets here. While Sebastian Janikowski has played at least once every other year at Candlestick, new 49ers kicker David Akers has limited time at the Stick and will look to get used to the swirling gusts that can make kicking in San Francisco as difficult as just about anywhere else.

The game will be broadcast on two separate channels with KPIX CBS 5 hosting the 49ers broadcast, while KTVU Fox 2 provides the Raiders broadcast. Additionally, you can listen to the game on AM and FM radio stations as follows:

49ers: 107.7 The Bone, KNBR 680 AM
Raiders: KITS 105.3 FM, KFRC 1550 AM

Both teams have plenty to build on this week and it should be a spirited affair. Although it's only a preseason game, mixing in a legitimate geographic rival adds a little something extra to the mix.

For more on the 49ers, check out Niners Nation. For more on the Raiders, check out Silver & Black Pride Follow the rest of preseason week two at SB Nation NFL.

Raiders vs. 49ers: Oakland Raiders Position Battles to Watch

As the Oakland Raiders head into their second preseason game of the year, the position battles have become much more interesting with the flash flood of injuries that the Raiders have incurred recently. Specifically, the injuries to cornerback Chris Johnson, center Samson Satele and wide receiver Louis Murphy, the Raiders will need to take a serious look at their depth in those positions and evaluate talent heading into the regular season.

Offensive Line

Samson Satele will likely not be playing in the game against the 49ers this Saturday after leaving practice early this week and having x-rays done on his leg. While coach Hue Jackson does not think the injury is serious, he will still need to take a good look at options along the offensive line just in case.

The injury means that rookie Stefan Wisniewski will be getting snaps as the first team center. Wisniewski had previously been working with the first team as the right guard, playing alongside Satele. Moving Wisniewski over means taking a look at other possible options at right guard. The most likely potential starters at right guard should Satele remain injured are second year player Bruce Campbell and veteran Cooper Carlisle.

Raiders fans are still waiting to see if the massive Campbell will be able to crack the starting lineup. Meanwhile, many thought former starter at right guard Cooper Carlisle would be cut this off season. However, he had a good game against the Cardinals last week and may be knocking on the door as the back up and potential starter should the injuries continue.

Wide Receiver

Currently, the only healthy wide receivers the Raiders have on their roster that stand a chance to get real playing time this year are Darrius Heyward-Bey, Nick Miller, Derek Hagan and rookie Denarius Moore. Hagan and Miller are both fighting for roster spots and as such will not be in real competition for serious playing time unless they really have a special final three weeks of the preseason.

DHB is still an Al Davis pick who will continue to get opportunities to prove himself despite his disappointing first few seasons in the NFL. Meanwhile, rookie Denarius Moore just keeps impressing in everything he does. While injuries are never good, giving Moore the opportunity to get reps with the first team in the preseason will give him the opportunity to show whether or not he is the real deal.

Cornerback

The Raiders cornerback situation was already severely limited by the departure of Nnamdi Asomugha. However, with the injury to Chris Johnson, it has become uncomfortably clear just how dire the situation at that position is. With Johnson out for the remainder of the preseason, rookie Demarcus Van Dyke and second year players Jeremy Ware and Walter McFadden are going to see expanded playing time.

Both second year players, Ware and McFadden, have been terrible in the preseason thus far. Both made major mistakes in the game agains the Cardinals while playing against second and third team players. In addition, neither has made thier mark during training camp.

DVD had a rather impressive showing in his debut with the Raiders. Most have been discouraging of his performance in week one, but I think that is an unfair assessment. The fact of the matter is, DVD did not play a lot of man coverage in college and man coverage was not thought to be his strong point. In addition, he was matched up against one of the league's best receivers in Larry Fitzgerald for a good portion of his playing time. Despite this and the lack of OTA's and a legitimate off season, DVD did pretty well. I did not once see him allow a receiver to get good separation. In addition, he did a great job of getting his head around to look for the ball and putting himself in a good position to make a play. While he did not make that many plays, he has shown the ability to do the little things that a good cornerback must do well.

Due to the lack of depth at corner, we can also expect to see Michael Huff spending some time at the nickel back position this weekend. After being re-signed, Huff expressed a desire to play more positions like he did at Texas. Specifically, he mentioned the desire to play more nickel cornerback this season.

It should be a good game with plenty to watch for, especially considering the Raiders are probably still a little bitter about the embarrassing performance they put on in San Francisco during the regular season last year. This is one preseason game the Raiders really do want to win.

49ers vs. Raiders: San Francisco Position Battles To Watch

This preseason might be more important for the San Francisco 49ers than any in recent memory. With the brief offseason, so many positions are still up in the air. Week one didn't answer as many questions as one would have liked, but things will be re-shuffled on many fronts. Not only do teams have to figure out their depth chart, they have to decide which players are even considered bubble players, without any pre-preseason practices to go by. So let's take a look at the most important battles to keep your eye on against the Raiders.

Offensive Line

Almost everything is up in the air here. Jonathan Goodwin is looking to assert his place at center, while Adam Snyder will likely look to the new and improved Chilo Rachal and the right guard position for his new home. There's a lot of reports right now about Rachal working hard this offseason, but he won't have the benefit of Mike Singletary favoring him for seemingly no reason this season - if Snyder is the right guy for the job, he'll show it on Saturday and win it.

Also on the offensive line is Alex Boone - he's looking to start. He wants to, and if he plays as well at right tackle against the Raiders as he did at left tackle against the Saints, then Anthony Davis had better be on notice, draft position last season be damned. The 49ers plan to move the entire line around and make sure everybody can play the opposite side, with an emphasis on Boone.

Running Back

Rookie Kendall Hunter looked better than second-year running back Anthony Dixon in week one, but "Boobie" will be looking to re-assert himself. They're battling for the immediate backup position behind Frank Gore, a position that promises carries. Gore is the focal point of the offense, to be sure, but Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman will likely look to limit him here and there, what with his injury history.

As stated, Hunter looked better. He had better burst, he got more yardage, and he simply looked ready. Dixon hesitated a lot, he looked like he wasn't ready for a game. He danced around back there, after catching a screen, he looked one way, then the other, and then got tackled for a loss. That screen was executed perfectly otherwise, and should have went for at least five yards.

But it didn't, that's something that Dixon needs to get his grip on. Hunter, the rookie, looked like he's a veteran, while Dixon, the second-year player, looked like he'd never seen NFL action before. That may or may not continue on Saturday.

Cornerback

One has to assume that Shawntae Spencer and Carlos Rogers will be the starters, but everything behind that is open. Against the Saints, Tramaine Brock started while Spencer sat out. This is a stark contrast to last season, where Brock seemed to take up a roster spot and nothing more. Under Vic Fangio, Brock seems to have leapfrogged Tarell Brown.

But not just yet. Brown is fighting, and has the talent to compete and be the nickel corner. The battle between him and Brock will be showcased on Saturday. Nobody really knows how that one is going to go, as Brock is an unknown commodity at this point. He looked good against the Saints, but he did completely lose coverage early on, and there would have been another score on the board for New Orleans if the wide open receiver hadn't dropped the pass. Don't forget about rookie Chris Culliver, either.

49ers vs. Raiders NFL Preseason: The Battle Of The Bay Is Here

The Oakland Raiders are traveling across the bay to take on the San Francisco 49ers in week two of the preseason. It's the Battle of the Bay, and even though it matters less than the baseball equivalent, both teams have a lot to work on to get ready and ahead of (or at least caught up to) the curve in the NFL. For more on the 49ers, head on over the Niners Nation, and check out Silver and Black Pride for the Raiders.