3 Key Takeaways From Raiders' Final Preseason Game Against 49ers

After playing their starters in their first preseason game and not playing them in their second, the Las Vegas Raiders entered their Thursday night preseason matchup against the San Francisco 49ers without giving many clues about which of those they planned on doing to end the preseason.

Las Vegas' new coaching staff is installing a new offense and defense. With the preseason coming to an end, the Raiders will soon begin the process of trimming down their roster ahead of the regular season. Their final preseason game concludes a summer of work for the team.

The Raiders' many changes will make it hard for opposing teams to game plan against them early in the regular season. There is only so much that can be said about Las Vegas at the moment, as they will be a different team in Week 1 than they are shortly after the end of the preseason.

Thursday night's game against the 49ers witnessed the Raiders' starters see the most extensive action of any game this preseason. Las Vegas' coaching staff walked a fine line between getting quality work in for the team while not showing too much of their hand, as the two teams will play this season.

Below are a few things that were noticeable in Las Vegas' 18-12 loss to San Francisco.

Ball Control

For the third game this preseason, the Raiders had multiple long drives that ate up time off the game clock. Las Vegas used a nice mixture of run and pass plays on offense and quick stops on defense to control the flow of the first quarter. The Raiders' first two drives only resulted in field goals.

Yet those first two drives confirmed that Las Vegas' offense can play multiple styles. The Raiders' offense moved the ball on the ground and was on the field for over 12 of the first quarter's 15 minutes. The 49ers' starting offense had the ball for less than three minutes in the first quarter.

In 2025, the Raiders' offense struggled to score points. Thursday night may have been proof that this year's Raiders can compete in high- or low-scoring games, another sign of progress under Klint Kubiak.

After the 2025 season saw the Raiders' offense struggle to move the ball, let alone score, the starting offense looked like a competent offense in the National Football League on Thursday night. Las Vegas' starting offense did not light up the scoreboard, but they did show potential.

Stout Defense

The Raiders played their starters on defense for about as long as they did their starters on offense. Las Vegas' starting defense is much improved from where they were a season ago. The starters played so well against the 49ers that there really was no reason to keep them on the field any longer than they were.

The roster changes Las Vegas made on defense were on full display Thursday night. The additions of Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean will eliminate many of the things opposing offenses have done successfully against the Raiders in recent seasons. They, like the offense, will have struggles.

Those struggles are inevitable, especially as teams have more Raiders games to dissect. Still, Thursday night was further proof that the Raiders are on the right track on both sides of the ball.

Halfway through the second quarter, the 49ers' offense converted none of their four third-down attempts. Through that same point, they had 50 total yards of offense. Three of the 49ers' first four offensive drives resulted in punts; the fourth possession landed them a field goal.

On Track

Whether Las Vegas played its starters or its reserves, there have been common positives across all three of its preseason games. Thursday was the most comprehensive look at what the Raiders will be this upcoming season. Compared to seasons past, 2026 should be productive.

The Raiders face one of the toughest strengths of schedule of any team in the league this season. They do so with a first-time head coach, a first-time offensive coordinator, and a first-time defensive coordinator, all of whom are installing new systems.

Las Vegas is sure to have its growing pains in its first season under Kubiak, as every season presents its own set of challenges. However, for the first time in a long time, the Raiders look somewhat prepared to handle them.

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