LAS VEGAS — Brock Purdy had an efficient outing, completing 9 of 12 passes for 96 yards, though he also threw a red-zone interception. In a tense moment, Purdy made a touchdown-saving tackle after the pick, causing some concern for his coach.“When it happened, I was hoping he wouldn’t tackle him,” said San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan after the team’s 24-24 preseason tie with the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday night. “Because it’s preseason, let him score. But the fact that he tackled him, got him down, and didn’t get hurt—I’m glad he didn’t.”Daniel Carlson’s 43-yard field goal with 16 seconds left allowed the Raiders (0-2-1) to tie the game against the 49ers (1-1-1). Earlier, Joshua Dobbs’ 10-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Cowing late in the third quarter had put the 49ers ahead 24-21.With the regular season just two weeks away, the teams took different approaches. The 49ers played most of their starters in the first quarter, while the Raiders opted to showcase backups fighting for roster spots.NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by Tuesday, and Raiders coach Antonio Pierce acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming decisions.
“It’s not easy cutting 37 men and telling them they have to find somewhere else to play,” Pierce said.One player battling for a spot was quarterback Nathan Peterman, who got the surprise start after Pierce had announced earlier in the week that Carter Bradley would open the game. Peterman played the first half, completing 12 of 19 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. Bradley, who led the game-tying drive, finished 9 of 21 for 169 yards with a touchdown and an interception.Tyreik McAllister, another Raiders hopeful, returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown and caught a 35-yard TD pass.On the 49ers’ side, the game was a chance to evaluate most of their starters, including the preseason debuts of wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle. Kittle made a highlight-reel 19-yard catch between two defenders and ended the night with three receptions for 34 yards, surpassing his previous preseason career total of four catches for 47 yards.However, not all 49ers starters played in their first game at Allegiant Stadium since losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl six months ago.“Actually, I really like the stadium,” Shanahan said. “Cool atmosphere. It’s one of the newer stadiums that truly feels like a football stadium when you’re inside. I like having games here. But, yeah, it wasn’t the best feeling going into the locker room remembering the last time you were in there, but you get over it pretty fast.
Notable absences included All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey, who was sidelined with a calf injury, and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams. Second-team All-Pro receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is in a contract dispute, was also missing, although he was seen chatting with Pierce before the game.Aiyuk did not travel with the team two weeks earlier when the 49ers played in Nashville and watched last week’s home game against New Orleans from a private box.Purdy played into the second quarter against the Raiders’ reserves, leading the 49ers to a 10-0 lead and nearly extending it to three scores.“It felt good to get out there with the guys and move the ball,” Purdy said. “We were all in rhythm.”The first possession resulted in a 49-yard field goal by Jake Moody, followed by a 12-play, 85-yard touchdown drive. However, Purdy’s pass to Samuel in the Raiders’ red zone was broken up by cornerback Sam Webb and intercepted by safety Chris Smith II. Purdy then made his third career tackle if counting preseason, regular season, and playoff games.“I was just trying to push him out of bounds and give our defense good field position,” Purdy explained. “I felt like I had the leverage to get him out of bounds, and that’s what I tried to do. Obviously, I don’t want to be tackling in the preseason, but it happened so fast.”The rest of the game was left to the reserves on both sides.**INJURIES**49ers: Left defensive ends Yetur Gross-Matos and Leonard Floyd both left with sprained knees late in the first quarter and were taken to the blue injury tent. Shanahan said both players would undergo MRIs on Saturday.
UP NEXT
49ers: Host the New York Jets on Sept. 9 to open the season.
Raiders: Visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 8 in the season opener.