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By the Numbers: Raiders' failure to protect football adds up in loss to 49ers

The Las Vegas Raiders suffered a debilitating 38-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, with things falling apart in the second half.

While the Raiders showed some bright spots in the former Battle of the Bay, playing complementary football for four quarters remains an issue. Momentum was nearly impossible to sustain with the ups and downs on both sides of the ball.

Here's some metrics that tell the story of the Raiders' Week 9 showing, for better or worse.

5

The more obvious statistic as to why the Raiders fell short Sunday was their five second-half turnovers against the 49ers.

Three of those turnovers were committed in the third quarter, with Kirk Cousins throwing a pick six on the first snap of the half, and tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer both fumbling while trying to pick up yards after the catch. It was their first game with three turnovers in a quarter since Week 16 of the 2017 season.

"When you turn the ball over five times, you're not going to win ever," Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said. "We didn't do a good job stopping [the 49ers] in the first half. We turned it over five times in the second half. Credit to the 49ers. They played a really good game."

224

With his seven receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown against San Francisco, Brock Bowers broke Cardinals star Trey McBride's record for most receptions by a tight end in his first three seasons. He now stands at 224 catches in his career.

Bowers also reached the 2,500-yard receiving mark in his career Sunday. In 36 games, it's the fastest a tight end has reached that milestone, breaking Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow's record. Bowers' 658 receiving yards and six touchdowns rank atop the league among tight ends.

Regardless, he called the 21-point loss "frustrating," especially with his third-quarter fumble playing a factor.

"We just felt like we were moving the ball pretty well, but the turnovers killed us," Bowers said. "I can't hold on to the ball. I can't put the ball on the ground. So yeah, I blame myself for that."

34

Dylan Laube's 34 yards per kickoff return remains the highest average in the league, with another impressive showing on special teams in Week 9.

A week after returning a kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown, the reigning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week averaged 28.1 yards per return against the 49ers, including a 54-yard runback in the second quarter. Laube has four kickoff returns of 50 or more yards this season, while no other player in the league has more than one.

"As (Laube) continues to make plays, the expectations grow, and then he meets and exceeds them again this week," Kubiak said. "But he doesn't do it alone. I think you've got to look at the entire part of it, the coaching on special teams and the players around him setting up blocks. As a unit, the special teams [have] been a bright spot for us."

24

Along with committing five turnovers, the lack of a rushing attack also slowed down Las Vegas' offense Sunday.

The Raiders' ground game gained just 24 yards, with the 49ers' defense coming away with seven run stuffs out of Las Vegas' 15 carries per NFL Next Gen Stats. Raiders rookie Mike Washington Jr. rushed for -3 yards on six carries against the 49ers. Ashton Jeanty averaged a modest 4.2 yards per carry with a +3 RYOE (Rushing Yards Over Expected), however, he was limited to six carries as the Raiders largely abandoned the run after falling behind by double digits early in the game.

Las Vegas has failed to total 100 rushing yards in each of its last six games, while its 2.9 yards per carry is the lowest mark in the NFL.

"It starts with me just making sure that we're opening run lanes for them and that we're getting them in positions to touch the ball more," Kubiak said. "Touch the ball more on the ground, especially."

Stopping the run also continues to be a massive concern, as Las Vegas' defense is allowing a league-leading 151.2 rushing yards per game. The 49ers ran for 190 yards Sunday.

"There are multiple things," Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby said of the struggles against the run. "There are a lot of things up front. You have to be tied together at the back end and linebackers do, as well. It's communication, it's leveraging the formation, several things that tie into stopping the run. It's not just one player. It has to be all 11, all hands on deck.

"It's something we're going to have to continue improving on, and I think we will."

View the best photos from the Raiders' regular season Week 9 match up against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium.

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