49ers vs. Raiders: Breaking Down Oakland's Game Plan
The Oakland Raiders will attempt to move on from a week to forget. After a blowout loss to the St. Louis Rams, the Silver and Black prepare for a battle with another Bay Area franchise, the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers have fallen short of expectations, but the Raiders are still facing a tough defense. The availability of Latavius Murray will contribute to the Raiders’ offensive success.
Colin Kaepernick has seemingly been less effective with more weapons around him, but he’s still getting the ball to reliable weapons to keep San Francisco competitive.
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The Raiders must force Kaepernick to find unfamiliar weapons on offense and use their running backs efficiently to earn their second win.
Running Back Usage and Rotation
According to Inside Bay Area reporter Steve Corkran, Murray practiced on Wednesday, but his status remains uncertain. If he cannot perform at an optimum level, Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden need to be effective in the short passing game to attack the middle of the field.
The Raiders' former sixth-round pick instantly propped up the backfield with only four carries in their Week 12 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Whether this performance was a flash in the pan or not, Murray's speed is an asset against stout defenses that are solid in the trenches.
San Francisco’s defensive line doesn’t accumulate a high volume of sacks, but it's capable of thwarting the run between the guards. Murray has the ability to escape on the edge, where the 49ers lack speed to cover.
Similar to the 49ers, the Chiefs have a stout physical defensive line that plugs that gaps very well. The Raiders were able to run the ball using speed on the edge on this particular play.
Murray takes the handoff. Kansas City's defensive line crowds the middle.
He goes lateral and finds the edge.
The Chiefs defensive line doesn't have the speed to track him down on the outside.
Murray turns on the afterburners and scores a touchdown.
The Raiders aren’t doomed if Murray is hindered by the lingering effects of a concussion. Jones-Drew and McFadden don’t have the same capabilities as Murray but can still be effective. McFadden has 33 receptions for 206 receiving yards. Jones-Drew caught 346 passes for 2,873 yards in Jacksonville as a highly capable receiver out of the backfield.
Offensive coordinator Greg Olson has been ineffective in getting the running back duo going, but he can help both players redeem themselves with short pass plays. Linebackers Chris Borland and Michael Wilhoite have played well in the absence of premier linebackers NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis. However, the two linebackers have faltered in coverage.
| Player | Receptions Allowed | Touchdowns Allowed |
| Chris Borland | 354 | 2 |
| Michael Wilhoite | 235 | 1 |
The middle of the field is the most inexperienced part of the chiseled, battle-tested 49ers defense. All three of Oakland’s running backs can be effective when attacking slight holes within this typically dominant defense. Olson must use an unpredictable rotation among the running backs to remain effective throughout the contest.
Attack the Offensive Line
Kaepernick has received the brunt of the criticism for the 49ers' underwhelming passing attack. It’s worth noting, he has been sacked 38 times this season—one sack shy of last season’s total. San Francisco’s offensive line is ranked 25th in pass-blocking efficiency, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
This game is another prime opportunity for both Khalil Mack and Sio Moore to add sacks to their resumes. The 49ers added weapons, but Kaepernick doesn’t have the time to distribute the ball. Defensive coordinator Jason Tarver should mix between using blitz packages and assigning a quarterback spy to prevent Kaepernick from using his legs to escape the pocket.
Blanket Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin
Anquan Boldin has been Mr. Reliable in the passing attack. Michael Crabtree has been a close second option but only accounts for 48.1 yards per game with four touchdowns this season. After these two primary receivers, the talent is balanced, but the production drop-off is evident.
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
| Stevie Johnson | 35 | 435 | 3 |
| Vernon Davis | 23 | 210 | 2 |
| Brandon Lloyd | 12 | 268 | 1 |
Many would point to the notion Kaepernick doesn’t read through his progressions well when his first two options are covered. The problem is Kaepernick doesn’t think he has enough time to go through his progressions before having to take off running for his life.
Crabtree hasn’t been the same player since returning from an Achilles tendon injury in the latter part of the 2013 season. Tarell Brown hasn’t had a spectacular season, but he should be able to match up with a less explosive Crabtree.
According to their official Twitter account (h/t NFL.com writer Kevin Patra), the Raiders placed cornerback Carlos Rogers on injured reserve. D.J. Hayden will likely see an increased role at the position. Oakland can opt to bracket Boldin in coverage with Hayden and safety Charles Woodson in an effort to take away Kaepernick’s most reliable weapon.
The focus in coverage is forcing Kaepernick to find Stevie Johnson, Brandon Lloyd and Vernon Davis on the field—all of whom are seldom targets for the signal-caller. San Francisco's rushing attack has failed to accumulate 70 yards in the last two games, which places more pressure on the quarterback to deliver under much duress.
Oakland’s rush defense is giving up 130.5 yards per game. However, it seems Frank Gore has lost a step or two, and Carlos Hyde hasn’t topped 50 rushing yards since Week 1. San Francisco’s sputtering grind-it-out attack has faltered—and with the onus now on Kaepernick to deliver, the Raiders can square off and simply hunt the quarterback.
Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com.
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