Dissecting the Crucial Matchups in 49ers' Week 14 Contest with Oakland Raiders

The San Francisco 49ers' offense looked terrible in a Thanksgiving night loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers could only muster one field goal, as they were clearly outclassed 19-3. With a record of 7-5, there is no margin for error if the 49ers have any hope of reaching the playoffs.

Even more horrendous than the 49ers' loss was a 52-0 debacle the Raiders suffered against the St. Louis Rams. Oakland is arguably the worst team in the league, with a record of 1-11.

Both teams are looking for redemption after their abysmal performances in their most recent game. This may make this contest much closer than it looks on paper. In addition, the proximity of these two teams always makes for an intense battle.

The 49ers will try to put to rest, at least for a week, the negative press about Jim Harbaugh and a perceived feud with owner Jed York and GM Trent Baalke. Only a solid win will ease some of the media scrutiny.

The Raiders will be playing for respectability after being totally obliterated by the Rams. It was an embarrassing performance, and we can expect them to come out with renewed intensity and pride against the 49ers. Unless the 49ers get a big jump on the Raiders, this will make for a close, hard-fought contest.

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Let's take a look at some of the key matchups that will go a long way to determining the outcome of this game.

Oakland left tackle Donald Penn has started all 12 games for the Raiders and has been one of their most steady offensive players. He will have his hands full with Aldon Smith, who is rounding into form after missing the first nine games of the season due to his suspension.

Smith has already bolstered the 49ers' pass rush with two sacks in his first three games and numerous hurries. His mere presence helps the other San Francisco pass-rushers such as Justin Smith, Ray McDonald and Aaron Lynch get in there.

If Smith and his fellow pass-rushers can get good, consistent pressure on Oakland quarterback Derek Carr, it will be another long day for the Raiders. The Penn vs. Smith matchup will go a long way in determining how successful the Raiders are in moving the ball.

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The second key matchup involves Carr against 49ers safeties Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea. The rookie Carr has faced an uphill battle all season as his offensive line is not strong, and his skill position players have not made enough plays. 

For the season, Carr has completed 264 of his 445 pass attempts, for 2,422 yards. He has 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He will match wits with 49ers safeties Reid and Bethea.

Reid and Bethea have played fairly well, especially Bethea who has stepped in admirably for the departed Donte Whitner. The pair have combined for 100 tackles and five interceptions.

The 49ers defense under coordinator Vic Fangio has been strong throughout the season. It ranks fourth in fewest yards allowed and eighth in points allowed. The 49ers are giving up an average of 20.3 points per game.

This is an outstanding number when one considers how inept the 49ers offense has looked at times. The failure of Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers offense to generate any consistency, has put the defense under constant duress.

The play of Reid and Bethea is a major reason the 49ers defense has remained strong; they have been the shining light of this team.

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The final matchup pits veteran Oakland defensive end Justin Tuck against beleaguered right tackle Jonathan Martin. The 49ers' normal starter Anthony Davis will likely still be out due to concussion symptoms, so Martin will once again need to step in and replace him.

Tuck has 31 total tackles on the year, with three sacks. Those numbers are rather pedestrian, but Tuck is an emotional leader for the Raiders, and the 49ers do not want him to wreak havoc in their backfield and get the Raiders fired up. It will be up to Martin to prevent this from happening.

These three matchups will prove critical to the outcome of this game. Keep a close eye on these, as the winner of the game will likely be the team that wins at least two of these matchups.

The 49ers also need to get their offensive struggles fixed. That starts with Kaepernick and extends to the offensive line, receivers and Greg Roman's play calls. The formations give the defense too much certainty as to what type of play to expect. It's almost like it knows what's coming. In reality, it does.

The 49ers can ill afford another loss. Even if they win, but do not convincingly beat the Raiders, the negativity will continue. The season is truly on the precipice; we will see what this team is made of in the next few weeks.

Individual player stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Team stats courtesy of NFL.com.