Raiders vs 49ers 2022 Week 17: Game preview and prediction
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders take on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17, and here is our official game preview and prediction for the matchup.
The Las Vegas Raiders will know heading into their Week 17 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers whether or not they are still alive in the AFC Playoff race. Despite some bad play down the stretch, Las Vegas has not been eliminated as the early slate of games kicks off, but a Dolphins win over the New England Patriots at 1pm ET will end their hopes.
However, if the Patriots beat the Dolphins, then the Raiders will turn to Jarrett Stidham to keep their playoff hopes alive, as well as scoreboard watch to see if Seattle can beat the New York Jets. The truth is, with the way this team has been playing lately, they in no way resemble a playoff team, and are facing one of the best teams in the NFL in Week 17.
That team is the San Francisco 49ers, who currently are 11-4 and on an eight-game winning streak.
Raiders vs 49ers preview
A few weeks back, San Francisco was forced to turn to Mr. Irrelevant at quarterback, as Brock Purdy was forced into action due to an injury to Jimmy Garoppolo. Since taking over, Purdy has kept the good times rolling, winning all four of his starts, and helping the 49ers take over the lead in the NFC West.
However, it was the trade during the season for Christian McCaffrey that really put the 49ers over the top, and the Raiders do not have the talent on defense to stop that kind of weapon on Sunday. I believe the 49ers will work to get McCaffrey involved early and often and let Purdy make the smart plays down the field.
For the Raiders, the move to Stidham could bring some issues on offense, but I would fully expect Davante Adams to have a big game in this one.
Raiders vs 49ers prediction
The Silver and Black go into this game as big underdogs, and I believe they will have a hard time even covering the spread in this one. San Francisco is on a mission to make a serious run to the Super Bowl, and with the change at the most important position in sports, Las Vegas is going to have a hard time moving the ball against this defense.
Expect early offense from San Francisco on Sunday afternoon, as they should get up early, and keep the Raiders down for the count. Las Vegas will have their moments, and Stidham may surprise with how well he runs Josh McDaniels’s offense, but in the end, the better team will win, and win big.
Final Score: 49ers 34, Raiders 17