The Las Vegas Raiders finished off the preseason with an 18-12 loss against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night. In what was a relatively unexciting game with zero touchdowns, Klint Kubiak, the coaching staff and front office still learned a great deal ahead of roster cutdown day on Sunday.
Immediately following the game, we provided some rapid-fire takeaways from the action between the two former Bay Area rivals. But with a bit more knowledge and having watched some things back, we can now paint an even more accurate picture of all that went down in the exhibition finale.
So, for the final time until it really matters in Week 1's game against the Miami Dolphins, here are eight winners and five losers from the Raiders' most recent contest.
Winners and losers from Raiders' preseason finale loss to 49ers
Winners
1. Mike Washington Jr.
This was Washington Jr.'s biggest test yet, as he got expensive reps with the first-team offense. And things went off without a hitch, as expected. He ran eight times for 49 yards, which is 6.1 yards per rush, and his numbers weren't inflated by a big run. Washington Jr. is a real-deal NFL running back.
2. Starting OL group
Kirk Cousins had all the time in the world to operate in the pocket, and as mentioned, Washington Jr. had space to run. Schematically, this group showed some cool wrinkles as well. This could easily be a league-average unit, which is all that Kubiak and the Raiders should need in 2026.
3. Defense
For the second straight week, Rob Leonard's unit improved. They didn't give up a touchdown, they got off the field on third down and they really limited the 49ers through the air. Las Vegas did give up a few explosive plays, mainly on the ground, but an overall great showing for this group.
4. JJ Pegues
Pegues played just 17 defensive snaps, which may be an indication that he's safe at cutdown day. He maximized those snaps as well, recording two pressures and a batted pass, as well as four total tackles, including three solo and two run stops. An all-around great showing for the sophomore.
5. Cameron McGrone
McGrone had been quiet this preseason, but he saved his best game for last. He was everywhere on defense, recordinga. team-high five tackles, with three solo and two run stops. McGrone also forced an incompletion and made a good tackle on special teams.
6. Tre Tucker
Tucker wasn't out there for very long, but he made an impact. In 15 plays, he turned three targets into three catches for 25 yards. Here was the best part, though: He had 27 yards after the catch. Kubiak manufactured touches for him, and Tucker got the job done when the ball was in his hands.
7. Jordan Meredith
Credit where it's due: Meredith played well on Thursday. He hasn't enjoyed the strongest preseason, and to be fair, he was playing against the 49ers' third-stringers, but Meredith pitched a shutout in pass pro and looked solid in the run game, earning the offense's highest overall PFF grade.
8. Matt Gay
Gay has obviously won this kicking job, as Kansei Matsuzawa did not set foot on the field against San Francisco. Gay went 4-for-5 on field goals, with makes from 53, 48, 45 and 37. He did miss a 54-yarder, but overall, he scored every point for the Raiders and earned his starting spot.
Losers
1. Backup OL group
For the second consecutive week, the backup offensive line group failed to keep Fernando Mendoza clean and couldn't get much push in the run game. The miscommunications were obvious, and guys got flat-out beat on several occasions, leaving the skill players out to dry. This is a bit concerning.
2. Ian Thomas
Thomas has been solid at times this preseason, but he didn't look rosterable on Thursday. Not only did he drop two more passes to add to his summer total, but for the second straight week, he was awful in pass blocking, giving up a quarterback hit, and below-average in run blocking.
3. Cody Lindenberg
Lindenberg had his worst outing of the preseason against the 49ers. In 20 total defensive snaps, he mustered just one assisted tackle, and he whiffed on two other attempts. Twice as many missed tackles as tackles is never a good thing.
4. Tommy Eichenberg
Eichenberg was in the same boat as Lindenberg, as he, too, missed a pair of tackles against the 49ers, and he also gave up a five-yard catch. To his credit, Eichenberg had three tackles and a run stop, but again, not a great ratio for the young linebacker.
5. Aidan O'Connell
O'Connell went 3-for-9 for 32 yards and had a three-yard rush, which was on fourth down and came up way short of the first-down marker. He struggled once again to find completions or get his group in a rhythm, so this was a rough performance to cap off a rough preseason for him.
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