The Las Vegas Raiders will be returning to the Bay Area to face the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 8. While the Raiders are no longer in Oakland, one player on the Niners still views this matchup as a rivalry.
On Nov. 5, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner spoke to the media and was asked about the Bay Area rivalry the Niners and Raiders had. However, for Warner, that rivalry hasn’t gone away and will be rekindled in Week 9.
“It’s exciting for me because I know it’s exciting for the fans,” Warner said (h/t Jesús Zárate). “I’ve had several people on the outside tell me, ‘Y’all better beat the Raiders.’ It means a lot even though they aren’t in Oakland anymore. This week, they’re the Oakland Raiders and so, it’s exciting, man.”
The Raiders are coming off a win in Week 8 over the New York Jets, so this game means a lot to both the Silver and Black and San Francisco. At 4-4, Las Vegas is looking to get back to over .500, while the 49ers are looking for a bounce-back win after a Week 7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons before their bye week.
Fred Warner Expects Major Atmosphere at Levi’s Stadium
As Warner mentioned, just because the Raiders aren’t in Oakland doesn’t mean that the fanbase isn’t there. As a result, there are bragging rights on the line, and that should make for an exciting atmosphere at Levi’s Stadium.
“We know it’ll be packed in there,” Warner added. “Regardless of the opponent, we need to right the wrongs we left behind before the bye, get back on track, and get back to playing 49ers football.”
It will be interesting to see which team will give their fanbase the bragging rights in the Bay Area for the next few years until the Raiders come back again.
Fred Warner on Facing Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty in Week 9
Meanwhile, as for the game itself, the Niners’ defense will be looking to take away the Raiders’ run game and have them be one-dimensional. Ahead of the Week 9 game in the Bay Area, Warner spoke about facing second-year running back Ashton Jeanty as they look to contain him.
“Dangerous,” Warner told KNBR’s Larry Krueger in a Nov. 6 video when talking about Jeanty. “You can see the speed, his ability to break away from guys. He has a bigger body, having to put body on body with a bigger running back like that, but don’t get it wrong, Jeanty is really talented. There’s a reason why he went where he went in the draft, and we have to obviously be ready for him.”
Jeanty has played 360 total snaps for the Raiders so far this season, leading to a 66.8 overall PFF grade. Moreover, the second-year running back has carried the ball 108 times for 337 rushing yards and one touchdown while averaging 3.1 yards per attempt on the ground and forcing 10 missed tackles as a runner.
Meanwhile, in the passing game, where Jeanty has been more effective, he has caught 37 passes on 46 targets for 376 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
49ers’ Fred Warner Gets Blunt on Raiders’ Return to Bay Area