Antonio Pierce’s Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers end their preseason with a tie at 24 a piece.
Things got off to a rough start for the Silver and Black, as the 49ers scoring 10 unanswered points out the gate. 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 96 yards and completed 75 percent of his throws in the first half. Chris Smith II did come away a highlight reel interception off a tipped pass from Sam Webb, but it didn't lead to any points.
The tide began the shift with elite special teams play, starting with wide receiver Tyreik McAllister. Early in the second quarter the former CFL player used blazing speed to split the return coverage, high-stepping into the end zone off an 81-yard return.
The McAllister touchdown helped to get things in motion. Nathan Peterman led a 10 play, 79-yard drive during a two-minute drill to end the first half. Peterman rolled out of the pocket to hit Kristian Wilkerson in the midst of three defenders for a three-yard touchdown. No. 10 went 12-of-19 for 108 yards and a touchdown on the day.
Carter Bradley came in to start the second half and was firing on all cylinders. He went 4-of-4 on his first drive with a big 22-yard gain to Ramel Keyton. McAllister added another explosive touchdown on the day, making a contested catch and spinning out the grasps of the defender for a 32-yard score. The running back finished the day with 144 all-purpose yards.
Down 24-21 in the fourth quarter, linebacker Jackson Mitchell forced a fumble on San Francisco's Tay Martin, with safety Phalen Sanford recovering the ball to put the Raiders in scoring position. However, the drive stalled on the goal line as Bradley threw an interception on fourth down.
The Raiders defense kept the 49ers scoreless with less than two minutes left in the game following a stop on fourth down in their own territory. Bradley responded with three completions for 54 yards to Ramel Keyton which put Daniel Carlson in position to knock in the game-tying 43-yard field goal.
The Las Vegas Raiders finish the preseason 0-2-1, with Week 1 of the regular season two weeks away against the Los Angeles Chargers.
|