SANTA CLARA, Calif. The San Francisco 49ers got the defensive performance they will need for a playoff push on Sunday, and it was powered by two major reinforcements to their starting unit coming out of the bye week.
Nick Bosa returned after sitting out five games with a calf injury, and DeForest Buckner suited up for the first time since being traded back to the franchise during the bye. With both on the field, San Francisco overwhelmed the Las Vegas Raiders in a 38-17 victory.
"Those are two super disruptive players for our D-line and the offense has to have a plan for them at all times," linebacker Fred Warner said of Bosa and Buckner. "It frees up a lot of things for the rest of the defense."
Neither lineman piled up highlight plays, but their presence lifted the entire group. The 49ers, now 7-1, produced five takeaways in a game for the first time in nearly 12 years. All five came after halftime, beginning with a pick-6 by rookie Jaden Dugger on the opening snap of the third quarter.
San Francisco closed the contest by forcing turnovers on the final four Raiders drives. Warner forced a fumble and recovered another, while Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha each came away with an interception.
The Niners also limited Las Vegas to just 24 rushing yards, the fewest they have surrendered in a game since Atlanta managed only 17 against them on Nov. 8, 2015. Bosa made clear the standard the unit expects to meet from here. "We have the guys to do it," he said. "We're going to keep getting better.. It's great to have (Buckner) back and we have the guys to do it."
For Buckner, the game marked his first appearance for San Francisco since the Super Bowl that followed the 2019 season. He was dealt to Indianapolis the following offseason and was brought back on Oct. 27 in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. He finished with two quarterback hits and drew one of the biggest ovations of pregame introductions. "I definitely had some butterflies today," he said. "Obviously, my first game being back, I was definitely nervous. I just had to tell myself, 'Just go out there and play football.'"
The takeaways ended a drought, as the 49ers had gone back-to-back games without one before Sunday. The last time they forced five in a single game was Nov. 16, 2014, against the Giants. There were still soft spots: Las Vegas tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer combined for 10 catches and 148 yards, the second-most receiving yards San Francisco has allowed to opposing tight ends over the past 19 seasons, trailing only the 172 given up to Arizona on Dec. 17, 2023.
Offensively, wide receiver Jordan Watkins stepped up with Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel sidelined, catching four passes for 86 yards that included a 37-yard touchdown. The 2025 fourth-round pick now has seven receptions for 142 yards over his last two games after totaling five catches for 82 yards in his career before that stretch. "J-Wat's done a good job with the opportunity that he's been given," quarterback Brock Purdy said. "If he's got a one-on-one matchup, I'm not going to shy it down." Christian McCaffrey also extended his own record with his 18th career game featuring at least one rushing and one receiving touchdown, three more than Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk.
Not everything went smoothly. The kick coverage unit gave up a 54-yard return to Dylan Laube that led to a field goal, and San Francisco entered the week allowing the fourth-highest kick return average in the league at 27.8 yards, along with the sixth-worst average starting field position after kickoffs at the 32-yard line. Defensive tackle Gracen Halton will miss the rest of the season with a broken ankle, while Green (back) and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (foot) exited with injuries that are not considered serious. The 49ers visit Dallas next Sunday seeking the franchise's second 8-1 start in the past 15 years, having also done it in 2019 on the way to the Super Bowl.
