San Francisco’s 6-1 start meets a Raiders team fresh off a win, with Christian McCaffrey’s ground game looming large.
At 6-1 with a 3-0 division record and the No. 1 seed, San Francisco has far more ground to protect than 4-4 Las Vegas, which ranks 20th in the power index against the 49ers’ No. 2. The Raiders snapped a four-game losing streak with a 38-33 win over the Jets, while San Francisco is coming off a 29-20 loss to Atlanta after winning four straight. The key matchup is Christian McCaffrey against a Raiders defense allowing 146.4 rushing yards per game: McCaffrey has 389 yards and eight rushing touchdowns in seven games. If Las Vegas can’t slow him down, the 49ers can lean on a ground attack averaging 127.4 yards per game; the Raiders’ path is to make Brock Purdy and San Francisco’s passing game carry the load.