SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Maxx Crosby is one of the few remaining players on the Raiders with ties to the team's old home in Oakland, making this week's trip to play the San Francisco 49ers extra special.
The Raiders (4-4) will play their first regular-season game in the Bay Area since moving from Oakland to Las Vegas after the 2019 season when they visit the 49ers (6-1) on Sunday.
Crosby is one of three remaining Raiders who played in Oakland — along with tackle Kolton Miller and punter AJ Cole — and looks forward to the chance to play in front of some of those old fans who still travel to some of their games.
“I know definitely being in the Bay, there’s going to be a lot of tension in the air and a lot excitement at the same time,” said Crosby, who was a rookie in the Raiders' last season in Oakland in 2019. “It’s special just being a part of that rivalry and just knowing the history, taking your time to really understand what that comes from and how important it was to all the fans.”
The teams have met once since the Raiders moved with San Francisco winning 37-34 in overtime in Las Vegas in Week 17 of the 2022 season. The previous time they played in the Bay came in 2018 when the Niners won 34-3 in a Week 9 game played between a pair of one-win teams going nowhere.
There's much more optimism this time with the 49ers at the top of the NFC standings despite losing their first game two weeks ago in Atlanta before a bye week and the Raiders coming in with a .500 record after beating the New York Jets last week.
That will only add to the intensity for both the players and the fans of both teams, who still harbor animosity over the decades of sharing a home market.
“It’s exciting for me because I know it’s exciting for the fans,” San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner said. “I’ve had several people on the outside tell me, man, y’all better beat the Raiders. So it means a lot even though they aren’t in Oakland anymore this week. They’re the Oakland Raiders this week, and so it’s an exciting man. I know it’ll be packed in there.”
Las Vegas (4-4) vs. San Francisco (6-1)
When/where to watch: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, Fox.
Latest odds: 49ers by 9 1/2.
Against the spread: Raiders 6-2; 49ers 4-3.
Last week: Raiders beat the New York Jets 38-33; 49ers had bye, lost 29-20 to Atlanta on Oct. 25.
Last meeting: 49ers beat Raiders 37-34 in OT on Jan. 1, 2023, in Las Vegas.
Series record: 49ers lead 8-7.
Raiders TE Brock Bowers vs. 49ers pass defense. San Francisco allowed 18 catches for 127 yards by tight ends the past two weeks and now must match up with one of the game's best in Bowers. Bowers is the first tight end with at least 70 yards receiving in his first six games in a season and his 217 career catches are four shy of Trey McBride's record for a tight end in his first three seasons.
— The Raiders have scored 89 more points through eight games than last season. First-year coach Klint Kubiak is the fourth coach since the merger in 1970 to register that kind of improvement as well as four or more victories. The others were the Baltimore Colts’ Ted Marchibroda in 1978, Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay in 2017 and Chicago’s Matt Nagy in 2018.
— Kirk Cousins is the first Raiders quarterback with at least 2,000 yards passing (2,124) and 20 total touchdowns passing and running in the first eight games of a season.
— The 221 points scored this season by the Raiders are tied for their fourth-most ever through eight games and most since 2002. The 230 points allowed are the fourth most for the franchise in the first eight games.
— Las Vegas has allowed at least 30 points in five straight games, one shy of the longest streak ever in one season.
— The Raiders have allowed a league-worst 6.1 yards per play this season, while the Niners have gained a league-high 6.4 yards per play.
— The 49ers have won six of their past seven regular-season games coming off a bye week with their only loss in 2021 against Indianapolis.
— Brock Purdy has 99 TD passes in 56 games and can become the fastest 49ers QB to 100 TD passes, breaking Frankie Albert's mark of 65 games.
— San Francisco RB Christian McCaffrey has scored a touchdown in six straight games. He can become the 12th player ever with 50 games with at least 100 yards and one TD from scrimmage.
— The 49ers have won 32 straight games in the regular season and playoffs when not committing a turnover, tied for the third-longest streak since 1939.
— San Francisco had no takeaways and no sacks in its previous game, marking the 10th time that has happened in the past 10 seasons.
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AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson contributed to this report
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