The San Francisco 49ers traveled to Las Vegas and accomplished something they hadn't done in over two decades—the 49ers defeated the Raiders in overtime to extend their current winning streak to nine games. The last time the 49ers had a nine-game win streak was under head coach Steve Mariucci. That season, Jerry Rice and Steve Young went down in week one, but the defense carried them through the storm. That 1997 49ers defense resembles, in some ways, this 2022 defense. The word to describe both defenses is resiliency.
Against the Raiders, the defense arguably had its worst performance of the season, allowing 500 total yards of offense (365 passing + 135 Rushing) to the Jarrett Stidham-led Raiders. The defense allowed 34 points, 29 first downs, and had zero sacks against the Raiders. However, when it mattered the most, the resiliency of the defense secured the 49ers' ninth straight victory.
The 49ers defense came up big when it mattered most with two interceptions. The biggest of the two was in overtime. Safety Tashaun Gipson caught a pass from Raiders QB Jarrett Stidham that seemed to float in the air forever after Nick Bosa bull-rushed left tackle Kolton Miller directly into the QB as he was attempting to uncork a deep pass down the left sideline to superstar WR Davante Adams. Gipson's interception and return helped the 49ers seal the deal. After missing the game-winning field goal in regulation by pushing the ball too far right, 49ers kicker Robbie Gould won the game in OT with a chip shot field goal.
So why are the 49ers still dangerous after they barely beat the Raiders? According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, this game, and the resiliency the team showed, simply revealed more of their character
"We didn't play perfect, but coming down there at the end, especially getting that pick, I think it was a good game for us," Shanahan told reporters. "We didn't play perfect but to still be able to find a [way to] win, I'm real proud of the guys."
Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy and his team trailed in the game by double digits at one point, but Purdy and the rest of the offense were able to pick the defense up against the Raiders, a situation that this team had yet to experience this season. The typical storyline, especially early, was of a dominant defense doing the heavy lifting for a struggling offense, so the resiliency on defense shouldn't go unnoticed. There were some positives on the defensive side, including another goal line stand on 4th down early, and though the defense took several blows, it found ways to make plays and give its offense opportunities.
It's safe to say that when the 49ers are clicking in all three phases, they're the most dangerous team in the NFL. The flip side is when the 49ers are not clicking on all three phases, they're still finding ways to win, which makes them even more dangerous.