Could the San Francisco 49ers have drawn up a better return from the bye week? Not by much. The 49ers handled the Las Vegas Raiders 38-17, got back in the win column, and moved to 7-1.

The 49ers did a lot of good things in this one and only a couple of bad things. It seems as if the NFL’s viewers almost forgot about them during the bye week.

Boy did San Francisco make another statement today. 

Winners

RB Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey did it all on the ground and through the air, and found the end zone both as a rusher and as a receiver. He was phenomenal and made his mark on this game. 

In a situation like this where Brock Purdy is deprived of his weapons on the perimeter, McCaffrey shows his superstar value. 

RB Kaelon Black

Staying in the backfield, the 49ers rookie ran for more than six yards per carry and led the team with 70 rushing yards against the Raiders. That’s the type of game you want to see from him. 

His opportunities have grown as the season has gone along, and Black is proving he deserves even more playing time in this offense.

QB Brock Purdy

Purdy had a strong day too, minus one forced interception. He tried to find tight end George Kittle and turned it over to Treydon Stukes. Outside of that throw, Purdy was phenomenal working through his progressions and reads. He also ran for a touchdown, giving him three total on the day, and he did it with a lot of his top pass catchers out.

That’s a phenomenal game from No. 13.

WR Jordan Watkins

Watkins led the team in receiving and finally hit the end zone, finishing with 86 yards and a touchdown. He has been playing good football lately and kept it going against Las Vegas. It was a great opportunity today to show what he could do and he did just that.

LB Jaden Dugger

Dugger opened the second half with a pick-six. Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins bobbled the exchange with Mike Washington Jr. and tried to force a pass down the field. Dugger picked it off and took it back for six. He has been around the football a ton this season, and this takeaway extended the San Francisco lead.

LB Fred Warner

Warner had a phenomenal day doing what he does. Right after Purdy’s interception, Warner forced a fumble that Dre Greenlaw recovered, which wiped out the damage from the turnover. Warner also recovered a fumble near the goal line. There’s a reason the “Fred Warner Punch” is catching on as a term instead of the peanut punch.

Nobody is better at knocking the ball loose.

CB Upton Stout

Stout forced a goal-line fumble on Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. That play was essentially going to be a touchdown for the Raiders. Instead, Stout punched it out, and that was a massive swing for the 49ers. He had a solid day in coverage on top of it.

CB Renardo Green

The last winner is cornerback Renardo Green. I thought he held up well in coverage in the secondary, and he sealed the deal with a huge red zone interception late in the game. Green is a very promising player for the 49ers secondary, and he made the Raiders feel his presence in the back half.

Losers

Kick Coverage unit

Dylan Laube ripped off a 54-yard return, and the Raiders had another nice return early in the game. San Francisco’s kick coverage unit just didn’t get the job done, and that can’t keep happening against better opponents.

Malik Mustapha

Yes, Mustapha came away with an interception late in the game. That one was gifted to him, though. He struggled a lot in zone coverage, and he needs to be better. Kirk Cousins completed a lot of passes over the middle of the field. A good chunk of it was due to Mustapha.

Gracen Halton

This one has nothing to do with his play. The 49ers rookie suffered a broken ankle and will miss the rest of the season, per Kyle Shanahan. It’s something you never want to see, especially in the case of Halton who had been playing some really good football in his debut campaign.

San Francisco needed this

A 21-point win with this many standout performances is a great sign for San Francisco coming out of the bye. The defense is forcing turnovers, Purdy is executing without his full arsenal, and Black is forcing his way into a bigger role. Clean up the kick coverage and the zone coverage, and this 49ers team at 7-1 should keep stacking wins.