LAS VEGAS – Brock Purdy was efficient in completing 9 of 12 passes for 96 yards, but also threw a red-zone interception in which he then put a scare into his coach by making a touchdown-saving tackle.
“When it happened, I was hoping he wouldn’t tackle him,” San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said after a 24-24 preseason tie with the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday night. “Because it’s preseason, let him score. But the fact he tackled him and got him down and didn’t get hurt, I’m glad he didn’t.”
Daniel Carlson’s 43-yard field goal with 16 seconds left pulled the Raiders (0-2-1) even with the 49ers (1-1-1). Joshua Dobbs’ 10-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Cowing late in the third quarter put the 49ers ahead 24-21.
Each team took an opposite approach to the game with the regular season two weeks away. The 49ers played most of their starters in the first quarter and the Raiders went with backups auditioning for roster spots in Las Vegas or another NFL team.
Clubs must reduce their rosters to 53 players by Tuesday, and Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said he would discuss with general manager Tom Telesco what moves to make.
“It’s not easy cutting 37 men and telling them they got to find somewhere else to play,” Pierce said.
One player fighting for a slot was quarterback Nathan Peterman, who received the surprise start after Pierce said Wednesday that Carter Bradley would open the game.
Peterman played the first half and completed 12 of 19 passes for 108 yards a touchdown. Bradley led the tying drive for the field goal and finished 9 of 21 for 169 yards with a TD and interception in the end zone.
Tyreik McAllister, another Raiders player competing for a spot, returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown and caught a 35-yard TD pass.
On the other end, the 49ers wanted to get a close look at most of their starters, which included the preseason debuts of wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle. Kittle made a highlight 19-yard grab between two defenders and finished with three catches for 34 yards. His previous preseason career total: four receptions for 47 yards.
Not all the 49ers starters played, however, in the team’s first appearance at Allegiant Stadium since losing in the Super Bowl six months earlier to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Actually really like the stadium,” Shanahan said. “Cool atmosphere. It’s one of the newer stadiums that feels truly like a football stadium when you’re inside there. I like having games here. But, yeah, wasn’t the best feeling going into the locker room remembering the last time you were in there, but you get over it pretty fast.”
Among the missing were All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey because of a calf injury. Also, All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams and second-team All-Pro receiver Brandon Aiyuk have been in contract disputes that remain to unresolved even with the season just two weeks away.
Aiyuk, however, was at Allegiant Stadium on Friday night and even chatted with Pierce before the game. Pierce was the linebackers coach at Arizona State when Aiyuk played there in 2018-19.
Aiyuk didn’t travel with the team two weeks earlier when the Niners played at Nashville and watched last week’s home game against New Orleans from a private box.
Purdy played just into the second quarter against the Raiders’ reserves, taking a 10-0 lead and nearly going up three scores.
“It felt good to get out there with the guys and move the ball,” Purdy said. “We were all in rhythm.”
The first possession resulted in a 49-yard field goal by Jake Moody, and then Purdy guided the 49ers on a 12-play, 85-yard touchdown drive. San Francisco was at the Raiders’ 16-yard line early in the second period when Purdy’s pass to Samuel was broken up by cornerback Sam Webb and picked off by safety Chris Smith II.
That’s when Purdy stepped in to make his third career tackle if preseason, regular season and the playoffs are all counted.
“I’m trying to get him out of bounds and have our defense get good field position,” Purdy said. “I felt like I had leverage to get him out of bounds and that’s what I tried to do. Obviously, I don’t want to be tackling in the preseason, but it happened so quick.”
Then it was up to the reserves on both sides.
INJURIES
49ers: Left defensive ends Yetur Gross-Matos and Leonard Floyd left with sprained knees late in the first quarter and entered the blue injury tent. Shanahan said both will undergo MRIs on Saturday.
UP NEXT
49ers: Host the New York Jets on Sept. 9 to open the season.
Raiders: Visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 8 in the season opener.
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