The Las Vegas Raiders defense became carved up by the San Francisco 49ers 38-17. Which left fans questioning if coach Klint Kubiak needs to make defensive changes. Including addressing his own coaching staff from defensive coordinator Rob Leonard on down.
Kubiak, however, staunchly defended his coaches on Monday in addressing the media. Including if he ever entertained the idea of doing some coaching shuffling.
No, I don't,” Kubiak began. “In fact, I see us doing the things we said we're going to do [but] better. I stand behind [DC] Rob [Leonard], I stand behind our defensive staff and I stand behind their players.”
That also means standing with star edge rusher Maxx Crosby, who's also enduring the recent string of struggles on that side of the football. Crosby managed to deliver one sack of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. But no one else tussled the All-Pro to the ground.
Linebacker Nakobe Dean came close to hitting 20 tackles, ultimately settling for 18. Fellow linebacker Quay Walker finished with 11 tackles while safety Jeremy Chinn added 10.
Safety Treydan Stukes picked off one pass in the game, which became the only takeaway for the Raiders. But again, the defense endured a rather forgettable afternoon inside Levi's Stadium.
Purdy still tossed 232 yards with two touchdowns plus added 40 yards and one more score. Christian McCaffrey added 68 yards on 18 carries. Kaelon Black rose as the leading rusher with 70 yards on 11 carries. Jordan Watkins led the receivers by catching four passes for 86 yards and hauling in 37-yard catch.
The Raiders sit at 4-5 overall, yet have allowed 27 or more points since week three of the 2026 season.