Oakland Raiders: Second Quarter schedule breakdown and predictions

@San Francisco 49ers

This week nine matchup between two exciting young quarterbacks may be the best on the week’s schedule.

Jimmy Garoppolo – after John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan got over on Bill Belichick in dealing him for a second-round pick – rejuvenated San Francisco’s offense once he was installed as the starter, and helped propel the 49ers from a 1-10 start to five straight wins, finishing the year 6-10.

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Over the course of the offseason, the 49ers surrounded Garoppolo with some serious talent. Most importantly, they’ve addressed some of the deficiencies along that offensive line to better protect the man they made such a huge investment (five-years, $138 million dollars) in.

Adding Weston Richburg as a free agent constitutes an upgrade at center, and drafting Mike McGlinchey to bookend with stalwart Joe Staley, gives the 49ers a powerful set of tackles. The biggest question marks are on the interior of that line, where Laken Tomlinsen and Josh Garnett are encamped as the presumptive starters.

Either way you look at it thought, San Francisco’s offensive line looks to be a lot better and will do a good job of keeping Garoppolo clean in 2018.

If there’s one question mark surrounding the 49ers offense, it’s in the running game. They spent a pile of cash to add the largely untested Jerick McKinnon. He does many things well, but has never been asked to be a team’s featured back before.

Of course, they have Matt Breida to help shoulder the load and fullback Kyle Juszczyk is good for a few carries, but without Carlos Hyde, whom they let sign with Cleveland without a fight, San Francisco’s running game, at least on paper, lacks a lot of sizzle and may not be the complementary piece that can help maximize Garoppolo and the passing game.

Defensively, the 49ers look to be in very solid shape. Along the line, they’ve got big bodies in Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, and Solomon Thomas, and their linebackers group, though not spectacular is relatively solid – though, we’ll see how the league handles the Reuben Foster situation. It’s still possible that although his legal peril has been diminished greatly, could still face league discipline for a number of offenses.

San Francisco’s secondary is the big question mark. New acquisition Richard Sherman is going to be the glue that holds a unit together that has been – just okay – in recent seasons. Though ranked twenty-fourth overall last season (and twenty-second against the pass) they played better down the stretch.

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Adding a veteran like Sherman to a group that includes Ahkello Witherspoon, and K’Waun Williams is only going to help them grow.

With Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin, Trent Taylor, and rookie Dante Pettis in the mix, San Francisco’s passing game could be formidable. Garoppolo will have plenty of weapons at his disposal.

San Francisco is most definitely a team on the rise, but there are still many questions that need to be answered. Fortunately for them, the Raiders have just as many questions that need answers. This game very well may be a shootout, but home field will help carry the day.

Raiders: 31 49ers: 35