Raiders-49ers: 5 things to watch

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 13: Cian Slone #48 of the Las Vegas Raiders sacks Kedon Slovis #12 of the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth quarter of the preseason game at Allegiant Stadium on August 13, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Las Vegas Raiders host the San Francisco 49ers in the preseason finale Thursday night at home. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. PT. Here are five things to watch:

Pass rushers:

The Raiders' backup pass-rushers performed well late in last week's comeback win at Houston. Players such as Patrick Johnson, Cian Slone and Jahfari Harvey are all vying to make the 53-man roster. There is likely not room for all of them. So, this is a fun competition to watch.

QBs:

Third-string quarterback Aidan O'Connell and undrafted rookie Jacob Clark may play a lot. O"Connell is trying to make the 53-man roster and he could also be made available in a trade between The end of the game and Sunday's 53-man roster cutdown deadline. So, it's a big game for him. Clark is trying to stick around the program on the practice squad.

Run defense:

The run defense has been bad. Not a lot of defensive players who will be playing on Sundays this fall will be playing in this game. Still, it would be nice to see improvement in this area before the start of the season.

Wide receivers:

Raiders' coach Klint Kubiak said last week that the wide receivers took a step back in Houston. There are lot of questions about this group, especially its depth. The receivers must finish strong or there could be some roster movement at the positition in the coming days.

Clean it up:

The Raiders have 17 penalties in two games. Kubiak called it unacceptable" and he knows it' s a problem. The Raiders must address their overall discipline before the regular season starts.