The Las Vegas Raiders got off to another slow start in Week 9, falling behind early to a San Francisco 49ers team that did not need any help to have a successful day. Week 9 was a mistake-filled performance for the Raiders on both sides of the ball.

Week 9 would have been the team's worst overall performance this season, if not for their subpar outing against the New England Patriots a few weeks ago. The Raiders' road matchup against San Francisco was disappointing, but not totally unexpected.

Sunday went about as expected for a Raiders team that struggled with the New York Jets last week. The 49ers looked like an elite team coming off their bye week. Las Vegas looked outmatched physically and mentally.

Below are the players who are rising and falling following the Raiders' Week 9 loss to the 49ers.

Rising

RB Ashton Jeanty

There are few positives that can be drawn from the Raiders' loss to the 49ers, as the game was not all that close. The stats will not show it, but in a limited sample size, Jeanty looked closer to full health than he has at any point this season. Giving Jeanty the first half of Week 8 was a good idea.

Jeanty averaged over four yards a carry and likely would have gotten more attempts had the Raiders not fallen behind by so many points so quickly. Jeanty's ankle injury shortly before the start of the regular season will go down as one of the unfortunate events of the 2026 season.

After Mike Washington's success last week, if there was any question of whether or not the Raiders' rushing issues were because of Jeanty, Sunday confirmed it has more to do with Jeanty and Washington's supporting cast than with them.

DB Treydan Stukes

The Raiders' defensive backfield issues mean the unit will keep getting targeted. This will test the unit, but also give them opportunities to make plays. Stukes has been a much-needed addition to Las Vegas' defensive backfield, but has had expected growing pains.

Overall, Stukes plays generally well. In Week 9, he intercepted Brock Purdy in the second half, giving the Raiders a chance to mount another comeback. Stukes' development is one of the positives for Las Vegas.

Falling

TEs Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer

Las Vegas' tight ends have been their most dependable position group this season. I believe they have the best group of tight ends in the league. However, both Bowers and Mayer had costly fumbles on Sunday. Had the Raiders scored on those plays, they would have had a chance.

CB Corps: Eric Stokes, Darien Porter

The Raiders need more at cornerback, but it will not come this season. The unit has struggled mightily over the past few weeks, and it seems to be snowballing. It's easy to point to Stokes' struggles or Porter not being fully healthy.

However, the unit as a whole is struggling. It would be easy to fix one cornerback who is struggling, but they all are at one point or another weekly. Sunday was another example, as Purdy completed eight of his 12 first-half passes for 123 yards and a touchdown.

Las Vegas' defensive backfield has long been an issue, but it appears their dependence on inexperienced defensive backs is proving costly. Although it has been costly, Las Vegas' front office and coaching staff are banking on it being a positive for those young defenders' development.

The Raiders have a long way to go. This offseason will be primarily about fixing the unit one way or another. The progress Las Vegas made on its roster this offseason was good enough to help them surpass last season's win total before even getting halfway through this season.

The front office should be commended for that. Although hoping the struggles their defensive backfield has had this season will help their individual and collective development, the Raiders must do what they can to fix the unit, as it is simply not good right now.

More is needed in a lot of regards. It will be up to the Raiders' front office to have another big offseason full of notable signings to help the team succeed.