The Raiders offense will battle the No. 1 defense in the league

It will be interesting to see the cat-and-mouse game between the Raiders offense and the 49ers defense.

Offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi has played a huge role behind the success of his unit this season. The Silver and Black offense is ranked 12th in the league, touting league leaders in rushing yards and receiving touchdowns with Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams.

According to Lombardi, the Raiders offense will be going up against “probably the best defense we’ve played all season” this Sunday. The 49ers’ fierce defense, helmed by former NFL linebacker DeMeco Ryans, have the No. 1 defense in the league. They’ve allowed the fewest yards and points to offenses, large in part to the help of 2023 Pro Bowlers Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Talanoa Hufanga.

Additionally, Lombardi was a scout and coach for the 49ers from 2013-16. He credited the organization for giving him the opportunity to settle into the NFL and learn more about coaching.

“Coach [DeMeco] Ryans, obviously took over for Coach [Robert] Saleh back in 2021 and he’s really done a phenomenal job in terms of teaching fundamentals,” said Lombardi. “They’re fundamentally sound, they play fast, they play hard. Their effort is one of the best in the league and I think it shows up in situational football. They’re top in the league in pretty much almost every category. I mean, the scheme, it is what it is, they play a certain number of things, but they play it well and they make sure they’re all connected.”