The 49ers saw a 28-7 1st-half lead get quickly erased in the 2nd quarter, but they recovered and rolled up over 500 yards of offense and 59 points in a 59-38 rout of the Oakland Raiders in San Francisco.
The 49ers built their early 28-7 lead thanks to the arm of QB Alex Smith, who tore up the 49er record book. The Raiders responded with 24 unanswered points to take a 31-28 lead, but a late TD pass gave the 49ers a 35-31 halftime lead. The 49ers made quick work of the Raider defense in the 3rd quarter, pushing their lead to 21 and holding off the Raiders the rest of the way.
Smith torched the Raiders defense to the tune of 366 yards and a 49er-record 7 TD passes. TE Vernon Davis was the most damaging receiver, hauling in 5 of Smith\'s 7 TD passes to go along with his 153 yards receiving. FB Jacob Hester hauled in one TD pass and backup WR Sammie Stroughter caught the 50-yard bomb right before halftime.
RB Jamaal Charles filled in for an injured Frank Gore and kept the Raider defense honest with 109 yards rushing and a TD. Gore just bruised his shoulder and will not miss the next game. He finished with 26 yards on the ground before he left the game.
The 49er defense also saw some great individual performances despite a shaky 1st half against the NFL\'s worst-ranked offense. DE Derrick Harvey made a big statement for a possible 2nd straight Defensive Player of the Year award as the 49ers held the Raider offense under 250 total yards. Harvey recorded 8 tackles, including 6 sacks.
Davis was named NFL Offensive Player of the Week thanks to his 5 TD catches.
The 49ers improve to 12-2 and move into a tie for 1st place in the NFC with the 12-2 Philadelphia Eagles, who lost this past week. Homefield advantage is still up for grabs, and the 49ers look to inch closer to snatching it on the road. The 49ers travel to St. Louis to take on the rival Rams next week. The 49ers dominated the Rams 45-13 in San Francisco just 2 weeks ago.
