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LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Jake Moody drilled not one, but two clutch field goals in the final minute — including the game-winner from 59 yards — to propel the 49ers past the Las Vegas Raiders.
Yes, you read that right. The embattled 49ers kicker, who struggled mightily after returning from a high ankle sprain in 2024, might not be so embattled anymore. The 49ers mobbed Moody after his long kick sealed a 22-19 win.
“It was a great operation,” Moody said in the locker room after the game. “Great snap. Great hold. Got to see the ball for a long time. … It was pretty cool to have everyone pick me up off the ground. It was fun.”
“I thought he kicked his ass off,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said of Moody, who went 4-for-5 — with his only miss coming from 53 yards.
The performance certainly bought at least some job security for Moody, who’s kicked well enough in training camp to allow the 49ers to recently release his primary competitor for the kicking role, Greg Joseph.
The big kick finished a day started by quarterback Brock Purdy, who took his first in-game snaps for the 49ers since signing a contract worth up to $265 million three months ago. And they went well against the Las Vegas Raiders, as Purdy led a 61-yard field goal drive with several sharp throws.
There was some compelling action before the game even started. For one, Purdy threw three passes during early warmups to 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk — who’s currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list as he recovers from ACL and MCL tears.
Aiyuk is obviously healthy enough to run routes, though, and his involvement as an active observer during practices and in this warmup can be considered good signs for a 49ers team with a plethora of questions at receiver. A few days ago, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan hinted that Aiyuk would likely miss the first part of the regular season, but it does seem that a return around Week 6 might actually be realistic.
At around the time that Purdy and Aiyuk were reconnecting on the field, San Mateo native and Bay Area legend Tom Brady — a minority owner of the Raiders — strode into Allegiant Stadium.
Remember that the six-time Super Bowl champion is a key part of Purdy’s story. Purdy, in his first career start, beat Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022. That was the only time Brady lost to a team helmed by a rookie QB in his illustrious 23-year career.
Brady watched Purdy play more crisp football on this day, although the preseason stakes were far less consequential than those of that December day some three years ago.
Purdy opened with three straight completions to second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, maintaining a connection that’s shined during training camp. The third one was particularly impressive; it was a perfectly placed skinny post to convert a third-and-18.
“We’re always talking,” Purdy said after the game. “He loves football. I love football. … Our chemistry, it’s pretty natural.”
Purdy didn’t throw an incompletion until veteran wideout Demarcus Robinson dropped his quick-hitter inside the red zone. The 49ers settled for a Jake Moody field goal three plays later, and Shanahan — happy with Purdy’s workload — replaced his starting QB with Mac Jones.
For Purdy, the opening drive went far better than his 2024 preseason debut. Against the New Orleans Saints, Purdy went just 2-of-6 for 11 yards. This time, he went 5-of-7 for 66 yards.
The 49ers played a handful of starters, a group that included Purdy, tight end George Kittle and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, but they sat the majority of their superstars. Running back Christian McCaffrey, defensive end Nick Bosa, linebacker Fred Warner, and left tackle Trent Williams all had the day off.
The opening drive saw starting right guard Dominick Puni go down with a knee injury sustained on Moody’s opening field goal try. Shanahan said that Puni, who limped off the field after the game, had suffered a possible PCL injury that will likely keep him out “a few weeks.” Rookie running back Corey Kiner was carted off with a high ankle sprain.
Backup 49ers quarterback Mac Jones took over following Purdy’s work. He went 13-of-16 for 135 yards over the first three quarters and looked sharp outside an interception to Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn, who’d dropped into zone coverage after feigning a blitz. Jones led a touchdown drive capped by a Jeff Wilson Jr. touchdown run.
The veteran running back, who’d played for the 49ers from 2018 to 2022, returned this past week. Given mounting injuries at the position (Patrick Taylor Jr. was also knocked out of Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury), it appears Wilson now has a real shot to make the 49ers’ team again.
Third-string QB Carter Bradley, whom the Raider cut earlier this camp, then took over for the fourth quarter and played much better than he did during his 49ers debut last week. Bradley completed 8-of-14 passes for 96 yards, setting up Moody’s game-tying attempt from 44 yards out.
Heroics from 49ers’ defensive reserves stymied the subsequent Raiders’ drive and gave Moody his final chance. First, defensive back Chase Lucas — who’d logged a pick earlier in the game — sacked Las Vegas QB Cam Miller. Then, 49ers safety Jaylen Mahoney intercepted him.
And unlike last preseason, the 49ers would not be leaving Vegas with a tie.
“Even though it was the preseason, we really wanted to win this game,” Purdy said. “To see first string, second string, third string all go out and compete — that’s what we wanted to see.”
