LAS VEGAS – Jake Moody made a 59-yard field goal as time expired to send the 49ers home with a 22-19 preseason win Saturday over the host Raiders

But they’re going home with more injuries, none of which are season-enders.

Right guard Dominick Puni sustained a knee injury to his posterior cruciate ligament while blocking on an opening-drive field goal.

Then came more pain to the 49ers’ already battered roster: rookie running back Corey Kiner got carted off with a left-ankle injury after a 19-yard run into Raiders territory. Kiner had replaced Patrick Taylor Jr., who left with a dislocated shoulder.

Moody, of all people, uplifted the 49ers’ mood and got mobbed by joyous teammates for his winning finish.

He missed a 53-yard attempt earlier in the game to stoke flashbacks of his 2024 sophomore slump, but he made five other kicks, including a 44-yarder with 37 seconds left to tie the score at 19. A Jaylen Mahoney interception set up Moody to nail his walk-off kick from the midfield logo.

“I hit it really well. The guy rushing the edge tripped me, so I fell on my back and didn’t even get to see it,” Moody said. “But it was pretty cool to have everybody pick me up off the ground. It was fun.”

Moody was mired in a sophomore slump upon returning from an ankle injury last season, though he did kick a walk-off field goal in a win at Tampa Bay that was tarnished by Deebo Samuel confronting Moody after his third miss. This year, Moody is seeing a sports performance coach who emphasizes his “process over outcome,” and Saturday’s outcome worked wonders for him and the 49ers.

“That was a hell of a day for him. He kicked his (butt) off and gave us confidence in him,” coach Kyle Shanahan said.

Thomas Morstead didn’t punt Saturday but did hold for Moody’s kicks, to which he said: “I’m real happy for Jake. He’s had to work through some things in his young career.”

Brock Purdy and other Week 1 offensive starters got pulled after their opening series. Defensively, the 49ers were down to only a few healthy starters before kickoff, and one of them, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, got bulled over at one point by Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty.

The 49ers kept out only a few projected Week 1 starters who are healthy: left tackle Trent Williams, running back Christian McCaffrey, linebacker Fred Warner, and defensive end Nick Bosa, the latter of whom went through a pregame workout and looked unhindered by neck soreness that ruled him out of Thursday’s joint practice.

Puni’s knee injury is initially diagnosed as his posterior cruciate ligament and will sideline him for a few weeks, but he might be OK by the Sept. 7 season opener, Shanahan said. The injury happened when Matt Hennessy got driven backward (by two Raiders) into Puni’s right knee while Moody made a 30-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Puni jogged off after the play, and he returned to watch the final minutes sitting on the bench in shorts without a knee brace. Puni played all but one snap last season as a surprise rookie, and he isn’t the only starting guard who’s hurt. Ben Bartch, the projected starter at left guard, is sidelined by an elbow injury.

Rookie Connor Colby started at left guard this game, and Nick Zakelj took over at right guard after the opening series. The 49ers potentially could move Spencer Burford back inside, though he’s spent all year transitioning from a guard to potentially Trent Williams’ backup at left tackle.

The running back depth had already been tested before Taylor’s and Kiner’s exits. Injuries this camp to Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) and Jordan James (finger) prompted the signings of Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Jeff Wilson Jr., the latter of whom scored a 1-yard touchdown run Saturday just five days after his signing. Taylor got stuffed for a 5-yard loss on his first run, and he finished with four carries for minus-6 yards before his shoulder injury.

Purdy impressed in his debut after missing his third straight preseason opener. He opened 5-for-5 passing, completing his first three to Pearsall, including a 21-yard conversion on third-and-18.

“All the routes we threw to him were different, and it was cool to see him work each one differently,” Purdy said. “We’ll continue to build and get better together. It’s been great working with him this offseason and in camp, and then finally going out in a game situation and seeing the results.”

Completions to Isaiah Hodgins and Demarcus Robinson got the 49ers to the 13-yard line, then Robinson bobbled a pass that nearly got intercepted at the 5-yard line, and a Purdy scramble safely out of bounds, he threw a third-and-9 pass toward Pearsall, who instead cut inside on his route. Then came Moody for the first of his five made field goals.

Injuries prompted the 49ers to start a patchwork defensive front, and Geno Smith took advantage from the jump with a play-action pass that found Brock Bowers for a 28-yard gain down the right sideline against safety Ji’Ayir Brown. Bryce Huff started at left defensive end and couldn’t shed his block as Smith stepped into his throw.

The 49ers defense did scrape together a few highlights: Nick Martin’s sack on a third-down blitz, Chase Lucas’ third-quarter interception, a big hit from Tatum Bethune, and ultimately Mahoney’s last-minute interception of Cam Miller.

Mac Jones got intercepted only five snaps into replacing Purdy, with Jeremy Chinn picking off a pass intended for Robbie Chosen. But Jones finished 13-of-16 for 135 yards (with an Isaiah Hodgins drop at the goal line) and exit after a third-quarter drive yielded a 26-yard field goal that Moody hooked inside the left upright.

When he pulled a 53-yard attempt wide left three minutes before halftime, it stoked memories of his sophomore slump last season. Moody’s final field goal capped a drive Carter Bradley engineered and kept alive with a Jake Tonges’ fourth-down conversion catch.

Moody was the center of attention in the postgame locker room, to which Shanahan said, “He had a speech to break us down. It was a little anticlimactic. Guys were happy for him.”

The Raiders converted their interception of Jones into a touchdown run by Ashton Jeanty, who smacked into Ji’Ayir Brown at the goal line and also got hit by Bethune.

Among the wounded not suiting up were five draft picks: defensive linemen Mykel Williams (knee) and C.J. West (knee); cornerback Uptown Stout (calf); wide receiver Jordan Watkins (ankle); and running back Jordan James (finger).

The 49ers’ defensive line was like an open casting call, seeing how injuries prompted the team to sign eight defensive linemen since training camp opened. Huff started alongside Kalia Davis, rookie Alfred Collins, and Jonathan Garvin. Out were Bosa, Williams, West, Jordan Elliott (back), Kevin Givens (pectoral), Sam Okuayinonu (adductor), and Robert Beal (adductor).

One inactive 49er who surprisingly caught a few passes from Purdy in pregame: Brandon Aiyuk, who wasn’t in uniform and is on the Physically Unable To Perform list, where he’s likely to start the season until a Week 6 comeback.

Tom Brady, a Raiders minority owner and a Serra High-San Mateo product, watched from the Raiders’ coaches’ booth on the press-box level.

One preseason game remains, next Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers at Levi’s Stadium.

Originally Published: August 16, 2025 at 12:25 PM PDT