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 The Raiders offense lining up against the 49ers in their 2008 preseason game | |
| Location | San Francisco,Las Vegas |
|---|---|
| First meeting | December 20, 1970 49ers 38,Raiders 7[1] |
| Latest meeting | January 1, 2023 49ers 37, Raiders 34OT[1] |
| Next meeting | 2026 |
| Stadiums | 49ers:Levi's Stadium Raiders:Allegiant Stadium |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 15[1] |
| All-time series | 49ers: 8–7[1] |
| Largest victory | 49ers: 38–7(1970), 34–3(2018) Raiders: 23–10(1979)[1] |
| Most points scored | 49ers: 44(1994) Raiders: 35(1974)[1] |
| Longest win streak | 49ers: 3 (2002–2010) Raiders: 3 (1974–1982)[1] |
| Current win streak | 49ers: 2 (2018–present)[1] 1 The Raiders played inOakland from 1960 to 1981 and from 1995 to 2019. |
The49ers–Raiders rivalry, once commonly known as theBattle ofthe Bay, is a professionalAmerican footballrivalry between theNational Football League (NFL)'sSan Francisco 49ers andLas Vegas Raiders. This rivalry is unique in that both teams are members of different conferences within the NFL and have never met in a postseason game. The rivalry stems from the proximity of Oakland and San Francisco in the northernBay Area, and was formalised the first time the teams met after theAFL–NFL merger in the 1970 season.[2] The geographic aspect of the rivalry ended in 2020, when theOakland Raidersrelocated toLas Vegas, Nevada.[3][4]
Currently, the 49ers are in theNFC West division, while the Las Vegas Raiders are in theAFC West division. As a result, the two teams only meet in the regular season once every four years and once every eight seasons at each team's home stadium according to theNFL's current scheduling formula, with the only exception being the possibility of both teams sharing a divisional standing using the 17th game from schedules two years earlier, in which case they could play as frequently as every other year.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] The only way the two teams can currently play each other in the postseason is in theSuper Bowl.
Teams of the formerAmerican Football League were merged into the National Football League in1970, setting up the first ever matchup between the 49ers and Raiders. Heading into the season finale, the 49ers (9–3–1) needed a win over the Raiders (8–3–2) to clinch the NFC West. On December 20, 1970, the Raiders were blown out by the 49ers 38–7 at Oakland Coliseum, asJohn Brodie threw for three touchdowns andJimmy Johnson picked offDaryle Lamonica for a touchdown. Regardless, both teams managed to advance to (and lose) their respective conference championships.
In the earlier half of the 1970s, both teams were consistent performers, the Raiders becoming known as a hard-hitting, fierce team while the 49ers consistently dominated the NFC West. However, although the Oakland Raiders continued to improve, consistently clinching spots in the AFC championship, the 49ers began to regress. This disparity showed when the two teams met again on October 27, 1974, where the Raiders beat the 49ers 35–24 at Candlestick Park in a showoff betweenKen Stabler andTom Owen. The Niners turned over the football five times.
TheJohn Madden-led Raiders continued a streak of excellence during the latter half of the 1970s, with the Raiders winningSuper Bowl XI in 1976. Meanwhile, the 49ers struggled to finish seasons with a winning record, going through a coaching carousel ofDick Nolan,Monte Clark,Ken Meyer, andPete McCulley.
In 1979, both teams acquired new head coaches, withBill Walsh taking over for the 49ers andTom Flores replacing John Madden for the Raiders. On November 4, 1979, the Raiders beat the 49ers 23–10, withCliff Branch hauling in two touchdowns from Ken Stabler.
Although the Walsh-led Niners suffered losing seasons in 1979 and 1980 and the Raiders wonSuper Bowl XV in 1980 as the firstwild-card team to win the Super Bowl, their fortunes were about to change. In 1980, Raiders ownerAl Davis's failure to getluxury boxes added to theOakland-Alameda County Coliseum resulted in a hard-fought legal battle that made 1981 the Raiders' last year in Oakland. That same year, the 49ers withMontana under center led adramatic comeback in the NFC championship to earn their first ever Super Bowl appearance, which theywon against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In 1982, the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers floundered, losing all of their home games, including the first game of the season against the newly mintedLos Angeles Raiders, which the Raiders won on the back ofMarcus Allen, who rushed for 116 yards.
Two years later, in 1984, the Niners had one of the most phenomenal seasons in NFL history, finishing the regular season 15–1–0, a feat that has only been repeated or exceeded five times. The Raiders were stifled in the wild card round by theSeattle Seahawks, and the 49ers wonSuper Bowl XIX againstDan Marino'sMiami Dolphins.
The Raiders and Niners met again on September 22, 1985, with San Francisco's defense obliterating the Raider offense, withJim Plunkett tasting turf nine times, resulting in a 34–10 blowout of the Raiders at theLos Angeles Coliseum.
The Niners began the season struggling in 1988, with Joe Montana andSteve Young competing for the starting job after a poor performance by the former in 1987. In their match against the Raiders on November 13, 1988, they were defeated 9–3, with Montana sacked four times (with the help ofReggie McKenzie, who is the Raiders'general manager as of 2017). The 49ers turned their season around and wonSuper Bowl XXIII against theCincinnati Bengals 20–16. San Franciscorepeated their Super Bowl championship the next season, trampling theDenver Broncos 55–10.
In the meantime, Al Davis began negotiations to return the Raiders to Oakland.
In March 1991, Davis announced that he was moving the Raiders back to Oakland, but Los Angeles reached a deal with him to keep the Raiders at the Coliseum later in the year. On September 29, 1991, the 49ers met the Raiders again in Los Angeles, with the Raiders winning 12–6 against a touchdown-lessSteve Young San Francisco offense.
The season opener of 1994 at Candlestick Park was the next iteration in the rivalry, with the 49ers beating the Raiders 44–14. In1994's Super Bowl XXIX, the 49ers won their last Super Bowl to date against the then-San Diego Chargers. The next year, the Los Angeles Raiders returned to Oakland.
On October 8, 2000, Oakland defeated San Francisco 34–28 inovertime withRich Gannon connecting withTim Brown for 2 touchdowns and the Niners'Jeff Garcia passing for four touchdowns. On November 3, 2002, the 49ers defeated the Raiders 23–20 in overtime at the Oakland Coliseum withJose Cortez kicking a 23-yard field goal to win the game.
On October 8, 2006, the 49ers beat the Raiders 34–20 at Candlestick with Oakland quarterbacksAndrew Walter andMarques Tuiasosopo throwing four interceptions, three of which were byWalt Harris.
On October 17, 2010, the 49ers defeated the Raiders 17–9, giving them their first win of the season after a 5-game losing streak. Raiders quarterbackJason Campbell was held to just 83 yards passing. In 2012, the 49ers underColin Kaepernick lostSuper Bowl XLVII to theBaltimore Ravens, with Kaepernick becoming permanent starter afterAlex Smith suffered a concussion in Week 10.
On December 7, 2014, theDerek Carr-led Raiders broke their three-game losing streak against the 49ers with a 24–13 win at theOakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
On November 1, 2018, the 49ers, led by practice squad quarterbackNick Mullens, defeated the Raiders by a score of 34–3, ending a six-game losing streak. Mullens, who had his NFL debut, previously played and provided a game-winning touchdown in a preseason game against theDallas Cowboys. This game concluded the "Battle of the Bay", the nickname for the geographical rivalry.
Prior to the2011 NFL season, the 49ers and Raiders regularly held a joint practice and then met during the preseason as a manifestation of their geographic rivalry. However, this came to an end when on August 20, 2011, the 49ers defeated the Raiders 17–3 at Candlestick Park. During the fourth quarter, a man wasbeaten in an "upper level stadium restroom" and after the game, a man wearing a shirt reading "Fuck the Niners" wasshot multiple times in thestomach.[14] It is however important to note that the prime suspect for the shooting was a Raiders fan as well.[15]
The 49ers recommended the cessation of all preseason games between the two teams, which the NFL promptly agreed to. In the years following, head coaches of both teams have expressed hope that preseason games between the two teams could soon return, with 2017 Raiders coachJack Del Rio stating the benefit of a 49ers-Raiders preseason game as a "decrease in travel".[16]
Following the Raiders' move to Las Vegas, preseason games were once again scheduled between the two teams. Although the 2020 NFL preseason was canceled due to COVID-19, the two teams played preseason contests on August 29, 2021, in Santa Clara and on August 13, 2023, in Las Vegas. Prior to the 2023 contest, the two teams held joint practice sessions at the Raiders Training Facility in Henderson, Nevada.
On January 1, 2023, the 49ers won the game 37–34 in overtime after the Raiders threw an interception. The loss eliminated the Raiders from the playoffs.[17]
In 2024, the Raiders hostedSuper Bowl LVIII in Allegiant Stadium, whose contenders were later determined to be their rivals the 49ers and theKansas City Chiefs.
Regular season displayed only.
| Season | Date | Home team | Site | Result | Overall series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | December 20 | Raiders | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 49ers 38–7 | 49ers 1–0 |
| 1974 | November 29 | 49ers | Candlestick Park | Raiders 35–24 | Tied 1–1 |
| 1979 | November 4 | Raiders | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | Raiders 23–10 | Raiders 2–1 |
| 1982 | September 12 | 49ers | Candlestick Park | Raiders 23–17 | Raiders 3–1 |
| 1985 | September 22 | Raiders | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 49ers 34–10 | Raiders 3–2 |
| 1988 | November 13 | 49ers | Candlestick Park | Raiders 9–3 | Raiders 4–2 |
| 1991 | September 29 | Raiders | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Raiders 12–6 | Raiders 5–2 |
| 1994 | September 5 | 49ers | Candlestick Park | 49ers 44–14 | Raiders 5–3 |
| 2000 | October 8 | 49ers | 3Com Park | Raiders 34–28(OT) | Raiders 6–3 |
| 2002 | November 3 | Raiders | Network Associates Coliseum | 49ers 23–20(OT) | Raiders 6–4 |
| 2006 | October 8 | 49ers | Monster Park | 49ers 34–20 | Raiders 6–5 |
| 2010 | October 17 | 49ers | Candlestick Park | 49ers 17–9 | Tied 6–6 |
| 2014 | December 7 | Raiders | O.co Coliseum | Raiders 24–13 | Raiders 7–6 |
| 2018 | November 1 | 49ers | Levi's Stadium | 49ers 34–3 | Tied 7–7 |
| 2022 | January 1 | Raiders | Allegiant Stadium | 49ers 37–34(OT) | 49ers 8–7 |
