The NFL preseason is about to get over. Most teams will take lessons from these games and try to make the last changes before the regular season begins after 2 weeks. On the evening of the 23rd of August, the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers will face each other in their 3rd and final preseason game at Allegiant Stadium. Once upon a time in the NFL, their rivalry was known as the Battle of the Bay. Let’s see what has happened over all these years.

The first game between both rivals took place on December 20, 1970, which the Niners won. But the Silver and the Black made a comeback with three consecutive wins in the next games. They dominated the Niner Empire in the 1970s and 1980s. Later games were close contests as the 49ers also won a few. But a change of pace happened with the emergence of the new century.

Starting from 2002, Niners have completely outperformed the Raiders. Out of 6 games that they have played, the Raiders have lost 5. In the 2022 season; the 49ers defeated the Raiders, eliminating them from playoffs. The rivalry has been mixed with 49ers leading currently by 8-7. However, their rivalry turned violent in the decade starting in 2011.

Both rivals held joint practice during the off-season before 2011, followed by a preseason game. But on August 20, 2011, something happened that no one ever dreamed of. During the 4th quarter of the preseason game, a person was beaten up in the restroom in the stadium. After the game as well, an alleged Raiders fan sh*t a man wearing “F**k the Niners” t-shirt. But things became normal by 2021 when both teams started playing against each other again.

Now that we have talked about both teams’ past games, let’s discuss what this preseason has shown us so far.

Raiders and 49ers in 2024 preseason

The Niners are 1-1 in this preseason till now with a loss against the Tennessee Titans and a win against New Orleans Saints. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan has already said that the game against the Raiders will feature their starters. The team is set to start with Brock Purdy, but the team, overall, is struggling because of injuries to various players. RB Christian McCaffrey has a calf injury and Punter Mitch Wishnowsky has a back injury.

On the other hand, Raiders haven’t had the desired preseason. They lost games against the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys. But they have sorted out one of the biggest issues. Head Coach Antonio Pierce recently announced that Gardner Minshew II will be their starting QB. Fans are excited and ready for a good game.

Apart from the preseason game, Friday is also Raiders’ annual Alumni Weekend. More than 200 alumni and guests will be in the stands to watch the players. Will the Faithful win or will Brock Purdy hand Raiders their 3rd loss? We will know very soon.

Check out our recent interview with NFL veteran Chris Gronkowski, who shared his NFL journey and other stories with us on the Dual Threat Podcast with BG12.