Top 5 Memorable Regular Season Matchups Between Raiders, 49ers
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- The San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders head into a rare regular season matchup Sunday at O.Co Coliseum with two very different outlooks, at least for their fan bases.
For Raider fans, a win is not expected but in this day of NFL parity, where on any given Sunday any team can come up big, an upset of the 49ers would be the sweetest of medicine to ease the pain of a nightmare season.
For 49ers fans, a loss to the Silver and Black – aside from dashing their playoff hopes - could force some of them to move to Katmandu to escape the trolling wrath of Raider fans.
The teams used to meet every year in the preseason, until knucklehead elements from both sides ruined it for everyone. Regular season meetings between the teams are few and far between since they play in different conferences, with the all-time record between the two since the first meeting in 1970 at 6-6.
Among the more memorable Raiders-49ers regular season games:
December 29, 1970 - Oakland Coliseum
49ers 38, Raiders 7
The first-ever meeting between the teams was at the Oakland Coliseum on a rainy day that saw the 49ers crush the Raiders in the regular season finale to clinch its first NFC West title.
Despite the loss, Oakland also won its division and both teams advanced to the conference championship games, where each would lose – the Raiders to the Baltimore Colts and the 49ers to the Dallas Cowboys.
September 12, 1982 – Candlestick Park
Raiders 23, 49ers 17
A victory by the then-Los Angeles Raiders would reinforce the Raiders' decade-long dominance over the 49ers in both the regular and preseason. The 49ers were coming off their first Super Bowl win the previous year, but still could not beat the Raiders who were Super Bowl winners (for the second time) the year before.
The Niners would finish the strike-shortened season out of the playoffs, while the top-seeded Raiders advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing.
October 8, 2000 – Candlestick (3Com) Park
Raiders 34, 49ers 28
The greatness of the Raiders was still evident in this thriller at 3Com Park. Despite 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia tossing two touchdown passes to Terrell Owens, one to Jerry Rice and another to (future Raider) Charlie Garner, the game wasn't decided until Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon found Tim Brown down the sideline for a touchdown in overtime to send the 49ers into a five-game losing streak.
The 49ers finished 6-10, a game out of last place, while the Raiders finished first in the AFC West with a 12-4 record, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in the AFC title game.
November 3, 2002 - Oakland (Network Associates) Coliseum
49ers 23, Raiders 20
Another overtime thriller saw 49ers legend Jerry Rice playing for the Raiders and facing his former team for the first time, catching 6 passes for 74 yards. Another former 49er, Charlie Garner, tied the game up for the Raiders in the fourth quarter before the 49ers manuevered into field goal range for the last-second win, which evaded them when 49ers kicker Jose Cortez missed the kick.
In overtime, the 49ers got the ball and marched the length of the field, giving Cortez another chance and he nailed.
The 2002 season was a milestone for both division-winning teams. The Raiders reached the Super Bowl but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and former coach Jon Gruden. It marked the Raiders last Super Bowl appearance. The 49ers lost in the divisional playoffs to the Buccaneers and would not return to the playoffs until 2011.
October 17, 2010 – Candlestick Park
49ers 17, Raiders 9
The last time the teams played in the regular season, the 49ers were much like how the Raiders are today, and came into the game with an 0-5 record. The Raiders were not much better, sporting a 2-3 record. On that day, Alex Smith threw for 2 touchdowns and Frank Gore rushed for 149 yards.
The Raiders would finish with an 8-8 record, while the 49ers finished at 6-10. Guess which fan base felt better about their season?
