San Francisco 49ers fans have somewhat of a superiority complex over those who support the Las Vegas Raiders. This started, of course, when both teams were located in California's Bay Area, and the 49ers adopted "The City," which was deemed to be much "better" than Oakland, "The Town."
And it is true that the 49ers outclass the Raiders in terms of Super Bowl wins, and recently, the comparison between the two hasn't been close. San Francisco also held it over Las Vegas' head when it relocated to Nevada, as the 49ers sported "Loyal to the Bay" shirts on numerous occasions.
So, even though these two teams aren't geographic rivals anymore, in both history and current spirit, the two franchises hate each other. And for the first time since the Raiders moved their HQ to Las Vegas, they'll travel back to play a regular season game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
As part of our preview series, we gained some additional intel about Las Vegas' Week 9 matchup against its former cross-town foe. Peter Panacy of NinerNoise, FanSided's dedicated 49ers page, lifted the veil about what's going on in San Francisco, and Raider Nation will want a glimpse.
Las Vegas Raiders aren't considered "rivals" of San Francisco 49ers anymore
Q: I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about this rekindling of "The Battle in the Bay." For the first time, the Las Vegas Raiders will travel to Levi's Stadium. Which team do you expect to be better represented in the crowd?
A: It'll definitely be a 49ers-centric crowd, although the Raiders are represented enough to have a good showing. All those NorCal Raider Nation fans who can't travel to Vegas will want to make sure they're heard. But it's not a heated rivalry anymore.
Q: San Francisco took a lot of heat for their 2026 draft class. How have those rookies been performing thus far?
A: Aside from Kaelon Black being buff, there hasn't been much of a buzz during workouts. Romello Height has some pass-rushing speed that should be fun to watch, but it'll be hard to gauge that until the pads come on at training camp.
Q: The Raiders now have Klint Kubiak and Spencer Burford. What can 49ers fans tell us about those two, and are there any added feelings about facing off against them, especially with Kubiak after his year in Seattle?
A: Burford is a high-level backup, below-average starter. Keeping him in a Shanahan-like system will be good, though, and Kubiak will get the most out of him. It'll probably take at least a year for Kubiak to get the necessary pieces in place, though. Such is the complexity of the offense.
Q: I'd assume the ship has sailed with Brandon Aiyuk in San Francisco. What is the holdup with the 49ers parting ways with him?
A: Why give Aiyuk what he wants after what he did to the franchise? If anything, he's letting out his true self as of late. And since the Niners play Washington this season, there's no reason to give the Commanders an early edge on meshing him with their offense.
Q: Has there been any buzz about former Raiders CBs Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones during 49ers offseason practices?
A: Not too much, but I wouldn't be shocked if either one of those two wind up taking over a starting job opposite Deommodore Lenoir. That CB2 role is very much open.
Q: What was the biggest or most impactful move that the 49ers made this offseason?
A: Fans can talk about Mike Evans, and that's fine. But Osa Odighizuwa destroys the interior of opposing offensive lines. Considering the NFL's worst sack totals last year, Odighizuwa should have an immediate impact.
Q: Do the 49ers have a glaring weakness this year that Las Vegas could potentially exploit? If so, what is it?
A: If anything, it'll be the depth. The Niners are awfully top-heavy with star talent across the board but awfully little elsewhere. So, if you're looking at a 49ers team that's banged up again, it'll be a major problem unless the rookies and second-year pros finally show up.
Q: What is San Francisco's biggest strength that the Raiders could have a hard time with?
A: The pass-catching depth now, assuming it's healthy. Evans is a future Hall of Famer, and if George Kittle is fully healthy, then that's good, too. And Christian McCaffrey is one of the best pass-catching tailbacks in the league. All of it hinges on those names avoiding injury, though.
Q: Would you rather face Fernando Mendoza or Kirk Cousins?
A: Kirko!
Other Las Vegas Raiders 2026 season previews:
Week 1 - Miami Dolphins
Weeks 2&14 -Â Los Angeles Chargers
Week 3 - New Orleans Saints
Week 4 - Kansas City Chiefs
Week 5 - New England Patriots
Week 6 - Buffalo Bills
Week 7 - Los Angeles Rams
Week 8 - New York Jets
Week 10 - Seattle Seahawks (Coming Soon)
Weeks 11&15 - Denver Broncos (Coming Soon)
Week 12 - Cleveland Browns (Coming Soon)
Week 16 - Tennessee Titans (Coming Soon)
Week 17 - Arizona Cardinals (Coming Soon)
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