For Northern California NFL fans, the 49ers-Raiders rivalry is too big to ignore. The “Battle of the Bay” matchups are sure to attract sellout crowds as each side watches its favorite team fight for bragging rights as the best team in the Bay.

Coming into the 2007 season, both teams are in the rebuilding process. The 49ers appeared to have an edge over the Raiders after coming off an improved 2006 season and winning the first two games over division rivals. In addition, the 49ers had the upper hand against the Raiders in the preseason matchup by winning 26-21.

The Raiders on the other hand lost their first two games as they had one of the shakiest QB situations in the league. As dismal as the season looked for the Raiders, both teams ended up with a 2-2 record after the first quarter of 2007.

The 49ers offense, which was carried by NFC-leading rusher Frank Gore last year, has lost its luster this season leaving them dead last in overall offense.

“They’re lacking offense firepower,” said Sacramento State senior business major, Jehrus Manansala. “Davis needs to stay healthy and Smith needs to progress faster.” Manansala hopes the 49ers can rebound from the two-game collapse.

With starting quarterback Alex Smith out with an injured right shoulder, the offensive struggle looks like it won’t end any time soon. The backup quarterbacks are far from impressive. Trent Dilfer is 35 and Shaun Hill is in his sixth year, but has yet to make an NFL completion. Fortunately, Smith’s injured right shoulder won’t require surgery and will sideline him for an estimated 2-3 weeks.

Gore, coming off a huge 2006 season, has been putting up adequate numbers and will most likely get a lot more carries now that the QB spot is so shaky.

The 49ers need to step it up offensively as a team that lacks a standout receiver. Free-agent wide receiver Darrell Jackson and second-year tight end Vernon Davis were expected to carry the passing game this year, but both are still without a touchdown after four games.

Previously, as defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, 49ers Coach Mike Nolan has implemented the 3-4 defense which has brought the defense to 13th in the league after struggling last year at 26th.

First-round draft pick Patrick Willis has shown promise from the linebacker position while cornerback Nate Clements has shown he was the playmaker they needed in the secondary. The 49ers are still lacking depth, especially on the front four since defensive lineman Bryant Young only has a year or two left in him.

The Raiders running game has been the x-factor to their offensive improvement in 2007. After four games, Oakland leads the league in rushing while Lamont Jordan is the second-highest rusher in the league.

The improvement in the Raiders offensive line can be credited for the success in the ground attack with the help of a new cut-blocking scheme provided by Tom Cable, the new offensive line coach. Jordan told Steve Corkran of the Mercury News, “[At first] I didn’t like it, but I had to buy into it in order to be successful.”

Jordan sustained an injured back in the Raiders’ last game against the Dolphins and with the X-rays coming back negative, he looks to return soon. However, the injury of Jordan didn’t hold back the Raiders’ ground attack that game, and gave more reps for backup running back Justin Fargas who went on to rush for a career-high 179 yards.

Also to help fill the void of a healthy Jordan, running back Dominic Rhodes will return to the field in week six after the bye, coming back from a four-game suspension.

On defense, Oakland has struggled this season at 27th in league after a strong ranking of 3rd in the league last year. So how could a team with the 3rd best defense still end up as worst team in the NFL last year? Although the defense did well yard-wise last year, the run defense was 24th in the league, allowing an average of 129.5 yards/game. With an exception to pro-bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, the Raiders secondary was overrated last year since teams didn’t have to use the passing game to streak into the end zone.

Without pro-bowler defensive end Derrick Burgess, the pass rush has suffered. Fortunately, the duo of young linebackers Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard have put together six interceptions. The bulked-up defensive line has helped the team improve to 10th in the league against the run.

At this point in the season, the Raiders’ position is more favorable than the 49ers. The Raiders’ performance in the first four games has been surprising even in the overtime loss to the Broncos. The Raiders were a sneaky time-out call away from beating their division rivals and leading the division 3-1.

The 49ers have been crippled by the injuries of Alex Smith along with second-year linebacker Manny Lawson who showed versatility by also taking some snaps at defensive end. The 49ers have enough weapons on offense, but their play isn’t getting it done. Maybe losing Norv Turner at offensive coordinator shook things up for the 49ers, but then again, Turner has somehow managed to turn the dominating Chargers into a pack of AAA batteries.

For the rest of the season, look for the Raiders to improve as the players get more comfortable with the new coaching while the 49ers get their offense going.

Contact Martin Wood at [email protected]