The NFL announced the 2012 preseason schedule and as expected, the San Francisco 49ers will not play the Oakland Raiders. The game normally would have taken place at O.Co Coliseum in Oakland, but after last year's Candlestick Park violence the two teams decided to take some time off from the series. Now it's official.
The 49ers preseason schedule will open at home against the Minnesota Vikings. Week two will have them traveling to Houston to face the Texans. Week three will be a road game against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in a game to be broadcast at 1pm on FOX on August 26. They will wrap up their preseason schedule with their annual matchup agains the San Diego Chargers. This finale will be in San Francisco.
The Vikings game surprised me a little bit considering they will face off in the regular season. The most high profile game will be Alex Smith vs. Peyton Manning in week three, when starters are getting the most snaps of the preseason. The NFL always likes to show a little bit of a sense of humor with scheduling, and we get that here.