Tag: 49ers Ravens

49ers can play spoiler for Ravens in Week 16

The #49ers can wind up playing spoiler for the Ravens on Monday — which may matter quite a bit in February.

The 49ers have plenty to play for in Week 16 when they host the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. San Francisco can seal up the No. 1 seed in the NFC with wins in its next two games. However, they can also help play a little spoiler for the Ravens.

Baltimore is the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but they’ve yet to clinch a playoff spot. They can do so Sunday with a win and a Browns loss to the Texans. That means there’s a chance the 49ers could keep Baltimore from clinching a postseason berth.

The 49ers would also ding the Ravens’ hopes for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Baltimore is a game up in Miami and two games up on Kansas City. With a game coming up vs. the Dolphins, the Ravens will want to have as much clearance as possible from Miami to avoid that game becoming the deciding factor in the hunt for the top seed.

Baltimore can’t play the same level of spoiler for the 49ers from a clinching standpoint, but they can certainly make the path to the NFC’s top seed more difficult by beating San Francisco.

So why does any of this matter?

Because there’s a very good chance that the 49ers and Ravens are the two best teams in the league and that the rest of this season is just a collision course toward a Super Bowl showdown between then. In that event, both teams will want to ensure that path to Las Vegas is as difficult as possible. Playing spoiler in Week 16 could wind up being the difference in which team hoists the Lombardi Trophy.

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Studs and duds from 49ers’ 20-17 loss in Baltimore

Who was good and who was bad in the 49ers’ loss to the Ravens?

The 49ers lost their second game of the season Sunday in a hard-fought game in wet, sloppy conditions in Baltimore. They played one of their best games of the season against arguably the best team in the NFL. The Ravens have now won eight in a row,  but their 20 points were their fewest of the year, and their 288 yards were their second fewest.

Here are the 49ers’ studs and duds from Sunday:

Stud: RB Raheem Mostert

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Mostert was the best part of a 49ers offense that at times struggled to move the ball. He had a career day with 146 yards on 19 carries and a 40-yard touchdown run. It felt like a majority of his runs were chunk plays, and Baltimore’s third-ranked run defense struggled all Sunday with him. Mostert’s performance was huge for the 49ers offense with Tevin Coleman struggling for just six yards on five carries.

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49ers vs. Ravens: 3 things that stood out in the 3rd quarter

45 minutes down, 15 to go in Baltimore in what has been an amazing game of football.

45 minutes down, 15 to go in Baltimore in what has been an amazing game of football. The 49ers scored the lone points in the third quarter on a Robbie Gould field goal that tied the game at 17.

Here’s what stood out in the third quarter:

Marcell Harris with the potential play of the year for the defense

Baltimore started the second half with the ball and it looked like more of the same from the first half. They ran five times for 41 yards. The sixth run of the drive was the biggest as Jackson had a 14-yard gain, but at the end of the play, Marcell Harris was able to rip the ball from Jackson and force the turnover. It looked like Baltimore was going to drive down the field once again, but Harris took the ball and gave momentum back to San Francisco.

The Raheem Mostert game

After a first half that saw Mostert carry the ball six times for 89 yards, the 49ers offense seems be riding their veteran running back. They opened their first drive of the second half running Mostert five consecutive times for 35 yards. He’s now up to 137 yards on 14 carries and has by far been the most important piece of the offense on Sunday.

Another deep shot on fourth-and-short pays off

Just like in the first quarter, Kyle Shanahan called a deep shot on a fourth-and-short and the move paid off. Garoppolo targeted Emmanuel Sanders and Marlon Humphrey got there a tick too early and was called for pass interference. With the weather, field goals aren’t guaranteed and Shanahan is calling the game like such. The decision led to another four plays and led to a Robbie Gould 32-yard field goal to tie the game at 17. The 49ers are now two-for-two on fourth downs.

49ers vs. Ravens: 3 things that stood out in the 2nd quarter

The 49ers have done a great job rolling with Baltimore’s punches but haven’t quite figured out how to contain Lamar Jackson. 

The 49ers have done a great job rolling with Baltimore’s punches, but haven’t quite figured out how to contain Lamar Jackson. Raheem Mostert has been huge for the offense with six carries for 89 yards and a 40-yard touchdown run.

Robbie Gould missed a 51-yard field goal as time expired in the half and Baltimore will take a 17-14 lead into halftime. Here’s what stood out in the second quarter:

Third-down mistake leads to Baltimore touchdown

Azeez Al-Shaair made a mistake that led to another Baltimore touchdown. It was the second third-down miscue of the game for San Francisco. On a third-down incompletion that would have given the Ravens a tough fourth-down decision, Al-Shaair was called for a roughing the passer that reset the downs for Baltimore and gave them 15 free yards. Baltimore extended their lead to 14-7 four plays later. The 49ers have to cut down on the third-down miscues if they’re going to earn the win in Baltimore.

George Kittle the blocking tight end

What makes Kittle so valuable to the 49ers offense is not just his abilities as a pass-catcher, but his ability to open huge holes in the run game. Kittle has zero receptions on one target, but had a big seal block to open up a hole for Raheem Mostert en route to a 40-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14. The Ravens have done what they can to take Kittle away from the passing game, but his biggest play thus far has come as a blocker.

Sherman with a big tackle on Jackson

Baltimore faced a third-and-6 when Jackson got loose once again and tried to rush for a first down. Richard Sherman recognized the run play quickly and broke towards Jackson to force him out of bounds. Baltimore was able to convert the fourth down, but the tackle by Sherman was big in the moment. His physicality on the edge as a run stopper may play a key role later in the contest.

49ers vs. Ravens: 3 things that stood out in the 1st quarter

The 49ers offense started with a bang, but a turnover allowed Baltimore to tie it right back up.

The 49ers offense started with a bang, but a turnover allowed Baltimore to tie things at 7. The defense played well in the first drive against the Ravens’ offense, but has struggled since.

It’s tied at seven after one. Here’s what stood out in the first quarter:

Fourth-and-2? Go deep

The 49ers had a tough choice early on with a fourth-and-2 at the Ravens’ 33-yard-line. It was either attempt a 51-yard field goal or take a chance a go for it. Kyle Shanahan not only chose the latter, but drew up a deep shot. Jimmy Garoppolo connected with Deebo Samuel in double coverage for a touchdown to give the 49ers an early lead. The weather will likely change play calls on both sides and Shanahan took advantage the first try he had.

Fred Warner in coverage

Warner is the hottest player on the 49ers defense and has been since Kwon Alexander went down four weeks ago. On a second-and-10, Lamar Jackson threw a pass toward Marquise Brown on an in route with the linebacker in coverage. Warner looked like a defensive back with his diving pass breakup to prevent the completion. The 49ers will need everything they can get from the defense and Warner’s play led to the Ravens first punt since Week 9.

49ers turnover leads to Ravens points

Mike McGlinchey picked up a blitzing Jihad Ward, but released to pick up Matthew Judon around the edge. That move from McGlinchey allowed Ward to get to Garoppolo forcing him to the ground and allowing Chuck Clark to punch the ball out. The fumble was recovered by Baltimore. Lamar Jackson cashed in two plays later to tie the game at 7-7. Even though it’s wet and sloppy, the 49ers can’t afford turnovers like that to give Jackson an even shorter field.

3 matchups that will decide 49ers – Ravens showdown

The 49ers move to the second step of their three-game stretch of teams .800 or better with a visit to Baltimore. 

The 49ers visit Baltimore on Sunday for the second phase of their three-game stretch against teams with winning percentages of .800 or better. They’ll have a tough task trying to slow down the highest-scoring offense in the league, led by quarterback Lamar Jackson. San Francisco’s offense also faces a tall task against a Ravens defense that’s allowed just 11.5 points per game in their last four.

Here are the three matchups that matter most in Baltimore:

Robert Saleh vs. Lamar Jackson

Saleh will have to figure out how to do something not many teams have been able to this season: put together a game plan to slow down Jackson. Slowing him is the key to keeping Baltimore from racking up 30-plus points–  something they’ve done six times this season.

If there’s any defensive coordinator that can do it, it’s Saleh. Saleh was able to put together a plan last week that held Aaron Rodgers to just 104 passing yards and his worst-ever yards per attempt. It could be game of adjustments for Saleh and the defense, but they’ll need to play their best game of the season against Jackson and company.

Richard Sherman vs. Marquise Brown

Brown has been Jackson’s second-favorite target behind Mark Andrews, but Brown is by far his most explosive. It’s not easy to beat Sherman. Speed is one way teams have tried to attack the 31-year-old. Sherman has also had a penalty issue the past couple of weeks with five penalties, including three pass interferences, against Arizona and Green Bay. Sherman can thwart Brown’s speed with physicality, but that opens him up to those flags coming out.

Fred Warner vs. Mark Ingram

Lost in Jackson’s MVP-caliber season is Mark Ingram’s importance to the Ravens’ offense. Ingram is averaging a whopping 5.2 yards per carry and has nine rushing touchdowns. The 49ers have struggled against the run game all season, allowing 100 or more yards on the ground in nine of their 11 games. Warner has been good against the run while putting together an All-Pro caliber season in the middle of the 49ers’ defense. He has a team-high 81 tackles and six tackles for loss. Not only will Warner be important against a running Jackson, but also Ingram while trying to contain the league’s best running team.

49ers vs. Ravens: 6 players to watch on defense

The 49ers defense faces its toughest test of the year against the Ravens.

The 49ers defense put together their best game of the season last week holding Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to eight points. Now they face the second step of their three-game stretch of great quarterbacks when they head to Baltimore to face Lamar Jackson, who presents a whole different challenge than Rodgers.

The defense will have its hands full with the high-powered Baltimore offense and another quarterback capable of racking up big yards on the ground. Here are the six players to watch on the 49ers defense:

DL Nick Bosa

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Bosa had his first sack in the month of November against Green Bay. Sunday night also happened to be the 49ers’ first game of the month against a non-mobile quarterback. On Sunday, the 49ers face Jackson who might be the best mobile quarter in the league. It’s possible it’s a trend for Bosa that he struggles getting to mobile quarterbacks, but he was able to continue getting pressure in those three games without a sack. The 49ers will need help from the entire front seven to contain Jackson and it’ll start with Bosa getting home from the edge.

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49ers vs. Ravens: 6 players to watch on offense

The 49ers have scored 30-plus points the last two weeks.

The 49ers have scored 30-plus points the last two weeks. It’s their first time eclipsing the 30-point mark in consecutive weeks since the first two weeks of the season. Now they play a game in Baltimore where scoring 30-plus could be a necessity. The Ravens defense has been excellent the past five weeks, allowing 12.4 points per game in that span.

The offense could have their hands full in what’s expected to be a wet game in the rain. Here are the six players to watch on the offense:

TE George Kittle

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

It’s almost amazing how much better the 49ers’ offense looked against Green Bay compared to the two previous weeks when Kittle was out. The tight end had six receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown in his first game since Halloween. San Francisco will be taking on a high-powered Baltimore offense which means the offense will need to score every chance they get, which should mean plenty of targets for Kittle.

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