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Lamar Jackson’s pass to Mark Andrews was broken up by Fred Warner.
The Ravens are the NFL’s best offense on fourth down. They had a fourth-and-5 in the fourth quarter Sunday and went for it from the 49ers’ 40-yard line.
Lamar Jackson looked to his reliable TE Mark Andrews, but Fred Warner had tremendous coverage to break up the pass and force a turnover on downs.
Get your #ProBowlVote in for @fred_warner 👏 pic.twitter.com/BzlLsnCVhG
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 1, 2019
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:
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.
"THAT'S MINE!" –@19problemz#SFvsBAL pic.twitter.com/EpBEzJcZhr
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 1, 2019
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
The 49ers defense has benefitted tremendously from Fred Warner’s rise to stardom.
Fred Warner was a terror against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. His dominant showing earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
The 49ers needed a big game from their linebacker, and the second-year budding star delivered. He finished the contest with 11 tackles, 1.0 sacks, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble.
It’s been a breakout second season for the former third-round pick, and his play has elevated since fellow linebacker Kwon Alexander tore his pec and went down for the season. Warner’s taken on a more visible leadership role without Alexander on the field, and he’s backing it up with elite productivity.
According to a release from the 49ers, Warner is one of two NFL linebackers with at least 75 tackles (81), 4 pass breakups (4), 2.0 sacks (3.0) and 2 forced fumbles (3). Warner leads the team in tackles, and his 3.0 sacks and three forced fumbles are career highs.
There are several reasons the 49ers defense has been among the league’s best this season, but Warner’s rise to an All-Pro-caliber linebacker is near the top of the list.
The defense has impressed early holding Green Bay to 16 yards on 14 plays.
The 49ers defense has impressed early, holding Green Bay to 16 yards on 14 plays. The offense hasn’t done much yet, but thanks to an early fumble recovery, they were able to score and get an early lead.
There’s still plenty of time left, but the 49ers dominated the first 15 minutes. Here’s what stood out in the first quarter:
The 49ers defense faces a tough test against Aaron Rodgers and they passed the first quarter with flying colors. They blitzed on Green Bay’s first third down and instantly got pressure on Rodgers with DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead missing their chances on the quarterback before Fred Warner hit him to notch a sack and force a fumble. Nick Bosa recovered at the 2-yard-line. The offense wasted no time giving the ball to Tevin Coleman for a two-yard touchdown. It was known Levi’s Stadium would be loud, but the first defensive drive really set the tone.
HOT START 🔥@fred_warner takes down Rodgers and @nbsmallerbear recovers the 🏈 #GoNiners pic.twitter.com/1blOUc0XVu
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 25, 2019
Sanders has been dealing with rib problems the last couple of weeks that limited his snap counts against both Seattle and Arizona. After his first reception, it’s safe to say he looks ready to go. Jimmy Garoppolo hit Sanders on a slant for gain of 15, but Sanders paid for it getting flipped and landing hard on his back. He hopped up quickly and danced in celebration of the first down. If Sanders truly is healthy, it gives the 49ers a whole different look and gives Garoppolo three solid options in Sanders, George Kittle, and Deebo Smauel.
They set the bar high on the opening drive, but the defense has been able to meet it. The 49ers forced the Packers offense to three consecutive three-and-outs on the three drives following the fumble. The Packers offense is bound to break out of this slump at some point, but for the defense to set the tone this early and play like this could be huge in the later moments of the game.
Fred Warner and Nick Bosa combined for a takeaway, then Tevin Coleman scored one play later.
The 49ers couldn’t have asked for a better start Sunday night against the Packers. Green Bay faced a third-and-10 at their own 25 on their first series, and 49ers linebacker Fred Warner got home to force a fumble that Nick Bosa recovered at the Green Bay 2-yard line.
HOT START 🔥@fred_warner takes down Rodgers and @nbsmallerbear recovers the 🏈 #GoNiners pic.twitter.com/1blOUc0XVu
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 25, 2019
San Francisco scored on the next play on a Tevin Coleman two-yard run.
Too Raw! Tevin runs it in for the score 😤@Teco_Raww | #GoNiners pic.twitter.com/F4XnLT5dId
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 25, 2019
It’s a familiar matchup for the 49ers as they take on the Arizona Cardinals just 17 days after their win in Arizona.
It’s a familiar matchup for the 49ers as they take on the Arizona Cardinals just 17 days after their win in Arizona. The 49ers escaped Arizona on Halloween with a 28-25 victory that saw Jimmy Garoppolo carry the offense with four touchdown passes, and a defense that barely held on long enough to get the job done. The two division rivals will close out their season series Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
Here are the three matchups that could decide whether the 49ers sweep or Arizona can earn a split:
With George Kittle out and Emmanuel Sanders questionable for Sunday, Samuel could be the best receiver on the field for the 49ers. With that comes a matchup against one of the better cornerbacks in league. Samuel had the best game of his career against Seattle with eight receptions for 112 despite having a couple of drops that could have added to his numbers. If Sanders can’t go, expect Jimmy Garoppolo to target Samuel a bit but with that comes throwing at Peterson, a three-time All-Pro corner.
Although the Seattle game is the only loss on the season, it may have been the defense’s best performance.
Although the Seattle game is the only loss of the season, it may have been the defense’s best performance. If it weren’t for the turnovers from the offense, the story would have been dominated by the 49ers’ defensive dominance.
Now they take on an Arizona team that gave them some fits and forced what may have been their worst performance just two weeks ago.
The defense will want to show they can hang against Kliff Kingsbury’s offense and rookie quarterback Kyler Murray. Here are the six players to watch on that side of the ball:
Warner impressed against Seattle with the best game of his career. He finished with 10 tackles, 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection, and was all over the field in general. The defense lost a leader in Kwon Alexander, but if Warner can continue his performance from Monday night, he can step into a new role as the heart of the defense.
Monday night was an incredible football game between two rival teams with plenty ramifications for later in the season.
Monday night was an incredible football game between two rival teams with plenty ramifications for later in the season. Unfortunately, the 49ers came up on the short end and suffered their first loss of the year at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers came in with several key injuries and had several more during the game that hindered the team, but they still had plenty of chances to keep their undefeated season alive.
There was a lot to unpack following the 27-24 overtime loss that dropped the 49ers to 8-1. Here are the studs and duds from a back-and-forth Monday night contest:
With all the circumstances around the game tonight, Garoppolo had a chance to put himself in the top tier of quarterbacks. Without tight end George Kittle entering the game, and losing wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders during the . contest, made things hard on the quarterback, but he could have taken the opportunity to step up and make plays. He unfortunately couldn’t do it.
There were too many mistakes from him Monday night, including several bad throws and two costly fumbles that led to two Seattle touchdowns. His 66.2 passer rating Monday night was the third-lowest number for Garoppolo as a 49er. Tonight shouldn’t call into question about Garoppolo’s viability as a starting quarterback, but it could lead to questions about his ceiling.
One mistake from Jimmy Garoppolo turned the tide of the game and the 49ers hold onto a three point lead at the half.
The final three minutes of the first half featured several swings, and when the dust settled the 49ers lead 10-7 at intermission. Seattle took momentum with a scoop-and-score from Jadeveon Clowney on a Jimmy Garoppolo fumble that provided the only scoring for the Seahawks. Seattle looked to take the lead, but a huge strip from Jaquiski Tartt ended that hope.
It’s a one-possession game with 30 minutes left. Here’s what stood out in the second quarter:
Seattle’s offense was threatening to score for the first time with a third-and-4 inside 49ers territory when Fred Warner collected the first sack of his career. Mike Iupati left a hole wide open for Warner to not just bring up a fourth down, but knock Seattle out of field goal range.
Comin' in HOT 🔥@fred_warner with authority 😤 #GoNiners pic.twitter.com/ytApBFR3Dx
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 12, 2019
The 49ers faced a third-and-8 at their own 29-yard-line when Jadeveon Clowney wasted little time getting past Joe Staley to Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo quickly got rid of the ball to Kendrick Bourne four yards short of the marker, but Bourne made a few moves and got the first down to continue the drive. The series would only last three more plays until the 49ers had to punt.
The Seahawks had all the momentum following a defensive touchdown and were driving the ball late in the quarter. Wilson hit DK Metcalfm who turned up field and powered through several would-be tacklers until Jaquiski Tartt stripped the ball prior forcing the turnover at the two-yard-line. The drive ended Seattle’s late push to take the lead before the half, and may have given the 49ers the momentum back.
"I'll take that." @Quaski29, probably. #GoNiners pic.twitter.com/lvlbvW71oH
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 12, 2019
