Ravens vs. 49ers: Full San Francisco Game Preview
The San Francisco 49ers host the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6—one featuring a Harbaugh-led squad vs. a Harbaugh-less team.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh stated, per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area, he doesn't hold any grudges against the franchise that parted ways with his brother, Jim, during the offseason.
Instead, both the 49ers and Ravens will look to find their second victory of the season. At 1-4, both teams have seen their fair share of struggles and disappointments just beyond the first quarter of 2015. The 49ers are coming off a heartbreaking 30-27 defeat at the hands of the New York Giants on Sunday, while the Ravens also fell in close fashion, 33-30, to the Cleveland Browns.
For San Francisco, one of the positives emanating from its most recent defeat was the resurgence of quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the offense.
Kaepernick, who has been maligned much of the season, experienced his best game of the year despite the losing effort. It was the 49ers defense that was suspect over the course of the team's Week 5 effort.
What will be the case this Sunday? Will Kaepernick and the offense continue to build upon the positives? And can the defense find a way to limit what Baltimore will try to do on the offensive side of the ball?
Let's try to tackle those questions and more in this in-depth preview.
Location: Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Week 5 Results and Recap
1 of 6The 49ers were in contention to come away with an upset victory over the Giants in Week 5 only to see their hopes dashed by a last-minute touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning to tight end Larry Donnell to seal New York's 30-27 victory.
A prime storyline from the game was the San Francisco defense's inability to halt New York's offensive attack.
Especially the passing game.
Manning completed 41 attempts for 441 yards and three touchdowns against one interception. And Donnell's game-winning reception was Manning's icing on the cake.
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was another problem for the 49ers much like opposing wideouts Antonio Brown and Larry Fitzgerald in previous weeks. Beckham totaled 121 yards on seven receptions plus a touchdown during the effort.
Despite the strong efforts of linebacker Aaron Lynch, who posted a plus-7.3 grade and had eight quarterback hurries, per Pro Football Focus, San Francisco couldn't generate much of a pass rush against Manning. This allowed to veteran quarterback to seemingly pick apart a permeable 49ers secondary with ease.
San Francisco couldn't contain short passes underneath either. This was notably apparent on New York's game-winning drive.
"I’ll tell you, yeah I was happy with how we were calling it," 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula stated after the game, per CSNBayArea.com. "Obviously trying, we were chasing a few things right there with the underneath stuff, trying to get those backs and tight ends out of the deal. So, trying not to give the same coverage and trying to tighten that up.”
Unlike previous weeks, quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the offense showcased capability and momentum for much of the contest.
Kaepernick threw for 262 yards on 23 completions and two touchdowns, and he posted a 107.1 passer rating—his best this season.
Additionally, the 49ers ground game established itself with No. 1 running back Carlos Hyde managing 93 yards on the ground on 21 carries. This was against a Giants defense that had not allowed 90 yards rushing to any team in 2015 prior to the contest.
Still, the 49ers could not figure out a way to close out the game. And that may be the biggest lesson moving forward.
News and Notes
2 of 6Vernon Davis on the Trading Block?
With the 49ers season seemingly going nowhere, speculation has arisen about San Francisco moving some veteran pieces prior to the NFL trade deadline after Week 8.
One of these commodities is 31-year-old tight end Vernon Davis.
ESPN's Adam Schefter appeared on the network's NFL Insiders show (h/t David Fucillo of Niners Nation) and mentioned Davis could be a trade candidate given his contract status and lackluster production in 2015.
Schefter stated:
"Here's a name to keep in mind: Vernon Davis, the 49ers tight end. Again, a team that needs tight end help can inquire. The issue is price and production. The salary's high, production low. And that's usually why a player's available, because he's not producing for a team the way they would like.
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Additional insight can be seen by watching the B/R video above.
The question is whether the 49ers would get much in return for Davis' services. The veteran has just eight catches for 109 yards this season, and his lofty 2015 salary suggests teams may not want to bite on any deal unless it involved nothing more than a late-round draft pick.
John Harbaugh Weighs in on Jim Harbaugh-less 49ers
Much of the Ravens vs. 49ers storyline will focus on head coach John Harbaugh squaring off against the franchise that let his brother go during the offseason.
But, according to Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area, John Harbaugh isn't focused on what transpired after his brother's final year in San Francisco.
“No, you don’t have time for that,” Harbaugh said when asked if there was additional motivation facing the 49ers. “I knew there’d be a question. Good question. Fair question. Yeah, it’s too much to worry about and too much to prepare for. Too many things that we’re dealing with to even think about that stuff.”
“That’s very much irrelevant to what we’re trying to accomplish,” he continued. “We got our hands full with what we’re trying to do as a football team to think about any of that stuff.”
Harbaugh also added his brother enjoyed his tenure with the 49ers but the family has moved on from what took place prior to 2015.
Defensive Problems
San Francisco's Week 5 loss revealed plenty of issues for a defense that performed particularly well against quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers the previous week.
Both the Packers and Giants employ West Coast offenses, but the defensive results from the 49ers were entirely different. San Francisco's 17 points allowed in Week 4 stand in stark contrast to the 30 given up to quarterback Eli Manning and Co.
The 49ers boast the 31st-ranked defense in total yards allowed (2,034). This unit has also given up 140 points, which ranks No. 27 in the league.
According to Pro Football Focus, San Francisco has a minus-20.7 season ranking in pass coverage—worst in the NFL.
It's clear something isn't working for defensive coordinator Eric Mangini's unit. The lack of a pass rush along with secondary coverage have been problematic for much of the year.
Latest Injury News
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| Player | Position | Injury |
| Dres Anderson (IR) | WR | Knee |
| Daniel Kilgore (PUP) | C | Ankle |
| DeAndre Smelter (NFI) | WR | Knee |
| Jerome Simpson (Out) | WR | Suspension |
| Ahmad Brooks (Questionable) | LB | Bereavement |
| Reggie Bush (Questionable) | RB | Calf |
| Vernon Davis (Probable) | TE | Knee |
Injury news via Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com.
Linebacker Ahmad Brooks missed Sunday's contest as he and his family continue to mourn the unfortunate death of his sister from Lupus.
Running back Reggie Bush, who suffered a calf injury in Week 1, saw limited action in Week 5 against the Giants but came out of the game during the second half. His availability remains in question for Sunday's contest against the Ravens, per RotoWire, citing a report from SFGate.com (via CBSSports.com).
Week 5 marked the second game in a row in which tight end Vernon Davis was absent with an injury. San Francisco slated fellow TEs Vance McDonald, Garrett Celek and Blake Bell in his stead.
Celek hauled in one of quarterback Colin Kaepernick's two touchdown passes against New York.
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Key Matchups
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Aaron Lynch vs. Joe Flacco
Linebacker Aaron Lynch was one of the lone pass-rushing threats the 49ers had in Week 5 against New York. And he'll continue to showcase his talents against a suspect Ravens pass-protection scheme.
Baltimore has given up eight sacks on the season. But, as a unit, the Ravens have graded out with a minus-22.8 PFF mark on the season—fifth worst in the NFL. Right tackle Ricky Wagner, against whom Lynch will frequently face, has a minus-6.4 pass-blocking PFF grade and has allowed 11 quarterback hurries on the season.
Getting to Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco will be paramount for San Francisco's defensive efforts if this unit wants to avoid the veteran quarterback carving up its secondary, which has frequently been the case in 2015.
49ers Secondary vs. Steve Smith Sr.
Opponents' No. 1 receivers have been making life hell for the 49ers secondary this season. Wideouts Antonio Brown, Larry Fitzgerald and Odell Beckham have all posted 100-plus-yard games against San Francisco on the year.
Veteran wide receiver Steve Smith (back) is listed as questionable for the contest, so there's a chance the 49ers defense won't have to face off against the feisty, dangerous receiving target.
Smith is leading all Ravens receivers with 29 receptions for 373 yards and two touchdowns.
The 49ers defense will have to find a way to contain Smith's and Flacco's additional receiving targets—a goal this unit was unable to accomplish in Week 5.
NaVorro Bowman vs. Crockett Gillmore/Maxx Williams
Linebacker NaVorro Bowman may not be as agile in coverage as he would like—a minus-5.0 pass-coverage grade, per PFF, suggests this. And he'll be frequently assigned to cover Baltimore tight ends Crockett Gillmore and/or Maxx Williams.
Gillmore (calf) is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest, so it's feasible Williams could get the start here.
Flacco pointed out Bowman's coverage concerns and lateral agility, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News.
“Laterally and some of the man coverage-type things, which he’s not in a ton of positions to be in, some of that stuff you might be able to see the fact he’s coming back, a little bit,” Flacco noted.
It will be interesting to see whether the Ravens offense chooses to focus on this matchup and how Bowman responds.
49ers O-Line vs. C.J. Mosley
Ravens inside linebacker C.J. Mosley didn't have a stellar effort against the Cleveland Browns in Week 5, having posted a minus-4.7 PFF grade during the effort. But he remains a force within Baltimore's front seven.
Mosley is tied for the team lead with two sacks and ranks third on the Ravens with 20 tackles.
Facing off against him will be a questionable 49ers offensive line that on the season boasts a minus-6.7 PFF pass-blocking grade. The 49ers made some changes throughout last Sunday's contest, shifting right guards Jordan Devey and Andrew Tiller back and forth into a rotation.
Center Marcus Martin will also draw a lot of focus. Martin has an overall minus-19.4 PFF grade on the year.
Matchup X-Factors
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49ers X-factors of the Week: Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith
San Francisco's Week 6 contest will be a reunion of sorts for wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith—both of whom played alongside each other for Baltimore from 2011 though 2012.
Now this tandem will face off against the Ravens as both teams look for their second win on the year.
"Ravens? Ah, so it's going down next Sunday," Smith said, per Taylor Price of 49ers.com. "We gotta be ready."
Smith, the prized offseason free-agent acquisition of the 49ers, hasn't necessarily impacted the stat sheet through five games. He has 227 receiving yards on 11 receptions plus a touchdown so far, but he did draw a couple of pass-interference penalties versus the Giants.
The deep-threat capability should be something the 49ers offense uses against a Ravens defense averaging 278.2 receiving yards per game.
Boldin has enjoyed more statistical success in comparison to his counterpart. Last week, the veteran wideout had 107 receiving yards and a touchdown and will certainly benefit from Smith drawing additional coverage down the field.
The question will be whether or not quarterback Colin Kaepernick can continue to find offensive rhythm with these two receiving targets. He wasn't able to in Week 5 against Green Bay, but last week's effort was a more positive sign.
And the fact San Francisco will be facing off against Boldin's and Smith's former team should provide additional motivation.
Prediction: Ravens 21, 49ers 27
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San Francisco had a number of positives upon which to build despite its Week 5 loss. And these should be the factors working their way into the eventual outcome of the 49ers' contest versus the Ravens.
Offensively, San Francisco will look to take advantage of a Baltimore defense ranked No. 25 in the league in total points allowed (137). The Ravens do have a decent run defense with an average of just over 100 yards allowed on the ground per game.
But, as was seen in Week 5 against the league's then-best rushing defense, running back Carlos Hyde was able to prove the 49ers can still effectively move the ball on the ground.
Yet the big question will be how San Francisco's defense responds to the challenge.
Will fans see a defense that held its own in Week 4 against Green Bay, or will defensive coordinator Eric Mangini's squad be just as porous as it was against quarterback Eli Manning and the Giants passing attack?
The onus will be on the 49ers' pass-rushing efforts to apply more pressure on quarterback Joe Flacco. This, in turn, will take away some of the exposure risk within San Francisco's still-developing secondary. And it's feasible to assume the 49ers don't employ as much of a zone defense given how problematic that approach was the week before.
Putting all the pieces together will be at the heart of San Francisco's effort. If the 49ers can do this, they stand an excellent shot to come away with a victory.
But if they can't...
Let's not go there. San Francisco takes advantage of an underachieving Ravens opponent at home.
Prediction: Ravens 21, 49ers 27
All statistics, injury reports, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist covering the San Francisco 49ers for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
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