Thanksgiving Football Schedule: 5 Things 49ers Must Do To Beat Ravens

The San Francisco 49ers could lose each of their six remaining games, and they still will have surpassed expectations this season. They've had a great season, and their success is easily one of the best storylines in the NFL this year.

One of the coolest parts about the 49ers' revival is that they haven't exactly played an easy schedule. They've had it pretty tough this season, and they've had to pull out some tough road wins.

If the 49ers want to improve to 10-1 and run their winning streak to nine games in a row, they'll have to pull out another tough road win against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. The Ravens are arguably the toughest team the 49ers will face this season, and they are very much up to the task of stopping the 49ers' win streak.

In order for the 49ers to win, there are a couple of things I think they're going to have to do. Let's discuss them, shall we?

Have Faith in Running Game

As solid as Alex Smith has been this season, the last thing the 49ers want to do is ask him to make too many throws. Especially not in this game, as the Ravens boast the league's seventh-ranked pass defense and one of the nastiest pass rushes in the NFL.

The Ravens also boast the league's fifth-ranked rush defense, but that shouldn't deter the 49ers from doing what they do best, and that's running the football. Frank Gore is a little banged up at the moment, but he's the kind of tough, physical runner (a la Maurice Jones-Drew and Marshawn Lynch) that can give the Ravens trouble.

Gore probably won't gain yards in chunks, and Kendall Hunter won't do much better with his carries, but the 49ers must keep pressing the attack. They need to lure the Ravens into a war of attrition, softening them up for a killer blow late in the game.

Force the Issue with Vernon Davis

One thing you have to know about the Ravens is that they've been death on tight ends. They've only given up 33 receptions for 376 yards to tight ends this season, and have yet to allow one to catch a touchdown pass.

However, the Ravens haven't faced any tight ends quite like Vernon Davis. They'll definitely have their eyes on him, but that doesn't mean Smith should be worried about getting Davis the ball. This is especially true when the 49ers are in the red zone.

In other words, the 49ers must put the Ravens to the test as it pertains to covering Davis.

Bother Joe Flacco

When people speak positively about Joe Flacco (which admittedly isn't very often), they're saying that he can make all the throws.

The trouble with Flacco is the ball isn't exactly secure in his hands. We're talking about a guy who leads all NFL quarterbacks with 10 fumbles, and that bodes well for a 49ers defense that has forced 13 of them this season. 

Because you get the feeling this game is going to be a close, hard-fought battle, one fumble from Flacco will be huge. Getting one could be the difference between a win and a loss for the 49ers.

Keep Torrey Smith in the Park

The Ravens don't have the scariest passing offense in the league, but rookie wide receiver Torrey Smith is definitely a guy the 49ers are going to need to watch out for. He's a true home run threat, and pretty much the perfect receiver to take advantage of Flacco's big arm.

The scary part is that Flacco and Smith are starting to develop some chemistry. We saw Flacco hit Smith with a game-winning bomb against the Pittsburgh Steelers a couple weeks ago, and Smith is coming off a game in which he caught six passes for 165 yards. 

I don't expect Smith to put up similar numbers against the 49ers, but the thing that concerns me is how Smith will factor into things if the game is close late. All Smith needs is one step on the defense, and the Ravens could grab a lead. 

If it gets to that, the 49ers need to pay extra attention to Smith.

Contain Ray Rice

Of all the things the 49ers have to do on Thursday night, this is by far the most obvious. It's also going to be the hardest thing to actually pull off.

The truth is that there really is no containing Ray Rice. He's one of the best and most versatile running backs in the league, and not even the 49ers' top-ranked rush defense is going to fully contain him. 

What the 49ers can do is frustrate Rice in the early goings. As good as he is, we've seen the Ravens neglect him to try other things offensively, usually to no avail. 

If the 49ers can force the Ravens into neglecting Rice, they're going to have the Ravens right where they want them.