49ers vs. Ravens: 3 San Francisco Players Facing Most Pressure on Thanksgiving

The San Francisco 49ers are 9-1 and on a phenomenal eight-game win streak. But on Thanksgiving night Jim Harbaugh's team faces a stiff road test against the 7-3 Baltimore Ravens. If the 49ers want to win and keep themselves in the race for the NFC's best record, they'll need several players to step up and be at their best Thursday night.

Quarterback Alex Smith has thrived under Harbaugh's guidance this season. The former No. 1 overall pick has posted a career-best 93.9 quarterback rating (seventh in the NFL) and has thrown 13 touchdowns against four interceptions. 

On Thursday night against the Ravens, Smith needs to be more than just a game-manager. The Ravens have the NFL's fourth-best defense (allowing 304.5 yards per game). They also boast the league's fifth-best run defense, allowing just 93.2 yards per game. That means Smith will need to throw the ball for San Francisco to be successful. 

Another guy who must step up is 49ers running back Frank Gore. The Miami product has had a resurgent season, rushing for 870 yards and five touchdowns on 189 carries. He has proved he probably has a few years left, pushing San Francisco's running attack to sixth in the league (134.2 yards per game). 

While Smith needs to play well for the 49ers to succeed, Gore needs to make some plays against the stout Baltimore defense. The more plays he makes the easier things will be on Smith. And the better Smith plays, the more rushing room Gore will have. 

The final player who needs to produce on Thursday night is rookie linebacker Aldon Smith. Smith leads the 49ers with 7.5 sacks this year, but has tailed off and only has two in the past four games. If San Francisco is going to win on Thursday, Smith will need to get to Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. 

Flacco has struggled this season and if he's under duress, he is far less likely to improve his poor accuracy (55.4 percent). If Smith can make Flacco uncomfortable, the rest of San Francisco's defensive players can do what they do best and fly to the football.

If those three players step their games up, the 49ers have a great chance to win tonight. If not, it could be a long night.