When the NFL schedule was released back in April we booked flights and a cool place to stay in San Francisco during the week the Ravens would travel to play the 49ers. We held off on buying tickets. My gut feeling was that the Niners would struggle and ticket prices would tumble.
I never expected the Ravens to follow suit.
So right up to the night before this Sunday’s game, I still had not pulled the trigger on tickets and the rub for me really was the commute to and from the game from downtown San Francisco to Santa Clara which we were told could be as much as 3 ½ hours of bumper to bumper time, in total.
Hmmm, (1-4) at (1-4). Two hundred ten minutes away from the beautiful city by the bay. Oh, Oh, Oh-Ew-Woh. We opted instead to save the time and a shipload of money and go instead to a cool little sports bar directly across from the location of old Kezar Stadium not far from the infamous Haight Ashbury district.
Behind me was a Miami Dolphins fan who reacted to Joe Flacco’s first bone-headed interception with the Ravens down 13-3: “Baltimore sucks!”
He had no skin in the game. No bone to pick with the Ravens. His was just an honest observation, an unfiltered opinion of a team.
And you know what?
The truth hurts!
THE GOOD
Steve Smith, Sr. had 7 catches for 137 yards and a score. It could have been much more. His two dropped TD passes were obviously very costly and either one is a game changer. But he deserves credit playing as he did after 17 days of inactivity. It was a gutty performance…The offensive line kept Joe Flacco clean all afternoon, not allowing a sack despite 53 attempts.
Brandon Williams was once again a stalwart at the point of attack. He’s been the Ravens best defensive player this season…The Ravens played a relatively clean game with only 3 penalties for 15 yards, one of which was an extremely ticky-tacky call against Jimmy Smith during a very important moment of the game…Sam Koch netted 51.7 yards on 3 punts.
THE BAD
It was an interesting game for Joe Flacco. If Steve Smith catches one of the two dropped touchdown passes or if Buck Allen makes a play on the wheel route down the right sideline near the pylon, the Ravens signal caller might have been the game’s star. But those two interceptions, particularly the one off his back foot that looked like a bad punt and the precious 24 seconds wasted during the final drive by not clocking it, are things you might expect from a less experienced quarterback.
Why is Marlon Brown still on the team, much less a starter?…The running game was disappointing against the 17th ranked rushing defense. An average of 3.5 ypc is very reminiscent of 2013. By the way, a shotgun formation from the 1-foot line? … Hated the 9-route call when facing a 3rd and 4 from the Niners 27 at the 13:47 mark of the fourth when Flacco missed Kamar Aiken. Note to Marc Trestman – Aiken in not Alshon Jeffrey.
Jimmy Smith has to be more consistent. The 41-yard completion to Anquan Boldin when the Niners faced a second and 21 from their own 24 with the score at 19-13 was damaging. You expect more from your ace corner particularly against a slow-footed WR…Speaking of speed or the lack thereof, the Ravens slow defense was exposed on the game’s very first play from scrimmage when a flanker screen to Boldin was bottled up yet he was able to run completely across the field for a gain of 15.
Note to Dean Pees. You were facing Colin Kaepernick. How do you allow so many successful waggles before you adjust? Was it a surprise that Kaepernick was moved outside the pocket?…Kaepernick with a passer rating of 128.2. Really?…
THE UGLY
Game management was horrific. Let’s revisit a few of the team blunders.
• The Ravens start the second half with a nice 17-yard completion to Kyle Juszczyk followed by a timeout. Wasted timeout No. 1.
• John Harbaugh challenges a catch by Anquan Boldin without any visible sign that the call could be overturned and ample time to make such a determination. Wasted timeout No. 2.
• Flacco completed an 18-yard pass to Jeremy Ross at the Ravens’ 38 for a first down. Instead of clocking it the Ravens burned 24 seconds running a play, an ill-advised pass downfield to the great Marlon Brown who had drawn double coverage.
Two timeouts and 24 seconds wasted. Very unprofessional!
Bruce Miller…BRUCE MILLER who entered the game with 3 catches for 30 yards on the SEASON grabs 3 for 89 yards in the first half of Sunday’s game. CJ Mosley (who had another bad game and was b-slapped with a stiff-arm from Miller), Courtney Upshaw and Daryl Smith all looked lost on the 52-yard connection to Miller. The 3rd & 1 call clearly invited the land of confusion for Mr. Pees’ gang…Shareece Wright was absolutely wretched. Think about this – the Ravens pick up a 49ers’ reject to play corner, a guy who San Francisco has practiced against regularly. No. 35 translated in Niners’ language means bulls eye! On the Niners’ flagship TV station KPIX they gave Wright a game ball. ZING!
MEGAN FOX AWARD
This could have gone to Brandon Williams but instead the nod goes to Elvis Dumervil. He fought off a groin injury and was relentless in his pursuit of Colin Kaepernick. If only Terrell Suggs was on the other side, Doom may have had a game for the ages. Instead the fleet-footed Kaepernick bailed left and eliminated in part just how badly Elvis had beaten Niners’ right tackle Erik Pears who apparently was ripe for picking.
