49ers at Ravens, 10am East Coast, Let the Mayhem Begin!

[5_Golden_Rings]

The Ravens are good at doing all the things the 49ers are bad at countering.

On offense, the Ravens have a very mobile QB and run the ball really well. Moreover, they run a gadget offense which conceals the handoff and utilizes outside screens. The 49ers defense has consistently struggled against those things all season.

On defense, the Ravens do a lot of blitzing and 5 and 6 man line stuff. This is exactly the sort of thing the 49ers offense has struggled against. However, I'll say this: every time they've struggled with this it's been without many of the following key players: Kittle, Juicecheck, Staley, and Sanders. Still, when that running game is slowed down the offense has had problems.



Additionally, the Ravens are home.


I expect this game to be a wakeup call for the 49ers.

Gadget offense? It's LITERALLY a power run offense that jams the ball down your throat about 30 times, then tosses in some RPO and misdirection and wrecks house with an athletic QB.

It's a gadget offense in the sense that on handoffs it's very difficult to see who has the ball due to the fakes and motions. Combined with the threat of Jackson's running, it becomes a more sophisticated version of the zone-read stuff we saw a few years ago.

 

[Seahawk_Dan]

I expect a similar game to how the Hawk's played the 49ers but with the Ravens getting the slight edge and the win. That team is just scary to play. How they have two losses is beyond me (especially an asswhoopin' of 40-25, courtesy of the Browns).

Ravens 31
49ers 23

 

[Fade]

Jimmy sucks against the blitz. What do the Ravens love to do? Blitz. That is the game in a nutshell.

If the 49ers want to win, they have to limit Jimmy to under 20 throws and pound the hell out of the rock.

A silver lining is the Ravens are going to be on short rest, and they had to fly across the country, and then back. That is 6,000+ miles of jet lag. vs. the Niners 3,000+ miles of jet lag, and an extra day of rest.

In the end though, I don't think the Niners can stop the Ravens rushing attack and Jimmy is going to be forced to throw to try and keep pace, and he will turn it over too much.

Ravens win.

Seahawks win over the Vikings, vaulting them to the #2 Seed. If the Saints some how find a way to lose to the Falcons on Thur. Seattle jumps all the way up to the #1 seed.

 

[olyfan63]

Expecting the niners to lose, although I do have some hope knowing how the Seahawks D used to handle a Greg Roman led offensive team with a tall mobile QB...

Having seen both Kaep in his prime, and LJack... to my eyes, LJ is simply on another level. Kaep was for sure amazing when he *destroyed* the Packers in that playoff game, but as people said, opposing DCs figured out to defend him the next year. Jackson is so elusive and talented that it seems like DCs could come up with brilliant game plans, and Jackson would simply make dudes miss and outrun them and defeat the best laid plans of mice and DCs. Wade Phillips of the Rams is supposed to be an ace DC, and look how well his plan worked against Lamar and the Ravens. Not so much.

The Jackson runs that I've seen, the dude is just so slippery and elusive that nobody gets a good shot at him, and I haven't seen him take the big hits. And when Jackson is in position to get hit, the only guys that are catching him are the DBs, the corners and safeties, guys who are often under 200 lbs, where Jackson is the bigger body in the collision. Now a Kam Chancellor could light him up for sure, but Kam's all done playing. Jackson pretty much eludes the bigger bodied DL on nearly every run. So I'm not expecting or betting on anything but a healthy Lamar.

That said, even a minor injury could really wipe out LJ's ability to impact a game. A little hammy pull, a little ankle sprain, a little turf toe, and drop him 4.6 speed instead of 4.3, and it's a whole different deal.

The 49ers do have a defense that, on paper, matches up against the Ravens and Lamar better than nearly any other team. Also, whatever happens, it will be great to not hear, "Yeah, but Kittle..." after the game.

Most likely outcome, IMO... Ravens 38, 49ers 24, but in a game that is more like a one-score game, where the Ravens wear down the SF defense and get a couple TDs in the 4th quarter to break open a nail-biter and pull away by two scores. I expect the game to be close through the first 3-1/2 quarters. The Ravens D stops the 49ers O a couple more times than the Niners D stops the Ravens O, and the Ravens wind up a turnover differential of +1 or +2.

 

[IndyHawk]

Jackson and his RO plays will be stopped more eventually
just like RW and Kap..The key is using fast spies but it's
not simple and easy ..As teams get more and more footage
it will be easier.That said:I want Santa Clara beat and I think
it's going to happen.

 

[Sports Hernia]

Jackson and his RO plays will be stopped more eventually
just like RW and Kap..The key is using fast spies but it's
not simple and easy ..As teams get more and more footage
it will be easier.That said:I want Santa Clara beat and I think
it's going to happen.

What stopped Russ on the RO was Seattle’s OC’s and PC.

 

[Washington49er]

Jackson and his RO plays will be stopped more eventually
just like RW and Kap..The key is using fast spies but it's
not simple and easy ..As teams get more and more footage
it will be easier.That said:I want Santa Clara beat and I think
it's going to happen.

What stopped Russ on the RO was Seattle’s OC’s and PC.

And RW being older, slower and WISER had nothing to do with it, right?

 

[SoulfishHawk]

He just keeps winning, so yes, years of experience and winning more than ANY QB in the history of the game his first 7 seasons has a lot to do with it (and adding to it in his 8th) Sure he's a little slower, but who cares? He gets the job done.

 

[ClutchDJ]

If Lamar keeps running as recklessly as he has been all season, there's a realistic chance that a 49er might end his season.

I want the 49ers to lose, but if they do win, I hope it's off of a terrible performance by Lamar so the media stops anointing him the Lord of Football and already handing him the MVP trophy. He's heading straight for RGKnee territory if he doesn't start protecting himself.

“My QB isn’t having the world kneel before him so I must hate others that do”

 

[NINEster]

Jimmy sucks against the blitz. What do the Ravens love to do? Blitz. That is the game in a nutshell.

If the 49ers want to win, they have to limit Jimmy to under 20 throws and pound the hell out of the rock.

A silver lining is the Ravens are going to be on short rest, and they had to fly across the country, and then back. That is 6,000+ miles of jet lag. vs. the Niners 3,000+ miles of jet lag, and an extra day of rest.

In the end though, I don't think the Niners can stop the Ravens rushing attack and Jimmy is going to be forced to throw to try and keep pace, and he will turn it over too much.

Ravens win.

Seahawks win over the Vikings, vaulting them to the #2 Seed. If the Saints some how find a way to lose to the Falcons on Thur. Seattle jumps all the way up to the #1 seed.

Jimmy sucks against the blitz? Where does that take come from?

If he's getting a ton of pressure with just 4 guys coming after him and his WRs are not lighting it up, he's gonna "suck" just like most QBs (how did Rodgers look this past weekend?). The 49er OL gave up uncharacteristic pressure against Seattle (is Clowney really better than all of the other DEs faced this season like Myles Garrett, Chandler Jones, TJ Watt, Barrett, Panthers DL, Packers DL? Be honest). Lots of drops in that game. If the game ended after Q1, it was 10-0 SF....

And yeah, that was in SF. The rematch will be in Seattle but even Goff had time to throw in that one...

Cards blitzed Jimmy a lot and he's got 800 yards and 7 TDs against them over the course of two weeks. One pick was not under blitz, and the other was aided by a blitz but wasn't a bad read just a throw that went off a TE's hands slightly and Cards were able to make a great diving pick. Kinda reminds me of that pick at the end of Cards/Seahawks in 2013 where the INT was made by a diving Card defender....blitz too?

You seem to be pretty fair with your analysis, but don't think you got this one right.

If Jimmy G is top 3 in converting on 3rd down by the percentages, you'd imagine he'd have his fair share of blitzes thrown in.

 

[NINEster]

He just keeps winning, so yes, years of experience and winning more than ANY QB in the history of the game his first 7 seasons has a lot to do with it (and adding to it in his 8th) Sure he's a little slower, but who cares? He gets the job done.

He gets the job done alright.

He's been doing it since 2012, he just wins. Carried by others early on, but results were there.

Gotten better over time, plays the game differently. But just wins.

This is how we feel about our QB too.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

He carried the team plenty of time while people were claiming it was all about the D and Running Game. But yeah, he's having to carry the team a lot more the last few years w/out a doubt.

 

[knownone]

Jimmy sucks against the blitz. What do the Ravens love to do? Blitz. That is the game in a nutshell.

If the 49ers want to win, they have to limit Jimmy to under 20 throws and pound the hell out of the rock.

A silver lining is the Ravens are going to be on short rest, and they had to fly across the country, and then back. That is 6,000+ miles of jet lag. vs. the Niners 3,000+ miles of jet lag, and an extra day of rest.

In the end though, I don't think the Niners can stop the Ravens rushing attack and Jimmy is going to be forced to throw to try and keep pace, and he will turn it over too much.

Ravens win.

Seahawks win over the Vikings, vaulting them to the #2 Seed. If the Saints some how find a way to lose to the Falcons on Thur. Seattle jumps all the way up to the #1 seed.

Jimmy sucks against the blitz? Where does that take come from?

If he's getting a ton of pressure with just 4 guys coming after him and his WRs are not lighting it up, he's gonna "suck" just like most QBs (how did Rodgers look this past weekend?). The 49er OL gave up uncharacteristic pressure against Seattle (is Clowney really better than all of the other DEs faced this season like Myles Garrett, Chandler Jones, TJ Watt, Barrett, Panthers DL, Packers DL? Be honest). Lots of drops in that game. If the game ended after Q1, it was 10-0 SF....

And yeah, that was in SF. The rematch will be in Seattle but even Goff had time to throw in that one...

Cards blitzed Jimmy a lot and he's got 800 yards and 7 TDs against them over the course of two weeks. One pick was not under blitz, and the other was aided by a blitz but wasn't a bad read just a throw that went off a TE's hands slightly and Cards were able to make a great diving pick. Kinda reminds me of that pick at the end of Cards/Seahawks in 2013 where the INT was made by a diving Card defender....blitz too?

You seem to be pretty fair with your analysis, but don't think you got this one right.

If Jimmy G is top 3 in converting on 3rd down by the percentages, you'd imagine he'd have his fair share of blitzes thrown in.

It’s honestly a silly take. Jimmy is #3 in league in completion percentage when pressured, and he’s top 15 against blitzes. Jimmy struggles when the running game can’t get going and he has to see the whole field. He’s a little indecisive and relies heavily on throws underneath which isn’t uncommon for a guy with 1 season as a starter.

 

[IndyHawk]

Jackson and his RO plays will be stopped more eventually
just like RW and Kap..The key is using fast spies but it's
not simple and easy ..As teams get more and more footage
it will be easier.That said:I want Santa Clara beat and I think
it's going to happen.

What stopped Russ on the RO was Seattle’s OC’s and PC.

They set spies on him just for RO It wasn't working like the 1st 2 yrs.
It wasn't age or anything else..They picked up on it a lot more.

 

[SanDiego49er]

This is a very tough game for the 49ers. The Ravens have a blazing fast mobile QB with an accurate arm too. That's such a tough match up. As others said the 49ers have had and still have a lot of injuries to very key players. The Ravens are at home where they are extremely difficult to beat. I see why the Vegas odds have the Ravens. Both teams are really good and playing great football. I guess anything can happen but I would expect this to be a tough game for the 49ers. However I wouldn't say there is no way they can win it. Just that there is not a huge chance. But there is always some chance in any game.

 

[MD5eahawks]

Well Earl just made the rest of the season interesting for the Ravens...

"You think the 49ers are going to the Super Bowl? It could be, let's see," Thomas told reporters, per The Baltimore Sun. "We'll just go out there and try to play the best football we can possibly do. And when the Super Bowl comes, whoever we play, they're going to be in trouble."

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-thomas-guarantees-ravens-going-to-super-bowl

This team may very well go down in flames in a hard way when the playoffs start. Talk about strapping on a target.

 

[SanDiego49er]

Well Earl just made the rest of the season interesting for the Ravens...

"You think the 49ers are going to the Super Bowl? It could be, let's see," Thomas told reporters, per The Baltimore Sun. "We'll just go out there and try to play the best football we can possibly do. And when the Super Bowl comes, whoever we play, they're going to be in trouble."

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-thomas-guarantees-ravens-going-to-super-bowl

This team may very well go down in flames in a hard way when the playoffs start. Talk about strapping on a target.

They might not even make it. I mean 1 hit on Lamar Jackson running across the middle like RG3 and his leg will get bent sideways and the season is done. The way he likes to run can catch up to you in the NFL. It has not yet. But that can happen on any play.

 

[bmorepunk]

The Ravens are the team that ended up ruining RGIII's health. During that WAS-BAL game, he cut back towards the middle of the field into the defense instead of running out of bounds and got whacked by Haloti Ngata. Harbaugh was there; he knows the line they're riding.

 

[Sports Hernia]

Jackson and his RO plays will be stopped more eventually
just like RW and Kap..The key is using fast spies but it's
not simple and easy ..As teams get more and more footage
it will be easier.That said:I want Santa Clara beat and I think
it's going to happen.

What stopped Russ on the RO was Seattle’s OC’s and PC.

They set spies on him just for RO It wasn't working like the 1st 2 yrs.
It wasn't age or anything else..They picked up on it a lot more.

They do but if you watch in the first 3 quarters of a game Russ has opportunity for some big gains if he keeps it as they just all swarm the RB. Russ can still outrun whomever is spying him most of the time, as he usually does in the last possession of the 1st quarter and the 4th quarter when he has the green light to do so.

 

[Sports Hernia]

The Ravens are the team that ended up ruining RGIII's health. During that WAS-BAL game, he cut back towards the middle of the field into the defense instead of running out of bounds and got whacked by Haloti Ngata. Harbaugh was there; he knows the line they're riding.

That’s part of it, the other part of it is the crap field in DC.