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Week 5 Game Recap: Baltimore Ravens 9, San Francisco 49ers 7
What you need to know
| Baltimore Ravens |
Steve McNair passed for 214 yards on 43 pass attempts, completing 29 of them. He showed an inability to look downfield, and was highly inaccurate in this contest. The offensive gameplan against most teams would have failed, though since the 49ers were also unable to move the ball the Ravens snuck out a tight win. He is playing like he's been through a few wars, with little zip on his passes, and a limited amount of mobility left in his legs. It's becoming clear that Kyle Boller would add another element to this offense, which McNair simply can't provide.
Willis McGahee ran for a workmanlike 88 yards on 22 carries, while also catching seven passes for 48 yards. He was targeted a total of nine times, all on short dump off passes. Despite the decent numbers, he actually had little room to run in this game. That should continue as long as Steve McNair is unable to complete passes longer than a few yards, since defenses don't respect their passing game.
Derrick Mason lead the game with 13 targets, 11 receptions, and 85 receiving yards. He is more quick than he is fast at this point in his career, though still has an ability to find room over the middle on short routes. Given McNair's inability to pass the ball down the field, Mason figures to remain his top target going forward.
| San Francisco 49ers |
Trent Dilfer playing for an injured Alex Smith completed 11 of 19 passes for 126 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception. It was clear from the start that the 49ers were not going to put the onus on Dilfer to move the ball, as he attempted only one pass in the first quarter, deferring to Frank Gore in the running game. He sparked a third quarter scoring drive on a long pass to Bryan Gilmore, and a touchdown of 23 yard to Arnaz Battle. Otherwise his passes were rarely more than dump off's.
Had the 49ers been able to gain more than six first downs in this game, Frank Gore likely would have had a better day. Though he only touched the ball 19 times, he was clearly the 49ers offense in this game. The offensive gameplan was basically to hand off to Frank Gore, and limit the amount Trent Dilfer had to do. With the Ravens stacking the box and shutting down the running lanes, this obviously didn't work, as the 49ers were only able to muster one score. Gore finished with 52 yards on 16 carries, while catching three passes for 22 yards. He showed great vision, though he had to deal with so many defenders that his efforts were often for only a few yards.
Joe Nedney had a chance to give the 49ers the lead with 2:37 remaining in the fourth quarter, but missed a 52 yard field goal attempt wide right.
What you ought to know
| QB Steve McNair, Pass: 29 - 43 - 214 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 10 - 0 |
McNair went 29 of 43 for 214 yards with no scores or interceptions. He ran the ball four times for ten yards. Though there were 43 passing attempts, very few of these were longer than ten yards. He often settled for his check down option in this one, and showed an unwillingness to stand in and look down field. McNair did not show sound mechanics on many of his throws, making him inaccurate throughout the contest. At this stage of his career, he is displaying below average mobility and can't be counted on for many rushing yards anymore.
| RB Willis McGahee, Rush: 22 - 88 - 0, Rec: 7 - 48 - 0 (9 targets) |
McGahee carried the ball 22 times for 88 yards, while catching seven passes for 48. He was targeted frequently in the passing game for a total of nine times, though these were all on screens and dump off passes. He did not show a lot of explosiveness, but ran hard up the middle and maximized his yardage against a 49ers defense that was stacking the box.
| RB Musa Smith, Rush: 5 - 2 - 0, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (2 targets) |
Smith carried the ball five times for two yards, while being targeted two times in the passing game, catching both of those passes for 9 yards. Smith spelled McGahee and was used at times in third down packages, but looked ineffective in his touches.
| RB LeRon McClain, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 |
McClain had one carry for two yards in the first quarter, and was not seen again the rest of the game.
| WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 11 - 85 - 0 (13 targets) |
Mason caught 11 passes for 85 yards, while being targeted a total of 13 times. His line looks impressive, but none of the throws by McNair to him were more than ten yards down the field. Mason showcased his precise route running, especially over the middle, and is definitely McNair's favorite target. Mason was targeted deep once down the left side in very tight coverage, and was able to draw a defensive pass interference penalty, which later setup one of the Ravens field goals. He converted five first downs, the most important coming late in the fourth quarter, icing the game for the Ravens.
| WR Demetrius Williams, Rec: 4 - 39 - 0 (8 targets) |
Williams caught four passes for 39 yards, on a total of eight targets. He is used more as a deep threat for Steve McNair. He made a beautiful catch down the right sideline with a toe tap to stay in, showcasing his athletic ability. Williams later caught what was roughly a 40 yard pass down the left sideline, but McNair's throw lead him out of bounds. He did have one dropped pass. Williams appears to be receiving more snaps than Mark Clayton.
| WR Mark Clayton, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (4 targets) |
Clayton was targeted four times, catching one pass for five yards. Bad throws by McNair resulted in the other three incomplete passes. Clayton was mainly used on short patterns, though that could be said for the entire Ravens receiving corps. He was used primarily as a slot receiver.
| TE Quinn Sypniewski, Rec: 4 - 28 - 0 (8 targets) |
Sypniewski replaced Todd Heap in the lineup, and was targeted eight times in the passing game. He caught four of those passes for 28 yards. Sypniewski was targeted often, and as with all of the other Ravens receivers, on short passes often over the middle. He showed capable hands, and McNair seemed comfortable using him.
| TE Todd Heap |
Heap was inactive for this game with an ankle injury.
| PK Matt Stover 3 - 3 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 9 points |
Stover converted on all three of his field goal attempts, the longest from 49 yards out.
| BAL Rush Defense |
The Ravens gave up 49 yards on 19 rushes, for a 2.6 ypc. They stacked the box in an effort to stop Frank Gore, and it worked, as the 49ers passing game wasn't able to move the ball with consistency. There was little room for Gore to move, as he had to work hard for the limited yards he was able to gain.
| BAL Pass Defense |
The Ravens pass defense limited the 49ers to 126 yards through the air, though they did not have to be that good, as Trent Dilfer wasn't looking to move the ball through the air very often. The pressure up front was adequate, coming up with three sacks of the quarterback. That number likely could have been higher had Dilfer looked down the field more often. Ed Reed picked off an overthrown ball by Dilfer, for the only turnover of the game.
| QB Trent Dilfer, Pass: 12 - 19 - 126 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 |
Starting for an injured Alex Smith, Trent Dilfer completed 12 of 19 passes for 126 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Dilfer lead an impressive drive in the third quarter, capping it off with a beautifully thrown ball to Arnaz Battle for a 23 yard touchdown between two defenders. Up until that point and going forward, he was mainly content handing the ball off to Frank Gore, and throwing short passes. On his touchdown throw he showed a strong arm, but overall it was clear the coaching staff did not want to put the game in his hands. He ran the ball once for four yards.
| RB Frank Gore, Rush: 16 - 52 - 0, Rec: 3 - 23 - 0 (5 targets) |
Gore ran the ball 16 times for 52 yards, and caught another three for 23 yards, on five targets. Though his numbers don't look impressive, Gore ran for tough yardage the entire game, and showed nice vision on a number of carries, often times only to get him a few yards on the gain. The Ravens defense did not respect the passing game, and were stacking the box from the onset. Gore's 19 touches don't do justice how much a part of the gameplan he was, as the 49ers offense failed to move the ball for most of the game. Had they been able to put some drives together, Gore would have had significantly more touches.
| RB Moran Norris, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (3 targets) |
Fullback Moran Norris did not have any carries, but was targeted three times in the passing game, all on the same drive in the fourth quarter. He caught two of those passes on consecutive plays using the same play call, taking them for a total of 19 yards.
| RB Michael Robinson, Rec: 1 - 0 - 0 (1 targets) |
Robinson came into the game behind Maurice Hicks, and did not have any carries. He was targeted once on a screen pass, going for no gain.
| RB Maurice Hicks, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 |
Hicks spelled Gore once in the running game, carrying it for one yard. Though he appears to be Gore's backup, he doesn't have a regular role in the offense.
| WR Arnaz Battle, Rec: 3 - 36 - 1 (5 targets) |
Battle caught three passes for 36 yards, on five targets. In the third quarter Trent Dilfer found Battle on a slant for a 23 yard touchdown into tight coverage. Though he appeared to be Dilfer's favorite target in this game, the gameplan simply did not use the pass near enough for him to make much of an impact.
| WR Bryan Gilmore, Rush: 1 - -8 - 0, Rec: 1 - 42 - 0 (2 targets) |
Gilmore was used as the third receiver in this game, and was targeted twice in total. On his first target in the third quarter, Trent Dilfer over threw him and Ed Reed picked off the pass. Later in the quarter, Dilfer stood in and found Gilmore for a deep 42 yard play down the left sideline, where Gilmore made a beautiful catch.
| WR Darrell Jackson, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) |
Jackson received three targets in this game, none of them coming until the third quarter. He caught two for six yards. Though he started the entire game, he struggled to make an impact with the 49ers offense running through Frank Gore.
| TE Delanie Walker |
Walker started for an injured Vernon Davis at the tight end position, but was not targeted in the passing game.
| TE Vernon Davis |
Davis was inactive for this game with a sprained knee.
| PK Joe Nedney 0 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points |
With 2:37 remaining in the fourth quarter, Nedney's attempted a 52 yard field goal to take the lead, however missed it wide right. It would have been long enough. His only other kick was a PAT.
| SF Rush Defense |
The Ravens rushed the ball for 101 yards as a team, on 33 carries, for a ypc of 3.1. The 49ers bottled up the box as Steve McNair was unable to complete any passes down the field. McGahee did not have a lot of room, though with the Ravens having the lead, they were able to keep going to him down the stretch to kill the clock. Despite the loss, this was a strong effort by the rush defense in this game. They did not allow a rush longer than 13 yards.
| SF Pass Defense |
Steve McNair completed 29 of 43 passes, but only for 214 yards. It's difficult to say whether the 49ers were providing strong coverage down the field, or if McNair simply didn't feel comfortable enough to look there. The underneath targets were often open, but the 49ers seemed to do a good job of limiting the Ravens receivers to small gains. The pass rush seemed adequate, however they did not sack McNair on this day.
