San Francisco 49ers vs Baltimore Ravens
It’s amazing how these two teams (10-1 and 9-2 going in) can be so successful this year with such average passing attacks. Going into this game, San Francisco ranked 14th and Baltimore ranked 20th in total passing yards on the season. So how do they do it? That’s right…they both have excellent defenses and the top two rushing offenses in terms of yards per game. The rainy weather today was a perfect backdrop to a battle of ground games. San Francisco struck first, but Baltimore was in control for most of the first half. They won the early time of possession and took a 17-14 lead into the locker room. Things slowed down in the second half as San Francisco mustered the only score in the third quarter: a game-tying field goal. Baltimore won it with a late field goal as time expired. Baltimore remains a mile ahead of the AFC North while San Francisco and Seattle may be tied before the weekend is over in the NFC West.
San Francisco 49ers
Quarterback
- Jimmy Garoppolo: 15/21, 165 yards, 1 TD, 2 sacks | 3 carries, 5 yards
Jimmy Garoppolo has been the definition of a game manager this year. His team has an elite running game, an elite defense, and he typically just has to not screw it up. This was the story for most of today. He made some good throws (hitting Sanders in a tight window late, a pitch to Raheem Mostert to avoid a sack) but also some bad ones (a fumble when he saw the pressure coming, a throw to Coleman that left him out to dry). Garoppolo could lead this team to a playoff run, but he isn’t fantasy relevant.
Running Backs
- Raheem Mostert: 19 carries, 146 yards, 1 TD | 2 targets, 2 carries, 8 yards
- Tevin Coleman: 5 carries, 6 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards
As great as the 49ers’ running game had been, it’s been hard to capitalize on it. They have used the “hot hand” approach, and no one has cracked 100 yards since week eight as a result. This being said, Raheem Mostert crushed it today. The offensive line gave him plenty of room, and he made the most of it. Mostert’s best play was a 40-yard touchdown run early in the game. The line made a hole, Mostert ran through a couple of would-be tacklers, and took off. He made one more cut and was home free. As great as this was, I could just as easily see Tevin Coleman taking the lead again next week while Raheem Mostert watches. Don’t trust this backfield unless you love to gamble.
Tevin Coleman was mostly relegated to the bench once Mostert started picking up big gains. Like Mostert, he is hard to trust with the success of virtually everyone who runs the ball in San Francisco.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Deebo Samuel: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 41 yards, 1 TD | 1 carry, 20 yards
- Kendrick Bourne: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 42 yards
- Emmanuel Sanders: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 41 yards
- George Kittle: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards | 1 carry, -3 yards
The Ravens were never an exciting matchup for this middling pass attack, so hopefully, you benched your 49ers’ starters. Here’s a quick breakdown of how each player looked:
Deebo Samuel continues to look like a beast with the ball in his hands and the Niners ran a well-timed reverse to take advantage. Samuel’s day was saved by a touchdown where he appeared to hit his defender in the face with his arm…thus creating some space. I am only playing Samuel against weaker pass-defenses right now. Still, he is definitely on the rise.
Emmanuel Sanders was quiet for most of the day, though he made a couple of important plays late. He drew a pass interference call late in the game that helped lead to a game-tying field goal. He also caught a pass to keep a fourth-quarter drive moving. Sanders should have brighter days against weaker matchups.
George Kittle was mostly asked to block today, and he was nearly invisible in the stat sheet as a result. I counted two first-half targets, though one was underthrown and the other was a catch called back for an offensive penalty. Kittle made an excellent catch late in the game, and he should still typically be a top-threat tight end.
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
- Lamar Jackson: 14/23, 105 yards, 1 TD, 1 sack | 16 carries, 101 yards
Another day and another record: Lamar Jackson is the first quarterback in NFL history to record four 100-yd rushing games in the same season. He is a brilliant runner in open space, and you need to check out a Ravens game if you haven’t had the pleasure yet. This being said, I do worry about injury. During today’s game, the announcers praised Jackson for finishing runs “like a running back”. I would rather see Jackson slide more often once he has secured the first down and do all he can to avoid unnecessary contact. Jackson is on pace for close to 200 carries in the regular season and I wonder how sustainable that is in his career.
The passing game was more of an afterthought in this one as Jackson barely cracked 100 yards. He made some good throws, but he also missed a few shots as well. Jackson hasn’t thrown for 300 yards in a game since week 1 and he hasn’t thrown for 250 since week 3. Maybe that doesn’t matter, though, with how well he runs.
Running Backs
- Mark Ingram: 15 carries, 59 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 3 yards
- Gus Edwards: 6 carries, 15 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards
- Justice Hill: 1 carry, 3 yards
Mark Ingram was the lead back, as usual, and he had a solid–though unspectacular–day. This backfield has always been touchdown-dependent, and unfortunately, the ball didn’t bounce that way today. Still, Ingram ran hard and made his presence felt. Let’s hope he finds the endzone next week against Buffalo.
Gus Edwards was quiet, but he should continue to be rostered by Ingram owners as a top-end handcuff. He could be a league-winner if anything happens to Ingram.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Mark Andrews: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 50 yards, 1 TD
- Hayden Hurst: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 21 yards
- Willie Snead IV: 2 targets, 1 reception, 12 yards
- Marquise Brown: 2 targets, 1 reception, 1 yard
Baltimore loves to throw to their tight ends. Mark Andrews made his day early on a nice throw from Jackson. He elevated to make the catch after the San Francisco defense seemingly forgot he existed. Andrews continues to be a great option at the tight end position, but we have to beware of how this passing attack can disappear at times. Still, he has touchdowns in three of his last four games.
The rest of the passing weapons were non-factors as there just wasn’t much to go around. We knew this game was likely to see ugly weather, so hopefully, you zigged off of these options.
— Mike Miklius