Oct

7

AccuScore Game Preview: 49ers vs. Ravens

Posted by sf49ers

October 7, 2007 |

Here is the AccuScore Prediction and I agree with them completely, a good prediction for the outcome, well done:

(Sports Network) - Trent Dilfer will get another opportunity to show the Baltimore Ravens they made a mistake on Sunday, when the San Francisco 49ers quarterback faces his former team at Monster Park in a Week 5 grudge match.

Dilfer led the Ravens to a win over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, but was subsequently not re-signed for the 2001 season. Since that time, the 35-year-old Dilfer has bounced around the league from Seattle to Cleveland and now San Francisco, where on Sunday he will make his first start in place of the injured Alex Smith (elbow). Smith was hurt early in last Sunday’s 23-3 loss to the Seahawks, and a timetable for his return has not been set.

Dilfer will be appearing against the Ravens for the third time since the Super Bowl win, with the most recent prior occurrence a 16-3 loss for his Browns in Week 6 of the 2005 campaign.

Dilfer isn’t the only familiar face the Ravens will see on Sunday. San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan served as defensive coordinator with the Ravens from 2001 through 2004, parlaying those efforts into his current position with the 49ers. Nolan will be facing the Ravens for the first time since being hired in San Francisco.

In addition to Dilfer and Nolan, Niners defensive linemen Marques Douglas, Aubrayo Franklin, and Aatiyah Ellison, as well as assistants Mike Singletary and Johnnie Lynn, were all formerly employed by Baltimore.

The Ravens enter San Francisco fresh off a 27-13 loss to Cleveland, a defeat that placed them in a tie with the Browns for second place in the AFC North behind division-leading Pittsburgh (3-1).

SERIES HISTORY

The Ravens and 49ers have split their two meetings all-time, with San Francisco winning a 38-20 home decision in 1996 and Baltimore returning the favor with a 44-6 rout at M&T Bank Stadium in 2003.

Ravens head coach Brian Billick is 1-0 against the 49ers, for whom he served as assistant public relations director in 1979 and 1980. San Francisco’s Nolan, who as mentioned, was the defensive coordinator with the Ravens from 2001 through 2004, will be meeting both Billick and Baltimore for the first time as a head coach.

WHEN THE RAVENS HAVE THE BALL

The Ravens were not particularly crisp on offense in last week’s loss to the 49ers, though the stat sheet argued differently. Running back Willis McGahee (376 rushing yards, 11 receptions, 1 TD) turned in his first 100-yard game as a Raven, going for 104 yards on just 14 carries, while quarterback Steve McNair (708 passing yards, 2 TD, 2 INT) passed for a season-high 307 yards in the defeat. Wideout Derrick Mason (33 receptions, 1 TD) also had 10 catches for 78 yards in the loss. The problem for Baltimore was that many of its yards came between the 20’s, as Billick and company failed to finish off a touchdown drives until the fourth quarter, when the result was no longer in doubt. Injury problems continue to plague the offense as Week 5 begins. McNair will start despite a persistent groin injury, but the status of Mason (knee), left tackle Jonathan Ogden (turf toe) and tight ends Todd Heap (hamstring) and Daniel Wilcox (toe) is less certain. Second-year pro Quinn Sypniewski (8 receptions, 1 TD), who had the team’s only touchdown against Cleveland, could be the only tight end available on Sunday.

A San Francisco defense that looked to be on the verge of dominance during the team’s 2-0 start has taken a step back the last two weeks, allowing a total of 60 points. One Sunday after being trod over by Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker, it was a pass defense that surrendered 281 yards on 23-of-31 passing and a pair of touchdowns to Seattle’s Matt Hasselbeck that helped sink the Niners last week. Cornerback and much-ballyhooed free agent acquisition Nate Clements (17 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) did turn in an interception last Sunday, his first as a 49er. The pass rush had two sacks of Hasselbeck, with ex-Raven Marques Douglas (25 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and outside linebacker Tully Banta- Cain (9 tackles, 1.5 sacks) adding to the team’s total of 11 sacks on the year. The run-stopping group did a nice job in limiting Seattle’s Shaun Alexander to 78 yards on 25 carries, with inside linebackers Patrick Willis (38 tackles) and Derek Smith (27 tackles) leading the charge with a combined 20 tackles on the day. The 49ers are just 25th in the league against the run (130 yards per game) as Week 5 commences.

WHEN THE 49ERS HAVE THE BALL

Dilfer’s first meaningful minutes as a 49er, which came in last week’s blowout loss to Seattle, did not go well. The veteran completed just 12-of-33 passes for 128 yards with two interceptions, and was sacked five times on a day in which he was under fire throughout. The San Francisco line must find a way to protect Dilfer, and wideouts Darrell Jackson (14 receptions) and Arnaz Battle (12 receptions) must assist their quarterback by getting open. Tight end and former University of Maryland star Vernon Davis (8 receptions) remains out with a knee injury. Vital to the 49ers’ chances on Sunday will be the play of a running game that has yet to get going. Frank Gore (254 rushing yards, 3 TD), a Pro Bowl performer in 2006, has yet to cross the 100-yard plateau in his third season in the league. The offensive line, which has allowed 15 sacks already and has not opened consistent holes for Gore, must begin a renaissance this Sunday.

The Ravens have yet to display their former defensive dominance this year, allowing all four of their 2007 opponents to move the ball with some regularity. Injuries have been offered up as a possible culprit in the average play, with the absences of end Trevor Pryce (broken wrist) and cornerback Samari Rolle (illness) robbing the team of some of its playmaking ability. Baltimore has just three interceptions on the year, including two from safety Ed Reed (8 tackles), and its six sacks on the year are also below the unit’s usual pace. Cornerback Chris McAlister (10 tackles) had a terrible game against Cleveland last Sunday, blowing more than one coverage and turning in multiple critical penalties. Defensive end Terrell Suggs (15 tackles), who has averaged 10 sacks a year since coming into the league in 2003, has been shut out in that department this season. Run-stopping has probably been the strength of the ‘07 defense, with linebackers Ray Lewis (29 tackles, 1 INT), Bart Scott (23 tackles), and defensive tackle Kelly Gregg (12 tackles) assisting a unit that is allowing just 71 ground yards per game.

FANTASY FOCUS

Neither has been remarkably consistent, but running backs McGahee and Gore - a pair of ex-Miami Hurricanes - have been productive enough to remain worthy of starting status. None of those operating in the passing or pass-catching games bears the same distinction, especially if Heap misses this week’s game as expected. If you’re looking for a second straight 300-yard game out of McNair or a 10-catch effort out of Mason, you’re likely to be disappointed. Both kickers are worth starting, despite the fact that Baltimore’s Matt Stover had two rare missed field goals in Cleveland last Sunday. The Ravens defense hasn’t been great this year, but against a San Francisco team that struggles to move the ball or protect its quarterbacks, the unit is a worthwhile start.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

Don’t look for this game to be a thing of beauty, but expect it to be closely- contested and hard-hitting. The 49ers have to take on a new defensive-minded identity now that Smith is down for the count, and they should have a compliant foe in a Baltimore team that has mostly sputtered on the offensive side of the ball. The Ravens defense, meanwhile, has not been terrific in 2007, but it will have a chance to recover against a 49ers attack that will play right into its strength - stopping the run. If Billick’s club can create a turnover or two from the overmatched Dilfer and cash in on some scoring drives, it should leave the Bay Area with a much-needed road win.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Ravens 13, 49ers 9

My Prediction: Ravens 17, 49ers 13

Source: AccuScore


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