Game Recap: 49ers 25, Ravens 20

Quarterback Joe Flacco had just thrown one of the ugliest interceptions of his eight-year career when he walked back to the bench and slammed his helmet down. Flacco has been stoic and confident in the face of the Ravens’ rough start to the season. But in the midst of Sunday’s 25-20 loss at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, he showed rare frustration. It was that kind of day for the Ravens overall as they fell to 1-5 and now are tied for the worst record in the NFL with the Lions, Jaguars and Chiefs. The Ravens held second-half leads in all four of their previous losses. They never led at any point of Sunday’s game. Still, as has been the case all season long, the Ravens had opportunities to win. Yet again, they didn’t convert enough of those opportunities to pull out a victory. Wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. had a big day in the box score, but dropped two potential touchdown passes. Cornerback Jimmy Smith dropped an interception thrown right to him. Kicker Justin Tucker got eaten by the turf monster and missed a fourth-quarter field goal after falling down. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has struggled for much of the season, threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, often picking on newly acquired Ravens cornerback Shareece Wright. The 49ers had two 13-point leads, once in the second quarter and again in the third. They took a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter and had a chance to put it away. But the Ravens (as they always do) kept fighting. Baltimore drove 80 yards and scored a touchdown on fourth down to cut the 49ers’ lead to five points with about five minutes remaining. The Ravens had life. Flacco got the football back with one minute, six seconds remaining and no timeouts, needing to go 80 yards for a touchdown. He got the Ravens to the 35-yard line, thanks to a 22-yard catch by Steve Smith in traffic, but his final Hail Mary attempt intended for the 36-year-old veteran was knocked away. Turning Point Of The Game The 49ers jumped out to a big lead early on a 76-yard touchdown by former Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith. Smith burned newly added Wright, who the 49ers knew well because they made him available via release. Smith put the 49ers ahead, 13-3 in the second quarter and opened up the first big lead. Impact Plays Jimmy Smith dropped an interception that was thrown right into his hands, allowing 49ers kicker Phil Dawson to boot a 53-yard field goal to give the 49ers an early lead. 49ers fullback Bruce Miller was left wide open behind the Ravens defense for a 52-yard gain. Once he got past the linebackers, there was nobody on the back end to cover him. That put San Francisco in position for another field goal and a 6-0 lead. Steve Smith Sr. got wide open in the back of the end zone, but dropped a pass that was a bit behind him yet certainly catchable. The Ravens settled for a field goal to cut the 49ers’ lead to 6-3 in the second quarter. Back-to-back end zone passes by Flacco went off his receivers’ hands. Running back Javorius Allen couldn’t haul in one pass that was tightly defended, then a second pass went through Steve Smith’s arms. Baltimore again kicked a field goal to narrow the 49ers’ lead to 16-6. After 49ers cornerback Kenneth Acker picked off Flacco when he lobbed a pass where no Ravens were even close, the 49ers tacked on a field goal for a 19-6 third-quarter lead. Flacco came right back on the Ravens’ next drive to throw a gorgeous 34-yard touchdown to Steve Smith, who rose up to make the play over 49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock, cutting the 49ers’ lead to six points at 19-13. The Ravens defense came up with its first three-and-out of the game and the offense marched back down the field at the start of the fourth quarter. However, Tucker missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt after he planted his foot in a turf divot. It’s the second straight week in which Tucker has missed due to footing problems. The 49ers put the Ravens in another big hole when Kaepernick found former Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin for a 51-yard gain over Jimmy Smith. It was a beautiful throw by Kaepernick on the run and yet another tough catch by Boldin. San Francisco stuck it in the end zone when Wright fell and receiver Quinton Patton caught a 21-yard touchdown to take a 25-13 lead. The Ravens drove 80 yards for a huge touchdown late in the fourth quarter. On fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line, Flacco glided right as receivers Kamar Aiken and Marlon Brown fought to break open. Brown eventually did and Flacco seemingly threw it to him, but Aiken ripped away from his defender to make a miraculous leaping catch in front of Brown. The Ravens climbed to five points back at 25-20. A holding penalty on Jimmy Smith extended the 49ers’ final offensive drive and allowed them to chew up more clock. The Ravens offense got the ball back with 1:06 remaining and no timeouts. A final 35-yard Hail Mary attempt from Flacco fell to the turf as time expired. Standout Performer WR Steve Smith Sr. Playing in his first game since suffering microfractures in his back, Smith caught seven passes for 137 yards and a touchdown. It’s his 50th career game over 100 receiving yards and third this season. Smith dropped a couple, but his inspired play was a marvel to watch. Stat Of The Game Other than Steve Smith, Baltimore had a whopping nine players catch passes. Their yardage was a combined 206 yards. Meanwhile, former Ravens receivers Torrey Smith and Boldin combined for 198 receiving yards and a touchdown for the 49ers. On The Horizon The Ravens will head right back out West to Arizona to take on the Cardinals. The team opted not to fly directly from San Francisco to Phoenix, and will instead return home to try to get things turned around before heading back out on the road.