By Morris Phillips
Colin Kaepernick passed for a career-best 225 yards and a touchdown in the first half, and the 49ers held on for a 25-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens Sunday.
No Super Bowl XLVII, but you could term it the Super Bowl of 1-4 teams, a pair of flawed squads desperate to escape their current circumstances at almost any cost. For the Ravens, that passion was personified by two hardened veterans, Steve Smith Jr. and Justin Forsett, lifting themselves off the injury report and into the starting lineup knowing the paper-thin Baltimore lineup wouldn’t stand up in their absence.
And for the 49ers, looking for the first win in over a month, that passion to win meant taking advantage of a familiar face, even if that guy was Shareece Wright, a teammate just 10 days ago. Wright was released just days after he went public with his dissatisfaction over lack of playing time. On Sunday, while wearing a Ravens uniform, Wright got his wish.
Leading 6-3 in the second quarter, Kaepernick found Torrey Smith streaking down the far sideline—with Wright trailing—for a 76-yard pass play that gave the 49ers their first double-digit lead since Week 1. Then in the second half, Kaepernick bought time, stayed in the pocket, and spotted Quinton Patton for an easy 21-yard pitch and catch. On that touchdown, Wright was again the primary defender and he slipped and fell near the goal line just as Kaepernick released his throw.
Coming in, Wright supposedly announced that he would reveal 49ers’ tactics that would help him and the Ravens get a win at Levi’s Stadium. Instead, it appeared the 49ers had a plan for Wright.
“I think being around any player, you pick up on their tendencies,” Kaepernick revealed when asked if the game plan had an extra wrinkle for Wright. “You pick up on what you can take advantage of. There were a couple things we thought we could take advantage of, and we did.”
On both plays, Kaepernick showed his growth that started in the Meadowlands last week in the tough loss to the Giants. Hitting the deep ball had been the quarterback’s major flaw, but against the Ravens he connected with fullback Bruce Miller for 52 yards and Anquan Boldin for 51. On the touchdown to Patton, Kaepernick stayed in the pocket and made a play downfield to what he said was his third option.
And most importantly, Kap got it going early, before the boo birds and the doubt could surface.
“Early on, we wanted to get the ball out of Kap’s hands, just let guys have one-on-one situations where we can make plays,” Boldin said. “Kap did a great job of seeing the field, giving guys opportunities.”
While the Ravens secondary banged up and vulnerable, the 49ers found themselves in a rare situation where their defensive backs weren’t served up as the San Francisco treat. Since, trading the expensive Boldin following their Super Bowl win nearly three years ago, and then losing Torrey Smith in the off-season, Baltimore hasn’t had enough downfield threats to compliment high-priced signal caller Joe Flacco. That made Steve Smith’s availability a critical component to Sunday’s game, and the 14-year veteran somehow made it a go.
On Friday, Smith told the Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec that he wouldn’t be able to go on Sunday as a result of the painful microfractures in his back. The injury suffered against the Steelers forced Smith to miss Baltimore’s last game against the Browns. But on Sunday, Smith was in the lineup and involved in two critical plays, one he wished he could have back, and another he won’t likely forget.
With the Ravens driving and looking for their first points early in the second quarter, Flacco found Smith in the end zone on a third-down pass play, but the pass slightly behind Smith was bobbled, then dropped. A catch would have given the Ravens a 7-6 lead, instead they would trail for the entire ballgame.
In the third quarter, Smith appeared to be tightly covered by rookie Kenneth Acker, but came up with an amazing 34-yard catch in the corner of the end zone to trim the 49ers’ lead to 19-13. Acker immediately complained that the veteran receiver pushed off, but a replay showed how subtle that push was on the fast moving play.
Forsett, who didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday due to an ankle injury, also made it a go, producing over 100 yards of offense on the afternoon. But despite the heroic performances by Smith Jr. and Forsett, the 49ers held on.
Flacco threw 53 times on Sunday, but misfired on 20 of those and was picked twice. Acker found himself all alone deep when Flacco gifted him with a ball that he returned 45 yards. Earlier, Flacco was picked by linebacker Michael Wilhoite. But what was he thinking on that deep ball picked by Acker?
“I was looking to hit the shot over the top,” Flacco explained. “I was hoping to buy time on the play and it got to the point where I didn’t see anyone open so I was just trying to throw it away. I didn’t see anyone down the field, but it ended up being a really dumb play.”
The 49ers won for the first time in over a month, on a day that both Arizona and Seattle lost. As a result, the 49ers and Seahawks enter Thursday’s big meeting with identical 2-4 records. The Cardinals, still leading the NFC West at 4-2 maintain a 1 ½ game lead over the idle Rams. Could the 49ers growth pattern extend for another four days, and against the two-time NFC Champs?
“We’re gradually picking up momentum. We’re playing better and better. It’s something that we have to continue,” Kaepernick said.
“We need this win on Thursday.”
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