3 big things: Baltimore Ravens beat San Francisco 49ers

3. Sam Koch still has it:

The Baltimore Ravens have never used their punter less, but Sam Koch had one of the best performances against the 49ers. He only had two punts in this game and both of them pinned the 49ers inside the 20 yard line. On one punt, Chris Moore was able to save the ball from going into the end zone, putting the 49ers in a bad spot. The weather was absolutely horrible. He spent more time sitting on the bench, out of the action than just about anybody on the sideline. When he was called on to get the job done, he did it. 103 yards on two punts is good work.

Justin Tucker got all the credit for the game winning field goal. Koch deserves credit as well. The rain was constant, the footballs were soaked and the conditions made being the holder one of the hardest jobs in the contest. Koch got the job done. While we’re at it, let’s give the entire special teams unit a round of applause. De’Anthony Thomas had a couple of exciting returns and no drama catching punts. Morgan Cox was a true pro at the long snapper position.

It may seem weird to give the punter so much love in a game where he only kicked the ball twice, but he’s got to be praised. Field position played a huge roll in this game. When Koch was asked to punt, there were more things that could go wrong than right in the heavy rain. He had to be just as clutch as Tucker on the game winning field goal attempt. He took the snap and set Tucker up to be the hero. The little things are important. It’s good to remember the Ravens have a Pro Bowl caliber punter and holder, even if they don’t call on him a lot any more.