Ravens beat 49ers 20-17: Questions, Comments, and Concerns

Concerns:

Cue Stephen A. Smith saying “this is bad.”

The run defense:

Raheem Mostert—who had been averaging 35.7 yards per game in the league’s second-best rushing attack—hit the Ravens defense up for 146-yards and 1 touchdown Sunday. The Ravens struggled to set the edge due in part to a tremendous blocking effort by George Kittle. We basically couldn’t stop a nose bleed when it came to the run.

The signing of veteran defensive tackle Domata Peko, and the return of Michael Pierce on Sunday has done nothing to slow opposing team’s rushers. The Ravens have allowed 100+ rushing yards 6 times this season and three of those have come in the past four games. While this obviously has not hurt us, we’re going to have to tighten it up if we hope to hold on to the one-seed and make a run.

However, if there’s one thing I learned watching this team, we are capable of figuring it out.

We might be playing our best football too early:

This may sound like a lack of confidence and it may even be a stretch. But it’s just how I feel.

The Ravens are clearly the best team in football. That much is without question. But running the table and winning 15 straight to bring home Baltimore’s third Super Bowl would be tough.

With the 49ers out of the way, the four remaining games seem like a breeze. It now seems more likely that the Ravens could be successful in rattling off 12-straight wins after an embarrassing loss to the Browns.

If things keep going at this rate, the Week 17 tilt against the Pittsburgh Steelers could very well be a rest day for our starters ahead of our Wild Card Round bye. This could go a long way in preserving the fire and keeping this team rolling, but I wonder if we need to be brought back down to earth again before January comes around. Or maybe I’m just still not used to seeing a Ravens team that wins the tough matchups and dominates the easy ones.

Opposing teams’ ankles:

Chief among my concerns is the well-being of other team’s ankles.

https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/1201210965871734787

Thanks for trying, K’Waun Williams.

Before Lamar, Reggie Bush at USC in 2005 was the best runner I had ever seen play. The things he did on the field were absolutely befuddling. But then he got to the NFL and his jukes weren’t as effective and he no longer ran circles around opposing defenders.

Not only did Lamar make fools of amateur athletes in college, he makes paid professionals tackle air on a consistent basis. In my opinion, he’s not just the best running QB of all time, he’s flat out the best runner the game has ever seen. Just as Jalen Ramsey said, everybody has a plan until he starts playing like it’s Madden.

I’ll be praying for opposing defenses as we move forward. To the Buffalo Bills,  New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers: STock up on some ankle braces; you’ll need them.