The Baltimore Ravens get arguably their toughest test of the 2019 season when they play a clone of themselves in the San Francisco 49ers. With a physical run-first offense and stout defense, both Baltimore and San Francisco will look to beat each other up en route to a Week 13 win.
With the weather conditions playing a factor this week as the wintery mix continues to fall on M&T Bank Stadium, these four Ravens players will have the biggest impact on the final score.
TE Mark Andrews:
Baltimore tight ends lead the league with four touchdown receptions in the red zone since Week 9, according to Inside Edge. Three of them have gone to Andrews, making him the easy pick here.
Though the field conditions are conducive to a rushing attack, the Ravens would be wise to incorporate a little play-action when they get into the red zone to throw San Francisco off balance and hopefully create some wide-open targets. If they do, Andrews is likely going to be the guy standing uncovered in the end zone.
DT Michael Pierce:
Pierce is expected back this week after missing the last two games with an ankle injury. If Pierce indeed does return to the lineup, he’ll get thrown to the wolves against the 49ers’ second-ranked rushing attack.
On the positive side, the Ravens have handled themselves well inside with the defensive line having missed just two tackles on 35 opportunities this season — the best rate in the league, according to Inside Edge.
If Pierce can get penetration into the backfield or even just eat up space, it’ll do wonders for the rest of Baltimore’s defense. They’ll be able to commit more defenders into the secondary, which is their greatest asset right now and could create some big turnovers in the sloppy conditions.
RB Mark Ingram:
With a monsoon-like winter weather mix falling in Baltimore, the ground game is going to be key for both the Ravens and 49ers this week. Luckily (or unluckily depending on how you look at it), Baltimore and San Francisco are the top-two teams in rushing yards this season.
The Ravens currently have the best yard-per-carry average in the league, largely thanks to Ingram and quarterback Lamar Jackson’s efforts. But in a game like this one, Ingram is going to have to continue his bludgeoning pace and beat up on the 49ers defensive front to wear them down.
If Ingram can start the game off strong like he did last week against the Los Angeles Rams, the Ravens should be able to take advantage of a jetlagged and cold San Francisco defense in the second half.
LB Josh Bynes:
Bynes has played phenomenal football for Baltimore since joining the team right before Week 5. Though he doesn’t get nearly enough credit for helping the Ravens transform their defense seemingly overnight, folks in Baltimore know the deal. However, Bynes is going to have to have an excellent game this week if the Ravens wish to continue their winning streak.
The 49ers employ a similar style of offense as the Ravens. They believe in a heavy ground game that batters opposing defenses into submission and opens up throwing lanes for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. That means Baltimore is likely going to have to play more of their base defense.
In the base defense, Bynes will be asked to do quite a lot. He’ll have to scrape down to stuff the run at times while having to play coverage at others. In the cold weather with the rain and a physical offense, that is a serious chore for a guy that was on his couch for Week 4.
But much like Pierce, if Bynes can have a stellar game, it might allow defensive coordinator Don Martindale to get out of his base package a little more often where he can better scheme pressure and play more aggressive football. On the flip side, if Bynes struggles to stuff the run or in coverage, it’ll create an obvious weak spot for San Francisco to attack and will force Baltimore to scramble to fix it mid-game.
