He won’t show up much on the final stat sheet but Baltimore Ravens safety Chuck Clark has been integral to the team’s success. That continued in Week 13 in a close, 20-17, victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Clark’s success makes him our Player of the Game for Week 13.
Against arguably the second-best team in the league, Baltimore needed great play from Clark and he answered the call.
Clark had one of the biggest plays of the game, sacking Jimmy Garoppolo and forcing a fumble that Brandon Williams would recover at the San Francisco 23-yard line. That would lead to a 20-yard touchdown pass two plays later that got the Ravens out of a 7-0 hole, eliminating the only lead that the 49ers would have all day.
But that’s not the only reason why he’s getting a special mention. Clark was tasked with helping keep Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle restrained. San Francisco’s leader in targets, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns; Kittle was seemingly unstoppable coming into this game. But with Clark’s help, the Ravens held him to a mere two receptions for 17 yards. It forced the 49ers offense to funnel through big plays and the rushing attack, which ultimately wasn’t sustainable in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line.
Clark isn’t the most well-known player on the defense, getting thrown into the spotlight thanks to injuries to Tony Jefferson and DeShon Elliott. Clark had already been a quiet player doing his job well before but has really stepped up this season in the face of so many injuries in the secondary. He deserved to get far more praise far earlier but his efforts in Week 13 helped single him out finally.
