Lamar Jackson, Ravens edge 49ers 20-17 in hard-fought Week 13 bout

The San Francisco 49ers looked to pull off a road upset against the red-hot Baltimore Ravens in Week 13 amid the rainy and windy conditions at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, and this contest had all the makings of a potential Super Bowl preview between two powerhouses.

Ultimately, however, the Niners fall to 10-2 after losing in Baltimore 20-17.

San Francisco got on the board first, thanks to a 33-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Deebo Samuel on fourth down, which put the Niners up 7-0. Yet the Ravens were able to answer right back to tie things up in what became a wild first half.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson scored Baltimore's second touchdown on a 1-yard run to put the 49ers at a 14-7 deficit. But running back Raheem Mostert answered right back with an impressive 40-yard touchdown to tie things up:

Mostert was a star, rushing for 146 yards on 19 carries. Overall, the 49ers had 331 total yards of offense, while the Ravens managed 283.

Baltimore was able to hold onto a 17-14 first-half lead, though, thanks to kicker Justin Tucker making his lone field-goal attempt, while Niners kicker Robbie Gould's try with time expiring in the second quarter was tipped and fell short.

The Ravens opened up the second half on offense. And while Baltimore seemed to have a lot of luck moving the ball on the ground, split between Jackson and running back Mark Ingram, backup safety Marcell Harris managed to strip Jackson of the ball early in the third quarter to give San Francisco the ball back. Harris was in for an injured Jaquiski Tartt, who suffered an apparent ribs injury while tackling Ingram earlier in the quarter:

The 49ers managed to get into the red zone after the turnover, aided in large part by a crucial Ravens defensive pass-interference call on a fourth-down try. But the Niners weren't able to convert in the red zone, instead settling for a 32-yard field goal by Gould to tie things up at 17.

San Francisco's defense managed to bend, not break, although the Ravens were able to punt it down to the Niners' 1-yard line on a 62-yard boot. The 49ers then attempted a key drive to start the fourth quarter. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who finished with four catches for 41 yards, was instrumental on the drive early, but the Niners were still forced to punt.

Yet the Niners defense was able to rise to the occasion the following drive, as linebacker Fred Warner broke up a key fourth-down pass to give Garoppolo and Co. the ball back with 9:38 remaining. And the 49ers would be faced with their own fourth-down decision, going for it on 4th-and-1, but Garoppolo's pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage.

The Ravens converted a fourth-down try on their next possession and then moved into Niners territory with less than three minutes remaining. And that set up Tucker's 49-yard field goal to give Baltimore the hard-fought win.

• Written by:
  Peter Panacy
  Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
  All articles by Peter Panacy
  @PeterPanacy

Related News

• Report Card: Grading the San Francisco 49ers' epic 20-17 loss to Baltimore Sacramento Bee • Dec 1, 2019
• A classic: 49ers fall to Ravens, 20-17, on last-second kick San Francisco Chronicle • Dec 1, 2019
  May require subscription
• Notes and observations from 49ers' heartbreaking 20-17 loss to Ravens Niners Wire • Dec 1, 2019
• 8 Takeaways as 49ers Fall to Ravens, 20-17 49ers.com • Dec 1, 2019
• 49ers 17, Ravens 20: Grades Press Democrat • Dec 1, 2019
• Running in the rain: Ravens outlast 49ers in ground game slugfest KNBR • Dec 1, 2019
• 49ers game grades vs. Ravens: A praiseworthy effort in defeat San Francisco Chronicle • Dec 1, 2019
  May require subscription