49ers Vs. Ravens: Random Stats

Thanks to a short week we get our normal random stats post on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. The 49ers shot out their weekly game release a day early, so feel free to check it out. We'll have some more specific preview material as the day and week move along, but for now we can take a basic look at the matchup.

This week features a battle of two incredibly strong defenses. Neither defense has been perfect this season, but when they bring their A-game, few defenses can match them. It should make for an interesting matchup since neither offense is known for consistency in 2011. Both offenses have had their moments, but nothing quite like their defenses.

Prior to Sunday's game, Football Outsiders ranked the Ravens first in pass defense and second in rush defense. They ranked the 49ers first in rush defense and thirteenth in pass defense. If you scroll down to the bottom of this post you can see a basic statistical comparison and the difference is apparent even in basic counting stats.

This game could very well come down to which offense can get that slight break. Joe Flacco remains a big question mark and is a definite X-factor in this game. The Ravens are 5-0 at home and 2-3 on the road, but Flacco's basic counting stats are not all that drastic when you compare home and away numbers. The Ravens manage to take care of business at home though, so something is working for them.

Check out the Bay Area Sports Guy's intriguing breakdown of the Ravens as compared to the recently defeated New York Giants. I did not realize how much the Ravens were throwing in spite of having Ray Rice at their disposal, but as he says, a short passing attack really does play into the wildly athletic strength of the 49ers front seven. The Redskins went to dumping off passes to running back Roy Helu and he set a franchise mark for receptions. Of course, the Redskins also lost 19-11 and the dumpoffs were getting booed, so I could live with a repeat of that.

• The 49ers ran 87 plays from scrimmage last week vs. Arz. (11/20), ranking t-1st in franchise history for the most plays from scrimmage in a single game [87 at Chi. (11/13/66) and 87 vs. NO (9/21/86)]. 
• RB Frank Gore (7,284 yds.) needs 61 rushing yds. to pass 49ers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Perry (7,344) for the most rushing yds. in franchise history.
• The 49ers defense has not allowed a 100-yd. rusher in 32 consecutive games, ranking t-3rd in the NFL for the longest streak of not allowing a 100-yd. rusher since 2000.
• The 49ers defense has not allowed a rushing TD through the first 10 games of the season, ranking t-3rd since 1970 for the most consecutive games without allowing a rushing TD in single season.

LET IT FLY ON FIRST 

• QB Alex Smith has a QB rating of 105.7 on 1st down, ranking 5th in the NFL (min. 25 atts.). 

• The 49ers offense ranks 4th in the NFL with 58.7 pct. (71 of 121) of the first down passing plays gaining 4+ yds. 

WHAT BLITZ? 

• As of 11/17, Smith has registered a QB rating of 113.4 against the blitz this season, ranking 2nd in the NFL (GB QB Aaron Rodgers - 140.7) (min. 25 atts.). 

FINDING A HOLE 

• RB Frank Gore has registered 24 rushes of 10+ yds., ranking t-5th in the NFL this season. Gore also ranks t-5th in the NFL with 8 runs of 20 yds.-or-more. 

HITTING THE CENTURY MARK 

• Gore ranks t-2nd in the NFL with 5, 100-yd. games this season. He is the only player in the NFL to have 4 games of 125+ yds. rushing this season. 

BOOMING LEG 

• K David Akers ranks 1st in the NFL in both made FGs (26) and points (102). This marks Akers' 6th consecutive season of scoring 100 points. He is only player in the NFL to score at least 100 points in each of the last 6 seasons.