Baltimore Sun

Talking slop: Ravens prepare for 49ers and bad weather

Best game of Week 13 has a big cloud over it: 100% chance of rain

- By Jonas Shaffer

The NFL’s best game of Week 13, if not the season altogether, could get sloppy.

According to the National Weather Service, there’s a 100% chance of rain Sunday in Baltimore, with showers expected to start around midnight and continue throughout the Ravens’ 1 p.m. kickoff against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Ravens have had experience with inclement weather this season. They overcame dropped passes and some sloppy play to knock off the Seahawks in Seattle, 30-16. And after struggling with fumbling problems late last season, the team has become one of the more sure-handed in the NFL, ranking 10th in fumbles per game (1.1) and sixth in fumbles lost per game (0.4).

Rainy weather “really affects the footing, obviously, for every player on the field,” offensive coordinato­r Greg Roman said Friday. “That can work as a positive or negative to anybody, really. I don’t think it’s specifical­ly harder on the defense. People like to say that, but it really requires you to play imbalanced throughout the game, getting in and out of cuts, that kind of thing.

“You’ve got to make sure your footwear is correct, but really, it comes down to being great with the ball-handling. That’s where it impacts the game, so you’ve got to really focus in on the ball-handling.”

Roman said Friday that the Ravens practiced with wet footballs Thursday, and special teams coach Chris Horton said the team’s specialist­s “find ways to kind of mimic those situations” as they prepare.

“They kind of sit back and they think about how we’re going to get this done,” he said. “I think I can recall back in Seattle, when we had some weather, they kind of had a plan for how they were going to approach that, and they did a great job, so they’ll be ready to go.”

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told San Francisco radio station KNBR on Wednesday that, with the speed of his team, he’d prefer not to play in slow conditions. In Week 6, San Francisco quarterbac­k Jimmy Garoppolo had his worst game this season amid a constant downpour and strong winds in Landover, finishing 12-for-21 for 151 yards and an intercepti­on against the Washington Redskins.

“We’ll see how it is on Sunday, and how that could affect both teams, but I usually don’t like [the rain] or want it as much because I feel we’re a team that’s predicated on speed, and I think rain always slows you down a little bit,” Shanahan said on KNBR. “I don’t mind too much their quarterbac­k [Lamar Jackson] slowing down, though.

”I know they’re going to run the ball, whether it’s a monsoon or whether it’s 90 degrees out and not raining at all. I don’t think it’s going to change what they do, but you’ve got to sit there, and watch, and see if it makes them better or worse. Then you’ve

got to adjust accordingl­y.”

Pierce practices again

Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce (ankle) practiced for the third straight day Friday and is questionab­le for Sunday’s showdown against the San Francisco 49ers.

Pierce was listed as a full participan­t on Friday’s injury report for the first time since he was hurt in the Ravens’ Week10 blowout of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rookie wide receiver Miles Boykin (ankle) was the only Raven to miss practice Friday and is questionab­le. Tight end Nick Boyle (ankle), guard Bradley Bozeman (ankle), outside linebacker Matthew Judon (ankle) and defensive tackle Domata Peko (knee) were not limited in practice but are also questionab­le.

The 49ers ruled out starting defensive end Dee Ford (quadriceps, hamstring) and backup wide receiver Dante Pettis (knee). Ford has 6½ sacks in 10 games. Left tackle Joe Staley (finger) and running back Matt Breida (ankle) are questionab­le after being limited in practice throughout the week.

Tight end George Kittle (knee, ankle) and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (ribs) were also limited Thursday and Friday but are expected to play. With Pettis’ absence and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, a healthy scratch in San Francisco’s Week12 win over the Green Bay Packers, recently undergoing an MRI on his knee and big toe, the 49ers could be limited in the passing game Sunday.

 ?? ALEX BRANDON/AP ?? Quarterbac­k Jimmy Garoppolo (10) of the 49ers struggled during San Francisco’s rainy game against Washington in October.
ALEX BRANDON/AP Quarterbac­k Jimmy Garoppolo (10) of the 49ers struggled during San Francisco’s rainy game against Washington in October.

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