The 49ers have taken hits in the first quarter and flipped the switch before. The Ravens could be the ultimate test to that flow.
During his press conference with the media, George Kittle revealed a new stat about the San Francisco 49ers next opponent in the Baltimore Ravens:
“One of the coolest stats coach [Kyle] Shanahan showed us is that they are the number one defense in the first quarter in the NFL, because they come out there and surprise you with how they are just going to hit you in the face. And I respect the hell out of them for that.”
You’re probably wondering why I am bringing this up. Well, that’s because with what we’ve seen from the 49ers lately, the first quarter is where they absorb hits, roll up their sleeves and turn their rings around. You don’t need to look any further than the Philadelphia Eagles game where the first quarter was best left forgotten outside of the 49ers holding the Eagles to just six points. Once the second quarter hit we were off and running and the Eagles never could keep up.
So if the Ravens are the number one defense as Kittle and Shanahan elude to, we should be ready for a frustrating first quarter of torture. If it’s anything like the Eagles game, once we hit the second quarter, the 49ers will start to impose their will. And the 49ers just seem to get better as the game goes along. At least, that’s what they’ve shown in recently
And maybe this is the ultimate test to that formula we’ve seen the last few weeks.
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