SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 24, 2011
John Harbaugh got the better of Jim Harbaugh in the first meeting of brothers as head coaches in the NFL, guiding the Baltimore Ravens to a 16-6 victory over the visiting San Francisco 49ers on Thursday.
Joe Flacco threw for 161 yards and a touchdown and the Ravens (8-3) matched a franchise record with nine sacks as they moved back into sole possession of first place in the AFC North.
The 49ers (9-2) had their eight-game winning streak snapped. San Francisco had a chance to clinch the NFC West with a win and a Seattle Seahawks loss on Sunday. The 49ers will have to wait until next week when they host the St. Louis Rams.
The Harbaugh brothers each saw their squads flex their defensive muscles, as neither team eclipsed 260 yards of total offense.
The teams traded field goals until the first play of the fourth quarter, when Flacco found tight Dennis Pitta for an 8-yard touchdown pass for a 13-6 lead.
San Francisco looked like it had taken the lead in the second quarter when Alex Smith and Ted Ginn Jr. hooked up on a 75-yard scoring pass. But the play was called back due to a chop block by Frank Gore.
Baltimore harassed Smith all night, rarely needing to blitz to get pressure on the quarterback. Terrell Suggs finished with three sacks and Cory Redding added 2.5. The Ravens also picked off a pass and forced Smith to fumble.