Defense carries Ravens past 49ers

Baltimore held San Francisco to 163 total yards in the 9-7 victory.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Although Ed Reed could count the Baltimore defense’s mistakes on one hand after his famed unit carried the Ravens to another win, the Pro Bowl safety still had two complaints.

“They only got two long plays, but we’ve got to take away those two plays,” Reed said with a grimace. “Against a good team, those two plays will cost us more than they did today.”

That says it all about the Ravens’ standards — and their regard for the struggling San Francisco 49ers as well.

Reed, Ray Lewis and their crew suffocated San Francisco on all but a few plays, and Matt Stover covered for Baltimore’s near-equal offensive ineptitude with three field goals in the Ravens’ 9-7 victory Sunday.

Just a few days after Lewis demanded more ferocity and less trickery, the Baltimore defense shouldered the offense in another trademark performance. The Ravens (3-2) didn’t get in the end zone despite outgaining San Francisco 315-163, yet still won with the franchise’s lowest points total in a victory since the former Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore in 1996.

“We’re built a certain way as a team, and all we said was we won’t lose this game,” Lewis said. “If we get the lead, we won’t lose this game. I just think it shows the character of our team.”

Except for an inexplicable two-play sequence when San Francisco completed two long passes for 65 yards and its only score, the Baltimore defense applied the soundest beating yet to the 49ers (2-3), who lost their third straight while failing to gain 200 yards for the fourth time in five games.

“We’re a team that can play base defense and smack teams around,” linebacker Bart Scott said. “We were disappointed, though. We want to pitch shutouts, especially against a team that shouldn’t have got a first down against us.”

Though the 49ers’ offense remained in its season-long funk with Trent Dilfer replacing injured Alex Smith, San Francisco made a 40-yard drive in the closing minutes to set up Joe Nedney’s 52-yard field goal attempt with 2:37 left. The veteran kicker pulled it wide right, and Baltimore ran out the clock.

Dilfer, facing the team he led to its only Super Bowl triumph in January 2001, was 12-of-19 for 126 yards in his starting debut with the Niners.

“I knew it would be hard,” Dilfer said. “Nobody admires the mentality of defense they play more than I do. It is second to none.”