After coming out flat, the 49ers’ offense picked things up considerably on a long drive in the first quarter. But a sack in the red zone forced the 49ers to settle for three.
The drive was an impressive one, with Colin Kaepernick hitting Michael Crabtree for 19 yards and Vernon Davis for 24 yards, and it also featured a couple of good runs by Kaepernick. (Not to mention a couple missed tackles by Ray Lewis.)
But after the 49ers drove into goal-to-go territory, Ravens defensive end Paul Kruger sacked Kaepernick on third down, and David Akers came on to narrow the margin to 7-3.
It’s good news for the 49ers that the skittish Akers made his first field goal attempt. But it’s bad news that they had to send Akers out at the end of a promising drive.