49ers at Baltimore Ravens

Anthony Wright threw two touchdown passes and the Baltimore Ravens crushed the 49ers 44-6 at M&T Bank Stadium. Jamal Lewis ran for 78 and a touchdown. Jeff Garcia threw four interceptions and 112 yards. Garrison Hearst ran for 47. The 49ers' offense produced two field goals. The Ravens scored 41 first-half points. The 49ers fell to 5-7 in the year's worst loss.[1][2]

Anthony Wright threw two touchdown passes Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium. The Baltimore Ravens crushed the 49ers 44-6 in the kind of cross-conference road blowout where Jeff Garcia's return from injury produced the year's worst single-game tape: four interceptions and 112 yards in the loss.

Garcia was 14-of-29 for 112 with the four picks. Garrison Hearst ran for 47. Fred Beasley caught three for 42. The 49ers' offense produced two Joe Nedney field goals. The defense surrendered 44 points and 41 first-half points. The kind of cross-conference road blowout where the year's identity tape hit its lowest point.

5-7. The kind of cross-conference road blowout that ended the year's competitive arc. The Arizona Cardinals at home next Sunday in the division rematch. The kind of December where the year's identity tape, with the Garcia-return four-interception game, has produced one of the league's worst blowouts.

Ravens 44, 49ers 6. Margin: -38. Twelve-game record: 5-7, +18 differential.

* Anthony Wright: 14-of-25 for 177, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
* Jamal Lewis: 19 carries for 78, 1 TD.
* Marcus Robinson: receiving production.
* Jeff Garcia: 14-of-29 for 112, 0 TDs, 4 INTs (return from injury).
* Garrison Hearst: 12 carries for 47.
* Fred Beasley: 3 catches for 42.
* Joe Nedney: 2 FGs.
* Ravens 41 1H points.
* 49ers 5-7; Ravens 7-5.

A 44-6 cross-conference road blowout at M&T Bank Stadium. Jeff Garcia returns from injury and throws four interceptions. The 49ers fall to 5-7.

How it unfolded

Baltimore scored on its opening drive with a Wright touchdown to make it 7-0. The Ravens added a second touchdown to make it 14-0. Garcia threw his first interception that converted to another Ravens touchdown to push the lead to 21-0. The Ravens added two more touchdowns in the second quarter to make it 35-0 (and a field goal made it 41-0 at halftime). The third quarter was a 49ers field goal. The fourth quarter was a Ravens field goal and a 49ers field goal to close it 44-6.

The turning point

Jeff Garcia's four-interception game. With the return from injury producing the kind of brutal single-game tape that has the staff's QB1 question now leaning back to Tim Rattay, the picks gave Baltimore the short fields the rest of the day produced.

By the numbers

Garcia 112 passing on 29 attempts with four INTs. Hearst 47 rushing on 12 carries. Beasley 42 receiving on 3 catches. Owens 38 receiving on 4 catches. Wright 177 on 25 attempts with two TDs. Jamal Lewis 78 rushing with a TD.

Personnel watch

Jeff Garcia's four-interception return-from-injury game. Garrison Hearst's quiet day. Terrell Owens's modest receiving day. The 49ers' offense's six-point output. The Ravens' 41 first-half points. The kind of cross-conference road blowout where everything went wrong.

What it means

5-7 with the Cardinals at home next Sunday. The kind of cross-conference road blowout where Garcia's return-from-injury game produced the year's worst tape. The kind of December where Tim Rattay will likely return as the starter.