For a Baltimore Ravens team against whom the deck seems to have been stacked this season, their Week 6 matchup against the moribund San Francisco 49ers may prove to be something of a season-saving salve served up at exactly the right moment, especially so for quarterback Joe Flacco. With expected lead pass catcher Breshad Perriman dealing with an injury and a running game that took far too long to get going, Flacco's been asked from the outset to shoulder a load that would be unmanageable by nearly any NFL quarterback's standards. And while Perriman remains out, Steve Smith Sr. isn't certain to return and top running back Justin Forsett is dealing with an ankle injury, Flacco looks primed for a big day against the Niners.
Under new head coach Jim Tomsula, the 49ers simply haven't been able to overcome the mass defensive departures this offseason - departures that included San Francisco stalwarts like Patrick Willis and Justin Smith, as well as coordinator Vic Fangio. Through five weeks of the 2015 NFL season, opposing quarterbacks are averaging 315.2 passing yards per game against the Niners. They've also thrown nine touchdowns and just two interceptions, leaving Tomsula's crew ranked 30th in the league against the pass.
And while Flacco's cache of offensive weaponry is light, the expected limitations of the run game may actually work in his fantasy favor. With Forsett beind held out of practice this week and likely to be held to a pitch count of sorts if he even suits up and Lorenzo Taliaferro placed on injured reserve, Flacco's almost certainly going to be the straw that stirs the Ravens' offensive drink nearly all day on Sunday.
The only problem Flacco faces is who to throw the ball to. Elite or not, Flacco's shown the ability to be a distributor, making use of the various weapons at his disposal. For the Ravens to emerge victorious and Flacco owners to come away happy, players like former special teams ace Kamar Aiken, tight ends Gillmore Crockett and Maxx Williams and possibly Smith will have to come up big in key moments.
