The Baltimore Ravens have alerted the rest of the NFL. This was heralded as a potential Super Bowl preview as Lamar Jackson and Co. traveled to Santa Clara and delivered a 33-19 win over the San Francisco 49ers to close out Week 16 and Christmas Day.
It was a rocky start for both clubs, as the Ravens had a three-pointer and a safety on the first two drives of the game, while the Niners also turned the ball over on their first possession. After that, Baltimore came back to life and made seven consecutive starts, leaving San Francisco behind. While this game featured two of the MVP frontrunners in Brock Purdy and Lamar Jackson, this game was in the hands of the Ravens defense. The unit recorded five turnovers, including four interceptions by Purdy.
This final decision by Purdy proved to be the most fatal. After the Ravens extended their lead to 11 in the third quarter, the Niners' QB threw a pick to linebacker Patrick Queen, who took the ball to the San Francisco 9-yard line. Baltimore's offense needed just one play to find the end zone after the turnover and suddenly built a 30-12 lead. This proved to be an insurmountable deficit.
Jackson finished his night going 23 of 35 yards for 252 yards and two touchdowns while adding 45 yards on the ground. Purdy completed 18 of his 32 throws for 255 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. He left that game late in the fourth quarter after dealing with a stinger, but was cleared to return to action. Given the score, Kyle Shanahan elected to have substitute Sam Darnold finish the contest.
Why the Ravens won
Baltimore played some great complementary football during this game. The Ravens scored once on seven consecutive drives and were able to force several turnovers. Three of the five turnovers the Ravens forced on the night resulted in scoring, and the team finished 17 points behind turnovers. The pass rush regularly bothered Purdy and knocked down balls at the line of scrimmage, making life extremely difficult for any dropback.
While the defense stifled San Francisco's offense, Lamar Jackson played with the Niners' defense, potentially increasing his MVP chances. While he finished with 252 passing yards and two touchdowns, Jackson really shined with his mobility. He extended his passing plays with his legs and also gave the 49ers a pass when he went for the tuck and run, giving him a 45-yard win.
Why the 49ers lost
You can't throw five interceptions and expect to win the game, so the loss falls on the shoulder of Brock Purdy (who threw four of the picks). He had picks on three of the 49ers' first four drives of the night, killing any home momentum they had at Levi's Stadium. Purdy led the way with a touchdown in the first half, but beyond that there was just a shell of the MVP candidate we saw in Week 16. While Purdy takes a small share of the blame, the defense had no answer for Lamar Jackson and the SWAT team killed them at a critical point in the game.
After a three-and-out early in the first half, the San Francisco punt team committed two consecutive penalties that helped give the Ravens possession at the 49ers' 44-yard line. That helped spark a three-play touchdown drive and started their run that allowed them to extend the lead to three points. Any way you look at it, it was a pretty poor performance for a team that was considered the Super Bowl favorite this weekend.
Turing point
Although Purdy threw three interceptions in the first half, the 49ers were able to stay within striking distance of the Ravens and trailed by just four points before halftime. But Purdy's final interception of the night was the final straw. After the Ravens scored on their first possession of the second half, Purdy immediately threw an interception to Patrick Queen and Lamar Jackson then threw a 9-yard pass to Zay Flowers on the following play to make it 30-3 before the second half. 12 to take the lead even get rolling. At that point, Baltimore held the Niners at bay and for the rest of the game they never really smelled a comeback.
Game play
Kyle Hamilton was an anchor in the Ravens' secondary and made a number of impactful plays in the win, including two interceptions. His second pick of the night was one of the better plays you'll see this season. Hamilton (No. 14) initially raced off the line to the left and was thrown to the ground by an illegal chopping block. Despite being knocked to the ground, Hamilton got up as Purdy scrambled in the backfield, worked his way back into coverage and intercepted a ball intended for George Kittle.
What's next
From here, the Ravens return to Baltimore for their final two games of the regular season. Sunday is another crucial matchup as they host the Miami Dolphins with a chance to secure the top spot in the AFC. The 49ers will look to bounce back from this loss when they travel to Washington to take on the Commanders in Week 17.