SANTA CLARA – It doesn't take an analytics expert to figure out why the expected Christmas Eve showdown between the 49ers and Ravens turned into a loss in Baltimore.
The 49ers entered the Week 16 game with an NFL-best plus-13 turnover differential, but they lost the battle 5-0 on Monday night. So there's little mystery as to why the Ravens won 33-19 at Levi's Stadium.
“I think when you turn the ball over five times, that's usually what happens,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. “You can’t have five turnovers and not get one. You can’t have more than 100 yards of penalties.” [the 49ers had 10 penalties for 102 yards].”
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy threw the four worst interceptions of his career. Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton intercepted a Purdy pass in the end zone on the 49ers' first drive of the game, and the QB's next three picks – each of which came from redirected pass attempts – immediately paid off for 17 Baltimore points.
Every Purdy turnover was different, characterized by a combination of bad decisions and bad luck.
Simple story, right?
“It was just a loss,” Shanahan said, declining to assign any deeper meaning to the defeat, which dropped the 49ers’ record to 11-4 on the season. “You play against a good team, you have five turnovers and all these penalties, that makes it difficult to win.”
The Ravens opened the game with a 17-point score in the third quarter after holding a 16-12 halftime lead. In addition to the giveaways, the 49ers gifted the Ravens another touchdown when punter Mitch Wishnowsky received a 15-yard late punt penalty at the end of a 23-yard punt return early in the third quarter.
“If you play a little sloppy with turnovers and penalties and you're playing against a good team, it's hard to win,” Shanahan said.
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