Many fans are hyping up the Baltimore Ravens-San Francisco 49ers Christmas Day tilt as a potential Super Bowl 58 preview, and for good reason.
The Ravens and 49ers enter Monday with a share of football’s best record at 11-3, but one of them will be atop everybody else following the highly-anticipated clash at Levi’s Stadium on Christmas Day.
But one prominent NFL insider isn’t buying Baltimore vs. San Francisco as a potential game of the year candidate. Previewing the big game, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio explained why he expects a lopsided victory for Brock Purdy and company (h/t Tim Capurso of Sports Illustrated):
“The 49ers kick the s**t out of the Ravens. I’m sorry I know that’s disrespectful to the Ravens, but let’s be realistic. They gotta fly across the country on Christmas night and the 49ers are waiting. And the 49ers are going to dismantle the Ravens. If it’s a Super Bowl preview, the Super Bowl’s gonna suck.”
Well, that’s quite the prediction by Mr. Florio.
Monday’s game will also feature a showdown between three of the top 2023 NFL MVP candidates. Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and Lamar Jackson have all made compelling cases to win the award, and Monday’s contest is a prime opportunity for all three to strengthen their cases.
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Fittingly, the last showdown between the Ravens and 49ers (Week 13, 2019) also marked a showdown between the two eventual top seeds in their respective conferences. Baltimore won that contest 20-17 and finished with the NFL’s top record (14-2), while the 49ers finished 13-3 en route to a Super Bowl 54 appearance.
The 49ers are still in good position to lock down the NFC’s top seed, even with a loss to Baltimore. But for the Ravens, this game is especially pivotal with the 10-4 Miami Dolphins right behind them for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
