In addition to all the gifts and holiday cheer Christmas brings, we get the two best teams in the league playing against each other in primetime on Christmas Day. It can’t get much better than this and we’re in for superb game between the 11-3 Baltimore Ravens and the 11-3 San Francisco 49ers. This could be the game of the year and a potential Super Bowl preview between these two NFL giants. Lamar Jackson’s Ravens are flying high with a 4 game win streak while the Niners are striking gold with their 6 game win streak in their dominant run.
Jackson has hit a new gear this year and he has the Ravens at the very top of the AFC. I have a feeling Zay Flowers and OBJ will be a big part of this offense on Monday because you have to fight fire with fire. They have to match the 49ers offense and those two receivers are leading the charge on offense. Rookie Keaton Mitchell is out for the year for Baltimore and it’s hurts them at the running back position because he is so explosive and fast. Gus Edwards will be relied upon and he has to create some big plays. Edwards averages 4.1 yards a carry this year which isn’t too bad but compared to Mitchell’s 8.4 yards a carry, it seems less (ESPN stats). Mitchell was growing in this offense so the injury hurts this team a lot and they’ll need Edwards to provide thar burst. If the offense can’t get it going though, they still have their excellent defense. The Ravens defense is 2nd in total yards and they’ve allowed the fewest touchdowns (FOX SPORTS). They’re going to cause Purdy’s offense a lot of problems and trouble the young quarterback. It’s a big test for the Ravens as they play the hottest team in the league but Lamar Jackson can certainly rally his team to a road win.
For the 49ers, life doesn’t get much better than this. In their big streak, they have beaten teams by at least 2 touchdowns and their offense is steamrolling past teams. With their combination of Aiyuk, Samuel, and McCaffrey, the possibilities are endless and they try so many different things. We’ve seen Deebo in the backfield with McCaffrey in the slot, we’ve seen them run sweeps, and the defense never knows what they’re getting. With zone coverage, Samuel is a beast with his yards after catch and in man to man coverage, Aiyuk gets open frequently so it poses a big challenge. This is the best offense in the league and they’ll show it on Monday Night. While I don’t think the offense should have troubles, the defense could struggle with the movement of Jackson because he can create out of nothing. When he’s outside the pocket, he’s dangerous and hard to tackle. The 49ers need to watch out for him and if they continue to frustrate Lamar, it will be a good night for 49ers’ fans.
My prediction is that the 49ers will win 30-24. This game will either be a high scoring affair or a defensive battle but I think the 49ers stacked offense will be too much to handle. They have too many skill players and everyone’s in a rhythm so I don’t think Baltimore will be able to stop them. Levi’s Stadium is also a factor and those Niners fans will be roaring in this colossal game. You can watch this game at 8:15 PM EST on ABC and ESPN on 12/25/2023.
These two teams could be playing in Super Bowl LVIII against each other but until then, we get a Week 16 primetime game between these two outstanding teams. Will Lamar Jackson play the Grinch and steal the 49ers Christmas or will Brock Purdy keep rolling and deliver a win to his fans?
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Very good and detailed analysis Raghav.
I agree that it may be a preview of Super Bowl and maybe I hope Ravens will win as it’s our local team 😊😊