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The game between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16 is one of the most highly anticipated Monday night games of the season.
It has reached that level for obvious reasons. The surging 49ers have won 6 consecutive games and they are sitting with the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Ravens have won 4 games in a row and they are No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Both of these teams are clearly powerhouses, and many are expecting the Ravens and 49ers to meet again in early February in the Super Bowl.
Neither Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh nor 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is thinking that far ahead. Instead, both teams want to take care of business in this game as they are working on securing their No. 1 seeds so they can have homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
This is a vital game for the Ravens because they host the Miami Dolphins in Week 17. If they get the best of the Niners while the Dolphins lose to the Dallas Cowboys, the Ravens would have a 2-game lead on the Dolphins and all but secure the top seed.
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There are many key matchups in this game, but the battle between Lamar Jackson of the Ravens and Brock Purdy of the 49ers is likely to go a long way in deciding the outcome of this game.
Lamar Jackson will run for 70 yards and 1 touchdown and throw for 2 more scores
The duel between the 2 quarterbacks is merely a contest to see which quarterback will be more productive and therefore give his team an improved chance to win. It is fair to say that both Jackson and Purdy are MVP candidates this season.
Jackson has completed 266 of 401 passes for 3,105 yards with a17 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He is once again the Ravens' leading rusher with 741 yards, a 5.5 yards per carry average and 5 rushing TDs.
Jackson is not a one-dimensional quarterback, though there are still some critics who like to limit him when compared to other top quarterbacks in the league. His running speed is a great advantage, particularly on third-down plays when he escapes pressure, but he is also an accurate passer who can find open receivers on crucial downs.
Jackson is a solid leader and his teammates clearly believe that he is going to come up big in the most important games.
Running back Gus Edwards and wide receiver Zay Flowers will combine for 2 TDs
Edwards has been a solid running back for the Ravens this season, and he is second to Jackson in rushing yards with 663 yards, a 4.1 yards per carry mark and an eye-opening 11 touchdowns.
Edwards can run with power on third-and-short and goal line situations, and that takes much of the pressure off of Jackson. Harbaugh does not want to see his quarterback take a ton of physical abuse under any circumstance, and Edwards is playing a huge role in area.
The Ravens knew they were drafting a game-breaking receiver when they selected Zay Flowers out of Boston College last spring, and he has become quite dependable for the Ravens. He has caught 65 passes for 680 yards and 3 touchdowns heading into Week 16, and he has become even more important to the team since tight end Mark Andrews went down with an ankle injury.
The Ravens need Edwards and Flowers to make consistent big plays if they are going to match the 49ers.
Linebacker Roquan Smith must have double-digit tackles and at least one forced fumble
The 49ers will come at the Ravens with a slew of brilliant offensive weapons. In addition to Purdy's passing and playmaking ability, the Niners will offer MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey at the running back slot, versatile superstar Deebo Samuel and a pair of outstanding receivers in Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle.
The only way the Ravens are going to contain this team is if Smith stands out in this game in terms of his own production as well as his leadership.
Smith leads the Ravens with 143 tackles, and in addition to that eye-catching number, he has 6.5 passes defensed and 5 tackles for loss. He also has 1.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble.
In addition to Smith, defensive tackles Justin Madubuike has a team-leading 12.5 sacks while veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney has 7.5 QB traps. Madubuike displays quickness and a dominating first step and he also has 11 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles. Clowney has 7 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.
