49ers vs. Ravens: Clash of Titans for Playoff Position
It has reached this level for obvious reasons. The surging 49ers have won six straight games and are in first place in the NFC. The Ravens have won 4 straight games and are in first place in the AFC.
Both teams are clearly strong, and many expect the Ravens and 49ers to meet again in the Super Bowl in early February. Neither Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh nor 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan are thinking that far ahead. Instead, both teams will look to take care of business in this game as they work to secure the top seed in order to have home field advantage during the playoffs.
This is an important game for the Ravens as they host the Miami Dolphins in Week 17. If they top the Niners while the Dolphins lose to the Dallas Cowboys, the Ravens have a 2-game lead over the Dolphins and all but the seed. There are many important matchups in this game, but the battle between Lamar Jackson of the Ravens and Brock Purdy of the 49ers will likely determine a lot of the outcome of this game.
Lamar Jackson will run for 70 yards and 1 touchdown and throw for 2 more scores
A duel between two quarterbacks is just a contest to see which quarterback is more productive and therefore gives his team a better chance to win. It’s fair to say that both Jackson and Purdy are MVP candidates this season.
Jackson is 266 of 401 passing for 3,105 yards, 17 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He is again Ravensand#039; leading rusher with 741 yards, 5.5 yards per carry average and 5 rushing TDs. Jackson is not a one-dimensional quarterback, although some critics like to limit him to the league’s other top players.
His running speed is a big asset, especially on third downs when he can avoid pressure, but he is also an accurate passer who finds open receivers on important downs. Jackson is a sure-fire leader and his teammates clearly believe he will be big in the games that matter most.
Running back Gus Edwards and wide receiver Zay Flowers will combine for 2 TDs
Edwards has been a solid quarterback for the Ravens this season and has opened eyes in rushing yards behind Jackson with 663 yards, 4.1 yards and 11 touchdowns. Edwards can run hard in third-down and goal-line situations, and that takes a lot of pressure off Jackson.
Harbaugh doesn’t want to see his quarterback physically abused in any way, and Edwards has a huge role in that zone. The Ravens knew they were drafting a game-changing receiver when they drafted Zay Flowers out of Boston College last spring, and he’s turned into a pretty reliable receiver for the Ravens.
He caught 65 passes for 680 yards and 3 touchdowns through Week 16 and has become even more important to the team since tight end Mark Andrews went down with an ankle injury. The Ravens will need Edwards and Flowers to make consistent big plays when they face the 49ers.
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