Ravens Dominate 49ers in Christmas Clash
The Baltimore Ravens won their Christmas Day trip to San Francisco, beating the 49ers by 14 points in a 33-19 final. It was a convincing win over what was considered the best team in the league heading into Week 16. The Ravens put their foot on the gas when the game wore on, outscoring the 49ers 30-7 in the second and third quarters.
The evening featured more than a few notable individual performances. Which players stood out in the Ravens’ overtime win? Below are some of the most popular shows and be sure to vote for your game ball winner!
Kyle Hamilton
Before later pulling out of the match with a knee injury, Hamilton appeared before a nationally televised audience to confirm his recent promotion. The sophomore safety was a force to be reckoned with, making several interceptions, pass breakups and tackles in open space.
Hamilton opened the scoring by intercepting a Brock Purdy pass attempt in the end zone on the 49ers’ first drive. He failed Purdy on the second or third read and jumped on a route written by Deebo Samuel. This prevented possible contact.
After the second quarter, with the Ravens leading by five points, Hamilton made a miraculous second attempt to receive the second selection letter. After a hit by Christian McCaffrey, Hamilton got up and got back into the mix, putting himself in the right place at the right time.
Marlon Humphrey directed a pass to George Kittle and the ball flew high into the air where Hamilton then secured it. Those were Hamilton’s third and fourth interceptions of the season, and he added five total tackles and three assists.
Marlon Humphrey
Humphrey had one of his best games of the season in last week’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars after shaking off the rust since returning from injury earlier this month. He followed that up with a memorable performance in San Francisco against another talented pass team.
The former All-Pro was involved in one of the 49ers’ five interceptions, but was technically responsible for two. As mentioned earlier, Humphrey threw a pass that was later picked by Hamilton in the second quarter. In that game, he made a fast break and played tight coverage against Kittle. Before that, however, Humphrey had an interception of his own early in the quarter.
The 49ers had just entered Ravens territory when Brandon Stephens picked off a pass from the line of scrimmage. As Hamilton did, Humphrey was there to catch the lofted ball and reel it in for a forced turnover. That sack led to the Ravens’ first touchdown of the game, a long touchdown that led to a 10–5 lead and ended the scoring. Other than those two notable games, Humphrey had few hard hits and limited big games.
Patrick Queen
Regina was seen as a potential X-factor in that game, as the 49ers could have attacked the middle of the field and isolated McCaffrey from the Ravens’ inside linebackers.
They tried these things often and Regina was more than up to the challenge. The fourth-year LSU product was all over San Francisco, making plenty of impact.
Regina, along with Roquan Smith, will limit the damage McCaffrey can do in the passing game and eliminate potential vulnerability. McCaffrey caught six passes for just 28 yards, and Queen limited the extra yards after the catch by wrapping up tight in space.
He finished with a total of seven touchdown passes and a quarterback hit. Regina was the second of four Ravens defenders to record an interception and had a 21-yard punt return that came up just a yard short of returning it in the end zone. Early in the third quarter, Purdy’s fumble in Queen’s 49ers territory came one play after the Ravens had just scored and taken a 23-12 lead. Immediately after Regina’s interception, they needed just one nine-yard pass into the end zone to score again and take the lead in the second half.
Lamar Jackson
Jackson’s success on Monday Night Football and against NFC opponents continued in San Francisco, where he defeated the 49ers’ No. 1 defense. Jackson shook off a slow start in which several of his first pass attempts failed and he was flagged for an intentional grounding in.
the end zone that led to a safety. After that, he settled in and started moving the Ravens offense with ease. Starting midway through the first quarter, the Ravens completed seven straight passes for three touchdowns – two of which were in Jackson’s red zone.
On the Ravens’ opening drive of the third quarter, Jackson first found Gus Edwards in space for a long 39-yard catch and run. Two plays later, he threw to Nelson Agholor for a six-yard touchdown. Then, less than 30 seconds later after Queen’s interception, Jackson hit Zay Flowers nine yards for another touchdown. He could have caught a touchdown pass early in the second quarter, but Isaiah Likely was caught just a yard short of the end zone. Jackson also had a goal line rush attempt that also came up short.
Regardless, Jackson threw the ball 35 times for the Ravens offense with a surprising number of passes. He completed 23 passes to eight different receivers for 252 passing yards, adding another 46 yards on the ground. Jackson’s 30-yarder came on 3rd-and-16 late in the second quarter, one of the highlights of the game. This put the Ravens in field goal territory and allowed them to extend their lead.
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