Billed as a potential Super Bowl preview, the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
A 33-19 scoreline underlined Baltimore's dominance. The Ravens' stout defense made life difficult for the 49ers' offense. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy threw four interceptions. San Francisco benched Purdy in the late stages. Backup Sam Darnold came in and also threw an interception.
Furthermore, the Ravens recorded 27 quarterback pressures and four quarterback hits. Baltimore went after the Niners' quarterbacks, and the plan worked.
These teams were the respective top seeds in their conferences, and many analysts felt this game would be close. The Ravens' defense changed that script. Moreover, Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson is now the MVP favourite.
Jackson completed 23 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. The dual-threat quarterback added 45 rushing yards to his stat sheet as well.
Baltimore is now 12-3. They are surging into the playoffs and look like Super Bowl favourites. The 49ers are 11-4. This loss ended their six-game winning streak. Moreover, the 49ers are now in a three-way tie with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions at the top of the NFC.