Super Bowl preview? Ravens must hope so after they rout 49ers
Many NFL fans expected Monday night’s Baltimore-San Francisco game to be a preview of the Super Bowl.
If so, it’s going to be a deflating Sunday in February in Las Vegas for the 49ers. This game was not all that competitive.
The Ravens had four interceptions of passes by 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Their quarterback, Lamar Jackson, perhaps seized the lead in the league MVP competition. And the Ravens left no doubt which team is the league-wide Super Bowl favorite, at least for now. They outclassed the Niners, 33-19, in Santa Clara, Calif.
The Ravens sacked Purdy twice and harassed him into four interceptions, two of them by safety Kyle Hamilton.
Ravens defenders tipped passes and hit Purdy’s arm in the pocket. He left the field in the fourth quarter and was examined in the medical tent for a possible stinger after getting up slowly following a hit.
He was replaced by backup Sam Darnold, who had a touchdown pass but also threw the 49ers’ fifth interception of the night.
Trent Williams, the 49ers’ star left tackle, exited the game earlier with a groin injury.
The Niners’ winning streak stopped at six games and they fell to 11-4, although they retained the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They already have clinched the NFC West title.
The Ravens improved to 12-3, now the NFL’s best mark. They’re a game ahead of the Dolphins for the AFC’s top seed and have won five in a row. The Ravens host the Dolphins at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Jackson threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 45 rushing yards.
“He’s putting on a show tonight,” Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman said on the ABC broadcast.
The Ravens scored on seven straight possessions at one point, with three touchdowns and four field goals.
The one down note for the Ravens was that Hamilton exited the game in the late stages with a knee injury, the extent of which was not immediately
For summaries, complete standings, scores go to the eEdition at MiamiHerald.com.
East
x-Miami Buffalo e-N.Y. Jets e-New England South
Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville e-Tennessee North
x-Baltimore Cleveland Cincinnati Pittsburgh West
Kansas City
Las Vegas Denver e-L.A. Chargers
East
x-Phila. x-Dallas e-N.Y. Giants e-Washington South
Tampa Bay New Orleans Atlanta e-Carolina North
y-Detroit Minnesota Green Bay Chicago West
y-San Fran. L.A. Rams Seattle e-Arizona
11 4 0 .733 463 314 9 6 0 .600 403 276 6 9 0 .400 231 315 411 0 .267 212 322 W L T Pct PF PA
8 7 0 .533 328 331 8 7 0 .533 354 372 8 7 0 .533 331 343 510 0 .333 274 321 W L T Pct PF PA
12 3 0 .800 417 244 10 5 0 .667 345 311 8 7 0 .533 318 345 8 7 0 .533 257 291 W L T Pct PF PA
9 6 7 8 7 8 510
0 .600 333 265 0 .467 285 294 0 .467 327 377 0 .333 325 369
W L T
Pct PF PA
11 4 0 .733 392 366 10 5 0 .667 451 286 510 0 .333 214 371 411 0 .267 309 453 W L T Pct PF PA
8 7 0 .533 326 302 7 8 0 .467 331 297 7 8 0 .467 287 288 213 0 .133 236 381 W L T Pct PF PA
11 4 0 .733 412 355 7 8 0 .467 314 299 7 8 0 .467 333 331 6 9 0 .400 314 345 W L T Pct PF PA
11 4 8 7 8 7 312
0 .733 444 267 0 .533 357 332 0 .533 320 352 0 .200 275 403
x-clinched playoff spot; y-clinched division; e-eliminated from playoffs
WEEK 16
THURSDAY
L.A. Rams 30, New Orleans 22
SATURDAY
Pittsburgh 34, Cincinnati 11 Buffalo 24, L.A. Chargers 22
SUNDAY
Miami 22, Dallas 20
Atlanta 29, Indianapolis 10 Green Bay 33, Carolina 30 Cleveland 36, Houston 22 Detroit 30, Minnesota 24
N.Y. Jets 30, Washington 28 Seattle 20, Tennessee 17 Tampa Bay 30, Jacksonville 12 Chicago 27, Arizona 16
New England 26, Denver 23
MONDAY
Las Vegas 20, Kansas City 14 Philadelphia 33, N.Y. Giants 25 Baltimore 33, S.F. 19
WEEK 17 THURSDAY, DEC. 28
N.Y. Jets at Cleveland, 8:15 (Prime)
SATURDAY, DEC. 30
Detroit at Dallas, 8:15 (ABC, ESPN)
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
Miami at Baltimore, 1 (CBS)
New England at Buffalo, 1
Atlanta at Chicago, 1
Las Vegas at Indianapolis, 1
L.A. Rams at N.Y. Giants, 1
Arizona at Philadelphia, 1
New Orleans at Tampa Bay, 1
San Francisco at Washington, 1 Carolina at Jacksonville, 1
Tennessee at Houston, 1
Pittsburgh at Seattle, 4:05 (FOX) L.A. Chargers at Denver, 4:25 Cincinnati at Kansas City, 4:25 (CBS) Green Bay at Minnesota, 8:20 (NBC) clear.
Jackson said he wasn’t surprised by Baltimore’s defense.
“I don’t think it’s anything new,” he said. “That’s a great team that we just played. And [our defense] showed they can play against anybody — any atmosphere, anywhere.”