Tag: 49ers vs Ravens

NFL power rankings: 49ers can’t overtake red-hot Ravens for No. 1 spot

The #49ers couldn’t eclipse the Ravens in the USA TODAY Sports NFL power rankings — and that’s okay.

The 49ers’ loss to the Ravens dropped them out of the top spot in the USA TODAY Sports NFL power rankings. Baltimore’s blowout win over the Dolphins in Week 17 only further cemented them as the No. 1 team in the rankings. San Francisco remained at No. 2, which is likely where they’ll stay with seeding wrapped for both the 49ers and Ravens heading into the final week.

Ultimately the power rankings are a good indicator of where things stand in the NFL hierarchy during the regular season, but the thing that matters for now to San Francisco is that they’re the clear-cut best team in the NFC. They’re also in the discussion as the NFL’s best team.

Losing to Baltimore dropped them in the rankings, and may even make them underdogs if the two teams clash in the Super Bowl in February. Getting to the Super Bowl is the goal now though.

If they match up in Las Vegas, they can duke it out on the field to give a final answer on who the best team in the NFL is in 2023.

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49ers still contenders, but drop one spot in USA TODAY NFL power rankings

The #49ers dropped in the USA TODAY Sports NFL power rankings, but they’re still very much in the Super Bowl conversation:

The 49ers’ run at the top of the USA TODAY NFL power rankings is over. They dropped one spot to No. 2 behind the Baltimore Ravens after Baltimore whacked the 49ers 33-19 at Levi’s Stadium on Christmas.

It was a dreadful performance for San Francisco where starting quarterback Brock Purdy tossed four interceptions, and backup QB Sam Darnold threw another late in the game. Despite the bad showing though, USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis still believes San Francisco can make a Super Bowl run:

Small picture? Not so happy holidays, and QB Brock Purdy likely watched any MVP aspirations go up in smoke. Big picture? Niners should be fine – and getting embarrassed Monday might just trigger a steamroll into Super Bowl 58.

That’s the bigger goal for San Francisco anyway. They want to be there in February playing for the Lombardi Trophy in Las Vegas.

It’s hard to picture that happening given how Monday’s game went, but they’re still an excellent team capable of bouncing back from a bad outing. A couple of wins to end the year to secure the No. 1 seed would wipe away the ugliness of Christmas night and still put the 49ers on track to begin their Super Bowl run in earnest.

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The good and bad from the 49ers’ rough 33-19 loss on Christmas vs. the Ravens

All the good and bad from the 49ers’ rough 33-19 loss against the Ravens on Christmas evening.

Affter dismantling multiple playoff-caliber teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles on the way to a six-game win streak, the San Francisco 49ers have been on cruise control with the NFC’s No. 1 seed in sight. However, the 49ers ran into their first road block on Christmas night against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

Despite jumping out to a 5-0 lead behind a safety on the second drive of the game, four Brock Purdy interceptions hampered the 49ers as the Ravens ripped off 13 unanswered points.

In the second half, the Ravens tallied another 17 unanswered points to take a commanding lead. With injuries to Brock Purdy and Trent Williams, the 49ers’ attempt at a comeback fell short as they fell to the Ravens, 33-19.

Before moving on to the second-to-last game of the season against the Washington Commanders, here’s a look at some of the good and bad from Christmas in Santa Clara.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

49ers’ long list of injuries from loss to Ravens

The 49ers suffered a bunch of injuries Monday night vs. the Ravens:

The 49ers on Monday lost on the scoreboard, but their already bad injury situation got significantly worse. Their offensively line was down to its final member and Brock Purdy exited with a shoulder stinger for the second consecutive game.

Here are the injury updates from Kyle Shanahan immediately after the game. Information is short for now. Shanahan should have more info next time he speaks with reporters:

Notes and observations from abysmal 49ers loss to Ravens

The #49ers got mollywhopped on Christmas. Notes from each quarter:

It doesn’t get a lot uglier than that. The 49ers (read: Brock Purdy) turned it over three times in the first half to put San Francisco behind 16-12 at halftime. Things only got worse in the second half as they went on to lose 33-19 in a battle of the top seeds from each conference.

Here are our notes and observations from each quarter:

Watch: Sam Darnold enters game after Brock Purdy injury, throws TD to Ronnie Bell vs. Ravens

Five plays after entering the game, Sam Darnold fired a touchdown pass to rookie Ronnie Bell against the Ravens.

With Trent Williams already on the sideline due to a groin injury, Brock Purdy exited the game in the fourth quarter with an injury. With Purdy out of the game against the Ravens on Christmas evening, former No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold entered the game with the 49ers approaching the red zone.

Just five plays after entering the game, Darnold tossed a touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Ronnie Bell. Darnold found Bell over the middle for a 12-yard touchdown pass to cut the Ravens’ advantage down to 14 with over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

 

Watch: Christian McCaffrey makes MVP case on big TD drive vs. Ravens

Christian McCaffrey is making his case for MVP.

While much of the chatter around the San Francisco 49ers’ highly-anticipated Monday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens has been around Brock Purdy and Lamar Jackson’s competition for MVP, Christian McCaffrey stamped his place in the conversation on Christmas Day.

The 49ers’ running back capped off a long drive with a tough 3-yard touchdown run against the Ravens. While McCaffrey’s touchdown run was short, the Stanford Cardinal product carried a heavy load on the drive to the end zone. On a six-play, 67-yard drive, McCaffrey ran the ball five times for 65 yards. McCaffrey blitzed to a 39-yard behind a clutch block from Deebo Samuel.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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49ers open scoring vs. Ravens with safety

The #49ers defense opened the scoring vs. the Ravens with a safety.

The 49ers got a Christmas gift from the officials early in Monday’s game vs. the Ravens. An official tripped in the end zone while 49ers DE Chase Young was tracking down Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. Jackson stumbled over the official and threw the ball to nobody, drawing an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone. That opened the scoring with a 49ers safety thanks to the flag on the QB behind the goal line. That made it 2-0, San Francisco.

49ers can play spoiler for Ravens in Week 16

The #49ers can wind up playing spoiler for the Ravens on Monday — which may matter quite a bit in February.

The 49ers have plenty to play for in Week 16 when they host the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. San Francisco can seal up the No. 1 seed in the NFC with wins in its next two games. However, they can also help play a little spoiler for the Ravens.

Baltimore is the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but they’ve yet to clinch a playoff spot. They can do so Sunday with a win and a Browns loss to the Texans. That means there’s a chance the 49ers could keep Baltimore from clinching a postseason berth.

The 49ers would also ding the Ravens’ hopes for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Baltimore is a game up in Miami and two games up on Kansas City. With a game coming up vs. the Dolphins, the Ravens will want to have as much clearance as possible from Miami to avoid that game becoming the deciding factor in the hunt for the top seed.

Baltimore can’t play the same level of spoiler for the 49ers from a clinching standpoint, but they can certainly make the path to the NFC’s top seed more difficult by beating San Francisco.

So why does any of this matter?

Because there’s a very good chance that the 49ers and Ravens are the two best teams in the league and that the rest of this season is just a collision course toward a Super Bowl showdown between then. In that event, both teams will want to ensure that path to Las Vegas is as difficult as possible. Playing spoiler in Week 16 could wind up being the difference in which team hoists the Lombardi Trophy.

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49ers injury situation at defensive tackle worsens

The #49ers got more bad news about their health on the D-line.

The 49ers on Wednesday announced defensive tackle Kalia Davis was placed on IR with an ankle injury he suffered during San Francisco’s Week 15 win in Arizona.

Davis missed all of his rookie year last season while recovering from a torn ACL he sustained in college. His pro debut in 2023 didn’t come until Week 13 in Philadelphia when he notched a sack of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

He’d become an important part of a 49ers defensive tackle rotation that’s become seriously banged up. With Davis on IR, San Francisco only has Javon Kinlaw and Kevin Givens healthy on its roster. Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead are both dealing with injury problems that forced them to miss the team’s game against the Cardinals. For Hargrave it’s a hamstring issue. Armstead has foot and knee ailments he’s working through.

This is a tough time for health issues on the DL with a terrific rushing team, the Baltimore Ravens, visiting Levi’s Stadium in Week 16. The 49ers without Hargrave and Armstead gave up a whopping 234 rushing yards on 30 attempts to the Cardinals. If they wind up missing the Ravens game, along with Davis’ absence, the 49ers could be in real trouble on Christmas night.

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