Week 13 of the 2019 NFL season already has begun in earnest, with a Thanksgiving tripleheader that saw the Bears edge the Lions, the Bills earn a statement win over the Cowboys and the Saints defeat the Falcons to claim the NFC South division title.
The beautiful thing about this point in the season is that there are no more bye weeks. That means we get 13 more games this weekend, including some matchups just as delicious as Thanksgiving dinner.
A potential Super Bowl preview lurks in the early window of games, as the Baltimore Ravens play host to the San Francisco 49ers in a matchup of the top two teams in the Touchdown Wire Power Rankings.
On Sunday night, the New England Patriots travel to meet the Houston Texans in a battle of division leaders as Bill Belichick matches wits with former assistant Bill O’Brien.
Another tasty game awaits on Monday night as the Minnesota Vikings visit the Seattle Seahawks in a matchup of teams with playoff aspirations.
Without further ado, here are your Week 13 game previews for the Sunday and Monday games.
San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox
Records: 49ers 10-1, Ravens 9-2
Line: Ravens by 6½
49ers’ keys: San Francisco will need to contain QB Lamar Jackson and stuff the inside run lanes RB Mark Ingram favors. Offensively, the 49ers should be able to test Baltimore’s run defense with their three-headed rushing attack.
Ravens’ keys: Baltimore has to lean on its power rushing attack, which should free up outside runs for Jackson as well as passing lanes for the tight ends and WR Marquise Brown. If the Ravens can hit 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo consistently, they’ll force poor throws and potentially create turnovers.
Who wins? This is a matchup of two of the best offenses and defenses. However, no team has really been able to contain Jackson. Ravens 30, 49ers 24
— Matthew Stevens
SF@Bal / Cle@Pit / NYJ@Cin / Ten@Ind / Phi@Mia / GB@NYG / Was@Car / TB@Jax / LAR@Ari / LAC@Den / Oak@KC / NE@Hou / Min@Sea