MVP front-runners? Two teams tied with the best record in the NFL? Monday night’s Christmas battle between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers could very well be the game of the year for fans across the country.
While the contest isn’t necessarily a “must-win” for either team at this point, securing a victory over the opposing conference’s best should do wonders for a late-December contest.
There are five major keys the Ravens will need to accomplish to win.
Let’s go through them here.
Dominate the Interior Offensively
Arik Armstead isn’t going to play for the 49ers. That’s a massive problem that the Ravens should be able to exploit. San Francisco has given up 4.3 yards per carry on the ground – 19th across the entire NFL.
This dynamic defense CAN be beaten. It will be up to Baltimore’s rushing attack and play-calling to be decisive and consistent. While there probably won’t be a 1,000-yard rusher on the roster this year, the Ravens have a committee in the backfield (including their quarterback) that can make things extremely difficult for any defense.
Baltimore has the horses up front to dominate anyone they play – that includes this 49ers squad. Winning on Monday night will be determined by whether their group can win at the line or not.
Set the Edge Defensively
If there’s one thing the 49ers are lethal at offensively, it’s playing offense on the perimeter against some of the top defenses in football.
With Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk all getting touches in Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme, it makes things incredibly difficult for even the top units to stop this offensive juggernaut.
This should be a massive game for the edge players on Baltimore’s side like Jadeveon Clowney and Odafe Oweh. If they can set the edge and limit the amount of times that the 49ers reach the perimeter, Baltimore’s defense should be able to limit the big-play ability of the offense.
Protect the Football
Baltimore is going up against a team that leads the league in turnover differential, and takeaways.
Therefore, one of the most important keys for the Ravens is to take care of the football, right?
While Lamar Jackson has only been picked off seven times this year, his offensive unit will need to be careful to not fumble the football at all in an important game like this.
Too many times great games are decided by the team that turns the ball over more. If the Ravens are going to win,
Let Lamar be Lamar
There’s a reason why Jackson now has the second-best odds to win his second NFL MVP award this year.
3,800 total yards, leading his team in rushing, on top of a potential top seed in a loaded conference? Similar resumes would certainly deem his resume worthy of consideration.
Baltimore will need to decide what they want to focus on with their franchise quarterback this week though. If the team is looking to truly win this week in a game that has no effect on their chances for the top seed, they need to let Jackson cook.
There are things the offense can do to limit the hits Jackson could face against a physical opponent, but in the end, they need to trust their franchise quarterback to make the plays to win.
Pick Your Poison
San Francisco has arguably the most complete array of offensive talent in recent memory. Whether it’s an All-Pro tight end, an MVP candidate at running back, or a plethora of standout receivers, Baltimore will have to pick its poison in how to defend an offense this complete.
Chances are, the Ravens should have some success if they set the edge as an overall defensive unit, but stopping McCaffrey should be the top priority for the front seven.
Few teams can match up well with San Fran’s offense but the Ravens believe they are part of that group.
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