The story of the night on Christmas Day was turnovers. The Ravens made the most of the them to hand 49ers a humiliating defeat
It’s the best start the 49ers have ever had. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens were forced to go three and out by the defense. George Kittle then advanced the offense into scoring position by racing 58 yards after catching an intermediate pass.
Brock Purdy threw it to the jersey with the opposing color after Kittle completed another pass. He threw an interception while ignoring Kyle Hamilton, the safety on the other side of the field. This was going to be a close game only if the 49ers gave up a turnover.
The 49ers defense was the first group to register a point. Nick Bosa and Chase Young put pressure on Jackson, who was backed up in his own end zone. He attempted to throw it deceptively to avoid a safety because he was unable to get out of the pocket in time. On the play, Jackson was reported for purposeful grounding.
The ball was transferred once again by the Niners on their second offensive drive. Brandon Aiyuk’s first reception of the game went for eighteen yards, while Christian McCaffrey’s first carry finished at fourteen yards.
Despite Purdy’s sack on fourth and one, the offense was able to continue thanks to a defensive holding call. But a 3rd & 9 incomplete pass forced Jake Moody to attempt a 45-yard range goal after the team was unable to win on first or second down. Niners, that made it 5-0.
On the following possession, the 49ers defense gave Baltimore a couple presents. Gipson Tashaun engaged in defensive pass interference. He reached for a Baltimore face mask then. The Ravens were in the red zone in an instant.
On second down, Nick Bosa and Dre Greenlaw had a tackle for loss. Then, on third down, Steve Wilks set up a 0-blitz to make Jackson throw the ball away earlier than he had intended. The Niners stopped Baltimore to three points when Ambry Thomas made the open field tackle, making the score 5-3.
San Francisco had moved into Baltimore territory after Kittle gained 20 yards, but Purdy intercepted the pass for the second time in the contest. On a screen pass that was tossed about, this one appeared. It was the kind of play where there was a fair amount of chance, but it was also unacceptable. Therefore, in two of the 49ers’ first three drives, Purdy had an interception.
The next drive wasn’t as lucky for the defense. After 11 plays, the 49ers forced just two third downs. Baltimore led 10–5 after marching down the field and converting a 4th & 1.
The 49ers defense found themselves in what appeared to be an unfavorable position. However, they prevented the Ravens from reaching the end zone, which ultimately cost them yardage. It was 13-5 after a field goal by Justin Tucker.
The kick was returned 34 yards by Deebo Samuel. A spark plug was sorely required by the Niners. Score of five against three turnovers. Give McCaffrey the ball multiple times—that’s a single idea.
McCaffrey gained six yards on the play. after which he caught an eight-yard pass. then made a 39-yard run off tackle. He is amazing. With a 9-yard run to seal the drive, McCaffrey made it 13–12. The 49ers were back in the game in an instant.
21st TD of the season for @CMC_22!
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However, the Ravens had a good amount of time left before the half ended. Their preparations were thwarted by a Javon Hargrave sack until Ambry Thomas was called for defensive holding. The Ravens got the ball at mid-field after Odell Beckham Jr. completed another first down.
The defense had an opportunity to keep the Ravens from scoring, but on third and sixteen, Lamar rushed for twenty yards. A field goal by Justin Tucker put the score at 16–12 at the half.
Baltimore was outgained 231–176 by San Francisco. Despite their 8.6 yards per play average, the 49ers were behind because of three interceptions. Would anything change in the second part?
On third down, Purdy went after Willie Snead. That’s where Jauan Jennings’ absence was felt.
At nickel, Jason Verrett began the second half. Wide-eyed, Deommodore Lenoir lined up. It didn’t really matter because Jackson quickly increased the Ravens’ advantage to 23-12 after breaking loose on two plays throughout the drive.
It was Purdy’s fourth interception. He got hit this time, but the play was still a turnover. After taking down the Ravens defender and forcing a turnover, Trent Williams came dangerously close to making the play of the game. It was Ravens ball, though, and the play was upheld.
After a play in which it appeared as though Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner were stumbling to recover the ball, Jackson found Zay Flowers wide open in the end zone, making the score 30–12. The Niners’ sole consolation was that they had enough remaining in the game to make a comeback.
However, nothing changed after another pointless journey. Inside their five, Baltimore was pinned by Mitch Wishnowsky. Is there a chance for another turnover by the defense? Javon Kinlaw’s defensive holding on third and one summed up the quarter.
After pushing the ball all the way to the 49ers’ 1-yard line, Baltimore was forced to settle for another field goal from Justin Tucker on the fourth and goal due to a delay of game penalty. Baltimore now leads 33–12.
The fourth quarter began with a turnover by the offense at midfield. They were not in time the entire game. For the first time, Purdy appeared unimpressive throughout the entire game. There will be a lot of dramatic overreactions to Purdy’s performance.
People who had been hiding out since the team’s three-game losing run will celebrate their triumph and argue that Purdy never played as well as his stats would indicate. On both ends of the ball, this was by far San Francisco’s biggest class advancement, but they were unsuccessful.
Without Trent Williams and Jaylon Moore, the offense would be shut down for the remainder of the fourth quarter. This meant Spencer Burford would kick out to tackle on the right side, while Colton McKivitz would slip to the left side and play tackle.
Purdy’s accuracy suffered as a result of the disparate looks he received from the Ravens. Four interceptions does not win you a game in the NFL. It doesn’t occur.
In order to keep their top NFC seed, the 49ers will want to win both games to end the regular season.
The 49ers should be able to regroup and go deep into this game. For the next month and a half, we kept hearing how great they were and how easy the Super Bowl would be for them.
How Purdy will recover is one of the game’s most intriguing storylines. He exited the game and entered the blue medical tent right away. Assuming Purdy stays healthy going forward—he had a rough exit from the game—finishing the season well and “getting back on the horse” will be beneficial for him. There was nothing enjoyable about this evening.
With 14 points deficit, Sam Darnold ultimately found Ronnie Bell with a touchdown pass.https://x.com/NFL/status/1739499358897475618?s=20
The 49ers recovered the ball after a punt and drove it all the way to the Ravens’ 1-yard line. Shortly after the two-minute warning, on third and goal, Darnold was sacked and lost eleven yards.
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