Ravens QB Lamar Jackson seizes control of MVP race as Baltimore humbles 49ers

National Football League

Published Dec. 26, 2023 10:14 a.m. ET

Brock Purdy recently threw his weight behind teammate Christian McCaffrey in the chase for the NFL MVP award.

Then, in a pivotal matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas night, the 49ers QB took himself out of the MVP picture, throwing four interceptions in a stunning 33-19 San Francisco loss.

As badly as Purdy played, Lamar Jackson was electric for the Ravens, finishing 23-of-35 for 252 yards and two touchdown passes for a 105.9 passer rating. He completed passes to nine different receivers and had no interceptions. He also rushed for 45 yards and extended plays with his feet all night.

Jackson improved to 20-1 against NFC teams. The 2019 MVP appears headed for a second trophy after the impressive win over a San Francisco team that had been on a six-game winning streak.

“I thought Lamar had an MVP performance tonight,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “It takes a team to create a performance like that, but it takes a player to play at that level — to play at an MVP level. And Lamar was all over the field doing everything.”

Playing against one of the most imposing and explosive teams in football, the Ravens were the more physical team. Jackson said the Ravens play their best under the bright lights of the national stage.

“I believe we play better under pressure,” Jackson told reporters. “We keep our poise. We stay locked in, no matter how the game may seem, no matter what the crowd noise is. And no matter how hard the defense is hitting. The [49ers] defense was flying around, I have to give credit where credit is due.

“But we just stay locked in. I don’t think nobody plays like us. We’ve just got to keep playing the way we’re playing, playing the Raven way.”

Purdy threw three interceptions before halftime for the first time in his pro career — the only NFL player to throw three interceptions in the first half this season. The only other time he has thrown at least two interceptions in a game, San Francisco lost to the Minnesota Vikings and the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this year.

Purdy has turned the ball over 10 times in San Francisco’s four losses this season and has just two interceptions in San Francisco’s 11 wins.

On Monday, the turnovers started early for San Francisco, as Purdy threw a pick on the opening drive. The Iowa State product didn’t see Baltimore safety Kyle Hamilton while trying to connect with Deebo Samuel in the back of the end zone.

“I obviously have to look myself in the mirror, watch the plays where I need to get better, make some cleaner decisions, help my team put up points and score and protect the ball,” Purdy said after the game. “And when things don’t go my way, it’s understanding I can’t be acting out.

“I have to be real with myself and be better. I want to be the same guy every day, be consistent in what I do and how I do things, whether things are going well or not. I know who I am, and I’m not going to waver in that.”

Dave Helman, Eric D. Williams break down Ravens’ victory

Purdy had to leave the game in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury. He was replaced by backup Sam Darnold. The 49ers also lost left tackle Trent Williams to a groin injury, his replacement Jaylon Moore to a concussion and left guard Aaron Banks to a toe injury.

The Ravens turned Purdy’s four miscues into 17 points. Baltimore dominated on both sides of the ball, scoring on seven straight drives offensively and holding an explosive San Francisco offense to just 19 points on defense.

The Ravens entered the game with a league-high 50 sacks and kept the pressure on against Purdy. Baltimore finished with four sacks. But the Ravens also did a good job of disguising coverages and creating a cloudy picture for Purdy after the snap.

According to Next Gen Stats, Purdy held the ball for more than 2.5 seconds on three of his four interceptions, including 9.24 seconds on Hamilton’s second interception.

“It was our rush and coverage working together,” Ravens edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney said. “[We were] in disguise. [Defensive coordinator] Mike Macdonald put us in good situations to go out there and make plays, and we executed today. We went out there and did our job.”

The Ravens have won five straight games and are 9-1 in their past 10 games. Baltimore has a league-high 12 victories this season, with eight of those by double digits.

Baltimore faces the Miami Dolphins (11-4) on the road in a battle for the No. 1 seed in the AFC this weekend. San Francisco (11-4) still has a chance to claim the No. 1 seed in the NFC with wins over the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Rams to finish out the regular season.

“The mindset is that you can’t let one turn into two,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said of the loss. “You have to wipe this one and, of course, learn from it. You have to watch the tape hard and be honest with yourself.

“Then you have to get back to work. Get right back to work. We can’t let this affect our confidence as a team. We know who we are. We have to come back on a short week and go on the road in a big game and find a way to win.”

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.