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Week 16 concludes on Christmas day, December 25, with a Monday night showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. Some analysts are making bold claims that are beginning to tick off Ravens players.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio in his preview of the game on Friday, December 22, said “The 49ers kick the (expletive) out of the Ravens on Monday night.”
“As long as their key players are healthy, the 49ers are gonna kick the (expletive) out of everybody they face. The quest is for second place,” Florio continued.
As a result, Florio is providing bulletin board material for a Ravens team that will be looking for the extra motivation to take down the NFC-leading Niners.
He finished by saying, “I’m sorry. I know that’s disrespectful to the Ravens, but let’s be realistic. They’ve gotta fly across the country, on Christmas night, and the 49ers are waiting. And the 49ers are going to dismantle the Ravens. If it’s a Super Bowl preview, the Super Bowl is gonna suck.”
Baltimore Ravens editor Ryan Mink wrote about the pundits picking against the Ravens, “Only seven of the 53 prognosticators we looked at picked the Ravens.”
Ravens Feeling Disrespected by Media Analysts
The Ravens’ players are not letting the comments by the pundits go unnoticed. Some key players have referenced being disrespected but some don’t seem to mind the underdog status.
Ravens star safety Kyle Hamilton spoke to the media on Thursday, December 21 about the comments.
“I think the 11-3’s are not created equal right now in terms of the 49ers versus us, and we feel a little disrespected by that,” Hamilton said.
The safety goes on to say, “I feel like we are the best team in the league.”
On the other hand, quarterback Lamar Jackson is taking a different approach to being picked against, he is welcoming it. In Jackson’s media conference on Thursday, December 21, he was asked about being picked against and responded, “I’m cool, I don’t want them to pick us.”
Jackson is embracing the David vs. Goliath narrative, saying, “I like being the underdog. I believe we play better when we’re doubted and people not choosing us to win the game.”
The Ravens’ record is not a fluke, and they should not be taken lightly by the 49ers. They play in the toughest division in the NFL and have played nine of their 14 games against teams above .500.
Friday’s Week 16 Injury Report Brings Good News
Luckily, the Ravens were given an extra day of rest ahead of this showdown and it looks like they will be going into the game at almost full strength.
The team released their injury report on Friday, December 22, and fans were greeted with good news in terms of player health.
Star wide receivers Zay Flowers (limited on Thursday) and Odell Beckham Jr. (did not practice on Thursday) were both full participants in the practice and have no injury tag.
Linebacker Malik Hamm, who is on his last week to be activated, put another full practice in and should be in line to see his first game action of the year.
Left tackle Ronnie Stanley was able to put in a full practice as well after dealing with concussion symptoms against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Likewise, safety Marcus Williams also put in a full practice on Friday, after dealing with a groin injury for most of the week. However, it does look like cornerback Arthur Maulet may not be able to go against the 49ers.
The corner went from limited practice on Thursday to not being able to practice at all on Friday with his knee injury. Maulet is a key contributor for the Ravens’ defense and not having him will be a tough pill to swallow.
Heavy Sports’ projections powered by Quarter4 give the Ravens a 41% chance of victory over the 49ers, with a 3-point expected loss margin.
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