Ravens Bash 49ers

n a battle of NFL Most Valuable Player front-runners and conference leaders, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens left no doubt.

Jackson went 23-for-35 for 252 yards and two touchdowns and rushed seven times for 45 yards Monday night as the AFC-leading Ravens rolled the NFC-leading San Francisco 49ers, 33-19, at Levi’s Stadium.

With the blowout win, the Ravens can wrap up the AFC’s No. 1 seed and home-field advantage with a home victory Sunday over the AFC South-leading Miami Dolphins. A sixth straight win would also give the Ravens the option of resting starters in their Week 18 finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as they did four years ago.

As Jackson shined in prime time, likely establishing himself as the heavy favorite for MVP honors, the Ravens’ defense locked up a historically efficient 49ers offense and harassed quarterback Brock Purdy into mistake after mistake.

Purdy, who entered Christmas Day with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions, threw four picks and no touchdowns. He finished 18-for-32 for 255 yards. Running back Christian McCaffrey, who has also generated MVP buzz, rushed 14 times for 103 yards but was quiet in the second half.

Rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers led the Ravens with a career-high-tying nine catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. Safety Kyle Hamilton, who left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent knee injury, had two interceptions.

The Ravens effectively put the game away in the third quarter with two touchdowns in 18 seconds. Both came with the help of short fields. Taking over in 49ers territory after an impressive punt return by Tylan Wallace, Jackson found wide receiver Nelson Agholor for a 6-yard touchdown in the front corner of the end zone.

On the 49ers’ next play, they gave it right back. Purdy, pressured by defensive lineman Travis Jones, threw his fourth interception after a check-down to McCaffrey ended in inside linebacker Patrick Queen’s hands, who returned it to the 9. Jackson found wide receiver Zay Flowers wide open in the end zone for a score that gave the Ravens a 30-12 lead. Another field goal gave the Ravens a score on seven straight drives.

The first half was not a showcase for the NFL Most Valuable Player front-runners. Purdy ended the 49ers’ first possession with a red-zone interception. He ended their third drive with another pick, this one batted by cornerback Brandon Stephens into cornerback Marlon Humphrey’s waiting arms. And he ended their next drive, too, with another interception, the second of the night for safety Kyle Hamilton, who snared a pass deflected by Humphrey.

Jackson took time to heat up, too. The Ravens went three-and-out on their opening possession. On their next drive, Jackson was called for intentional grounding in the end zone after scrambling beyond the goal line and tripping over the stumbling referee as he tried to get rid of the ball. The safety gave the 49ers a 2-0 lead, which they extended to 5-0 five minutes later on a field goal.

The Ravens answered promptly, scoring the next 13 points. Two field goals by kicker Justin Justin Tucker sandwiched a 1-yard score on fourth-and-goal from running back Gus Edwards. After San Francisco responded with a 9-yard touchdown run by McCaffrey on its next drive, Tucker gave the Ravens a 16-12 lead with a 28-yard field goal as time expired.