It was as if the NFL schedule makers predicted what these two teams would do this season, scheduling one of the biggest games of the season, between the two teams leading their respective conferences, to battle in primetime on Christmas night at Levi's Stadium. You can't set up a bigger Week 16 matchup.
When asked about his respect for the Ravens organization, head coach Kyle Shanahan recently said, "Just the way they run their organization with [head coach] John [Harbaugh] and the group of coaches they have there, the style that they play to, you always know what you're going to get from their team. We haven't played them in a little bit, but I know that hasn't changed. You always see them on tape, you always see their numbers, and they still have the same quarterback who will always be as big of an issue as there is."
The Ravens know they face a significant challenge on Monday night. It will be the No. 2 ranked Ravens defense going against the No. 2 ranked 49ers offense. The 49ers also know that the yards won't come easily.
"The way they fly around, no hesitation whenever they see the ball in the air," wide receiver Deebo Samuel said of the Ravens defense. "No matter who got the ball, those guys just flying around right now."
San Francisco's offense boasts numerous playmakers, including Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. They have an MVP candidate in Brock Purdy throwing them the football.
"Yeah, I feel like, the whole year, they've just been giving teams matchup problems," Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said this week, "because they have so many guys they can go to on that side of the field and a great quarterback at that, leading them. So I think it's up to us to be aligned correctly, and our coaches have had a great plan that they've set up for us to match up with them.
"And I'm excited to go out there and play against them because obviously a great team, it's going to be primetime and on the road, so it doesn't get more hostile than that."
The 49ers also own a defense capable of taking over a game. One Ravens defender respects the unit so much that he believes things won't come easy for his offense on Christmas night.
"Their defense is crazy," Ravens safety Marlon Humphrey said. "You know our offense is gonna … I'm not going to say they're going to struggle, but you know they're going to have to put some work in to score points. Defense gotta to come ready. But ... they've just got key playmakers. Christian McCaffrey scores every single freaking game. Deebo, Aiyuk, Kittle. I mean, they … dang."
Both sides will need to play disciplined football to come out with a victory. The Ravens also have an MVP candidate in quarterback Lamar Jackson, who leads the team with 741 rushing yards.
"When he is running, yeah, he can hurt you with his legs," Linebacker Fred Warner explained this week, "but he can also hurt you by running [and] then look down the field and throw an explosive pass on you, that sort of thing. And him being more aware of wanting to stay in the pocket and deliver the football to the receivers, playmakers.
"So you can't just sit there and say, 'Hey, just hold him in the pocket. Don't let him get loose.' You hold him in the pocket, and you don't apply pressure, then he's going to hit you deep. So that's where it's like, we got to be on top of every little detail this week."
Both the 49ers and Ravens are approaching each game one at a time, never looking too far ahead of the next opponent. Even as the hype surrounding this matchup builds, the teams look to avoid getting caught up in the outside noise.
"It seems cliche, but it's another game," Hamilton said. "We can't ignore all the hype around it. I mean, it's going to be on primetime TV, Christmas night, and San Fran, two 11-3 teams, pretty much like the scriptwriters just wrote this one up. But we are going to go out there and treat it like a normal game and play our game, and we're going to come out, hopefully, with a win."
On the other side, Warner added, "Obviously, this is the biggest one because it's the next one, and it's one of the biggest opponents that we've played. So I think these are the games that you dream of, though, playing on Christmas night, Monday night football, all eyes on you. This is as good as it gets."
