Monday night's highly anticipated showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens was anticipated to be quarterback Brock Purdy's defining moment as a legitimate MVP candidate. However, the outcome was quite the opposite. Once favored for the annual honor, Purdy delivered one of the worst performances of his career, throwing four interceptions against the Ravens.
Purdy finished the game having completed 18 of his 32 passing attempts for 255 yards without finding the end zone. The mistakes proved costly for the 49ers, making it challenging for the team to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
"You play a good team, and you have five turnovers, and you have all those penalties, it makes it tough to win," head coach Kyle Shanahan said via a conference call on Tuesday morning.
As expected, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has surpassed Purdy as the betting favorite for NFL MVP. Purdy currently holds the fourth-best odds. Even Christian McCaffrey, with the second-best odds, is now in a better position to secure the award, and it's uncommon for a running back to win it.
McCaffrey finished the night with 131 all-purpose yards and a touchdown.
It's unlikely Purdy or McCaffrey will have to deal with too many questions regarding the MVP race, allowing them to focus on proving that Monday night was merely a minor setback on the path to the 49ers' ultimate goal—winning the Super Bowl.
Below are the current MVP odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
- QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens, -160
- RB Christian McCaffrey, 49ers, +400
- QB Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins, +1000
- QB Brock Purdy, 49ers, +1200
- QB Josh Allen, Bills, +1400