(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)
In a rematch of Super Bowl XLVII aka “The Blackout Bowl” aka “The Harbaugh Bowl” in New Orleans, the No. 1 seeds in each conference face off in a Christmas night present that can be a nice capper for whatever movie or marathon that you enjoy throughout the day. Or just to unwind after the NFL’s Xmas tripleheader (sorry, NBA).
In this week’s Overhang, I will be previewing what I’ll be watching for when the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens have the ball. Matchups, tendencies, inklings and glimmers of ideas that we might see unfold Monday night between two of the most complete teams this season. They also might be two of the most complete in recent memory: FTNNetwork’s Aaron Schatz shared recently that among all NFL teams since 1981, the 49ers rank third and the Ravens rank 11th in DVOA through the first 14 games of the season:
OK, you got it. The teams are good. But that doesn’t mean they’re perfect and without things to pick at! I will first look at the 49ers’ offense against the Ravens defense’ as the main course, with the other side of the ball being the digestif after I throw some numbers and all-22 clips at you.
So, let’s jump to it!
49ers’ offense vs. Ravens’ defense is matchup of two top-tier units
The 49ers’ offense, already performing at a high-octane level, has found a completely different gear following their Week 9 bye week (which also coincided with the return of wide receiver/thing that caused the 1977 New York Blackout, Deebo Samuel).
San Francisco’s offensive success rate of 48.8% currently ranks first in 2023 and is the 13th-highest by an NFL offense through the first 15 weeks since 2000. It is the highest mark an NFL team has hit since the 2018 Saints. They are currently averaging an explosive play on 16.3% of their offensive plays, tied for the third-highest rate since 2000 with the 2001 St. Louis Rams.
The 49ers’ offense is performing like this in one of the toughest defensive climates this…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/the-overhang-49ers-ravens-is-going-to-be-epic-how-might-it-play-out-on-both-sides-140006628.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2023-12-21 14:00:06
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