A Convoluted Puzzle That Hinges On Multiple Unpredictable outcomes…
The Baltimore Ravens made a statement in their 33-19 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. In a matchup of then both 11-4 teams, the Ravens emerged victorious with a dominant display that potentially setback the MVP campaigns of Niners quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey. While the scoreboard doesn’t exactly reflect how much the Ravens were in control against one of the NFC’s best teams, Baltimore can now claim to be the top team in the league. That claim is backed up by the league standings, where the Ravens now sit No. 1 at 12-3, with the Niners behind them at 11-4.
However, despite the Ravens holding the best record in the league, there is still much to be played for in the final two weeks of the regular season. This is why the Ravens will have to turn the page quickly on the win over the Niners and start preparing for arguably their biggest game of the season on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. The Ravens’ path to clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC and, therefore, home-field advantage leading up to the Super Bowl is simple. All the Ravens have to do is beat the 11-4 Dolphins.
This is obviously easier said than done, as the Dolphins have been one of the hottest teams in the league right alongside the Ravens, and despite being criticized in recent weeks for struggling to beat “good teams,” are coming off a 22-20 win over the 10-4 Dallas Cowboys.
Despite being held to five field goals against a Cowboys defense that was fresh off a 31-10 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills a week earlier, the Dolphins did enough to stifle a Dallas offense that had found its stride in recent weeks. Per SISportsbook, the Ravens are listed as a 3.5-point favorite for Sunday’s game, where they’ll host the Dolphins. Kickoff inside M&T Bank Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. (EST).