Monday’s sport between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers is setting itself as much as be probably the greatest matchups of the 2023 NFL common season. It’s not solely a possible Tremendous Bowl preview between two of the very best groups within the league, however it additionally may play a significant function in deciding who wins this yr’s NFL MVP Award.
The sport will characteristic three of the main MVP candidates as quarterbacks Brock Purdy (San Francisco) and Lamar Jackson (Baltimore) and operating again Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco) will all share the sector.
Whereas McCaffrey has a robust argument to win, it is going to possible come all the way down to the 2 quarterbacks and a giant exhibiting in a head-to-head assembly in a standalone, nationally televised sport might be a figuring out think about who wins.
In line with oddschecker, Purdy and Jackson enter the week because the top-two betting favorites.
Each gamers are nicely positioned to win the award because it normally goes to a quarterback on a contending group, so straight away they every test a significant field. Their on-field performances solely add to their standing as MVP front-runners.
That’s very true for Purdy in current weeks as he has labored to shatter the notion he’s merely a system quarterback who’s a product of the expertise round him. Because the begin of November, he has led a six-game profitable streak for the 49ers that has seen him throw for 1,762 yards, 17 touchdowns and solely two interceptions. The 49ers have gained all six video games by double-digits.
For the season, he’s as much as 29 touchdowns and solely seven interceptions and is within the prime 5 league-wide in yards (second), completion share (fourth), passer ranking (first), QBR (first) and touchdowns (first).
Jackson’s passing numbers will not be fairly as gaudy when in comparison with Purdy’s, however Jackson has the bonus of being the very best operating quarterback in soccer. He has nonetheless thrown for over 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns, whereas additionally dashing for a further 741 yards and 5 touchdowns. All of that has made the Ravens offense probably the greatest within the NFL and pushed them to the highest of the AFC standings.
The winner of Monday’s sport shall be within the driver’s seat for the highest seed and home-field benefit of their respective convention. It should additionally in all probability require a giant sport from their quarterback in opposition to a top-tier protection on the opposite facet of the sector. That massive sport might be the deciding issue for a lot of MVP voters.