Can the Ravens Beat the 49ers?
The 49ers are the best team in the NFL, and they haven't faced a team as good as the Ravens yet. Both of those statements can be true.
The 49ers blow out teams seemingly every week -- they look like a juggernaut. But it's important to remember the 49ers play in the NFC, which is a dreadful conference. They're 9-1 against NFC teams, as they should be. But they're only 2-2 against the AFC, with wins over the Steelers and Jaguars, and losses to the Browns and Bengals. And the Ravens are better than all of those teams.
The NFC is soft, and the 49ers are not, so they tend to steamroll teams in their own conference. But the best teams in the AFC are extremely physical. So when the 49ers faced the Browns in Week 6, the Browns beat them up. Knocked out Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey from the game. Beat the 49ers with a practice squad quarterback.
The Ravens are tougher than the Browns.
The Ravens are extremely violent on defense -- they have the No. 1 defense in the NFL. Plus they have a relentless, physical, explosive run game behind a big, punishing offensive line. The 49ers will not be able to bully them, because they're bigger bullies. The 49ers will have to win this game with intelligence and skill, which they have in spades.
If the 49ers beat the Ravens, it will be hard to find a team that can stop the 49ers from winning the Super Bowl.
If the 49ers lose, we'll have to wonder if they're dominant merely in the NFC.
