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 most effective groups within the league, however it additionally may play a significant position 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’s going to doubtless come right down to the 2 quarterbacks and an enormous displaying in a head-to-head assembly in a standalone, nationally televised sport could possibly be a figuring out think about who wins.
Based on oddschecker, Purdy and Jackson enter the week as the top-two betting favorites.
Each gamers are properly positioned to win the award because it often goes to a quarterback on a contending workforce, so immediately they every verify 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 successful 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 proportion (fourth), passer ranking (first), QBR (first) and touchdowns (first).
Jackson’s passing numbers should not fairly as gaudy when in comparison with Purdy’s, however Jackson has the bonus of being the most effective operating quarterback in soccer. He has nonetheless thrown for over 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns, whereas additionally speeding 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 might 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 an enormous sport from their quarterback in opposition to a top-tier protection on the opposite aspect of the sector. That large sport could possibly be the deciding issue for a lot of MVP voters.