Week Sixteen

Baltimore 33, 49ers 19

Some takeaways from a good old-fashioned beating:

• The 49ers' ability to come from behind late in the game is still unproven. They've not done it once since last year's overtime win in Las Vegas. While it's true the Niners' preference and tendency is to jump ahead early and put the screws to the opponent, this remains a troubling issue with the postseason just ahead.

• With that in mind, does anyone else think the game really turned for the worse with only three minutes gone? Brock Purdy had led the 49ers right down the field, hitting medium and deep passes almost at will against a fine defense, only to see what should have been a touchdown pass picked off in the end zone. Had the 49ers scored there, does anyone think they'd have lost at all, or not by more than 3 in any case? His other interceptions were due to batted and tipped balls, but this one rests solely on our young QB, who made the throw a half-second too late on the game's signature play.

• Despite three first-half interceptions, it was still only 16-12 at halftime, anybody's ballgame. Then came the worst stretch of 49er football we've seen since 2020, 17 points in six minutes as the Ravens took complete control and never let go. The final 20 minutes were cringe-worthy as offensive linemen, including the linchpin Trent Williams, limped off the field and Purdy looked genuinely flustered, later taking a scary hit that gave coach Shanahan the excuse he needed to sit him down for the duration. 

• And don't overlook this: despite getting thoroughly pounded on the board, San Francisco outgained Baltimore in rushing (121-102), passing (308-241), total yards (429-343), and yards per play (6.3 to 5.4). The difference in the game was five interceptions. By that measure, Baltimore was clearly the better team, but much of it was because the 49ers beat themselves.

• The AFC is clearly the superior conference, with a ten-game advantage over the NFC in interconference play. (The 49ers are 2-3 against the other conference, 9-1 in the NFC.)

• Sam Darnold can play quarterback in this league. Nice to know, even if it was the last thing we wanted to find out from this game. 

• The road to the NFC top seed is wide open as long as five turnovers don't remain on the menu.