Lamar Jackson rips into Mike Florio for disrespecting him as Ravens thrash 49ers 33-19 on MNF
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens were sensational, contrary to Mike Florio's expectations, as they won 33-19 against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football to deliver the perfect Christmas gift to their fans. With both teams sitting atop their respective conferences at 11-3, this was billed as a Super Bowl preview.
San Francisco was playing at home and was the underdogs in the match. Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey were being billed as MVP favorites, with Lamar Jackson in the conversation. Ultimately, only the Baltimore quarterback delivered on the billing.
Lamar Jackson threw for 252 yards and rushed for 45 more in the game. He threw two touchdowns and no interceptions and ended up with a passer rating of 108.9. It was in stark contrast to what Mike Florio had predicted before the game.
The NBC Analyst had said that the 49ers would "kick the sh*t outta the Ravens". Instead, the boot was firmly on the other foot.
Lamar Jackson makes Mike Florio eat his words after dominant 33-19 win over the 49ers
As Lamar Jackson was making his way through the tunnel, he made it clear that he was listening to what Mike Florio had said. He was heard talking about the analyst and asked:
"What's his name? Mike Flores [sic]?"
Whether the Ravens quarterback genuinely forgot his name or it was shot at conveying that he is not a superstar unlike the players on the field, can only be construed and not clarified:
Lamar Jackson also clarified in the postgame conference that his beef was with Mike Florio and not the San Francisco 49ers, who he said were a great team despite their defeat. He said that what the analyst said was uncalled for and showed a lack of appreciation for the players who play the game.
Ravens defense also shines and shows them to be a complete football team
After this game, Lamar Jackson is firmly the MVP favorite. They have two tough games coming up against the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers, but they will fear no one based on this performance.
And as much as the quarterback should be rightly celebrated, Baltimore was dominant on defense against the San Francisco 49ers and set the foundation for their victory. They intercepted Brock Purdy four times in the game and Sam Darnold once. They helped set up field position and gave time to their offense to go and get the win.
The 49ers, who have been blowing out teams in the NFC were suddenly confronted with their biggest test and failed. It also now leaves them with the same record as the Philadelphia Eagles, who won earlier in the day over the New York Giants. The Detroit Lions also share the same record and after winning the NFC North for the first time, they are right in with a shout for the number one seed too.
Instead of putting the top spot in their conference to bed, they have now left other teams in with a sniff at toppling them.