There are times when the teams with the best records aren’t actually the top teams. That’s not the case this week, though.
It’s not often that we see the two best teams in the NFL, at least record-wise, meet this late in the season. It’s quite rare. On Christmas night, the 11-3 Baltimore Ravens travel to Santa Clara to take on the 11-3 San Francisco 49ers.
According to Pro Football Talk, this is the first time since the end of the ‘93 season that the two teams tied for the best record in the NFL faced off in Week 16 or later.
The schedule makers hit the jackpot. Christmas Day is generally dominated by the NBA. But I’m going to go out on a limb and say that a few more people will tune into Niners and Ravens than the Philadelphia 76ers taking on the Miami Heat.
Baltimore and San Francisco are the two top teams in schedule adjusted efficiency. The 49ers are eight percentage points better than the Ravens and Baltimore is a ridiculous 14 percentage points higher than the third place team. These two teams are a cut above the rest.
Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense rank No. 1 in DVOA, but the Ravens have the second-ranked defense. Baltimore and San Francisco are both No. 4 on the other side of the ball, respectively.
This is one of those rare cases where the teams with the best records are actually the best teams. That never felt like the case when Philadelphia or Miami boasted the best records. But Monday night should make for an exciting evening, and we’ll a handful of the best players in the NFL on one field.
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