Bob Haynie: 49ers Do The Ravens A Huge Favor
On Sunday night, the Baltimore Ravens were embarrassed by the San Diego Chargers 34-14. It was a disappointing loss because the Ravens were in control of their own destiny as far as getting the number one seed in the AFC was concerned.
The Ravens were blown out and a golden opportunity was lost.
Monday seemed like a day of mourning for some Baltimore fans.
But a Harbaugh-led team came to rescue and helped the Ravens immensely in their quest for a first-round bye and a home playoff game.
The San Francisco 49'ers clobbered the Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-3, on Monday Night Football to improve their record to 11-3 and place Baltimore back on top of the AFC North standings.
It was a weird night at Candlestick Park as the power went out twice during the game. That did not deter the Niners who harassed Steeers QB Ben Roethlisberger into three INT's and stymied Pittsburgh's offense all evening long.
The Ravens are now sitting pretty as they look to win their first division title since 2006. If they defeat the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals in their last two games, Baltimore will be no worse than the number two seed in the American Football Conference.
The Ravens still need to improve upon some things as they head into their fourth-straight postseason. But they are as strong as any team in their conference and will be tough to beat at home.
If, in fact, they do get themselves a playoff game or two at M & T Bank Stadium, they owe the San Francisco 49'ers a huge thank you.
BH
