Well now, that certainly was a good ass kicking by the Ravens

[Auggie]

I'm not an expert on ass-kickings, but I recognize a good one when I see it.

You have to hand it to John Harbaugh, his coaching staff, and the players: they out thought, out hustled, out muscled and out played the best team in the NFC.

[CincyDem]

1. It sure was. Certainly no fun to be in the AFC North with them this year.

Been a long (long) time since we've gone 0-5 in the division and all odds point to 0-6.

[calguy]

2. I certainly didn't want to see my team get humbled at home on national TV

but it was what it was. These are the two best teams in the league, and last night Baltimore was the better of the two. Purdy hasn't been in the league long enough to mature as much as Lamar Jackson has. That first interception Purdy threw into the end zone after a seemingly effortless drive seemed to set the tone of the game.
One could argue that the other three interceptions weren't on Purdy, as the ball was deflected into the defender's hands. But Baltimore took advantage of every opportunity, and deserves all the credit for the constant pressure they kept throughout the game.
If my team had to be humbled and embarrassed, I glad it was last night, and not in February. If they end up making it to the Super Bowl and face the Ravens again, the experience of last night's debacle should serve as motivation going into the game.
If those four interceptions wouldn't have happened, we would have seen a very different game. The Niners will have to clean that up if they expect to compete for the world championship.

[Diamond_Dog]

3. All I want to know is

How in the world did the Browns beat the Ravens. Last night they looked unbeatable.

[calguy]

4. Any given night

It's hard to believe the Ravens are that much better than the Niners, but they were last night. They had a better game plan and rose to the occasion. The Niners were stymied by those four interceptions, and never did get back in the game. It might be a different story without those turnovers if the same two teams make it to the Super Bowl, but only time will tell.

You never know how each NFL game will turn out, and that's what makes it fun to watch, even if it was my team that got humbled last night.

[Auggie]

5. I've shared elsewhere about teams believing the media hype and becoming soft ...

a concern voiced by Jim Harbaugh (49ers, Wolverines) that's most likely shared by his brother John and every other head coach and GM in the league.

This is not to take the Browns' victory lightly nor the Ravens' butt-kicking last night. But I think the Browns caught the Ravens napping just as the Ravens caught the 49ers. Raiders caught Kansas City yesterday too.

I also saw Brock Purdy make two ill-advised throws that would have been easy pickings for any defense. Guy played a little too cocky IMO. File that under "believing the hype."

[calguy]

6. That's the way I saw it, too

Brock is still a young quarterback, so hopefully he'll learn from this and become a better player after his humiliation. It's happened to Lamar plenty of times, as well as every other great quarterback over the years.

Without those rookie mistakes, it might have been a more competitive game. I can't think of a better matchup if these two teams meet again in the Super Bowl.