OWINGS MILLS, Md. — What do Justin Madubuike and the Ravens defense get for Christmas? Only their toughest challenge of the season.
"I would say so. They have a lot of talented guys on that team," said the defensive tackle about Baltimore's Christmas night game in San Francisco.
At the top of the list of 49ers stars is quarterback Brock Purdy. He is the betting favorite to win NFL Most Valuable Player, just in front of Lamar Jackson.
"I heard he is like the MVP front runner or whatever but I know my real MVP front runner is in this locker room here and everybody knows who that is," said Madubuike. "At the end of the day he is a good quarterback. He has a good team. He is doing good things on film. But he hasn’t seen us yet. So, we’ll see on Christmas."
Purdy takes full advantage of his plethora of weapons. His No. 1 option is Christian McCaffrey. The running back leads the league with 1,292 yards rushing and is tied for the league lead with 20 touchdowns - 13 on the ground, 7 through the air.
"He is very unique. He can do it all. He can run the rock, obviously. He can catch the ball out of the backfield, can beat you deep. He is a great player," said cornerback Brandon Stephens.
"The way that they use him is a little bit different than how conventional running backs are being used because a lot of times he is playing a receiver role for them," said defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. "He is a part-time receiver, part-time running back."
San Francisco (11-3) owns the NFL’s second-ranked offense. Baltimore (11-3) owns the league's second-ranked defense with Madubuike contributing like never before. He has 12 sacks on the season and has tied a league record with at least a half-sack in eleven consecutive games.
If he gets to Purdy on Monday he sets the all-time mark.
"It’s on my mind but I can’t really put too much energy towards it," he said.
On the injury front from Thursday receiver Zay Flowers, corner Ronald Darby and right tackle Morgan Moses all returned to practice after missing Wednesday's session. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley was wearing a non-contact jersey. He is still in concussion protocol. Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and corner Jalyn-Armour Davis were not on the field.
Also the Ravens announced their New Year’s Eve home game against the Dolphins will not be flexed. It will remain a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.
Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerWMAR and Facebook
