Why titanic clash between 49ers and Ravens means little for a potential Super Bowl rematch

Though the 49ers and Ravens are the top teams in their respective conferences and are trending towards a Super Bowl, there are reasons why their Christmas Day clash will mean little if they do meet in February.

For two teams in differing conferences, the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens' few matchups have carried quite a bit of weight.

Most recently, the Ravens defeated the Niners in 2019, a hard-nosed matchup in the rain and grime between an ascending San Francisco team and a Baltimore team with a future league MVP, quarterback Lamar Jackson. A matchup between arguably the two best teams in the NFL at the time, and one that the Ravens won. That season ended, as 49ers fans know, with the Niners losing in the Super Bowl and the Ravens being upset in the AFC divisional round.

In 2013, the 49ers and Ravens matched up in the Super Bowl, with the Ravens coming out on top.

This matchup, though, seems particularly compelling, as far as regular seasons go. The 49ers and Ravens have the same record, are the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences, have annihilated very talented opponents but have stumbled against opponents at times. They feature explosive offenses with talented playmakers (though very different in stature) and stout defenses that can stifle the best of offenses.

So close to the start of the playoffs, it is easy to bill this game as a Super Bowl preview, and indeed, it is likely both teams meet again in February. But, in the case of these two teams in particular, this Christmas Day matchup will mean little for a Super Bowl rematch.

Here's why there's not much to take away from 49ers-Ravens when thinking about the Super Bowl.