Christmas Day preview: 49ers, Ravens square off in potential Super Bowl sneak peek

Christmas Day isn't just for the NBA, as the NFL is set to air an exciting triple-header featuring fierce division clashes and a highly anticipated matchup we could see again on Super Bowl Sunday. Here are the top players and storylines to monitor for Monday's slate. 

Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) at Kansas City Chiefs (9-5) | 1 p.m. ET

New chapter in Patrick Mahomes-Maxx Crosby rivalry: This hasn't been as much of a rivalry between the teams as of late, with Kansas City holding a 10-1 record over the Raiders since Mahomes became its starting quarterback. Yet it has sparked an exciting feud between the two-time Super Bowl MVP and the two-time Pro Bowler Crosby, who has five sacks in nine career games against the Chiefs. 

Mahomes and Crosby might not like facing one another, though it's clear there's mutual respect between the two, which only makes their rivalry more intriguing to watch. 

Can Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell earn next season’s starting job?: After leading the offense on seven touchdown scoring drives in last week's 63-21 win over the Chargers, the rookie fourth-rounder aims to further establish himself as a serious contender for Las Vegas' starting job next season. Despite the encouraging performance, O'Connell has been inconsistent across six games as the full-time starter, throwing for 1,300 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions. 

However, a stellar showing against the NFL's fifth-ranked pass defense (202.5 yards per game allowed) would benefit his bid to be the starter in 2024.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce: Yes, his girlfriend will be in town for the holiday. Kelce is averaging 89.6 yards per game with global popstar Taylor Swift in attendance this season but is coming off his worst outing in her presence, catching five passes for 28 yards. 

Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought. 

New York Giants (5-9) at Philadelphia Eagles (10-4) | 4:30 p.m. ET

Will the Eagles defense shake off the rust?: Appointing Matt Patricia as defensive play-caller didn't change much for the Eagles, whose defense has given up the third-most points in the NFL over their current three-game losing streak (95). Although the unit has reached its lowest point, there are reasons to be optimistic about Monday's matchup.

New York ranks 31st among teams in points and yards per game this season and has surrendered a staggering 76 sacks, the third-most in a single season in NFL history. Not to mention, the annual trip to Philadelphia has essentially been a scheduled loss for the Giants, with their last win at Lincoln Financial Field coming in 2013.

Can QB Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense finally bounce back?: Philadelphia's defense isn't the only unit that needs to rebound, as the offense has struggled mightily over the last three games, with Hurts' ineffectiveness playing a significant role. After averaging the third-most points in the NFL over the first 11 games (28.2), the Eagles have scored four offensive touchdowns during their current skid, three of which came via the "tush push."

The Eagles may have difficulty throwing against a solid Giants pass defense, though they could alleviate some of their offensive woes by running the ball efficiently. New York gives up 131.6 rushing yards per game, the fourth-most in the league. 

Does Giants QB Tommy DeVito have any magic left?: The Giants may have a terrible offense, but this unit has operated at its best under DeVito, an undrafted rookie and native of Cedar Grove, New Jersey. 

DeVito has thrown for 858 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception in five games since being named New York's starting quarterback, posting the 13th-highest passer rating in the NFL during that stretch (97.3). 

Baltimore Ravens (11-3) at San Francisco 49ers (11-3) | 8:15 p.m. ET

Potential Super Bowl sneak peek and MVP implications: Easily the most hyped game of the week, with the top seed in each respective conference squaring off in what could be a potential Super Bowl LVIII preview as well as the decisive clash for the MVP Award. 

According to oddschecker, 49ers QB Brock Purdy is listed as the heavy favorite to be named league MVP (-230), while Baltimore signal-caller Lamar Jackson holds the second-shortest odds (+525). 

Purdy, the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, has seen his career unfold as if it were a fairy tale that just keeps getting more remarkable. The 23-year-old ranks first in the NFL in QBR (76) and touchdown passes (29) while ranking third in passing yards (3,795), all of which are especially impressive considering he's coming off offseason elbow surgery. 

Jackson might not be posting the ridiculous numbers he did during his 2019 MVP campaign, but the adjustment in his play style in his first season under OC Todd Monken has led to sustainable, winning football. Nevertheless, Baltimore needs an upset win for Jackson to capture another MVP Award, as he has thrown for 3,105 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding 741 yards on the ground with five scores this season. 

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey: If Purdy wasn't playing at such a high level — and the MVP wasn't a quarterback-driven award — it'd be difficult to argue against McCaffrey taking home the honors. McCaffrey, who seems poised to win the Offensive Player of the Year Award, leads the NFL in rushing (1,292 yards) and total yards per game (128.6) this season and is tied for first in touchdowns (20).

Ravens TE Isaiah Likely thriving in the starting role: The Ravens offense hasn't lost a step since losing one of the team's top weapons in tight end Mark Andrews (ankle) in Week 11, largely due to Likely's emergence. 

The second-year tight end has averaged 64.3 yards over his last three games, which is particularly noteworthy since Andrews averaged 54.4 yards per game before sustaining his injury. 

Should we expect a defensive battle?: While both teams boast offenses that rank in the top five in yardage and scoring, this may not turn into a shootout. The Ravens defense has allowed the fewest points per game this season (16.1) and second-fewest total yards (4,030), while San Francisco's unit ranks second in points (16.7) and 10th in yardage (310 per game).

The 49ers defense might be slightly inferior statistically, but it could have more of an impact in this matchup. San Francisco has racked up an NFL-leading 25 turnovers and has given up the second-fewest rushing yards (1,252), which should help slow down the team with the league's most effective running game.