HarBowl 2011: Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! The 49ers released this particularly cool wallpaper via their Facebook page and I thought it was a good way to get us into the morning. The 49ers and Ravens battle in the first brother versus brother head coaching matchup, which makes for an interesting storyline. This is also the 49ers first national television game of the season. Their game against the Giants was the FOX #1 broadcast , but even that was split up across the country.

Lost amidst all the hubbub of brother versus brother, and even the fact that this is the first nationally televised 49ers game, is how big this game is for both these teams. The Ravens are in more of a must-win situation given their current tied with the Steelers in the AFC North. That's not to say the 49ers can take or leave this game. A win moves them to within a half game of clinching the NFC West and gets them one step closer to a first round bye.

Beyond just the playoff positioning, this is a fantastic matchup of two great teams. Both have their weaknesses, particularly on offense, but we are going to get a chance to see two great running backs squaring off against two of the best rush defenses in the NFL. The scheming and strategizing between the two coaching staffs will be quite intriguing and should make for a fun game to watch.

We'll have a game thread for 49ers-Ravens later tonight, but in the meantime, we'll have a Thanksgiving game thread starting at 9:00am PT. Try not to get too worn out by turkey and all the fixings before tonight's game!