The Super Bowl XLVII matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and San
Francisco 49ers isn’t lacking for story lines, and there’s no doubt
which sits one atop the marquee: “The Har-Bowl.”
No matter which team wins, a Harbaugh will be the victorious head coach. It’s not the first meeting, as John’s Ravens beat Jim’s 49ers, 16-6, during the 2011 season. But this time, there’s a lot more than Thanksgiving bragging rights on the line.
These two teams have much more in common than the family name on the sidelines. They have red-hot, balanced, prolific offenses anchored by excellent lines. They have physical 3-4 defenses that pride themselves on hard hits as much as sacks and takeaways. With the gritty Harbaughs each managing a mix of rising youngsters and familiar veterans, the mental toughness is there, too.
“I don't know if we had a dream this big,” John Harbaugh said Sunday night about the brothers meeting in the big game. “We had a few dreams, we had a few fights, we had a few arguments.
“I couldn't be more proud of Jim, watching that team play. They do reflect his personality. They’ve got a great staff. They have physical players, man. They run the ball, they throw the ball. Their quarterback is making plays all over the place. They've got a roughhouse defense. There's a reason they're in the Super Bowl. I love the way they play. I'd like to think that our two teams are very similar. It's going to be a great football game, and he's a great football coach.”
In a year when new quarterbacks gravitated toward the upper echelon, the Ravens’ Joe Flacco and the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick are worthy of the ultimate duel. While Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis tries to ride off into the sunset with his second ring, his inside counterpart, Patrick Willis, will try to stamp his legacy with his first.
All of that points to a disciplined, well-played game in New Orleans that will come down to the wire. Here’s a breakdown of the matchup:
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is the site for the Feb. 3 game. (AP Photo)
There’s no reason to think he won’t remain aggressive against the 49ers and attack their vulnerabilities in the back seven. San Francisco has a sound run defense, but there have been some holes there, too. Ray Rice and rookie Bernard Pierce have been grinding out the tough yards, as Caldwell has kept the play-calling balanced to facilitate Flacco’s hot streak.
The 49ers had a rough time trying to stop the Falcons’ talented receiving trio of Roddy White, Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez. Likewise, the Ravens’ combination of wideouts Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin and tight end Dennis Pitta can work as a group to create size or speed mismatches for Flacco to exploit.
When teams are successful moving the ball against the 49ers, they are able to limit the impact of their linebacking corps—Willis and NaVorro Bowman inside and Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks outside. For the Ravens to do that, Flacco must deliver on intermediate routes to the middle of the field and tackles Bryant McKinnie and Michael Oher need to provide every-down edge execution against a Niners defense that doesn’t like to blitz.
The Ravens are getting especially good cornerback play and have been able to contain a variety of good pass catchers in the playoffs. The 49ers will likely need to go inside-out with their passing game, using tight end Vernon Davis to help open up opportunities for their boundary receivers. Kaepernick’s legs will be the X-factor, as the Ravens haven’t really seen a mobile quarterback quite like him in the AFC.
Baltimore’s core players have a lot of playoff wins under their belts while the Niners, with Kaepernick, are still a little new to the party. The Ravens can keep it tight and have the advantage on special teams. That’s where the game will be won, with a late field goal making the slightest of differences. Ravens 24, 49ers 23
SportingNews.com
No matter which team wins, a Harbaugh will be the victorious head coach. It’s not the first meeting, as John’s Ravens beat Jim’s 49ers, 16-6, during the 2011 season. But this time, there’s a lot more than Thanksgiving bragging rights on the line.
These two teams have much more in common than the family name on the sidelines. They have red-hot, balanced, prolific offenses anchored by excellent lines. They have physical 3-4 defenses that pride themselves on hard hits as much as sacks and takeaways. With the gritty Harbaughs each managing a mix of rising youngsters and familiar veterans, the mental toughness is there, too.
“I don't know if we had a dream this big,” John Harbaugh said Sunday night about the brothers meeting in the big game. “We had a few dreams, we had a few fights, we had a few arguments.
“I couldn't be more proud of Jim, watching that team play. They do reflect his personality. They’ve got a great staff. They have physical players, man. They run the ball, they throw the ball. Their quarterback is making plays all over the place. They've got a roughhouse defense. There's a reason they're in the Super Bowl. I love the way they play. I'd like to think that our two teams are very similar. It's going to be a great football game, and he's a great football coach.”
In a year when new quarterbacks gravitated toward the upper echelon, the Ravens’ Joe Flacco and the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick are worthy of the ultimate duel. While Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis tries to ride off into the sunset with his second ring, his inside counterpart, Patrick Willis, will try to stamp his legacy with his first.
All of that points to a disciplined, well-played game in New Orleans that will come down to the wire. Here’s a breakdown of the matchup:
Ravens’ offense vs. 49ers' defense
Flacco just outdueled Peyton Manning and Tom Brady by a long shot. His confidence has always been there, and now, too, is a level of play associated with elite, Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks. With Jim Caldwell taking over as offensive coordinator late in the season, there’s a new comfort zone for Flacco, who is using of all his weapons and consistently executing on throws all over the field.The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is the site for the Feb. 3 game. (AP Photo)
There’s no reason to think he won’t remain aggressive against the 49ers and attack their vulnerabilities in the back seven. San Francisco has a sound run defense, but there have been some holes there, too. Ray Rice and rookie Bernard Pierce have been grinding out the tough yards, as Caldwell has kept the play-calling balanced to facilitate Flacco’s hot streak.
The 49ers had a rough time trying to stop the Falcons’ talented receiving trio of Roddy White, Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez. Likewise, the Ravens’ combination of wideouts Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin and tight end Dennis Pitta can work as a group to create size or speed mismatches for Flacco to exploit.
When teams are successful moving the ball against the 49ers, they are able to limit the impact of their linebacking corps—Willis and NaVorro Bowman inside and Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks outside. For the Ravens to do that, Flacco must deliver on intermediate routes to the middle of the field and tackles Bryant McKinnie and Michael Oher need to provide every-down edge execution against a Niners defense that doesn’t like to blitz.
49ers’ offense vs. Ravens' defense
Lewis can expect to have a lot of opportunities to make tackles in his last NFL game. The Niners will give running back Frank Gore a big load, with the goal of wearing down Lewis and the Ravens’ front seven by having the league’s best offensive line consistently pushing to the second level. Baltimore will count on defensive lineman Haloti Ngata being a linchpin to limit San Francisco’s rushing success. Before the Ravens can worry about Kaepernick running against them, they must slow down Gore. The 49ers do a good job of keeping Kaepernick in third-and-manageable situations. The Ravens need to get the second-year man uncomfortable with their pass rush and force him into a bad decision or two, leading to opportunities for their takeaway-hungry secondary.The Ravens are getting especially good cornerback play and have been able to contain a variety of good pass catchers in the playoffs. The 49ers will likely need to go inside-out with their passing game, using tight end Vernon Davis to help open up opportunities for their boundary receivers. Kaepernick’s legs will be the X-factor, as the Ravens haven’t really seen a mobile quarterback quite like him in the AFC.
Who wins?
The Ravens have gone deep into the playoffs every year under John Harbaugh (five). The 49ers have gone 2-for-2 under Jim Harbaugh. Neither franchise has ever lost a Super Bowl. On paper, San Francisco has the slight edge, but Baltimore has a special kind of swagger. The combination of one leader, Lewis, retiring, and another, Flacco, emerging, is happening at the ideal time.Baltimore’s core players have a lot of playoff wins under their belts while the Niners, with Kaepernick, are still a little new to the party. The Ravens can keep it tight and have the advantage on special teams. That’s where the game will be won, with a late field goal making the slightest of differences. Ravens 24, 49ers 23
SportingNews.com
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