To break down this game..well it could be a challenge. It will be a great game and will be close one. Two brothers facing off as head coaches. Three Ravens possibly retiring after the game. A 49ers QB who has shocked the world with his play. Two tough defenses that have turned up the heat in the playoffs. Joe Flacco playing for a huge contract and some respect. Even though there are lots of story lines..there is only one winner.
We will break down a few key positions than announce our winner:
QB's: Colin Kaepernick came off the bench after Alex Smith got injured and hasn't stopped playing since. This is a bold choice for any coach to choose a second year guy who had never played before to lead a team that was already the top in its division and a playoff team. Guess the gamble has paid off. He is a threat both on the ground and through the air. He could be the reason whether SF wins or not as Baltimores defense is very aware of him
Joe Flacco on the other hand, struggled early on this season before Baltimore made a bold decision around Week 15 and let go of their offensive coordinator which no team does that late in the season and since then you could almost put the word Elite with Flacco as he has thrown for 8td's and no ints in the playoffs.
I gotta give FLACCO the edge here. More experience and is the reason. Thought I expect a good game from Colin.
We will break down a few key positions than announce our winner:
QB's: Colin Kaepernick came off the bench after Alex Smith got injured and hasn't stopped playing since. This is a bold choice for any coach to choose a second year guy who had never played before to lead a team that was already the top in its division and a playoff team. Guess the gamble has paid off. He is a threat both on the ground and through the air. He could be the reason whether SF wins or not as Baltimores defense is very aware of him
Joe Flacco on the other hand, struggled early on this season before Baltimore made a bold decision around Week 15 and let go of their offensive coordinator which no team does that late in the season and since then you could almost put the word Elite with Flacco as he has thrown for 8td's and no ints in the playoffs.
I gotta give FLACCO the edge here. More experience and is the reason. Thought I expect a good game from Colin.
RB's: Frank Gore tore apart the Falcons defense and with LeMichael James in the mix it gives San Fran a 1-2 punch. Both running backs bring their own style to the table.
Baltimore has their own version of this. Benard Pierce came on late in the season and has played really well since but Ray Rice will still be carrying the load and with him as a duel threat in running and catching I give RAY RICE and the Ravens the very slight edge here though this is a very tight victory for the RB's with San Fran being one of the toughest defenses against the run and Baltimore struggling to stop the run at points. My edge goes only because of Rice's versatility and I believe he is more a threat than Gore.
Baltimore has their own version of this. Benard Pierce came on late in the season and has played really well since but Ray Rice will still be carrying the load and with him as a duel threat in running and catching I give RAY RICE and the Ravens the very slight edge here though this is a very tight victory for the RB's with San Fran being one of the toughest defenses against the run and Baltimore struggling to stop the run at points. My edge goes only because of Rice's versatility and I believe he is more a threat than Gore.
WR's: This one to me is a TIE. Crabtree is starting to play like a first round pick after Colin took the reigns. Randy Moss is showing some youth and stretching the field and Vernon Davis is always a threat no matter what. Then you go to the other side, Boldin is playing like he did in Arizona, Torrey Smith has been incredible to watch and almost unstoppable and Pitta the TE has been a surprise and under the radar for his great play most of the season. There is a lot of talent here and it will be interesting to see which of these players show up in the Super Bowl.
DEFENSES: Both play very physical. Both have been on and off all season. Both have leaders who both happen to be MLB's. Baltimore has been impressive on defense going up against the leagues top QB's and beating them in the playoffs. Injuries in the regular season and poor secondary play made them look weak but as most good teams do they turned it on for the playoffs.
San Fran has kept teams in line shutting down the Falcons in the closing seconds and keeping Green Bay out of the end zone a few times. Despite giving up 20+ in both of their playoff games, this is still a defense to reckon with with all of their Pro Bowl talent.
Though both have a sketchy secondary a good pass rush has been helping them both win. In the end even though they play the same kind of defense, I give SAN FRAN the edge despite Baltimore playing better than theirs in the postseason. They are younger and they have what I believe is the more physical defense by a slight edge.
San Fran has kept teams in line shutting down the Falcons in the closing seconds and keeping Green Bay out of the end zone a few times. Despite giving up 20+ in both of their playoff games, this is still a defense to reckon with with all of their Pro Bowl talent.
Though both have a sketchy secondary a good pass rush has been helping them both win. In the end even though they play the same kind of defense, I give SAN FRAN the edge despite Baltimore playing better than theirs in the postseason. They are younger and they have what I believe is the more physical defense by a slight edge.
In the end Baltimore holds a slight edge in our breakdowns. And we think in this game they hold a slight edge as well. They have played out of their minds at the end of the season making a run through the playoffs beating top notch QB's and now they face an inexperienced one. We have seen this over the past few seasons where a team makes a late run and are underdogs in the Super Bowl then prevail in the end. Unlike others, I think this game will score in the 20's. I will say Baltimore will win 28-24 and even bolder Flacco will be the games MVP instead of Ray Lewis. And personally, I am hoping the Ravens win. I base my hopes on rookie cards only and the hope it will drive their value up. For the first time, I don't favor one team really over the other.
What are your thoughts about the big game and who do you got?
