By Taylor Nigrelli
Sports Assignment Editor
A second-year quarterback playing in his first Super Bowl, a Hall-of-Fame-bound linebacker playing in his last game and a barely believable family connection: Super Bowl XLVII will not be without storylines as the John Harbaugh-led Baltimore Ravens will take on Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers in New Orleans Sunday.
The Ravens’ first run to the Super Bowl since 2000 (a 34-7 win over the Giants) doubled as Ray Lewis’ retirement tour. The 17-year veteran linebacker has announced his plans to retire after thIS season and has soaked up every minute of this playoff run.
He’s done everything from going in for a kneel-down against Indianapolis in his final home game to making 13 tackles in Denver to hysterically sobbing in front of reporters after defeating the Patriots. Lewis may be 37 years old, but a guy who plays with his level of intensity and ferocity can’t be ignored on the field.
However, Lewis is just one of many reasons the Ravens finally broke through after four consecutive seasons losing in the AFC playoffs to make the Super Bowl. Joe Flacco has been unstoppable thus far; he’s thrown for eight touchdowns and no interceptions in the first three playoff games.
After years of being considered the reason the Ravens couldn’t reach the Super Bowl, Flacco’s become the reason the Ravens have made it this far. He now has eight playoff wins and an NFL record six road playoff wins in only the first five years of his career. Flacco could be a win away from being considered among the NFL’s elite.
Another key component of the Ravens’ attack has been the stellar play of the team’s offensive line. The big guys up front have allowed Flacco to be sacked only four times in the playoffs while opening up holes for the two-headed rushing attack of Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce. That combo has been responsible for more than 100 yards of rushing in each playoff game so far.
The Ravens have long been a defense- and run-oriented team; however, their ability to stretch the field makes them more dangerous than they’ve been as AFC also-rans the last four seasons.
The 49ers also have no problem stretching the field, but it didn’t take nearly as long for their quarterback to be trusted as the focal point of their offense. As late as week 10 this season, Colin Kaepernick was a backup to Alex Smith and a package specialist.
When a concussion sidelined Smith in November, Kaepernick stepped up and proceeded to tear apart a stellar Chicago defense, defeat the Tom Brady-led Patriots in New England and out-duel Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan in consecutive weeks in the playoffs. The Super Bowl will be only the eighth start of Kaepernick’s young career, but he’s had no trouble making his critics look foolish in the last few weeks.
In addition to Kaepernick, this 49er team boasts the second-stingiest defense in the league at only 17 points allowed per contest. The defense is rock solid all the way around, featuring all pro players at every level.
Journeyman Justin Smith is capable of taking on multiple blockers nearly every play, outside linebacker Aldon Smith can rush the passer as well as anyone, insider linebackers Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman are among the league’s best at their position and defensive backs Donte Whitner and Carlos Rogers have both been named to Pro Bowls.
The current 49ers team also does not have as much playoff failure to dwell on as the Ravens do. Just two years ago, the 49ers were 6-10, coming off their eighth-consecutive losing season. Their ascension from laughing stock to conference champion was brought on by the hire of former Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh; brother of Ravens head man John Harbaugh. So yes, as you’ve no doubt heard, the head coaches of the two teams facing off in the Super Bowl are brothers.
The matchup Sunday will be a symbolic one. With Ray Lewis’s impending retirement, an era may be coming to an end in Baltimore. Meanwhile, the Kaepernick era could be just beginning in San Francisco. So will the Nevada product become the third-youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl? Or will Ray Lewis end his career as a champion? This is precisely what more than 100 million Americans will tune in to find out.
