Welcooooooome back, Sportz Freaks, to a very special Super Bowl edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. I'm not sure if everyone else feels the same way, but to me it seems as if we have waited months for this game to take place. While it has only been two weeks, it feels like there has been a tremendous amount of time that has elapsed since the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens won their respective conference championship games. Whether it seems like an eternity or not, the fact remains that tomorrow on the grandest stage of them all, the Harbaugh brothers (John and Jim) will go head to head for the ultimate prize in football.
Aside from the length between games, if something else seems a bit off to you, I don't blame you one bit. In fact, this year's "big game" is quite different than we're used to in recent years. To be specific, this will be the first game since Super Bowl XXXVII, exactly ten tears ago, not feature a quarterback named Manning (Eli or Peyton), Roethlisberger or Brady. You might not realize how much those four men have dominated the sport in the past decade until you read that statistic. The Super Bowl has a different look this year, however, and perhaps we will see somewhat of a passing of the torch to young guns Colin Kaepernick and Joe Flacco.
Before we get into specific matchups, let's first quickly discuss the two main storylines that are staring us in the face: Brother vs. Brother and the retirement of Ray Lewis. Which is more enticing? Well, that's really a matter of opinion, but this writer loves both of them and can't wait to see the effect they have on the big game. John and Jim Harbaugh each fell one win shy of reaching this point a year ago. Some were disappointed that a Har-bowl would not be taking place, and the chances it might ever happen seemed unlikely. But here we are, one year later, and the Ravens and Niners have each gotten where they'd hoped to be one year ago. Then there's Ray Lewis, surrounded by controversy, but beloved hero of the city of Baltimore. He brought the Ravens their first championship in Super Bowl XXXV, and can give them one more on Sunday if they beat the Niners. Love him or hate him, Ray Lewis is sure to be the focal point from start to finish in New Orleans.
Offensively, the San Francisco 49ers have shown us something that could be the next big thing: the read option. A popular college set up, the option has worked wonders for lightning-quick Colin Kaepernick, as well as other speedsters Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson. Yet, Kaepernick seems to have found the most success with it. His keen ability to be able to fool defenses with fake hand-offs and roll-out scrambles is remarkable, and coach Jim Harbaugh is one win shy of looking like an absolute genius for having switched him for Alex Smith back in week 11.
Speaking of quarterback surprises, how about Joe Flacco? The man has a big mouth, but boy has he backed it up this year. It wasn't too long ago that the fifth year man out of Delaware proclaimed to be in the group of 'elite' quarterbacks, ranking himself up with the likes of the Mannings, Roethlisbergers, and Brees' of the world. While laughable at the time, Flacco has turned this joke into a reality, and is a win away from perhaps cementing his status in that group of top-tier QB's.
Where we may see the most impact is in the trenches, however. Ray Rice vs Frank Gore isn't a heavyweight fight, but if these guys both bring their A-game, they can definitely put on a show. Rice is undoubtedly quick and can make plays on the ground and through the air. The slightly less dynamic Gore is no pushover, however, as he gets more than his fair share of scores on the ground. So what it comes down to is which defensive line can hang with these guys (as well as the running quarterback, Kaepernick) the longest.
This game also does not feature A-list wide receivers, but if you want explosiveness from the ball-catchers on Sunday, you are almost sure to get it. The 49ers will ship out Tight End Vernon Davis, last year's hero in a chaotic win over the Saints in the NFC Divisional playoffs, as well as breakout receiver Michael Crabtree. Both these men are capable of big plays at any moment, so keep your eyes on them. But let's not forget the other San Fran receiver, Randy Moss, who may also be suiting up for the last time of his career on Sunday. What a finish it would be for him to go out on top, and not only that, but he has been rather quiet all season. A mature Randy Moss with a Super Bowl ring? Methinks it might be possible!
The Ravens have two fantastic wideouts on either end of the field, as well. Anquan Boldin, acquired two seasons ago by the Ravens from Arizona, has continued his stellar play from his days as a Cardinal and has had a fantastic post-season thus far. Opposite Boldin is the field-stretching Torrey Smith, who has seemingly made a living from catching 50+ yard bombs from Flacco. And of course, Ray Rice is always a reliable option out of the backfield. San Fran must be able to shut down these explosive weapons down if they are to have any shot of keeping up with Baltimore.
Now that I've hyped this game up more than ESPN, the NFL Network and CBS combined, let's get to the predictions. First off, I think that this game has actually been relatively quiet in terms of the hype, so regard the above statement as a joke. In fact, I think this year's big game has been far under-hyped considering the level of talent both sides possess. My gut is telling me that the Harbaugh brothers are going to push each other's buttons early and try to throw each other off their game plan. I look for a couple of quick scores, but then expect it to settle down until the 4th. With the Ravens up 20-17 in the final quarter, I see Kaepernick leading San Fran down the field in the final five minutes, setting up the shaky David Akers for the tie. Despite the recent criticism, he connects and sends us to our first overtime in Super Bowl history. Why not? The Ravens saw double OT two weeks ago, and the Niners have been in extra time twice this year. With the score knotted in OT, Flacco gets the dirty birds into scoring territory for Justin Tucker, who gives the Ravens a 23-20 lead. On the ensuing drive, it's a third down sack by Ray Lewis that sets Kaepernick and the Niners up with a 4th and 17, and an incompletion on the following play gives the Ravens the victory. Hey, it could happen...
SUPER BOWL XLVII PREDICTION
Lewis on Top: Ravens beat Niners 23-20 in OT to capture Lombardi Trophy
Baltimore Ravens- 23 San Francisco 49ers- 20 (F-OT)
That does it for the final Z Money's Sports Talk of the 2012-2013 NFL Season. Enjoy the game, everyone. And if you're a fan of either of these teams, good luck to you! Most of all, enjoy the snacks and commercials...and the game, of course!
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