Super Bowl Pick
Baltimore Ravens (13-6) vs. San Francisco 49ers (13-4-1)
Ravens Breakdown:
I still cannot believe the Ravens have made it this stage. I did not buy into Flacco, or this team before the playoffs, but they made some smart calculated changes to this team and the result has been a Super Bowl berth. In this game, the Ravens will have to stick to the formula that has made them successful in the postseason; run the ball with success and take their deep shots off play action. The 49ers definitely present the toughest defense they have faced thus far in their playoff run. Their defense is well balanced, and their front seven is particularly strong which could present problems when Baltimore tries to run the ball. However, the Niners defense can be beat deep and maybe a few shots to Torrey Smith will be the difference in the game.
49ers Breakdown:
The 49ers clearly come in to the game running the less conventional offense of the two teams. While the Ravens defense has certainly declined since its heyday, but this team is still filled with veterans that have seen it all. The Niners offense can attack the field at every level with Kaepernick at quarterback. I think that we will see a lot of Vernon Davis once again in this game because I think that the Ravens defense is particularly weak covering the middle of the field. I could see Michael Crabtree presenting a lot of problems for the Ravens as well. The Ravens corners are not particularly physical and Crabtree excels at breaking tackles and gaining yards after the catch.
Matchup to Watch: Jim Harbaugh vs. Ray Lewis
I know this seems like a weird matchup, since Harbaugh won’t be on the field, but this is probably the chess match of the game. Harbaugh is a mastermind of offense and he puts his players in a position to succeed on the field. As for Ray Lewis, he is clearly a player who cannot cover the pass like he used to, but he still reads offense like no one else ever has. If he can decipher the read option and pistol offense, the 49ers offense and Harbaugh will have to go back to the drawing board; something that they are very capable of doing.
My Pick:
This is a classic debate between my head and my heart. My head says the 49ers as they are the younger faster and flashier team, but my heart says the Ravens. I have counted them out almost every step of the way in the playoffs, but I finally got on their bandwagon and picked them to get into the Super Bowl. This whole Ray Lewis last ride business is real, and at the end of the night, I bet wee see Ray Lewis ride off into the sunset with a Lombardi trophy.
Ravens Breakdown:
I still cannot believe the Ravens have made it this stage. I did not buy into Flacco, or this team before the playoffs, but they made some smart calculated changes to this team and the result has been a Super Bowl berth. In this game, the Ravens will have to stick to the formula that has made them successful in the postseason; run the ball with success and take their deep shots off play action. The 49ers definitely present the toughest defense they have faced thus far in their playoff run. Their defense is well balanced, and their front seven is particularly strong which could present problems when Baltimore tries to run the ball. However, the Niners defense can be beat deep and maybe a few shots to Torrey Smith will be the difference in the game.
49ers Breakdown:
The 49ers clearly come in to the game running the less conventional offense of the two teams. While the Ravens defense has certainly declined since its heyday, but this team is still filled with veterans that have seen it all. The Niners offense can attack the field at every level with Kaepernick at quarterback. I think that we will see a lot of Vernon Davis once again in this game because I think that the Ravens defense is particularly weak covering the middle of the field. I could see Michael Crabtree presenting a lot of problems for the Ravens as well. The Ravens corners are not particularly physical and Crabtree excels at breaking tackles and gaining yards after the catch.
Matchup to Watch: Jim Harbaugh vs. Ray Lewis
I know this seems like a weird matchup, since Harbaugh won’t be on the field, but this is probably the chess match of the game. Harbaugh is a mastermind of offense and he puts his players in a position to succeed on the field. As for Ray Lewis, he is clearly a player who cannot cover the pass like he used to, but he still reads offense like no one else ever has. If he can decipher the read option and pistol offense, the 49ers offense and Harbaugh will have to go back to the drawing board; something that they are very capable of doing.
My Pick:
This is a classic debate between my head and my heart. My head says the 49ers as they are the younger faster and flashier team, but my heart says the Ravens. I have counted them out almost every step of the way in the playoffs, but I finally got on their bandwagon and picked them to get into the Super Bowl. This whole Ray Lewis last ride business is real, and at the end of the night, I bet wee see Ray Lewis ride off into the sunset with a Lombardi trophy.
