Maybe the biggest question heading into the Super Bowl is whether or not the Baltimore Ravens will be able to contain quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers pistol offense.
The Ravens have seen the pistol offense just once this season, and the result was a heartbreaking loss to the Washington Redskins. In that game, the Ravens gave up a ton of rushing yards on the first two drives of the game but settled down after that. It's also worth noting that they held RGIII in check and played that game without Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis. Bernard Pollard was also hurting at the time and ended up missing some games after the trip to DC to try to heal.
Kaepernick isn't quite as fast as RGIII, but he is much bigger, stronger and has a better arm. He has been incredibly accurate in the postseason, though it's worth noting that he hasn't exactly run into two of the top passing defenses in the league in the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.
One advantage for the Ravens is the amount of prep time they will have heading into the Super Bowl. The Ravens will have had two full weeks to prepare for the pistol offense, a luxury that few teams had this year when facing teams like the Redskins and 49ers.
While the Redskins and 49ers don't have the exact same personnel, it's similar enough that it is worth a comparison. Both teams feature bruising running backs that lack top-end speed in Frank Gore and Alfred Morris. Both teams also lack big-time weapons at the receiver position. Pierre Garcon and Michael Crabtree are similar in ability, but after that, both teams struggle in the wideout department. The 49ers do have Randy Moss, who is always capable of a long score, and the x-factor could be tight end Vernon Davis.
The pistol offense often freezes the defense, especially players in the secondary, which can allow the 49ers to throw the deep ball and hit on some big plays. The Ravens defense has done an outstanding job of eliminating any big plays in the playoffs, and that type of discipline will be needed against San Francisco.
Ed Reed has played a huge part in the elimination of big plays. Instead of gambling and trying to come up with the big play himself, Reed has stayed back and taken away a lot of deep throws, which has forced teams to have to put together long, methodical drives to score points.
If the Ravens can slow down Kaepernick and Gore, they stand an excellent chance at winning the Super Bowl. If not, it's hard to see the Ravens emerging victorious unless Joe Flacco has a huge game and they win the turnover battle.
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