This Super Bowl is shaping up to be, well, super.
In today's NFL, where all the teams are made up of awe-inspiring offenses, the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens are two teams that bring all-around games.
What's wild, is that both team's coaches are brothers; Jim and John Harbaugh become the first brothers to coach against one another in a postseason game in any of the four major American sports, let alone the country's biggest game, the Super Bowl.
And while everyone in the NFL is trying to out-score one another, these two teams bring physicality on both sides of the ball, which will make the game incredibly interesting.
Here's a look at the five reasons Super Bowl XLVII will be a great game:
-
Joe Flacco could become elite with strong performance and win – Flacco wants to be considered an elite quarterback, and he can finally prove it with a Super Bowl win. He's never been better than mediocre throughout his five professional seasons as the Ravens' QB, though this year's playoffs have been something special indeed. In his three games so far, Flacco's gone eight touchdowns compared to zero interceptions and one more great game will have everyone putting him up in the “elite” category of quarterbacking. Can he attain greatness, or once again wilt under the pressure?
-
Will Frank Gore or Ray Rice have a better day running? – While almost every team in the league is determined to pass the ball on first, second and third downs, both the 49ers and Ravens know how to run the rock. Frank Gore and Ray Rice are two of the most physical running backs in the game today, and either one could have a massive game on the ground, carrying their team to victory. Who will play better?
-
Ray Lewis and Baltimore Ravens defense a devastating bunch – Ray Lewis is too old. So is Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs. Or are they? While each of the four playmakers are in at least their seventh season (Lewis is a 17th-year veteran), they still all know how to bring the pain every week, and do so willingly. Can the old bunch come together to shut down Gore and second-year quarterback sensation Colin Kaepernick's running games, or will they be run over in the process?
-
On the other side of the ball, San Francisco's defense is demonstrative – Patrick Willis is everything Ray Lewis used to be, while Aldon Smith is arguably the greatest pass-rusher in the game today, in only his second season. And the best linebacker you've never hear of, NaVorro Bowman, led the 9ers with 139 combined tackles on the season. They've been known to completely stone-wall opposing running backs, and if they do so against Ray Rice, it will certainly play in San Fran's favor.
-
Lastly, Colin Kaepernick is the Super Bowl's x-factor – Kaepernick has burst onto the NFL scene, stealing the show and the 49ers starting quarterback job. Alex Smith started the season's first 10 games, but when he went down with a concussion, head coach Jim Harbaugh decided to “ride the hot hand,” a decision that has certainly paid off. Now, Kaepernick has a chance to become a Super Bowl winning quarterback, with only 10 games of starting experience under his belt. If he can pull out one more great game, San Francisco will almost certainly win.
All in all, Super Bowl 47 looks like a classic.
It's most likely not going to be a shootout, but a close game that's decided by tough, physical defenses.
Super Bowl XLVII kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 3 and can be seen on CBS.
Rich Kurtzman is a freelance journalist. You can follow Rich on twitter and facebook for all your NFL news and opinion.
Comments