Top 10 defining moments of Super Bowl XLVII

Just after Kaepernick scored the touchdown, the 49ers found themselves in the position to tie the score for the first time since the Ravens’ opening possession. But the opportunity fell short, as Kaepernick overthrew Randy Moss. Perhaps the failure to capitalize on their 20-point second half effort took some wind out of their sails when they couldn’t tie the score.Just when it seemed like the Ravens were righting the ship after giving up 17 points to bring the score to within one possession by adding a field goal to push the deficit back to 8 points, Kaepernick led an excellent scoring drive, doing much of the work with his feet, including a 15-yard dash to the end zone. The score put them down 2 points with a chance to tie, by far the closest they’d gotten since the start of the game.Coming late in the third quarter, the Ravens looked to cool down San Francisco's momentum following the power outage, having climbed to within one possession. The Ravens were pinned back in their own territory. Flacco found Rice on the outside, who caught the ball and spun, but as he did so, Brown knocked the ball loose and the 49ers recovered with great field position. It seemed like everything was going the 49ers' way at this point.View the list »
Late in the third quarter, the 49ers stole the momentum following a pair of touchdowns and a fumble recovered in Ravens territory. Just as it appeared that momentum was about to burst on a missed 39-yard field goal, Chykie Brown was flagged for running into the kicker. David Akers got another shot at it from 34 yards out and nailed it to make the score 28-23. The score helped the shape out the fourth quarter played out.

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The 2012-13 NFL season is now in the books with the 34-31 conclusion to Super Bowl XLVII, in which the Baltimore Ravens were triumphant over the San Francisco 49ers. It was an impressive and enjoyable game despite the fact that the 49ers never led at any point during the game, but they made it close in the end.

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With the victory, Ray Lewis, the original Raven, rides off into the sunset at the peak of his profession, much as others, such as Jerome Bettis and Michael Strahan, had done before. Only for Lewis, this was a return voyage to the promised land, who'd brought home the franchise's first Super Bowl title in 2000.

In a game with so many back and forths and big plays, there were a lot of highlights, but the 10 moments that make up this list stand out from the rest.

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  • Late in the third quarter, the 49ers stole the momentum following a pair of touchdowns and a fumble recovered in Ravens territory. Just as it appeared that momentum was about to burst on a missed 39-yard field goal, Chykie Brown was flagged for running into the kicker. David Akers got another shot at it from 34 yards out and nailed it to make the score 28-23. The score helped the shape out the fourth quarter played out.
  • Coming late in the third quarter, the Ravens looked to cool down San Francisco's momentum following the power outage, having climbed to within one possession. The Ravens were pinned back in their own territory. Flacco found Rice on the outside, who caught the ball and spun, but as he did so, Brown knocked the ball loose and the 49ers recovered with great field position. It seemed like everything was going the 49ers' way at this point.
  • Just when it seemed like the Ravens were righting the ship after giving up 17 points to bring the score to within one possession by adding a field goal to push the deficit back to 8 points, Kaepernick led an excellent scoring drive, doing much of the work with his feet, including a 15-yard dash to the end zone. The score put them down 2 points with a chance to tie, by far the closest they’d gotten since the start of the game.
  • Just after Kaepernick scored the touchdown, the 49ers found themselves in the position to tie the score for the first time since the Ravens’ opening possession. But the opportunity fell short, as Kaepernick overthrew Randy Moss. Perhaps the failure to capitalize on their 20-point second half effort took some wind out of their sails when they couldn’t tie the score.
  • The Ravens took a 21-6 lead into halftime feeling pretty sure of themselves, but when special teams ace Jacoby Jones took the second half’s opening kickoff a record-tying 108 yards for a touchdown to open up a 28-6 lead, they must surely have been beside themselves. The largest deficit ever overcome in a Super Bowl was 10 points.
  • No individual play singularly defined the narrow separation between victory and defeat like the fourth and goal play from the five yard line at the end of the fourth quarter for the 49ers. They knew they must score a touchdown on that play or basically accept defeat. Kaepernick threw the ball out of reach of Michael Crabtree, who was fending off Jimmy Smith in the end zone.
  • Though it came comparatively early in the game compared to some of the other big plays, it is Joe Flacco’s late second quarter bomb to Jacoby Jones that went for a 56-yard touchdown that will withstand the test of time from this game. That is because it was Flacco’s 11th touchdown pass of this postseason, tying the all-time record for a single postseason. He also did not throw a single interception in the Ravens’ four playoff games, leading to a truly remarkable playoff run.
  • In what was undoubtedly one of the most surreal moments in championship event history, the lights went out in the Superdome early in the second half of Super Bowl XLVII, causing a delay that lasted 34 minutes. This event will likely be talked about more than specific plays in the game itself in years to come. The delay seemed to rejuvenate the 49ers, as they came storming back from a 22-point deficit to nearly tie the game.
  • A number of firsts seemed to occur during Super Bowl XLVII, from near historic comebacks to marathon returns to power outages, but perhaps none were as significant and, frankly, remarkable, than the relationship between the head coaches of the opposing teams. That is because, in case you hadn't heard, they are brothers. John (the coach of the Ravens) and Jim (the coach of the 49ers) Harbaugh are the first family members to ever compete against one another as head coaches in the Super Bowl. It is amazing to think that two individuals from the same family can reach the absolute pinnacle of their profession together, even if the "Harbowl" theme of the event was exploited to nauseating levels. Kudos to the Harbaugh family for an incredible feat.
  • No matter what one’s own personal opinion of Ray Lewis might be as a person, there is no doubting the stellar career that he had that will assuredly end with a trip to Canton in five years’ time. Lewis announced his retirement as the postseason began, which helped galvanize an already hungry Baltimore Ravens team and spur them on to victory. Not many legends of the game get to go out on top. You’d have to think that this one is much sweeter for Lewis than the one over the Giants.
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, Newark Football Examiner

Having grown up in New Jersey, Matt has naturally been around Giants and Jets football his entire life. But at a young age, he also found an affinity for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and as he got older, his fondness for the game itself grew beyond rooting for certain teams. Although the NFL season...

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