Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers
Tonight's Super Bowl matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers looks to be a very exciting game. The two teams are quite similar in many ways, beyond the fact that they are coached by Harbaugh brothers (John Harbaugh- Ravens; Jim Harbaugh- 49ers).
Both teams feature powerful defenses. The 49ers defensive stats are more impressive but the Ravens D has gotten healthier in the past few weeks. Both teams feature big-armed quarterbacks (Joe Flacco- Ravens and Colin Kaepernick- 49ers) and solid ground games led by Ray Rice (Ravens) and Frank Gore (49ers) who are comparable in their impact on their team's offense.
Big questions tonight include:
Can the Ravens run enough to allow their aerial attack to thrive?
Will Ray Rice be an effective rusher and pass catcher out of the backfield?
The 49ers have given up some big passing plays, the kind the Ravens thrive on. Will this continue?
Can the Ravens defense keep Colin Kaepernick in check or will he run wild?
Will Kaepernick continue to thrive under the pressure of the playoff spotlight as he has done so far?
Who will make the big catch for the 49ers offense to open up their running game?
Possibly the difference in the outcome of this game is which team has a surprise breakout star. Almost every Super Bowl features one surprise breakout performance.
My head says to pick San Francisco but my heart says to go with Baltimore. Much has been made of Ray Lewis' leaderships skills as he enters what is thought to be the final game of his career. My choice of the Ravens has nothing to do with that, rather it has to do with teams getting on unexpected, unbelievable, unexplainable rolls through the playoffs (think New York Giants last season). The Ravens are on one of those rolls right now.
Parker's pick: Ravens
My pick: Ravens
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