There are many things that can help or hurt both teams. They are both dealing with injury comebacks and end of career desperation. They both have first time coaches coming in. (Oh, by the way, those coaches happen to have the same mother and father, in case you weren't aware.) They were both doubted during different parts of the year and both had to win on the road to get to this point. The similarities that go down these teams go much deeper than the coaches. It is well documented that the major offensive changes marked turning points for both teams (choosing Colin Kaepernick over Alex Smith for SF and the firing of Cam Cameron and promotion of Jim Caldwell to Offensive Coordinator for BAL). They were both losers in last year's conference championship game. They both know how important it is to be here right now.
Quarterbacks: SF (Colin Kaepernick, Alex Smith) VS Bal (Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor)
The biggest difference between the two teams is here in the quarterback position. You have Kaepernick who brings his new wave, southern California attitude to a position that is most well known for players who have little personality and are more business like. Then you have Flacco who is so desperate to be named with the Tom Bradys and Peyton Mannings of the world that he becomes a man possessed in the postseason. He has gone head to head with the past (Manning), present (Brady) and the future (Andrew Luck) in the playoffs and has outplayed every single one of them. He has thrown eight touchdowns against zero interceptions in the postseason. Those numbers are just uncanny. Meanwhile, all Kaepernick has done is rush for 184 yards and scored and four total touchdowns against the Packers and complete 76 percent of his passes against the Falcons. Both these QBs have had much better postseasons than they statistically had in the regular season. That is the wild card in their game plan. Which Joe Flacco and which Colin Kaepernick is going to show up? Will is be the Flacco that went one on one with the best and won, or the guy who lost four of five to end the season and lost to eighty year old Charlie Batch? Will the Kaepernick who has set the world on fire with his rocket arm and lightning quick legs show up, or will it be the one who couldn't beat the Rams with two chances? I am taking the experience in this case. Flacco knows the heartbreak of losing and I think that will drive him to be the better player in this game. God forbid he gets hurt.
Edge: Baltimore Ravens
Running Backs: SF (Frank Gore, LaMichael James) VS Bal (Ray Rice, Bernard Pollard)
Quite possibly the best kept secret in the NFL going up against well-known as one of the best in the league. Gore and Rice are two of the NFL's very best at what they do. So much for this turning into a passing league when these two teams relied on rushing to get them to the big game. Rice had trouble getting going against a tough front seven of New England and ended the AFC Championship with only forty-eight yards rushing. Gore, on the other hand, had ninety yards rushing and two scores against Atlanta. Both players killed it the week before against Denver and Green Bay. They have had two weeks to get fresh legs under them once again. That probably points the arrow towards Gore for the moment as his older legs need the rest more than Rice's. James has the chance to make the big play and is a great change of pace back for the 49ers. He has the skill to break off a big run at the blink of an eye. Pierce has been more consistent with good yards per attempt against New England and Indy. Pierce is more of a run it straight at you kind of back while James will just run around you. Rice is having a down year for him and you got to believe his skill set will come out eventually, but it is hard to believe that it will be on this stage against this defense. The nod goes to the team in gold.
Edge: San Francisco 49ers
Wide Receivers: SF (Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss, AJ Jenkins, Ted Ginn) VS Bal (Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones)
Boldin is quietly having a very good playoffs. In three games, he has sixteen receptions for 276 yards and three touchdowns. To put this into perspective, those averages over a sixteen game season would equal 85 receptions for 1,472 yards and sixteen touchdowns. To say that he has elevated his game in the playoffs would be a criminal understatement. Smith is there to stretch the field for other receivers. He is the deep threat for the Ravens and at least once a game he will make a game changing catch. In thirteen games this season (including every playoff game) he has caught at least one pass of twenty yards or more. He has the speed to take one to the house from any part of the field. On the other side you have Michael Crabtree finally becoming the number one receiver we all knew he could be. In his past seven games, he has four games with over 100 yards receiving. Unfortunately, the splash pick ups from the offseason aren't exactly working out for the Niners. Mario Manningham is going to his second Super Bowl in a row, but he will be watching this one from the sideline as he tore his ACL in November. Randy Moss was brought in here to stretch the field, but he seems to be used as more of a decoy nowadays. He hasn't had more than three receptions since week one of this season. Blame that on the game plan or the coach or whatever you want but the stats are there for you to see. Baltimore's receivers are playing too well right now to go anywhere else with this decision.
Edge: Baltimore Ravens
Tight Ends: SF (Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker) VS Bal (Dennis Pitta, Ed Dickson)
Davis seemed to be the only one negatively affected by the Alex Smith benching as he was his favorite target. This was his statistically worst season since 2008. He was paid handsomely for his patience in the NFC title game. In that game, Davis caught five of the six passes thrown his way for 106 yards and a touchdown. He was just waiting for his opportunity to show Kaepernick that he is still his most reliable target. For the Ravens, they saw a breakout season from Pitta. In his third year he took complete control of the number one tight end spot from Dickson. He is now one of Flacco's favorite targets. He seems to be in the right place at the right time and scored a crucial touchdown for the Ravens against the Patriots. If its a big third down and the Ravens need a conversion, expect Pitta to get one more yard than he needs to reach the marker. I still have to lean towards San Fran with this pick. Hopefully after last week's performance Kaepernick understands the kind of weapon he has at his disposal in Davis. He could easily be a game changer on Sunday.
Edge: San Francisco
Offensive Line: SF (Joe Staley, Mike Iupati, Jon Goodwin, Alex Boone, Anthony Davis) VS Bal (Michael Oher, Marshal Yanda, Matt Birk, Bobbie Williams, Kelechi Osemele)
The 49ers have had the same offensive line for the entire season. No injuries. No changes due to poor performance. The same five guys who started the season are the five guys blocking in the Super Bowl. They are obviously the only team in the league to do this. Baltimore's team is well known for having Oher, but the fact is that they have had too many moving pieces. I am going to pick the team with regularity.
Edge: San Francisco 49ers
Defensive Line: SF (Justin Smith, Isaac Sopoaga, Ray McDonald) VS Bal (Pernell McPhee, Haloti Ngata, Ma'ake Kemoeatu)
Both these teams run a 3-4 base defense meaning they run with three lineman and four linebackers. Both teams have a guy playing on the edge that can get to your quarterback and can also blow up your run. Unfortunately for the Niners, Justin Smith is recovering from a partially torn bicep muscle. We have no idea what we could be getting from him come game time. He was reaking havoc on the Falcons towards the end of the game, but he still hasn't sacked a quarterback in five games. Ngata on the other side has also been kept quiet during these playoffs. He has had minor knee issues, but that shouldn't affect him in the least come game time. The Ravens will get the nod because you know Ngata will make a play and that he can stay on the field, Smith is more of a question mark.
Edge: Baltimore Ravens
Linebackers: SF (Ahmad Brooks, Patrick Willis, Navarro Bowman, Aldon Smith) VS Bal (Ray Lewis, Courtney Upshaw, Terrell Suggs, Albert McClellan)
This is the match-up where the star power shines. Ray Lewis will be playing his last game ever and he has been a force this entire postseason. He leads the NFL in tackles even though he is coming off a bicep tear. Terrell Suggs also came back quicker than expected from an offseason Achilles tear. You either have to give it to the Baltimore training staff, or ask questions that will get cryptic responses from Mr Lewis. Suggs was a beast against Denver and Lewis is playing like he is ten years his minor. It isn't enough. The 49ers have the very best linebacking corps in football. I cannot think of a better group since the Giants had Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, and Carl Banks. Willis may be the best defensive player in the league. He and Bowman both had over 100 total tackles and hit like a train. Aldon Smith causes the entire offense to game plan to the other side. Sorry Ray, but this one is no doubt that this one goes to Willis and Co.
Edge: San Francisco 49ers
Cornerbacks: SF (Carlos Rogers, Tarell Brown) VS Bal (Corey Graham, Cary Williams)
This match-up would look a whole lot better if Laudarius Webb was a part of the conversation. Without him the Ravens have been a middle of the pack secondary. He is so good that he can change a mediocre secondary into a league leader. San Francisco on the other hand has the number four pass defense in the league. Carlos Rogers didn't have the monster year he produced in 2011, but he was still a serviceable number one cornerback on a great defense. Brown recorded a big interception on Aaron Rodgers, which is no small feat. The corner position isn't the strongest for either team, but that is only because the other positions are tops in the league. Neither team is a threat to pick you off (even though Williams picked off Brady and Chris Collver picked off Matt Ryan in the championship games), but that doesn't mean their coverage is weak. Give San Fran the slight edge for the experience, but again Baltimore is sorely missing Webb. They would be clear cut favorites if they had him.
Edge: San Francisco 49ers
Safeties: SF (Donte Whitner, Dashon Goldson) VS Bal (Ed Reed, Bernard Pollard)
Reed has been quiet all postseason. This sounds like a good thing, right? It isn't. Reed is very due to make some kind of big play and it will happen during the Super Bowl. Also looking at Pollard next to him and his name always comes up as someone who made an impact (even though that impact is usually hurting someone, but impact is impact, right?) so they end up making a fearsome duo. San Fran is coming in with big hitter Donte Whitner who still has an old school attitude towards the safety position. When the ball is in the air he is going to try to knock it out of you rather than swat it. Goldson and Whitner fit in very well with the personality of this defense. The difference between the two is it seems that the 49er safeties are just part of the group. The Ravens safeties are people you plan ahead to avoid. You don't want to take a Pollard hit and you don't want to lay one up there for Ed Reed to snatch and take back the other way. The playmaking ability is what gives the Ravens the win in this department.
Edge: Baltimore Ravens
Coaching: SF (Jim Harbaugh, Greg Roman, Vic Fangio) VS Bal (John Harbaugh, Jim Caldwell, Dean Pees)
It is the Harbowl! Or is it the Harbaugh bowl? Bowl of Baughs? Anyway, it is one of the more interesting coaching match-ups in recent memory. Two brothers who took the world by storm when they became coaches of their respective teams. From our perspective, it seems that both these coaches tend to go about the game in a different way. They come from very different paths. Jim was a quarterback in the league for 14 seasons, actually once playing for the Ravens. John played college ball, but went into coaching right afterwards. John's hire as Baltimore coach was very controversial, but it seems to have worked out. Jim was courted and the big name when he took the 49er job. John seems to try and work out a situation. Jim seems to be more aggresive. I think that the level head on John gives him an edge here. John has also been in coaching for a lot longer and seems to have the entire Ravens organization under control and working towards a greater goal. I am not saying that Jim's coaching style is bad, just that John's style is more suited for this kind of atmosphere. This is the Super Bowl. Also, John has Jim Caldwell who has already coached in a Super Bowl and can give his boss some advice. Dean Pees also has two Super Bowls worth of experience as part of the New England organization. The 49ers staff is going in blind to the spectacle of this game, the Ravens are coming in business as usual.
Edge: Baltimore Ravens
The Winner Is...
Looking into who won what, Ravens seem to have the slight edge offensively, but San Fran has the considerable edge on defense. The coaching may hurt San Fran if Jim ends up acting on emotion. I think there is too much talent on the 49er team to be outdone. I have a feeling we may see Alex Smith get involved in some way. It just seems that San Fran is the team of destiny here. The Ravens have Ray Lewis and everything, but I think this is Ray officially passing the torch to Willis as the best LB in the game. It will be a hard hitting game with more excitement than fans can handle. It will be back and forth and one break can change the entire complextion of the game. Baltimore will put up a fight, but I can't shy away from my preseason pick.
Winner: San Francisco 49ers
No comments:
Post a Comment