John Berger
Senior Editor
After a nearly four and a half hour game, complete with a 34 minute delay for a power outage, the Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII. The Ravens had a 3 touchdown lead by the beginning of the third quarter, but the 49ers gradually began cutting into the lead, perhaps aided by the 34 minute delay. The 9ers came up short on what was essentially their last drive of the game, when they failed to score a touchdown after being within 5 yards of the goal line on second down. After that the Ravens were able to practically run out the clock, taking a safety which meant that San Francisco only had time to try and return the ensuing punt.
As far as the actual game goes, much will probably be made about the delay in the third quarter due to a power outage. Shortly after the delay the 49ers began to make their comeback. It’s unclear how much of an effect the delay had on the game, the 49ers were moving the ball pretty effectively even before the stoppage. It’s also important to note that the 49ers have already dealt with a delay like this before, there was a delay in their Monday night game against the Steelers last year in December when a transformer blew out. The big play on this game was an incomplete pass on about a 10 yard fade route late in the fourth quarter. The reason the play was big is that the referees didn’t penalize the Ravens for holding Michael Crabtree. There was a lot of contact both ways, but in my opinion, it should’ve been called a penalty. Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith seemed to grab Crabtree with both hands. Making that call is hard, especially in the biggest game of the year, but nonetheless I think it should’ve been made. Who knows if the 49ers would’ve ended up scoring, but it certainly would’ve changed the entire complexion of the game.
Last Friday I wrote on the ‘Balls’ blog that the difference in this game would be how the Ravens defensive line played against the 49ers offensive line, particularly when it came to defending the pistol formation. I picked the Ravens to win by a score of 24-21, so I was accurate with the point differential, but off on the number of points scored. Early in the game the Ravens defensive line did a really good job of getting a push agains the 49ers and neutralizing the effectiveness of their read option and pistol formation. Much like the Falcons, the Ravens decided to blitz their outside linebackers in a 3-4 formation to try and pinch the 49ers ball carriers towards the middle. The 49ers were usually able to block at least one of the linebackers by using a fullback or h-back, but the Ravens interior defensive line, led by all-pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, chewed up space and penetrated into the backfield to take down either Kaepernick, Frank Gore, or Lamichael James. On the first drive of the game it seemed that the Ravens were getting a good jump on the ball after the snap and timed up the snap count pretty well. Paul Kruger had a big sack on third down to force the 49ers to settle for a field goal.
On the other side of the ball, the Ravens were very effective moving the ball early on. Anquan Boldin showed why he was so well regarded early in his career, and Jacoby Jones made a number of big plays throughout the game. Joe Flacco, the game’s MVP, played a typical game for him in these playoffs, smart and efficient, minimizing mistakes. The Ravens could never seem to get the running game going though, I didn’t like how they seemed to run laterally rather than straight north and south. Ray Rice was held to only three yards per rush. Baltimore picked on 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver all day long, continuing to throw to his side of the field.
In the second half the 49ers began to really start moving the ball, Kaepernick scrambled very well, and made some really good throws, including one pass that probably should’ve been caught by Vernon Davis. The offensive line began to protect him a little better, and I liked the way San Francisco used different route combinations to work the middle of the field as well as the sidelines. The 49ers are typically very good when it comes to calling plays, but the play calling on their last three plays from scrimmage was very suspect. They threw it three straight times to Michael Crabtree. With three plays to work with, I think they should’ve used more of the middle of the field. Those three plays culminated in the controversial play involved with Crabtree at the end.
As I wrote last Friday, big plays and turnovers were going to be key in this game. The Ravens forced one more turnover, and had a special teams touchdown. Those plays may have ended up being the difference in the game. Baltimore scored a total of 14 points off of turnovers and special teams.
Lastly, if you’re wondering about whether or not the Ravens are truly better than the 49ers, consider this: before the playoffs began, most NFL fans would probably rank the Broncos, Patriots, and 49ers as the three best teams in the league, in some order. The Ravens beat all three of those teams consecutively, and didn’t play any of them in Baltimore.
