Sports: NFL Playoffs 2012/13 - Super Bowl XLVII
After a wild Championship Weekend, the contestants for Super Bowl XLVII have been set. The San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens will square off in a matchup headlined by head coaching brothers Jim and John Harbaugh.
The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome in the early game, coming back from an early 17-0 hole to win the game by a score of 28-24.
Then, in the late game, the Baltimore Ravens ran the New England Patriots out of their own building, winning convincingly by a score of 28-13.
This sets up an epic matchup for Super Bowl XLVII, and I want to take a look at key position where the teams have an edge.

San Francisco 49ers vs.

Baltimore RavensDate: February 3, 2013, 6:30 p.m. ET
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Quarterbacks (QBs) -
Colin Kaepernick didn’t shrink back under the bright lights of prime time. Posting an incredible 181 YDS and 2 TDs on the ground against the Green Bay Packers to go along with 263 YDS and 2 TDs through the air.
Then, in the biggest game of his life on the road in Atlanta, Kaepernick proved he can win games as a pure pocket passer, completing 16/21 passes for 233 YDS with 1 TD and 0 INTs against a defense that had forced 20 INTs during the regular season—tied with the New England Patriots for No. 5 in the NFL.
Joe Flacco is riding a hot streak right now and his success in the playoffs speaks for itself. Flacco has a playoff record of 8-4, and he’s getting better as the postseason wears on.
In his last four games, Flacco has thrown 8 TDs and 0 INTs, and his Ravens have won three of those four contests.
Advantage:

Ravens
- Defensive Line (D-Line) -
There aren’t many teams that feature as dominant of a defensive line as the 49ers.
Justin Smith, even with just one arm, is one of the most powerful interior linemen—both against the run and as a pass-rusher—in the NFL. Ray McDonald on the other side of the team’s 3-4 alignment is nearly as dominant, and the two of them both made Pro Football Focus’ top-10 for 3-4 defensive ends.
Isaac Sopoaga is a beast in the middle, as the team’s nose tackle, and this trio is tough to run against, as the 49ers’ No. 4-ranked run defense attests.
Haloti Ngata is one of the NFL’s premier defensive linemen, and when he’s healthy, he’s darn near impossible to stop.
Unfortunately, Ngata hasn’t been healthy for most of the year, and his counterparts on the line haven’t been able to pick up the slack.
The Ravens allowed nearly 2,000 YDS rushing in 2012, ranking No. 20 in the NFL. The team’s 15 rushing TDs allowed ranked No. 23 in the league, and what used to be one of the team’s biggest strengths is now an area of concern.
Advantage:

49ers
- Linebackers (LBs) -
The 49ers feature the most complete, most dominant group of linebackers in the NFL.
Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and Aldon Smith all made the AP’s first-team All-Pro team, and Ahmad Brooks made it on the second-team All-Pro team.
Smith and Brooks accounted for 26 sacks, and Brooks is one of the most underrated 3-4 outside linebackers in the league.
Willis and Bowman represent the most dynamic pair of inside linebackers in the league. It doesn’t matter which team they are up against, the 49ers will have the better linebacker corps.
Ray Lewis is one of the NFL’s greatest defenders of all time, but he’s no longer in his prime. Lewis’ leadership skills are unrivaled, but he isn’t the same player on the field as he was even two years ago.
Paul Kruger and Terrell Suggs bring excellent pressure off the edges, and rookie Courtney Upshaw is a player who may end up becoming great at some point, but the Ravens linebacker corps is one in transition.
If Lewis were a few years younger and if Suggs were fully healthy, this unit would challenge the 49ers. But now, it’s not close.
Advantage:

49ers
- Headcoaches (HCs) -
Jim Harbaugh has taken the 49ers back to the promised land after a dry period that saw more losing seasons than winners under Dennis Erickson, Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary.
His controversial decision to start Colin Kaepernick over Alex Smith has proven to be the right one, though the 49ers fanbase, local and national media were split on the topic for most of the latter part of the 2012 season.
Since becoming the team’s head coach, Harbaugh’s 49ers have gone 24-7-1 during the regular season and 3-1 in the playoffs.
John Harbaugh has taken the Ravens to the playoffs every single year since becoming the team’s head coach in 2008.
His team has gone 8-4 in that time, and there’s no doubting the fact that the Ravens are more battle-tested than the 49ers heading into Super Bowl XLVII.
Furthermore, John Harbaugh’s leadership style has proven to be a perfect match for Baltimore’s veteran-laden group, and at this point in his career, he is a step ahead of his younger brother.
Advantage:

Ravens
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- OVERALL -
There’s no doubt that Super Bowl XLVII will be a closely-contested battle the entire way. Super Bowl XLVII will come down to which team executes their game plan without making mistakes.
I’ll go with a Ravens win in what appeared to be the last game of Ray Lewis career.
Pick:

Ravens