Five
thoughts as we close out Super Bowl week and get set for the San Francisco
49ers and Baltimore Ravens to square off in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans on
Sunday (and yes, we have a prediction):
1) The brother of all press
conferences.
Did you catch the presser Friday morning with Jim Harbaugh and John
Harbaugh? Great move by the NFL to switch up the traditional Friday plan in
which the two Super Bowl head coaches hold their final media availabilities in
separate pressers at the media center.
Pretty
cool, eh? But here’s the thing: Why can’t they do that every year? Think about
how cool it would have been last year if Bill
Belichick and Tom Coughlin were
sitting next to each other as they faced the media together. (Or next year,
when it will be John Fox and Pete Carroll.) C’mon, NFL, let’s make
this happen.
2) Moss ado about nothing. It doesn’t take much to
throw NFL writers, bloggers and talking heads into a frenzy. That was never in
question, but Randy Moss just hammered
it home.
It’s
one thing to report on the fact that Moss declared himself the best wide
receiver of all-time at Media Day. And it’s okay to take him seriously. But
it’s ludicrous to take Moss’ comment and use it to launch into a lengthy
statistic and analytical breakdown on the subject.
While
Moss might very well be the second-best receiver of all time (because he is),
he’s not worthy of Jerry Rice.
Simple. Done. So many great stories and angles were either overshadowed or just
ignored in favor of piling on the Moss remarks. What a waste.
3) Social misfits. I’ve always enjoyed
following my old friends from the NFL media world on Twitter, but this week has
been tough. More than gaining solid insight into the game, this week’s Twitter
experience has been all about seeing and hearing who is dining at what famous
N’Awlins establishment or gallivanting down Bourbon Street. Am I jealous? Yes,
I am. I’m also intrigued about what Twitter will have in store for us next
year, when the Super Bowl comes to the New York area. With so many varied opportunities
in Manhattan, I fully expect more interesting food choices, celebrity sightings
and questionable nightlife decisions to be broadcast via Twiiter next year.
4) Most underplayed stat. Between the Harbaughs, Ray Lewis, Colin Kaepernick and Joe
Flacco, there wasn’t much room to focus on lower-profile players who could
make a big impact in this game, but the one player we oughta keep an eye on
Sunday is Jacoby Jones. The Ravens
led the NFL with an average of 27.3 yards per kickoff return. Jones averaged
30.7 yards per return and scored twice. And considering the fact that John
Harbaugh was a special teams coordinator before taking the job as Ravens head
coach, it’s fair to think this game could be decided on special teams.
5) And the winner is… When the Super Bowl matchup
was set two weeks ago, I felt the 49ers would be solid pick. I started to hedge
earlier this week and now I’m solidly picking the Ravens. Here are the reasons
why:
• Colin
Kaepernick is and will continue to be an exciting and successful NFL
quarterback. But still, this is just his 10th career start – and the
first time anyone has had two weeks to prepare for him. The Ravens defense is
not the dominant force it once was, but I expect them to capitalize on facing a
relatively inexperienced QB. There will be turnovers, and I anticipate at least
one defensive touchdown for Baltimore.
•
It’s not so much that the Ravens are a team of destiny; it’s that the Ravens
players believe they are a team of
destiny.
•
Groan if you want about this one, but it’s legit: The 49ers are 5-0 in the
Super Bowl. Simply put: They are due for a loss.
The pick: Ravens 24, 49ers
14
