Super Bowl Predictions

So, I’ve been back and forth a few times trying to pick a winner in this weekend Super Bowl.

I’ve been working to get my mind and my gut on the same page. I’ve watched the games, crunched the numbers and my gut says that this is the Ravens’ year. However, I’ve seen this team blow up so many times that I just can’t trust them to win it all, so I’m going with my mind on this one and am predicting that the 49ers will raise the Lombardi Trophy out of New Orleans as the champions of Super Bowl XLVII.

Final Score: San Francisco 21, Baltimore 17.

Let’s break it down….
San Francisco has won their last seven games using a different offensive strategy in each. They’re running, they’re passing, it’s Kaepernick, it’s Gore, it’s Crabtree, it’s Davis….you just don’t know. They don’t have a lot of weapons (unless you think Randy Moss is the greatest receiver of all time), but the weapons they do have are dangerous. If something is not working offensively for the Niners, they can adjust their strategy mid-game and still be successful.

The Ravens’ defense is still good, but they may have trouble stopping San Fran’s running game.

Baltimore will be facing a mobile quarterback in Colin Kaepernick. They faced Washington’s RG3 in week 14 and had a lot of trouble stopping him. I have no doubt that Baltimore will be focusing their defense on stopping Kaepernick, however, Baltimore has been successful this season due in part to their blitz-heavy defense. If the Ravens’ stick with this defensive plan, San Francisco will use the read option against them and either Gore or Kaepernick will have a field day. If you watched the Atlanta game, they tried to read the option a number of times….focusing their efforts on Kaepernick and each time got burned by Frank Gore.

Baltimore’s offense revolves around the play of Joe Flacco. When Flacco doesn’t turn the ball over, he’s great (7-0 record in the postseason) when he does (1-3). So far he hasn’t thrown an interception during this postseason. That will change on Sunday. All this talk about Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Baltimore’s veteran defense, sometimes you forget how good the 49ers defense is.

Remember, San Fran shut down two great offenses in Atlanta and Green Bay to get to the Super Bowl. The Ravens’ offense does not come close to either of those teams.

The Ravens’ receiving corps are definitely stronger (I’ll take Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, and Jacoby Jones all day over Mario Manningham, Michael Crabtree and Randy Moss), but the 49ers will put pressure on Flacco and will shut down Ray Rice early.

I’m sick of the media’s constant attention on how Baltimore has so much to play for — Lewis’s “last-ride”, Owner, Art Modell passing away earlier this year, Torrey Smith still playing with a heavy heart after the losing his brother, the possibility that it’s Ed Reed’s last game….. the list could go on. Maybe this is why my gut still says that Baltimore may win this game. However, if I were to trust my gut every time, I would be eating a big bowl of ice cream right now……actually, that sounds good……enjoy the Super Bowl everyone!

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