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So, in case you haven't heard, this is the first time in NFL history that two brothers will be facing eachother in the Super Bowl. As far as I'm concerned, keep the "clever" nicknames to yourselves, but so it goes.
Super Bowl Coverage:
Matchup: Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers
Date: Today, February 3, 2013
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana
Kickoff Time: 6:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM CT
Live Stream (Yes, Legal!): CBS.com starting at 6 PM ET
TV: CBS (BBC, Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and CTV in Canada. A full list of international broadcasters is available here.)
SBN Blogs: Baltimore Beatdown | Niners Nation
You can check out my previews of the teams in The Red Corner and The Blue Corner. Or maybe that should have been the Purple corner, but boxing rings don't have purple corners, so, yeah.
Ray Lewis' swan song ends in a near-storybook fashion, playing (and potentially winning) in his second Super Bowl, but the Ravens' defense will be tested against Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, and the self-proclaimed best wide receiver to ever play the game, ever, throughout history (I don't mean Rickey Henderson). And the Niners' defense isn't bad either, and probably just as loaded with talent, headed by Patrick Willis in the middle and Navorro Bowman alongside.
If the Ravens do this...: Joe Flacco's been on the outskirts of the (admittedly overrated) "elite quarterback" discussion, but can reignite those discussions with another good performance today. The move to Jim Caldwell got Ray Rice more touches, and Rice has been really good, but if the Ravens are going to win, Joe Flacco needs to have himself a game.
If the Niners do this...: Aldon Smith had 19.5 sacks this season. The problem? He's had 19.5 sacks since game 13 of the regular season. And he's questionable in tonight's game with a shoulder injury. If he plays, he needs to get going against the Ravens' offensive line. Offensively, Colin Kaepernick's versatility has added a new dimension to the Niners' offense, but Frank Gore is still at the forefront of their offense. If Gore starts off well, Kaepernick will have a huge game.
The Pick: So I've been asked a couple times from various people outside of the site what my prediction is for tonight... So I've got to give the same answer here. My pick for tonight is the Niners. Certainly not in a blowout; I just think overall their offense is better set to succeed against the Ravens' defense than the Ravens' offense against the Niners' defense.