Super Bowl XLVII – Review
We hear at UKAmericanSportsFans.com are willing to take a guess that if you have ever visited this website, then you are certain to know what the Super Bowl is, and probably reading this, know what kind of Super Bowl it was last night!
Plenty of us stayed up Sunday night until the REALLY early hours to watch Baltimore Ravens claim the victory in the longest ever Super Bowl in history, including Mike White and Gary Jordan. Here Mike and Gary bring you a short round up and what expectations now rest on the shoulders of the newly crowned champions.
Wow, what a game.
It had everything: a fast start, fights, a fake field goal, a 108 yard kick return, a power outage, an amazing comeback, some huge hits and a brilliant finish. Super Bowl XLVII could go down as one of the most entertaining, surprising, enthralling games in NFL history, and was a fantastic illustration of everything that is great about this sport we love.
There were some huge performances: from Ravens QB and MVP Joe Flacco, receiver/kick returner Jacoby Jones and legendary safety Ed Reed, who played one of the best games I’ve seen him play in years. But although Baltimore prevailed, let’s not forget the big time play of some San Francisco 49’ers who played a massive part in making this game so great, like QB Colin Kaepernick who, in his 10th career start, played a sensational second half to drag his team kicking and screaming back into a game that looked like getting away from the Niners at 28-6, and was so close to one of the greatest comebacks in all sporting history.
However, my MVP would have been Anquan Boldin. The unrivalled passion and desire he showed in attacking the ball in the air saved Joe Flacco at least two interceptions after he had been flushed out of the pocket and threw speculative bombs. His deep catches under pressure kept Baltimore’s offensive momentum going, and his 104 yards and a TD was not enough reward for the impact the physical veteran wideout had on the game.
But once again, as is so often in the biggest game of them all, the key plays in the end were made on defense; and specifically with two minutes to go, where the Ravens, with their backs against the wall, stood tall against the San Francisco offense. Whether 49’ers WR Michael Crabtree was held or not on 4th and goal is a call that will be debated for months to come, but all the credit goes to Baltimore for holding firm when the championship was on the line.
So, despite the game having a total of 65 points in it, it seems the saying ‘defense wins championships’ is still true, and seeing a defensive legend like Ray Lewis end his career with the Lombardi in his grasp and tears in his eyes was a memory I won’t forget in a hurry. Neither was the sight of the two brothers, head coaches on opposite sides, one victorious, one vanquished, embracing in the middle of the field as everything went crazy around them: an incredible story.
This Ravens victory also adds further weight to the theory that the regular season means nothing when it comes to the cut and thrust of the playoffs. Yet again the teams who looked ‘great’ in the regular season fell by the wayside, and a team who hit form just at the right time went all the way. This year, the Baltimore Ravens were the team to step up to the plate under the biggest pressure of all, and won when it mattered most.
Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens, Super Bowl XLVII Champions. Roll on next season!
(Mike White)
Having to repeat in any professional sport is tough, especially in an age of parity. This something that the new Super Bowl champions Baltimore Ravens have now got to try and accomplish. History in the NFL is against them, only eight teams have ever achieved it; the last being eight years ago. It’s also that long since a Super Bowl champ has gone beyond the Divisional Round in the post-season.
The odds then are stacked against the Ravens, they are now the bullseye that everyone wants to hit. When you are the champion everyone wants to knock you off your lofty perch. They will of course have to do it without a certain linebacker, and perhaps some more of the team will part ways before next September.
Head Coach John Harbaugh will be savouring every moment over the next few days, but how long will it be before he’s back in his office plotting next years title defence? It really is an all year job now. The scouting combine is just two short weeks away, then they will be evaluating this years college crop, before it’s time to call the roster back for training camp.
Next seasons opponents are already known, not the actual schedule order, but even so it does give the Ravens a glimpse into how difficult their path back into January post-season play will be. Their opponents have a combined record of 114-94 from this past season, including eight games against playoff teams from the season just gone. Two of those are against their division rival Cincinnati Bengals, they host New England, Green Bay, Minnesota and Houston, so home will have to be a fortress, On the road they got to Denver, and also go to Chicago who narrowly missed out this year.
The rest of the schedule will be formed of the two other division foes Cleveland and Pittsburgh, hosting the New York Jets, and going on the road to Buffalo, Miami and Detroit. It’s a well worn cliché now, that it’s not how you start, but how you finish. So many of the recent winners have peaked at just the right time. A fast start is good but not essential, just ask Houston and Atlanta.
There’s no need to rain on the Ravens parade, they haven’t even had it yet, but it’s hard to see them repeating the magnificent triumphs they had these past few weeks.
(Gary Jordan)
