Superbowl XLVII Preview - 3rd February 2013

Finally, it is here once again. The Superbowl! This time, it takes place in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, and the teams are the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. Here’s my preview of the big game.

Superbowl Sunday

Baltimore Ravens vs San Francisco 49ers – Ravens win

For the first time in a Superbowl, two head coaches, that are also brothers, will go against each other. Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers and John Harbaugh of the Ravens will go against each other for the first time since the 2011 Thanksgiving game, which the Ravens won 16-6. I’ve got a feeling the Superbowl will create a similar result.

If it does, what a way it would be for Ravens OLB Ray Lewis to retire. He’s already got a Superbowl ring from back when the Ravens won it in their first and only trip to the Superbowl in the 2000 season. This however, will be his last game ever and to go out with another Superbowl ring on his finger is the script of a Hollywood movie. This possibility will drive the rest of the Ravens squad to help him achieve it.

Ravens OLB Ray Lewis - 

Doug Pensinger/Getty Image

However, the 49ers have a 100% record in the Superbowl, winning five out of the five times they have been there. Their last Superbowl win though was back in the 1994 season, when NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young was QB. If they win their sixth Superbowl title, they’ll match the Pittsburgh Steelers with the most ever Superbowl wins.

One man who will want to win the Superbowl more than ever, is Ravens QB Joe Flacco. He can prove to his critics that he should be in the class of elite QBs with a win on the big stage on Superbowl Sunday. He will be hoping he can add more touchdowns to the eight he has already earned in his last three playoff games, therefore WRs Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith need to be on form. RB Ray Rice will also need to be on form too, to make sure the offense line stays aggressive.

Ravens QB Joe Flacco celebrating 

- AP Photo-Charles Krupa

The 49ers defense trio of Patrick Willis, NaVarro Bowman and Aldon Smith will do everything they can to stop Flacco from releasing the ball. If Flacco manages to get the ball off though, the 49ers secondary including CB Tarell Brown, DB Chris Culliver and FS Dashon Goldson will be the last line of defense to stop the Ravens getting any 21 unanswered points like they did against the New England Patriots.

49ers ILB Patrick Willis (no. 52)
 - Kevin C. Cox-Getty Images

On the offense side for the 49ers is QB Colin Kaepernick. The 2^nd year QB has been fantastic since taking over QB Alex Smith as starter earlier this season. Expect him to use the option plays which came alive against the Packers earlier in the playoffs being used once again. RB Frank Gore, WR Michael Crabtree and TE Vernon Davis will be helping him out, as the 49ers will want to catch out the Ravens defense anyway possible.

49ers QB Colin Kaepernick (no. 7)

 - Kevin C. Cox-Getty Images

In Kaepernick’s and the 49ers way though, is a Ravens defense that wants to give Lewis the best sending off for retirement ever. FS Ed Reed and CBs Cary Williams and Corey Graham will be hoping to stop anything coming into the secondary. Hoping to stop the ball from ever reaching the secondary are Lewis, ILB Dannell Ellerbe and OLB Terrell Suggs. Collectively the whole Ravens defense will want to repeat a similar performance like they did against the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.

AFC Champions: Baltimore Ravens

Four out of the last five Superbowls have been won by six points or less (only exception is Superbowl XLIV where the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts by 14 points), so expect another tight and exciting game.

This is also the first time since Superbowl XXXVII that a Manning, Brady or Roethlisberger hasn’t featured in the Superbowl, showing the rise of a new era of QBs.

My score-line prediction:

Baltimore Ravens 28-21 San Francisco 49ers

The Superbowl will kick off at 6:30pm ET (11:30pm GMT) on 3^rd February. Alicia Keys will be singing the national anthem and Beyoncé will be performing in the Pepsi Superbowl Half time show. Watch out for the Superbowl commercials too.

twitter - @ConorJPorter