11/21/24
February 03, 2013
Ravens Power Past 49ers to Win Super Bowl: The Baltimore Ravens took a 28-6 lead over the San Francisco 49ers and held on for a 34-31 victory in Super Bowl 0x2F. After Jacoby Jones ran the second half opening kickoff back 108 yards to give the Ravens that 22-point lead, it looked like it was lights out for the 49ers. But then half of the New Orleans Superdome lights went out for 30 minutes, and after the delay was over, San Francisco lit up the Baltimore defense for two quick touchdowns to pull to within 8. They later closed the gap to 31-29.
I think Jacoby Jones probably should have gotten the MVP nod. Flacco going 22-33 is pretty impressive, but otherwise his numbers aren't anything crazy, especially since that Jones touchdown was almost all Jones.
posted by LionIndex at 12:52 AM on February 04, 2013
2011
Eli Manning: "I'm an elite quarterback."
Press and pundits: "Har har har! You be talking crazy!"
Eli Manning leads his underdog team to the Super Bowl and wins MVP.
2012
Joe Flacco: "I'm an elite quarterback."
Press and pundits: "Har har har! You be talking crazy!"
Joe Flacco leads his underdog team to the Super Bowl and wins MVP.
Who announces they are "elite" in 2013?
Matt Ryan?
Matt Schaub?
Andy Daulton?
Tony Romo?
posted by grum@work at 01:10 AM on February 04, 2013
Everytime I see Ray Lewis celebrate, a little DMX voice in my head blurts out "MURRRDA" and I pretend he is holding the trophy and making a stabbing motion with it.
posted by phaedon at 01:16 AM on February 04, 2013
Everytime I see Ray Lewis celebrate, a little DMX voice in my head blurts out "MURRRDA"
That actually would be Ja Rule screaming "MURRRDA". DMX would growl or bark.
posted by BornIcon at 05:47 AM on February 04, 2013
What was Jim Harbaugh doing at the end of the first half? His team is trailing by a wide margin and his play calling went out the window. Get the first down on 3rd and 2, then give yourself a shot or two at the end zone before attempting a field goal. A touchdown there could have been a huge difference.
Not to mention a touchdown and extra point there would have meant $1,000 in my pocket.
posted by dyams at 06:02 AM on February 04, 2013
Who announces they are "elite" in 2013?
Brady Quinn.
posted by NoMich at 06:12 AM on February 04, 2013
I think Jacoby Jones probably should have gotten the MVP nod.
I agree. And on the Niners side, it seemed like Delanie Walker was everywhere on offense and special teams doing the kind of heavy lifting that won't get you an MVP but still...
Some great blocking and tackling.
posted by beaverboard at 08:17 AM on February 04, 2013
Walker's block on Ed Reed on the Gore TD run was devastating!
posted by bender at 08:46 AM on February 04, 2013
I think Jacoby Jones probably should have gotten the MVP nod. Flacco going 22-33 is pretty impressive, but otherwise his numbers aren't anything crazy, especially since that Jones touchdown was almost all Jones.
I have to agree - as good as Flacco was this postseason, his zero picks stat is only that way because Boldin was stronger or smarter than the corner covering him on a couple of occasions, including that awful 30 yard heave down the sidelines in the first half.
If the corner had've been at all aware the ball was there, that was a likely pick as Boldin had to curl back to even get it. Jones and Boldin were the big difference makers.
posted by dfleming at 08:58 AM on February 04, 2013
Jacoby Jones probably should have gotten the MVP nod
Yep.
The biggest offensive plays for the Ravens were made by Jones and Boldin making good plays on desperation heaves by Flacco. Give Flacco credit for knowing his guys had a shot and putting the ball in the general area.
Conversely Kaepernick had a few great throws missed by his receivers. And attempting to connect with Randy Moss on a crossing route has always and continues to be a recipie for disaster .. scratching my head at how that play made it into the gameplan.
posted by cixelsyd at 10:07 AM on February 04, 2013
Hope the Ravens gave Jim Caldwell a game ball. Their offense was DOA until he took over.
posted by beaverboard at 10:27 AM on February 04, 2013
Randy Moss looked like he didn't want to be there. I'm not surprised because it's Randy but it was strange to see at a Super Bowl.
posted by tron7 at 11:05 AM on February 04, 2013
Jacobi Jones deserved the MVP with 262 total yards (56 receiving, 206 returning) and two touchdowns.
posted by rcade at 11:29 AM on February 04, 2013
The biggest offensive plays for the Ravens were made by Jones and Boldin making good plays on desperation heaves by Flacco.
The Jones throw wasn't desperation - he had two steps on a receiver way down the field and the ball was delivered nearly perfectly. That's Flacco's speciality - stepping up in the pocket and firing the ball down the field.
The Boldin throw was the kind of thing Mark Sanchez does - unfortunately for him, he doesn't have a guy like Boldin to make good out of it. Boldin's so good at not tipping off the corner that the ball is coming until the last possible second which is why Culliver looked so clueless on a pickable ball.
posted by dfleming at 11:52 AM on February 04, 2013
he had two steps on a receiver way down the field and the ball was delivered nearly perfectly
On Jones's TD? Jones had the db beat and the ball was underthrown by about 10 yards. Jones dove back to catch the ball. Flacco's other TD throws were on the money. But the biggest passing plays were all balls that required the Ravens receivers to win, which they did.
posted by cixelsyd at 12:01 PM on February 04, 2013
Here's video of the Jones touchdown. He was so underthrown he had to stop to catch it and fell down.
Incidentally, did his foot graze the defender's foot in that slo-mo replay at the end? Looks like it to me.
posted by rcade at 12:30 PM on February 04, 2013
Yep, if Flacco had hit Jones in stride, Jones wouldn't have had to juke/outrun out half the defense to get the TD. He already had Culliver beat, had to come back for the ball, then make some other guy look stupid, then smoke Culliver all over again. We were tremendously upset later in the game when they'd show little blip highlights coming out of commercials or whatever, and they'd just show Jones getting into the endzone, and not the whole part leading up to that where he basically beats 4 players (counting Culliver twice).
posted by LionIndex at 12:42 PM on February 04, 2013
Didn't Flacco have to chuck that about 60 yards though?
posted by NoMich at 01:04 PM on February 04, 2013
Yeah, and I don't mean to make an argument that Flacco had a bad game or anything by any means when I'm saying that Jones should have gotten the MVP. Flacco had a great game. But that play by Jones was ridiculous, and it seems odd to credit Flacco with 3 TDs for the game when that one TD was primarily Jones' doing.
I'm just basically saying that Flacco played an A game; Jones played A+.
posted by LionIndex at 01:13 PM on February 04, 2013
Yes, but ... Properly covered and being underthrown like that normally results in an interception. Niners safety blew the coverage and Jones made a huge play on the ball.
Flacco was solid. Jones was outstanding.
posted by cixelsyd at 01:19 PM on February 04, 2013
Didn't Flacco have to chuck that about 60 yards though?
About 50-52 it looked like on replay.
posted by tommybiden at 01:30 PM on February 04, 2013
I'm just basically saying that Flacco played an A game; Jones played A+.
Unfortunately, the only way a QB is not going to win the Super Bowl MVP is if they play a C game. I mean, shit, look at Eli's first Super Bowl. How can you make a case, with a straight face, that he deserved that award when the Giants won because the d-line kept Brady on his ass all game long?
posted by NoMich at 02:05 PM on February 04, 2013
Unless there's a specific member of that line who deserves to be singled out for credit, doesn't that help Eli's case?
posted by rcade at 03:09 PM on February 04, 2013
I suppose. It also could be that I'm just a hater.
posted by NoMich at 03:34 PM on February 04, 2013
Eli looks like a pretty elite quarterback here in Jacksonville. Tony too.
posted by rcade at 04:04 PM on February 04, 2013
Eli made some unbelievable throws in both bowl victories under big defensive pressure. He was clearly the better QB on the field in both games.
I'm a Niners fan, but I don't think Flacco outplayed Kaepernick in this one. Nor do I think he made the same types of clutch throws that Eli did.
posted by cixelsyd at 04:08 PM on February 04, 2013
posted by rcade at 05:03 PM on February 04, 2013
This result just makes me more upset with Rahim Moore. I've been thinking about it and it might be the biggest gaffe in NFL history, at least through my orange tinged glasses. Has there been a more costly and easily avoidable mistake? The Fumble and the Eagles picking up a 4th and 30-something against the Packers is as close as I could get.
posted by tron7 at 05:31 PM on February 04, 2013
Brett Favre's interception in the 2010 NFC championship game is bigger because it was closer to the Super Bowl.
He had 2-5 yards of running room ahead of him and a timeout. The ball would've been anywhere from the 36 to the 33, which were within kicker Ryan Longwell's range for a go-ahead kick with under 20 seconds remaining.
Instead, he tosses a gift to the Saints and they go on to win.
posted by rcade at 06:05 PM on February 04, 2013
Yeah, that's right up there. Being in the Championship game probably means there's more weight riding on it. There was still some work to do in that game, though. Assuming Favre got it down to the 33, Longwell at 24/39 is 62% from 50+ in his career. The Vikings, at that point, would have been very likely to win the game, over 80% chance. The Broncos were at 97.2% probability of winning the game before they were Rahimed.
On edit: Here's the Win Probability from the Favre game.
On edit edit: That same website has the Ravens Win Probability at .02! And now they're Super Bowl champs. Damn.
posted by tron7 at 06:47 PM on February 04, 2013
On edit edit: That same website has the Ravens Win Probability at .02! And now they're Super Bowl champs. Damn.
And that's why we love sports. Anything crazy that can happen, will. Gotta love it.
posted by NoMich at 08:01 PM on February 04, 2013
Now I'm wondering if a team has ever been that close to elimination and went on to win the title. If not, shouldn't the play have a nickname or something? 'The Bomb' or 'Rahim's Brainfart' or 'The Stupidest Fucking Thing I've Ever Seen'
posted by tron7 at 10:53 PM on February 04, 2013
Lights out indeed