Hopefully it will be a good game. The Niners have the edge in every offense/defense run/pass category except when the Niners pass on offense. Jim Harbaugh has already done an amazing job turning the Niners around from a mediocre team only two years ago. If the Niners win, Jim Harbaugh will have in two years taken a 6-10 mediocre team to becoming Super Bowl Champions. This will have EXCEEDED the speed of Bill Walsh and Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers who did the same thing in three years. However, the team Harbaugh took over wasn’t as bad as the teams the year previous to Walsh (Niners were 2-14 the previous year) or Vince Lombardi (Packers were 1-10-1 the previous year). OK, let’s not count our chickens before they’re hatched. Niners still have to win this one. They should.
BTW, it’s been a good year for my predictions – running at 70% this year (and 57% over the last seven years – not too shabby).
SF As against Atlanta, the Niners need to RUN (#4 in NFL) more than pass (#23 in the NFL). Running the ball effectively (they were 5 yards per carry average against Atlanta) should open up the passing game. If the Niners get happy feet and start passing too much, they could get into trouble. Ball control on offense will be a key to victory for SF. The Niners defense should stop the mediocre Ravens offense. SF defense is #2 in the NFL in points and #4 against both the run and the pass in YDG.
Ravens The Ravens, like Atlanta, is a hard team to figure. In the regular season, among NFL teams, they were 10th in offense and 12th in defense (based on points). Yet somehow they beat NE (I guess there were a lot of NE injuries). Somehow their somewhat average defense stopped the #1 offense in the NFL. The Ravens also took advantage of NE’s 3rd worst pass defense in the NFL.
Projected winner: SF
How I hope you are right. (and I won’t even be watching the dang game)
“The Niners defense should stop the mediocre Ravens offense. SF defense is #2 in the NFL in points and #4 against both the run and the pass in YDG.”
LOL
Here was my posted Breakdown:
Ravens -4 are a great Value.
Here is what the Vegas gurus aren’t considering:
This is a different team than played earlier in the year.
1. Flacco has been more effective due to ridding the team of Cam Cameron as Offensive Coordinator.
2. Flipping Oher to RT and putting McKennie at LT has been huge for pass protection and the running game.
3. A.Boldin has been on fire late season and in the playoffs. Veteran stepping up.
4. The emergence of RB Pierce to go with Ray Rice.
5. Moving the sticks with the short passing game (less Cam Cameron plus Caldwell) keeps the older Ravens Defense rested.
6. Kaepernick has played great, but Ed Reed, Kreuger and the confusing Baltimore 3-4 give an even money probabililty that Kaepernick throws 2-3 interceptions.
Take the 4 points with the Ravens.