Ravens over 49ers 34-31

Christopher Howard, Sports Writer
February 8, 2013
Filed under Sports

Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens did just enough to win one of the most captivating Super Bowls in recent history against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Ravens entered halftime with a 15-point lead but the 49ers came roaring back after a power outage delayed play for over 30 minutes.

San Francisco went off for 17 unanswered points after a 108-yard Kickoff Return by Ravens player, Jacoby Jones. Ray Lewis and Company, though, were able to put together enough stop to squeak out a 34-31 victory.

The game featured multiple storylines including the retiring Ray Lewis’ last hurrah and the emergence of QB Joe Flacco as an elite player.

Flacco has been criticized throughout his career for being the only thing holding the Ravens back from winning a title. This season, he has proven his maturity as a QB by defeating Hall of Famers Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in consecutive games.

Perhaps the biggest storyline coming in to the game was the story of brother versus brother between head coaches John and Jim Harbaugh. Older brother John proved to have a better team to Jim, who is 15 months his junior.

Both sides had their highlights. WR Michael Crabtree of the 49ers broke multiple tackles en route to a 31-yard touchdown reception. The 49ers also showed up on defense when they forced a Ray Rice fumble that led to a score. The biggest play of the night, though, had to be Jones’ Super Bowl record return for a touchdown.