49ers player, Michael Crabtree, fails to catch the ball in the endzone, a make-or-break situation for the 49ers loss in the Super Bowl.
By: Darra Loganzo
Any San Francisco 49ers fan watching the Super Bowl this past Sunday during the first half may have gotten up to have a snack break as the opposing fans nudged and laughed at them for the atrocious playing of the San Francisco 49ers.
However, the second half of the game revealed a stunning turnaround, where their original 21-6 slack was transformed into a teeth-chattering, gut-wrenching close scoreboard of 34-29.
All the 49ers needed was a touchdown which made fans wait on the edge of their seats in the last 11 seconds of the last play of the game. Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers’ quarterback, made a throw to Michael Crabtree in the endzone….but to no avail.
Millions of fans either groaned or cheered at the last play because it decided the Baltimore Ravens as winner of Super Bowl XLVII. The Baltimore Ravens held their Lombardi Trophy high under the confetti. But the next morning, after the stadium has been cleared and swept clean, a single question remained.
Can the Ravens Do It Again?
Many 49ers fans will point to their spectacular 22-point comeback as evident of their strong offensive strategy and motivation to prevail. Frank Gore commented with, “I’m not going to promise anything next year, but we’re going to fight to get back here.”
And Gore might get that chance, after all.
According to Las Vegas odd makers, they predict the San Fransisco 49ers to have better odds than the Baltimore Ravens of winning next year’s superbowl, with the 49ers having an 8/1 odds to the Ravens’ 14/1 odds.
Although the game ended in a 34-31 win for the Baltimore Ravens, there are a number of different factors that would affect next season’s games, and suggest the 49ers can hold the lead over the Ravens.
First off, the Super Bowl will hold the conference champions at the Met Life next February, an outdoor field in the peak of the winter. Therefore, people questioned if the Ravens would be well-prepared for the weather after being used to the conditions of their colder hometown. It also questionif more fans are willing to come and support their team if the stadium is merely three hours away.
Furthermore, the 49ers are not losing any major players, at most only receiver Randy Moss. However, next season, the Ravens will not have their star linebacker next season: Ray Lewis, (Number 52). At 37 years old, Lewis retired his 17-year career with two Superbowl wins in the 2000 and 2012 seasons. Therefore, the Ravens will be forced to utilize Super Bowl MVP quarterback Joe Flacco more next season.
Lastly, Baltimore’s linebacker Terrell Suggs and Lardarius Webb will return to the Ravens after their injuries this past season.
After the narrow loss of the Super Bowl Champion title, Kaepernick claims he will only remember this season “as not being good enough.”
Looking forward, the Ravens and 49ers have three hundred and fifty eight days of preparation and anticipation to face each other in a re-match of this close game.
This time, in the first outdoor Super Bowl in the North.
