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Harbaugh brothers set up Super Bowl clash
Source: Agencies |
January 22, 2013, Tuesday
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THIS Super Bowl will be filled with firsts - and one significant last.
The Harbaughs, San Francisco's Jim and Baltimore's John, will be the first pair of brothers to coach against each other in the National Football League title game.
Quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers and Joe Flacco of the Ravens will be playing in their first Super Bowl.
It will be Baltimore's first crack at a championship in a dozen years, San Francisco's first in 18. They are a combined 6-0 in Super Bowls (the 49ers own five of those victories), so one club will lose the big game for the first time.
And middle linebacker Ray Lewis, Baltimore's emotional leader and top tackler, will be playing in the final game of his 17-year career before heading into retirement. "This is our time," Lewis pronounced.
For all of those story lines, none is expected to command as much attention as Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh. The game in New Orleans on February 3 was quickly given all manner of nicknames: The Brother Bowl. The Harbaugh Bowl. The Har-Bowl. The Super-Baugh.
As John prepared to coach the Ravens in the AFC championship game on Sunday night, he watched on the stadium's video screen as Jim's 49ers wrapped up the NFC championship.
John looked into a nearby TV camera, smiled broadly and said: "Hey, Jim, congratulations. You did it. You're a great coach. Love you."
Less than four hours later, the Ravens won, too.
Who's a parent to cheer for?
During the 2011 season, the Harbaughs became the only brothers to coach against each other in any NFL game (the Ravens beat the 49ers 16-6 then).
NFC West champions 49ers opened as 5-point favorites, seeking a record-tying sixth Super Bowl to add to those won by Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young.
Lewis was the MVP when AFC North champions Ravens beat the New York Giants in 2001.
With Kaepernick's terrific passing - he was 16 of 21 for 233 yards and a touchdown in only his ninth career NFL start - and two TD runs by Frank Gore, San Francisco erased a 17-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 on Sunday.
Baltimore then fashioned a comeback of its own, scoring the last 21 points to defeat the New England Patriots 28-13, thanks in large part to Flacco's three second-half touchdown tosses, two to Anquan Boldin. Lewis and the rest of Baltimore's defense limited the high-scoring Patriots to one touchdown.
In the often risk-averse NFL, each Harbaugh made a critical change late in the regular season in a bid to boost his team's postseason chances. Clearly, both moves worked.
After 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, the starter in last season's overtime NFC title game loss to the Giants, got a concussion, Jim switched to Kaepernick for Week 11 - and never switched back. Now San Francisco has its first three-game winning streak of the season, at precisely the right time.
Baltimore, meanwhile, was in the midst of a three-game losing streak when John fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and promoted quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell to replace him.
The Harbaughs, San Francisco's Jim and Baltimore's John, will be the first pair of brothers to coach against each other in the National Football League title game.
Quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers and Joe Flacco of the Ravens will be playing in their first Super Bowl.
It will be Baltimore's first crack at a championship in a dozen years, San Francisco's first in 18. They are a combined 6-0 in Super Bowls (the 49ers own five of those victories), so one club will lose the big game for the first time.
And middle linebacker Ray Lewis, Baltimore's emotional leader and top tackler, will be playing in the final game of his 17-year career before heading into retirement. "This is our time," Lewis pronounced.
For all of those story lines, none is expected to command as much attention as Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh. The game in New Orleans on February 3 was quickly given all manner of nicknames: The Brother Bowl. The Harbaugh Bowl. The Har-Bowl. The Super-Baugh.
As John prepared to coach the Ravens in the AFC championship game on Sunday night, he watched on the stadium's video screen as Jim's 49ers wrapped up the NFC championship.
John looked into a nearby TV camera, smiled broadly and said: "Hey, Jim, congratulations. You did it. You're a great coach. Love you."
Less than four hours later, the Ravens won, too.
Who's a parent to cheer for?
During the 2011 season, the Harbaughs became the only brothers to coach against each other in any NFL game (the Ravens beat the 49ers 16-6 then).
NFC West champions 49ers opened as 5-point favorites, seeking a record-tying sixth Super Bowl to add to those won by Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young.
Lewis was the MVP when AFC North champions Ravens beat the New York Giants in 2001.
With Kaepernick's terrific passing - he was 16 of 21 for 233 yards and a touchdown in only his ninth career NFL start - and two TD runs by Frank Gore, San Francisco erased a 17-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 on Sunday.
Baltimore then fashioned a comeback of its own, scoring the last 21 points to defeat the New England Patriots 28-13, thanks in large part to Flacco's three second-half touchdown tosses, two to Anquan Boldin. Lewis and the rest of Baltimore's defense limited the high-scoring Patriots to one touchdown.
In the often risk-averse NFL, each Harbaugh made a critical change late in the regular season in a bid to boost his team's postseason chances. Clearly, both moves worked.
After 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, the starter in last season's overtime NFC title game loss to the Giants, got a concussion, Jim switched to Kaepernick for Week 11 - and never switched back. Now San Francisco has its first three-game winning streak of the season, at precisely the right time.
Baltimore, meanwhile, was in the midst of a three-game losing streak when John fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and promoted quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell to replace him.
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