Sunday, February 3, 2013
Live-Blogging the Super Bowl
The Ravens have jumped out to a 7-0 lead with 10:36 left in the first quarter. As usual, I'm watching with the sound turned down, and listening to the action as described by the excellent BBC Radio team. If we have anything more to say, it will be in the comments.
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The BBC tells us that Colin Kaepernick weighs 16 and one half stones.
ReplyDeleteThe Niners drive to the Baltimore 8, but their drive stalls and they kick a field goal to make the score 7-3.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen "The Big Bang Theory," and I'm surprised that it's apparently so popular.
ReplyDeleteThe BBC announcers are Darren Fletcher, a British guy who is very good at play-by-play, and Rocky Boiman, a former linebacker with the Titans, Colts, Steelers, and Chiefs. They're both very good.
ReplyDeleteThe BBC guys tell us that they are right next to the Hungarian announcers, and that one of the Hungarians apparently brought his mother into the booth.
ReplyDeleteGood for the Hungarian announcer!
DeleteBaltimore got down to the San Francisco 34, but the Niners defense shoved the Ravens back to the SF 42. With 4th and 18 coming up, the Ravens are going to punt.
ReplyDeleteSo the first quarter ends with Baltimore leading 7-3, and the Niners about to get the ball.
What's the deal with "How I Met Your Mother?" Did they ever explain who the mother in question is, or how they met?
ReplyDeleteI've also never watched either this show or "The Big Bang Theory."
DeleteBaltimore's punt goes into the end zone, and the Niners will take over at the 20.
ReplyDeleteNow the BBC crew is talking to a British Olympic rower who is a big Niners fan. He says he remains confident, even though the Ravens are in the lead.
ReplyDeleteThe Niners quickly move down to the Baltimore 24, but then LaMichael James FUMBLES, and the Ravens take over at their own 25 with 11:53 left in the 2d quarter.
ReplyDeleteThat didn't take long. The Ravens go 75 yards in 10 plays, and they lead 14-3 with 7:10 left before halftime.
ReplyDeleteFlacco's numbers so far: 10-13 for 124 yds and 2 touchdowns.
Now the roof is starting to cave in on the Niners. On first and 10 from his own 20, Kaepernick's pass is INTERCEPTED by Ed Reed, who returns the ball to the San Francisco 38. Then there's a big fight that leads to offsetting penalties.
ReplyDeleteThe Ravens could put SF in a big hole right now.
At any given point since I've been watching the NFL, there have been about 10 individual players in the whole league who seem poised on pretty much any play to either change the way a game is heading or get it going quicker to the place it seemed to already be going. Ed Reed has been one of those 10 for about 10 years now.
DeleteThat was the first interception ever thrown by the 49ers in the Super Bowl.
ReplyDeleteAnd, now, here's a word from John Brodie.
DeleteWith 4th and 9 from the 49er 14, the Ravens try a FAKE FIELD GOAL. The kicker takes a direct snap and dashes for the first down, but is stopped one yard short. The Niners will take over at their own 6 with 3:05 before the half.
ReplyDeleteNine yards is a lot to try to pick up on a run like that. The Ravens must've thought they saw something on film. But it was a huge stand for the Niners, who are still down only 8 points.
The other thing about that decision that was so strange is that it wasn't like it was a 55-yard attempt that you were passing up. It was a 31-yarder, and it seems to me that you have to coach as though a 31-yard field-goal attempt is money in the bank (unless the weather is awful or your kicker is hurt).
DeleteI thought this was a crazy-aggressive, blood-thirsty decision. If that kicker actually runs in for the touchdown, the game might really be over. And, having come on the heels of the Kaepernick interception (a clearly bad throw), you've created a problem for your brother among the truest of true-blue 49er fans (along the lines of, "well, his rookie quarterback really blew it, didn't he?"). I'll bet Mrs. Harbaugh wanted to spank her older boy when he had that kicker try to end the game in the first half.
In 20 years or whatever, NFL Films needs to spend a lot of time talking to the Harbaugh brothers about this moment.
The Niners go three-and-out, and they punt to Baltimore, who return the punt to the Raven 44 with 2:07 left.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's (probably) your ball game. On third and 10 from his own 44, Flacco throws a bomb to Jacoby Jones, who falls down catching the ball at about the 3. No one touches him, so he jumps up, beats a Niner defender, and dashes into the end zone to make the score 21-3 with 1:45 left before halftime.
ReplyDeleteIt's been awhile since we had an old-fashioned Super Bowl blowout -- the last one was in 2003, when the Buccaneers beat the Raiders 48-21. But this game is starting to have that feel.
In the last possession of the half, the Niners quickly drive down to the Raven 9, but their drive stalls and they kick a field goal. The Ravens lead 21-6 at halftime. Now it's time for Beyonce.
ReplyDeleteI'm not the best person to analyze Beyonce's performance, as I'm pretty sure I haven't heard any of the songs she's about to do. But I am glad to see that they finally got someone young to do the half-time show.
ReplyDeleteSo far, Beyonce's show looks remarkably like a Madonna concert I saw back in 1990.
ReplyDeleteExcept, unlike Madonna, Beyonce doesn't appear to have any male dancers. She goes with an all-girl crew.
ReplyDeleteThe more I watch this show, the more I think that television is not the best venue for this type of show. You can't really hear what's going on very well, and a lot of the effects are hard to pick up on TV. It would all be much better (I think) if you were watching it in a club somewhere.
ReplyDeleteAnd so there was a whole Destiny's Child reunion, and the folks on Twitter seem to be pretty happy with the whole thing, so I guess it was OK.
ReplyDeleteI like Beyonce, and thought her show was OK. I thought the Alicia Keys/Jennifer Hudson/Newtown stuff at the start was as good as any of that kind of performance I've ever seen. The funniest musical interlude of the night was when the Ravens ran out on the field to the opening Edge part of "Where the Streets Have No Name."
DeleteThe Niners kick off to start the second half, and Jacoby Jones RUNS 109 YARDS ALMOST UNTOUCHED TO PUT THE RAVENS UP 28-6.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, the Redskins beat Baltimore just a few months ago.
Baltimore kicks off deep, and San Francisco tries to run it out of the end zone. The Ravens stuff the receiver at the SF 14. That pretty much sums up the game so far.
ReplyDeleteAnd now the lights have gone out at the Superdome. I've watched countless events at the Superdome, and I've never seen anything like this before. James Brown is telling us that it will be 15 minutes or so before the game restarts. Given what we've seen so far, my guess is that most folks will have turned off the TV by that point.
ReplyDeleteJames Brown is a pro's pro.
DeleteSMART GRID!
ReplyDeleteAnd, we're back! On third and 13, the 49ers throw an incomplete pass and they'll be forced to punt.
ReplyDeleteSo we're basically going to get two quarters of shots showing Ray Lewis and Joe Flacco. But to be fair, those two guys have lost a lot of tough playoff games, and it's only fair that they get a lot of attention now.
RayRay was one of those 10-individuals-who-actually-can-change-an-NFL-game guys for about 15 years.
DeleteNow I feel bad for the companies who bought ads in the second half.
ReplyDeleteFor all you kids out there, this is what Super Bowls used to be like all the time.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's something. The 49ers score on a 31-yard pass from Kaepernick to Michael Crabtree, and the Ravens now lead 28-13 with 7:20 left in the 3d quarter.
ReplyDeleteBaltimore goes three and out, and the 49ers run the punt back to the Raven 20!
ReplyDeleteThere are still five and one-half minutes left in the third quarter, and we're getting a lot of shots of happy Jim Harbaugh.
Two plays later, Frank Gore rushes six yards for a TOUCHDOWN and the 49ers are RIGHT BACK IN THE GAME. Ravens lead 28-20 with 4:59 left in the third quarter.
ReplyDeleteOK, this is much better. I'm turning the BBC announcers back on.
And now Ray Rice FUMBLES THE BALL and the 49ers TAKE OVER AT THE BALTIMORE 24. With 4:05 left, the Niners have a good chance to tie the game.
ReplyDelete1-10 (Balt 24): Kaepernick's pass is incomplete
ReplyDelete2-10 (Balt 24): Gore runs for 3 yds
3-7 (Balt 21): Kaepernick's pass to Crabtree is overthrown
4-7 (Balt 21): Akers MISSES THE FIELD GOAL. But Baltimore is called for RUNNING INTO THE KICKER.
4-2 (Balt 16): Akers MAKES the field goal.
With 3:10 left in the third quarter, the Ravens lead 28-23.
So glad for my main man from Tates Creek, DavidDavid, that he got to try this field goal again.
DeleteOn 3d and 3 from his own 35, Flacco hits Boldin for 30 yards down to the SF 30. Huge play for the Ravens.
ReplyDeleteBaltimore's drive stalls at the San Francisco 1. Instead of going for a touchdown on fourth down, the Ravens take the three points, and expand their lead to 31-23. A good drive by the Ravens.
ReplyDeleteThere are 12 minutes and 54 seconds left in the game.
On 2d and 5 from the SF 29, Kaepernick hits Randy Moss, of all people, for a pickup of 32 yards to the Baltimore 39.
ReplyDeleteOn the next play, Frank Gore runs 18 yards to the Baltimore 21.
Two plays later, Kaepernick RUNS 15 YARDS FOR A TOUCHDOWN TO MAKE THE SCORE 31-29.
With 9:57 left, the Niners go for two.
ReplyDeleteSF wanted to pass to Moss, but the Baltimore rush forced Kaepernick to throw the ball away.
Ravens still lead 31-29.
Still, this is an amazing comeback by San Francisco.
At this point, I was scared to death for DavidDavid that we were heading toward a scenario where the 49ers would have a chance to win the Super Bowl with a long field-goal attempt on the last play of the game.
DeleteOn 3d and 9 from his own 22, Flacco throws a pass to Torrey Smith. The pass falls incomplete, but San Francisco is called for pass interference. Baltimore gets a huge first down at the Raven 36.
ReplyDeleteOn 3d and inches from his own 45, Flacco hits Boldin for 15 yards to the SF 40.
ReplyDelete6:30 left.
On 1st and 10 from the SF 40, Ray Rice runs 13 yards to the SF 27. First down.
ReplyDelete5:50 left.
On 1st and 10 from the SF 27, Rice runs two yards to the SF 28. 2d and 8.
ReplyDelete5:15 left.
2-8 (SF 25): Pierce runs for no gain.
ReplyDeleteOn 3d and 7 from the 49er 25, two separate Niners jump offsides. The Ravens get 3d and 2 from the SF 20.
ReplyDeleteOn 3d and 2, Flacco's short pass is incomplete.
ReplyDeleteBaltimore kicks a field goal to make the score Baltimore 34, San Francisco 29.
4:19 left.
Baltimore's kickoff goes through the end zone, and the Niners will start at their own 20.
ReplyDelete1-10 (SF 20): Gore runs for 7 yards
ReplyDelete2-3 (SF 27): Kaepernick runs for 9 yards.
1-10 (SF 36): Kaepernick thros a long pass to Vernon Davis. He's open, but he can't quite hold on at the Baltimore 25.
2-10 (SF 36): Kaepernick hits Crabtree for 24 yards
1-10 (Balt 40): Gore runs for 33 yards (!)
1-Goal (Balt 7): James runs for 2 yards
Two minute warning.
OK, so here's the deal.
ReplyDeleteBaltimore leads 34-29.
There are two minutes left in the game.
San Francisco has a 2d and goal from the Baltimore 5 yard line.
What a great game. I apologize for being snarky earlier.
I thought you were pretty judicious in your snarkiness.
DeleteOn 2d and goal, Kaepernick rolls to his right and throws to a heavily covered Crabtree. The pass is incomplete. Crabtree wanted pass interference, but he doesn't get it.
ReplyDeleteOn 3d and 5, San Francisco calls time.
ReplyDeleteOn third and 5, Kaepernick throws to Crabtree at the 3, but he is hammered and cannot hang onto the ball.
ReplyDeleteFourth and 5.
On fourth and 5, the Niners call that stupid loft pass into the corner of the end zone that almost never works.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't work. The ball sails out of bounds. Jim Harbaugh is screaming for defensive holding, but no one pays attention to him, because the ball landed about three yards out of bounds.
Now Jim Harbaugh gets to go home and explain to the folks in San Francisco why he had first and goal at the 7, and never had Frank Gore or Kaepernick run the ball.
But I wish someone would explain to me why teams throw that loft pass into the corner of the end zone. I hate that play.
I'll bet Ravens fans were relieved to see the 49ers not run Gore directly at RayRay in this series.
Delete"If the best play call you have with the Super Bowl on the line is a low-percentage fade into double coverage, you don’t deserve the trophy." And that's pretty much the nicest thing that Steve Politi has to say about Jim Harbaugh in his Star-Ledger column.
DeleteIf Baltimore can get a first down, the game will be over. Otherwise, SF will get one more shot with less than a minute and no time outs.
ReplyDeleteIf you compare this game to the last World Series (a four-game snoozer) and the last NBA finals (a five-game snoozer), you can really see why the NFL is the most popular team sport in America.
ReplyDeleteWith 11 seconds left in the game, Baltimore has 4th and 7 at their own 8. The Ravens are going to punt.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the Ravens will take the safety here.
The Ravens do take the safety, and it goes well. They use up 7 seconds before the Raven punter is knocked out of bounds.
ReplyDeleteNow there are only four seconds left.
This is the one play that confused the BBC announcer somewhat. It took him awhile to figure out the benefit of the safety.
The Ravens punt from their 20, and the Niners choose to run it back. They get to the 50, and that's it. The game is over, and the Ravens have won by the score of 34-31.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Ravens have helped the Steelers by ensuring that Pittsburgh is still the only team with six Super Bowl trophies.
A great, great game. Hooray for football.
That was a great game, and I enjoyed your report. My MVP was Anquan Boldin.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was so glad that David Akers of Lexington Tates Creek ended up hitting all three of his (official) field-goal tries and both of his extra points.
"49ers Hero."
Delete