The dust has settled, and now, Ray Lewis and the improbable Baltimore Ravens will meet Colin Kaepernick and the surging San Francisco 49ers in two weeks in the biggest-and last-game of the 2012 NFL Season: Super Bowl XLVII.
If the Ravens and the 49ers smell like smoke, it's because they've been through fire, tested and honed from the crucible of Sunday's two incredible, hard-fought victories against heavily favored opponents and through a remarkable-and sometimes, improbable-postseason run.
After emerging from playoff battles victorious against Indianapolis and Denver, the Ravens brought their defensive "A-Game" to Foxboro on Sunday. Intercepting the New England Patriots' franchise quarterback Tom Brady twice, hitting him seven times, and netting 79 tackles, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw for three touchdowns and 240 yards as Baltimore beat New England 28-13 in the bitter cold of Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., to win the AFC Championship and stamp their trip to the Super Bowl for only the second time in franchise history.
Earlier that day, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga., the 49ers fell behind 24-14 at halftime to the heavily favored Falcons, but San Francisco quarterback Kaepernick and Frank Gore battled back. Gore netted a pair of touchdowns in the third and fourth quarter and a big defensive stop in the final seconds of the game to seal San Francisco's 28-24 NFC Championship Game victory over the Falcons, sending the franchise to their sixth franchise trip to the Super Bowl.
These two teams, each coached by brothers Jim and John Harbaugh, are on a collision course set for Feb. 3 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, La., the site of Super Bowl XLVII, in a game rife with storylines that include this family feud, the pending retirement of an NFL legend, the rise of a little-known quarterback and more.
Latinos Post takes a look at some of the major storylines heading into the big game on Feb. 3:
1. Will the "Last Ride of Ray Lewis" end with another Super Bowl ring for the legendary linebacker?
He's had arguably the greatest career of any linebacker/defensive player in NFL history. That includes 13 Pro Bowls, two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, a Super Bowl XXXV ring and MVP trophy, and the most sacks of any linebacker in league history.
And now, after his torn triceps nearly ended his season-and weeks after he announced his intention to retire after the playoffs-the "Last Ride of Ray Lewis" will end in New Orleans on Feb. 3, with one of the greatest players to ever lace 'em up with one more chance at Super Bowl glory. Since being activated for the playoffs, Lewis has been on a tear, hitting harder and more often than all of his defensive teammates. In fact, Lewis led the Ravens' defense with 14 tackles on Sunday during their upset win against New England.
Lewis is on fire, and the Ravens have rallied around their longtime leader. Will his storybook career end in style, a la Jerome Bettis? We'll find out on Feb. 3.
2. The Harbaugh Bowl
Oh, what a difference a year makes.
Nearly a year ago on Jan. 22, 2012, both Jim Harbaugh, coach of the 49ers, and his brother John-who coaches the Ravens-were on the receiving end of nail-biting, heartbreaking and bitter losses as the 49ers fell 20-17 in overtime at the 2011 NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.
Baltimore, meanwhile, lost 23-20 to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium when field goal kicker Billy Cundiff's would-be-game-tying kick missed in the final seconds.
Now, these two brothers--who shared a room growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan and learned the game from their father, Jack, a former college coach-will go head-to-head on opposite sides as they lead their teams in the final drive for the Vince Lombardi Trophy, football's greatest prize. Talk about sibling rivalries.
3. The Rise of Kaepernick
He's not the first little-known quarterback to rise through the ranks after replacing the starting quarterback gave him a big break--Tom Brady and Tim Tebow, anyone?--but in a football town with the hefty quarterback legacies of Joe Montana and Steve Young looming overhead, Kaepernick has taken San Francisco by storm with his cannon-like arm and his wily scrambling.
And after completing 16 of 21 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's win against the Falcons, the message has been sent loud and clear to the rest of the NFL--Colin Kaepernick is for real.
"He just competes like a maniac all the time," said Harbaugh of his new star quarterback. "It's always the same when I'm looking in through the facemask."
Can Kaepernick complete his Cinderella season, and carve his name into 49ers quarterback lore, with the ultimate icing on the cake-a Super Bowl ring?
Game Time and TV Schedule
Super Bowl XLVII will start at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3 on CBS.
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