Aah, it’s the return of the Har-Bowl, baby!!
Football Nation, I have been waiting a season-and-a-half to bust this one back out. And I’m so excited I can hardly stand it.
Never mind that the majority of this country doesn’t understand the epic-ness of said coaching faceoff. Or that Bay Area sports-writing vet Ray Ratto has made it very clear that he was sick and tired of the hype before it even started.
How can you NOT get wrapped up in the Harbaugh Family Brother Bowl?!
Stoked for a Joe Flacco–Colin Kaepernick match-up?
Sure, maybe after their head coaches exchange prank phone calls from their respective sidelines. Because it’s the Har-Bowl, baby!
Ready to see if Patrick Willis and the Niners’ D-line can do more damage than Ray-Ray and T-Sizzle?
Of course, but not until Señor Jim Harbaugh knocks himself out doing another full-on body slam meltdown when he gets a call that goes his big brother’s way.
Because it’s the Har-Bowl! BABY!!
But we can’t forget: As was the situation on November 24, 2011, there is a ton more to this matchup than two jacked-up head coaches with similar facial features. There is A LOT of good football expected to grace the field of the Superdome this Sunday.
Much like that Thanksgiving showdown, this Niners-Ravens fete will be a defense-heavy match. While it might not be the same 16-6 smackdown as the Turkey Day game, we expect a low-scoring game. Think a score in the high teens, maybe the low twenties.
The NFC Championship game was the real test to see if San Francisco’s defense would be firing on all cylinders; whether Justin Smith was healthy enough to make an impact against the Atlanta Falcons. Hopefully the extra week to mend that elbow will help Smith and his “brother-in-arms” Aldon to find the synergy they had early in the season.
And while the mass media is in a fit over Ray Lewis and the aura he creates in Baltimore’s locker room, we should be looking to the rest of the Ravens d-line to be making the hard hits.
The last time these teams met up, 2011 Defensive Player of the year Terrell Suggs sacked Alex Smith three times. Sizz will be looking to take Colin Kaepernick out on the ground, while safety Ed Reed will be looking for the interception; something that we know rattles Kaepernick’s focus.
Which brings us to the quarterback matchup. We haven’t seen much of Flacco over Superbowl week, and how could we with Kaepernick’s little-boy grin and tatted triceps slapped across every TV channel and webpage possible. Flacco, who threw 10 interceptions during the 2012 regular season, hasn’t thrown a pick in the playoffs.
Heck, we haven’t even touched on the Frank Gore/Ray Rice comparisons yet.
Or even the Anquan Boldin versus the Niners whole receiving corps.
But that’s because I’m envisioning the puzzled looks on Jack and Jackie Harbaugh’s faces when they don’t know whether to cheer or not during touchdowns on Sunday.
Because that’s what makes it the Harbowl!!! BABY!!!
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