The two teams that will meet in New Orleans on February 3rd look much different than those same two teams when the season began. Both the Ravens and 49ers have made major changes to their teams in mid-season, with San Francisco changing its quarterback and Baltimore changing its offensive coordinator. What is most interesting about those changes is that they came when both teams had winning records and looked to be headed for the playoffs.
In a risk-averse league like the NFL, making those kinds of changes always brings an onslaught of scrutiny and second-guessing. In San Francisco, most observers were shocked that Jim Harbaugh would stay with back-up QB Colin Kaepernick after starter Alex Smith recovered from his injury. But Harbaugh stayed with the second-year player and he brought a dynamic to the San Francisco offense that didn't exist previously. Kaepernick is a major reason why San Francisco was able to overcome big deficits in its NFC Championship Game win over the Atlanta Falcons.
In a similarly gutsy call, Ravens coach John Harbaugh fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron after 13 games of the regular season. The Ravens' offense had stagnated under Cameron and the change opened up an entirely different offensive philosophy for Baltimore. With new offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell calling plays, the Ravens' offense is now the most dangerous component of the team. Quarterback Joe Flacco has outplayed Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady during the Ravens' playoff run. Behind a much-improved offense and motivated by the fact that Ray Lewis will retire at the end of the season, the Ravens knocked off the top two seeds in the AFC on the road - and as heavy underdogs in both games.
When San Francisco and Baltimore meet in the Super Bowl, many are expecting a smash-mouth, old school football game. And while that may be true, both teams will be in New Orleans because they made bold, unconventional moves during the season.
In a risk-averse league like the NFL, making those kinds of changes always brings an onslaught of scrutiny and second-guessing. In San Francisco, most observers were shocked that Jim Harbaugh would stay with back-up QB Colin Kaepernick after starter Alex Smith recovered from his injury. But Harbaugh stayed with the second-year player and he brought a dynamic to the San Francisco offense that didn't exist previously. Kaepernick is a major reason why San Francisco was able to overcome big deficits in its NFC Championship Game win over the Atlanta Falcons.
In a similarly gutsy call, Ravens coach John Harbaugh fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron after 13 games of the regular season. The Ravens' offense had stagnated under Cameron and the change opened up an entirely different offensive philosophy for Baltimore. With new offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell calling plays, the Ravens' offense is now the most dangerous component of the team. Quarterback Joe Flacco has outplayed Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady during the Ravens' playoff run. Behind a much-improved offense and motivated by the fact that Ray Lewis will retire at the end of the season, the Ravens knocked off the top two seeds in the AFC on the road - and as heavy underdogs in both games.
When San Francisco and Baltimore meet in the Super Bowl, many are expecting a smash-mouth, old school football game. And while that may be true, both teams will be in New Orleans because they made bold, unconventional moves during the season.
