Super Bowl 2013 Predictions: Why the Ravens Will Beat the 49ers

Jan 20, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (27) poses for fans after the AFC championship game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

The Super Bowl, Super Baugh, or the Bro Bowl will be decided not just by the coaches – though there are two great ones in the final game – but by the personnel that make up the teams.

Sorry San Francisco 49ers fans, but here’s why the Baltimore Ravens will beat your team in the Super Bowl:

Ray Rice

• Ray Rice was quiet during the end of the season and hasn’t been very loud during the playoffs.  He’ll get back on track against the Niners, and that’s because he’s a serious dual threat.  San Fran boasts a formidable rushing defense, but Rice has the ability to do work both receiving and catching.  Rice had 478 receiving yards in the regular season to go with his 1143 on the ground.  He’ll get back on track and be a headache for the Niners all day long on Sunday.

Haloti Ngata

• Ngata is the strength of the Ravens defensive line and he will show it against the Niners.  He will set the tone for the defensive line and force the Niners’ offensive line to play around him rather than do what they want.  This will free up guys like Paul Kruger and Terrell Suggs to make plays.  The plan has worked all season long and Ngata has contributed for a ridiculous 10 defensive stops in the postseason alone.

Emotion

• Make no mistake, the Baltimore Ravens are the underdogs in Super Bowl XLVII.  The odds are in the favor of the Niners and San Francisco has top players at almost every position.  Yet the experts keep picking the Ravens to win it, and that’s because of the emotion involved.  Ray Lewis wants to retire on top, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed are looking for their first ring in stellar careers.  It’s all boiling down to a group of players that will outplay their talent in order to hoist the Lombardi trophy.  Football is a very emotional game and teams can have huge performances when it’s all on the line.  It’s all on the line for Baltimore.