Hopefully you have survived your hangovers and are no longer singing “Single Ladies” to yourself. But the Baltimore Ravens sure did like it, so they put a ring on it, a Super Bowl Championship ring.
Ray Lewis cried (and I am jealous because he managed to keep his eye black in place), before kick-off even happened. Probably doesn’t surprise you, but can you blame the guy? I remember being in Little League the last time he was playing in the Big Game. So how did the Ravens do it?
Joe Flacco may have been brushed aside at the beginning of the season. After all, he is in the same sport as Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers. Even throughout the season, he did not do anything to really stand out. But then playoffs came around. Flacco has made the playoffs every year since he has been in the NFL. He may not be the most athletic quarterback, but when you have wide receivers like Anquan Boldin (six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown Sunday) and Torrey Smith (two passes for 35 yards) catching the pig skin for you, they are going to make you look elite. He also has a tough time throwing interceptions.
You cannot forget about the ridiculous night Jacoby Jones had. He may have only had one touchdown, but that touchdown was a 56-yarder. He also added a Super Bowl-record 234 all-purpose return yards, because winning the Big Game wasn’t enough.
Lewis wasn’t the only linebacker making an impact for the boys in purple. Paul Kruger got a sack against Colin Kaepernick in the game that really shouldn’t surprise anyone. He is in the pocket more than the quarterback taking him down. Dude is a beast with a 13.5 sack season.
And someone you should watch out for you fantasy nerds is Bernard Pierce, the running back rushed 12 times for 33 yards in the game Sunday. He was super impressive in his run in the last play of the third quarter. On a precarious third-and-one as San Francisco rallied back to make it a five-point game, Pierce sprinted off left end and beat 49ers offensive linebacker Aldon Smith around for an eight-yard gain. Rice was snagged early in my fantasy league this year, may be a different story with Pierce. Look out for him, he will do great things.
The 49ers did not go unnoticed. They made a comeback and even had Ravens fans nervous (as nervous as the geeky kid who got to make out with Bar Rafaeli). The Ravens did ultimately get the win, and it was indeed a destiny win. Flacco is going to Disney World, and Ray Lewis is getting his second Super Bowl Championship.