Here we are. The season is basically over. Good luck to everyone with their various prop bets, squares, and pools on Sunday. Enjoy the game.

San Francisco -3.5 vs Baltimore 6:30pm CBS      

mlz: San Francisco

Lock Alert! Last game fuck it lets make it a lock.
It's amazing how much people forget when there's two weeks between football games. Everyone has talked themselves into this game being 50/50, a total toss up. How can everyone forget how good San Francisco has been? Or how much better the NFC was than the AFC? The 49ers defense is top notch. The Ravens won't be able to get much of a run game going forcing the ball into Flacco's hands. Sure he has come through the past couple of weeks, but he played a couple of crap defenses that gave him the games. The 49ers have the better coaching and the better personel. They will keep the receivers in front of them and force Flacco to beat them underneath. Which is where he struggles. All ten of his interceptions this year came on passes that traveled 20 yards or less.

On the flip side of the ball the 49ers should be able to move the ball. The Ravens are too slow to stop them. I think the Ravens defense will start out strong but ultimately wear down due to the run game, eventually succumbing to Kaepernick's speed.

In order for Baltimore to win, it needs to be a flukey game. They need to get a couple bounces and calls to go there way coupled with a couple long balls that connect for touchdowns. Also I can't forget to mention that Ed Reed has been invisible in these playoffs so he is far overdue to make a big play.

They can do it, absolutely Baltimore could win this game. But if they played it ten times I think San Francisco probably wins seven of them, maybe eight. San Francisco 31 Baltimore 17.      

ap3: Baltimore

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pros:

 

 

San Francisco:

 

 

The 49ers offense can hurt you in so many different ways; running the ball up the middle with Frank Gore, running the ball outside with Colin Kaepernick or LaMichael James, catching passes out of the backfield, catching passes over the middle with Vernon Davis, stretching the field with Randy Moss, catching in between to deep routes with Michael Crabtree.

 

On the defensive side, the 49ers are also strong. They can get after the QB with Justin and Aldon Smith, and Patrick Willis is arguably the best MLB in the NFL.

 

Biggest Pro: Jim Harbaugh is also one of the Top 5 coaches in the NFL in just his 2^nd NFL season. He wants this game. He's extremely passionate.

 

 

Baltimore:

 

 

Joe Flacco is sneaky good this year in the post season; 8 Tds 0 INTs and a QB rating of 114.7. Ray Rice is a do everything back that is built like a bowling ball and can hurt you both receiving and rushing. Baltimore has the deep threat in Torrey Smith, and the safety valve in Anquan Boldin.

 

The Baltimore defense isn't as strong as it used to be, but they are still solid. We all know about Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, but guys like hard-hitters Bernard Pollard and LB Dannell Ellerbe are also game changers. Not to mention the pass rush of Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata.

 

The Ravens also have one of the better special teams in the NFL.

 

Biggest Pro: The Ray Lewis Story. His last hurrah, he has been all over the news and playing with reckless abandon on the field. He's leaving everything on the line.

 

 

The Cons:

 

 

San Francisco:

 

 

The 49ers have 3 major flaws:

 

1. Colin Kaepernick is getting his 10^th NFL start.

    

2. David Akers is a head case

    

3. Chris Culliver's anti-gay comments

    

You're all aware of the 1^st two, but the Culliver comments thing is something that can always come back to bite a team. Karma is a bitch.

 

 

Baltimore:

 

 

The Ravens have 2 major flaws:

 

1. The Ray Lewis steroid story

    

2. John Harbaugh's decision making

    

 

Set aside the whole “God told me this and that” nonsense, this is a major story that's being swept under the rug now and will probably blow up right around the NFL draft time. Not only is Lewis using PEDs, but reportedly the Alabama football team have been also. Not good for the sport, and not something Roger Goodell is going to want to be reminded of if the Ravens win on Sunday. The Harbaugh issue is baffling. Go back and watch some of the playoff games he's coached. Questionable challenges gallore, and not to mention not taking a time out last season in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots to allow Billy Cundiff to set up.