I’m giddy. I can’t sleep. I keep hearing about Ray Lewis and a set of brothers (did you hear about that?) and yet I can’t get enough of it.
It’s everything a lead up to a championship game should be.
Around the clock, unadulterated, drop everything you’re doing news coverage…as it should be.
I touched on what the 49ers need to do bring home their sixth Lombardi trophy and now it’s time to focus on what is required of the Ravens if they want to send Ray Lewis out with the biggest of bangs.
Ravens D lower the boom on Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick is a beautiful gazelle.
He is the second coming of ‘The Galloping Gazelle’ that Homer Simpson so adored while watching his copy of Football’s Greatest Injuries.
Kaepernick is a physical specimen at 6’4″, 230lbs and with a stride that allows him to reach full speed in a matter of steps, and in that time has covered nine yards as if it “ain’t no thang”.
The trick to preventing Kaepernick from channelling his inner animal and running straight through the end-zone and down to Bourbon Street?
Lower the boom, bring the wood and put the helmet right in the middle of the ‘7’ on that 49ers jersey.
We have heard enough already to know that the 49ers read-option offence is scary.
But the quickest way to negate not only the effectiveness but also the likelihood of offensive repetition is to take Kaepernick to the ground by any means possible.
At this stage the Ravens must way up the potential cons of giving up a few runs to Frank Gore/Lamichael James in comparison to the potential pros that could be Jim Harbaugh’s hesitance to run the option given the beating Kaep is receiving on the other end.
Linebackers spying Colin Kaepernick
That being said, there will be times when the read-option is successful and Kaepernick gets outside the tackles with those rangy pendulum legs of his.
In this situation the responsibility falls on the unprotected outside linebackers of Terrell Suggs, Paul Kruger and on occasion Courtney Upshaw.
Their role will be to resist the temptation that comes will being an overly aggressive defence and play disciplined football, read the eyes and hips and play the angles when Kaepernick runs.
As the Green Bay Packers can attest to, the over pursuit of the athletic quarterback often ends in tragedy (depending on your perspective) and given the Ravens defensive prowess you would think they would know better than their Wisconsin counterparts.
Give the ball to Ray (the other Ray)
Before we all get carried away with the play of Joe Flacco through the playoffs and usher yet another quarterback into ‘elite’ category I think its appropriate we remember a 29-yard pass Flacco threw in Week 12.
Well, more appropriately, a one yard pass Flacco threw that running back Ray Rice took the extra 28 yards on fourth down to keep the Raven’s season alive.
The Ravens need to remember who got them to the playoffs. Ray Rice.
Lets not forget that Joe ‘The Elite One’ Flacco finished the regular season with the 25th ranked quarterback rating among NFL quarterbacks. Below Christian Ponder, Ryan Tannehill and both Tennessee quarterbacks.
Now I am not for one minute suggesting that Flacco has sat back for the ride. In the playoffs he has been the single greatest contributor to Ravens success.
However, what the 25th ranked QBR tells me is that Flacco has the capability to play not just underwhelming or poor but god-awful.
Also, I apologise for not receiving permission from Ray Lewis to mention God, considering how tight they both are these days.
Flacco is not Peyton Manning, he is not ready to run the no-huddle, empty set, weight of the world on the shoulders football yet.
As soon as Flacco is made to think he’s the equivalent of Manning, Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers is the exact time he will throw three interceptions.
The Ravens need to keep Ray Rice heavily in the game plan if they want to send off Ray Lewis with a Lombardi.
Flacco hitting the deep ball
When Flacco hits the deep ball it is a beautiful thing, and he must do it consistently against the 49ers.
This responsibility falls on both Flacco, his receivers and the football gods.
The 49ers secondary were beaten deep constantly against the Falcons with Roddy White and Julio Jones.
The Ravens wide receivers – while serviceable – are not in the echelon that both White and Julio are situated in.
So simply put, we will see a more disciplined secondary going against a less talented receiving corps.
This puts even greater pressure on Joe Flacco.
While Joe Flacco is skilled with deep ball, he has the propensity to sail his passes.
While we all love the to mention the long bomb to Jacoby Jones against Denver, the reality is that Joe Cool under threw that ball and if it wasn’t for the total ineptitude of Broncos safety Rahim Moore on that play, the majority of Ravens players would be recovering from their first off-season surgery right now.
The 49ers D will be so stingy and well prepared that Flacco, when given the opportunity to hit Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin and even tight end Dennis Pitta for the big gain, must step up to the plate.
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