Super Bowl 48 pits the Denver Broncos against the San Francisco 49ers in the chilly outdoors of MetlLife Stadium (a Farmer's Almanac is already predicting snow on the day). Plenty of interesting stories run wild in the weeks leading up to the game. Old-school Peyton vs wave of the future Kaepernick, both trying to write new chapters of their legacies. Peyton going for glory in his younger brother's stadium. The final verdict on whether Peyton choosing the Broncos over the 49ers in free agency was the right call. Can Peyton Manning exorcise some of his playoff demons and erase any doubts about his status in the discussion for GOAT (greatest of all time) quarterback? Can Colin Kaepernick prove the viability of the athletic quarterback at the highest level by winning a championship in his second try? Can the 49ers finally get over the hump as an organization after coming up short two years in a row, and capture the franchise's 6th championship? (which would tie them for most all-time with the Steelers) Read on to find out who wins!
Broncos' Offense vs 49ers' Defense
Key match-up: LT Ryan Clady vs OLB Aldon Smith
The Broncos' offense figures to be explosive during the regular season, but this 49ers' defense will be the toughest task they will face all season. Intermediate target Wes Welker will have a tough time finding much yardage against this linebacking corps, and don't expect big gains from Denver's running game. However, it Peyton has enough time, this 49ers' secondary has shown they can be beat my the upper-echelon NFL passers. If Peyton has time to look of of rookie safety Eric Reid expect big gains from Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. If blind-side protector Ryan Clady is not able to handle pass-rusher Aldon Smith though, Peyton is going to have to squeeze balls into tight windows in order to move this offense, which could lead to some big turnovers for the 49ers.
49ers' Offense vs Broncos' Defense
Key match-up: TE Vernon Davis vs the field
The Broncos' defense overall matches up somewhat favorably against this 49ers' offense, as this Bronco defensive line appears well equipped to stop the run, the key to this 49er offense. These Bronco corners should also have a good day, as their one weakness appears to be deep threats, of which the 49ers currently really have none. The one match-up the 49ers will need to exploit to open up this defense will be tight end Vernon Davis, as there is no player on the Broncos' sideline who will be able to handle him man-to-man. Davis should be able to out-speed any linebacker that tries to cover him, and if he forces a safety to account for him he could help open up the run game. Kaepernick could also have a big day on the ground if the defensive line doesn't stick to their gaps, as this Bronco defense isn't athletic enough to catch him if he can get outside the pocket.
Special Teams
With the release of Tedd Ginn Jr and with the injury to LaMichael James, the 49ers' special teams doesn't figure to be explosive, and shouldn't be a large concern for the Broncos. Unreliable kicker David Akers was released this offseason, so the kicking game shouldn't be anything to stress about this season like it was last year for San Francisco. The Broncos do have a special teams threat in Trindon Holliday, who took both a punt and kickoff return for a touchdown in the playoff game against the Ravens last year. Look for 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh to play conservative special teams after giving up a return touchdown is last season's Super Bowl, meaning Holliday shouldn't get free but should give the Broncos some pretty good fields. Broncos' punter Britton Colquitt should also make an impact, as during the playoffs last year he pinned the Ravens deep several different times. Look for the 49ers to see a couple of long fields this game.
Coaching
This coaching match-up features two previous Super Bowl losers looking to finally reach the NFL peak in John Fox and Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh has been extremely creative and innovative since he reached the NFL and has one of the best coaching staffs in the league behind him. John Fox isn't quite on Harbaugh's level, and his conservative style of play cost the Broncos during crunch-time in the playoffs last year. Harbaugh's excellent motivational skills should have the 49ers coming onto the field fired up, while Fox won't be the factor that pushes this team over the edge.
Intangibles
While the intangibles are impossible to predict at this point because we haven't seen either of these teams in action yet, it needs to be stated how momentum and team character factor in just as much in these games as overall football talent. The Ravens were completely over-matched in terms of pure football ability in Super Bowl 47, but the momentum of Ray Lewis's "last ride" brought that team together and carried them to victory as they all played their tails off for Ray. Could Peyton make a similar impact next year? It's impossible to know right now, but one of these teams will be coming in hot to MetLife Stadium.
Predicted Score: San Francisco 49ers 31, Denver Broncos 28
As is often the case in close playoff games, turnovers prove to be the differnce as a Bronco running back fumbles and Peyton makes an ill-advised tight throw over the middle that gets picked. Colin Kaepernick manages to get points off the takeaways and directs a slow-moving but effective offense will a few big strikes to Vernon Davis. Kaepernick's legs open up some things in the defense and he grabs a rushing touchdown, and Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers finally get to the top.
Congratulations 49ers, and see you all in 2014!
No comments:
Post a Comment