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Two brothers separated by just 15 months will square off for the NFL’s top prize on Feb. 3 in Super Bowl XLVII.
All of the action will take place in Louisiana – inside the familiar confines of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers will battle for pigskin supremacy in this year’s big game. That pairing will pit Ravens coach John Harbaugh against his little brother Jim – the coach of the 49ers.
As one may be able to guess – it’s the first time that siblings will meet up in opposition in the Super Bowl.
“It will be a great football game,” John Harbaugh said during his team’s AFC Championship Trophy presentation. “I guarantee you it’ll be these guys against their guys, though. It’s not about us.”
The 49ers punched the younger Harbaugh’s ticket to the big game first in a 28-24 comeback win against the Falcons on Sunday afternoon.
San Francisco trailed Atlanta 17-0 early in the second quarter and 24-14 at halftime.
But the 49ers’ defense adjusted during the break and buckled in the second half, shutting out the Falcons for the entirety of the final 30 minutes of play.
With the extra possessions, second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick took advantage of the Atlanta defense, completing 16-of-21 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown.
“He competes like a maniac all the time,” the elder Harbaugh said to the team’s website following the game.
With defenders sagging back to guard Kaepernick’s throwing ability, San Francisco also got its running game on track.
Veteran halfback Frank Gore punched ahead both of the 49ers’ second half touchdowns – the first a five-yarder and the other a nine-yard scamper that came with 8:23 to play, which gave San Francisco a 28-24 lead.
Gore had 21 carries for 90 yards on the day.
“I really believe he’ll be in the Hall of Fame,” Harbaugh said. “He’s one of the greatest competitors I’ve met.”
Trailing for the first time in the game, the Falcons fought back and pushed the ball deep into 49ers’ territory late.
But the San Francisco defense stiffened and held the Falcons out of the end zone – securing the win and the first half of the Harbaugh battle.
“We rose up at the end,” the coach said. “It was a great finish by our defense.”
Just hours after the younger Harbaugh earned a spot in New Orleans, the elder did the same when the Ravens throttled the Patriots 28-13.
Like younger brother, John Harbaugh’s team started slow, falling behind New England 13-7 in the opening half.
But Baltimore’s hit-or-miss offense found fire in the second half, scoring three touchdowns in 10 minutes of play to push Baltimore in front by the game’s final margin.
Quarterback Joe Flacco was the main culprit in the offensive surge, hitting 21-of-36 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns.
“Our players – I can’t say enough about our players,” John Harbaugh said following the win. “We love each other – I love this team.”
A lot of the “good men” Harbaugh referenced were on the defensive side of the ball toward the end of Sunday’s game.
The Ravens’ defense held the high-powered New England offense without a point in the final 30 minutes of the game. They also forced three turnovers in the half.
That success prolonged the career of future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis by one more game. The outgoing superstar is retiring at the end of the season. He said he was awed by Baltimore’s performance.
“No weapon formed against this team shall prosper,” a teary-eyed Lewis said following the game. “To see us standing here right now holding this trophy, what can you say? God is absolutely amazing.”
The stage is set and the battle lines have been drawn.
May the best brother – and team – win in this Big Easy brawl.
Brothers John Harbaugh (left) and the younger Jim coach their teams during Sunday’s AFC and NFC Championship games. The two coaches will square off against one another in next week’s Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans. John is the coach of the Baltimore Ravens. Jim is the head man for the San Francisco 49ers. This will be the second time the brothers coach against one another.
