The Super Bowl is the biggest sports event of the year and the San Francisco 49ers are preparing for the game with Colin Kaepernick as the starting quarterback.
Kaepernick took over for the established starter Alex Smith during the middle of the season after getting playing time due to an injury and he has never looked back. But in the Super Bowl, it's one game and anything can happen. The Ravens are a fast and ferocious team and someone is going to put a hit on Kaepernick that will knock him out of the game. Enter Alex Smith.
Smith was the starter last season as the 49ers made it to the NFC Championship game and he continued as the starter in 2012 before getting a concussion against the St. Louis Rams in Week 10. Prior to that game, Smith was putting up some great statistics, completing over 70 percent of 218 pass attempts for 1,737 yards with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Kaepernick finished off the Rams game and then got the start the following week against the Chicago Bears. Head coach Jim Harbaugh decided he liked what he saw and decided to keep Kaepernick as the starter.
The second-year pro out of Nevada exceeded expectations, going 6-2 as a starter and had a passer rating of 98.7 with 13.1 yards per rushing attempt.
Smith became the starter when Harbaugh first came to the team and completed 61.3 percent of his pass attempts for 3,144 yards with 17 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Prior to the season, Harbaugh allowed Smith to test free agency by flirting with Peyton Manning and after the Dolphins showed interest, Smith decided to sign a three-year, $24 million contract that included $15.5 million (partially) guaranteed money to remain with the 49ers.
Everything looked secure for Smith halfway through the year, but the injury changed everything and made the tough choice to go with Kaepernick over Smith. At the time of the switch, Smith was healthy enough to play and was ranked third in the NFL in passer rating (104.1), while leading the league in completion percentage (70%), making the move even more dramatic in the eyes of some in the media.
Kaepernick has proven to be a game changer for the 49ers, setting a record against Green Bay with 181 rushing yards to go along with 263 yards and two touchdowns while also adding another two scores on the ground.
Kaepernick has shown he is capable of moving around the pocket and scrambling without getting hurt, but everyone knows what happened to Robert Griffin III in the playoffs. That is why Kaepernick will be the first quarterback since Stan Humphries in 19995 to be sidelined with an injury.
Smith has said he is happy for the team for getting to New Orleans, but it is also bittersweet since he knows he could have been a major part of it. The prediction is, he will.
"I'm so happy, man," Smith told Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports in the wake of San Francisco's 28-24 victory over the Falcons on Sunday. "This is so surreal. It's such a crazy time, such a crazy moment. Obviously, it's been a unique year, and it would be great to be in there. But I couldn't be happier. This is a great group of guys, and they're all Super Bowl bound. I'm just so happy for all of them."
Smith has been ready all season in case he is needed, and in the biggest game of the season, he will be. Smith has been a team player and has helped Kaepernick prepare as much as possible, so he will be ready to go if he is needed.
The 49ers won't be discouraged if they go down early either, as the team made the biggest comeback victory in the history of the NFC Championship Game by erasing a 17-point Falcons deficit. The defense will need to play at its regular season form to keep the Ravens at bay. The 49ers were ranked fourth in rushing offense and defense, but have given up at least 28 points in two playoff games so far this year.
Smith is accurate and smart with the football and if he is called into action he will be a force for the 49ers and he will deliver a championship.
Prediction: 49ers 20, Ravens 14. The last pick of the 49ers-Falcons game was 31-24 and the real thing ended up being 28-24 with a missed field goal by San Francisco, so another similar prediction could fit the bill. Super Bowl's aren't often blowouts and that was certainly not the case last season when Eli Manning orchestrated another beautiful championship drive for the Giants. This year the Ravens are inspired by Ray Lewis and led by Joe Flacco, but there is just something about the swagger of the 49ers that is hard to ignore. The San Francisco defense has been more consistent all season and the 49ers offense is coming around at just the right time. That's not to say that the Ravens will not have a chance, but it is the Jim side of the brotherly connection that will take home the Super Bowl trophy. Either way, the post-game handshake should be very cordial.