The Baltimore Ravens held off a furious second-half charge by the San Francisco 49ers en route to a 34-31 triumph in Super Bowl XLVII. It marked the Ravens' first title since the 2000 season, when they defeated the New York Giants, 34-7.
Coach John Harbaugh squeezed out a win over his younger brother, Jim Harbaugh, while the Ravens sent star linebacker Ray Lewis into retirement with another Super Bowl ring.
The game wasn't decided until 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sailed a pass incomplete toward Michael Crabtree on fourth-and-goal deep in Ravens' territory. Jim Harbaugh was animated in his disgust with the call, pleading for a pass interference penalty.
Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco paved the way for the Ravens, completing 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards with three touchdowns. Flacco did not throw an interception in the postseason.
Ravens kick returner Jacoby Jones tied an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half. The play appeared to give Baltimore all the momentum, until a 34-minute power outage changed that. The delay appear to ignite the 49ers as they slowly chipped away at the lead and made it quite a game.
Kaepernick, who took the starting job away from Alex Smith midseason, showed the poise of a seasoned veteran. But his late-game heroics, including a 15-yard touchdown run, weren't quite enough.
Kaepernick's score was the longest for a quarterback in Super Bowl history. He finished by completing 16 of 28 passes for 302 yards with a touchdown and interception.
Ravens stave off 49ers' rally to win Super Bowl 34-31
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Ravens stave off 49ers' rally to win Super Bowl 34-31
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Ravens stave off 49ers' rally to win Super Bowl 34-31
