By Danny Cox
(Credit, Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The 2012 NFL season is now officially in the books, and the strange and odd year could not have come to an end any more fittingly. Super Bowl XLVII saw the Baltimore Ravens defeat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in a night that looked like a blowout, became a blackout, and almost saw the greatest comeback in the history of the league.
Baltimore jumped the gun on San Francisco, and that was the way it needed to be for the Ravens to win. By halftime, the Ravens were up 21-6 while Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers looked absolutely lost on the field at times. There were moments that saw the young quarterback attempt a handoff, but no one was even there to find it.
Meanwhile, everything was going right for the Ravens as they appeared headed to a second Super Bowl title. It would be one that would send star linebacker Ray Lewis out on top, as the 17-year veteran is set to retire at the end of this season. Everything was going the way of the purple and black, but it wouldn’t stay that way.
Well, halftime didn’t really have any strange occurrences, and that’s one of the last events that didn’t. Beyonce went right out and performed an energetic show complete with lights, back-up dancers, flames, and thousands of twinkle lights.
No, it was the second half that turned Super Bowl XLVII upside-down.
Coming out for the third quarter, the Ravens deferred the opening kickoff so they got the ball to start the second thirty minutes. Jacoby Jones cradled the kickoff deep in his own end zone – eight yards deep as a matter of fact – and sprinted straight through every player on the field en route to a touchdown.
The return was originally listed as 108 yards, but then it got changed to 109 yards. Then still, it was returned back to 108 yards later on anyway.
Momentum was clearly in the favor of the Baltimore Ravens as they led 28-6 and had less than a full half to hold onto it. The San Francisco 49ers got the ball back and attempted to salvage something in this game, but that was when the lights went out.
Literally, the lights in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome went out. One half of the stadium was encased in darkness while the other had one faint row of emergency spotlights shining down on them. The side that was in total darkness happened to be the press box side, which means internet, television, and radio were all gone.
The crowd got restless. Players began stretching on their sidelines to stay limber. Referees, officials, NFL personnel and others gathered on the field to try and figure out what to do about all this. A little over a half an hour later, and the problem was resolved. The lights were back up, and play was resuming.
Momentum now though had clearly shifted sides and perched on the backs of the 49ers.
San Francisco outscored Baltimore 17-0 over the final eight minutes of the third quarter. The fourth quarter saw six more points for the Ravens and 10 more for the 49ers in what was looking to be the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, but the team from the Bay Area just ran out of time.
Super Bowl XLVII may not go down as one of the best games in championship history, but it certainly was one of the strangest. With that though, a victory by the Ravens allowed Ray Lewis to head out on top of his game after a long career full of hard work, big hits, and plenty of dancing.
For more Super Bowl content and the latest NFL news, see CBS Sports Las Vegas.
Danny Cox knows a little something about the NFL, whether it means letting you know what penalty will come from the flag just thrown on the field or quickly spouting off who the Chicago Bears drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft (Jim Harbaugh). He plans on bringing you the best news, previews, recaps, and anything else that may come along with the exciting world of the National Football League. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
