Thanks to those who reminded me to produce a "Silver linings" file following the Super Bowl. It's taken most of the week, but here goes.
The facts: The San Francisco 49ers suffered a 34-31 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII.
The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.
The facts: The San Francisco 49ers suffered a 34-31 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII.
The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.
- The 49ers became the first team in Super Bowl history to have a 300-yard passer (Colin Kaepernick), 100-yard rusher (Frank Gore) and two 100-yard receivers (Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis).
- Kicker David Akers, beneficiary of a running-into-the-kicker penalty, made all three field-goal attempts after entering the game as a perceived liability. Akers trails only Adam Vinatieri for postseason points.
- Gore's 110 yards rushing set a 49ers Super Bowl record. Roger Craig once had 74 yards rushing in a 49ers Super Bowl. Gore's 33-yard run in the fourth quarter was one of the game's most pivotal plays.
- Davis' 104 yards receiving tied a Super Bowl record for tight ends. This was Davis' fourth career 100-yard receiving game in the postseason, tied with Keith Jackson for most in NFL history. Davis and Larry Fitzgerald are the only players in league history with four 100-yard receiving performances in their first five career postseason games.
- Ray McDonald and Ahmad Brooks sacked Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.
- Cornerback Tarell Brown forced and recovered a key fumble from Ravens running back Ray Rice.
- The 49ers outscored the Ravens by a 25-6 margin after allowing a kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half.
- Kaepernick's 15-yard touchdown run was the longest by a quarterback in Super Bowl history.
- The 49ers held Rice and Bernard Pierce below 3.0 yards per rushing attempt.
- Ted Ginn Jr. had a 32-yard punt return to the Baltimore 20-yard line, setting up a two-play touchdown drive as the 49ers pulled within 28-20.
Mike Sando | email
NFL- NFC West Blogger
- Joined ESPN in 2007
- Lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Mike Sando
Sando joined ESPN.com in 2007 after nine seasons covering the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune. He lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons.
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