Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is looking to win his first Super Bowl next weekend, and he’ll have to beat one of the best defenses in the league in order to do so. San Francisco ranked second in points allowed this season and third in yards allowed. They had one shutout and held five opponents to 7-or-fewer points during the regular season.
When asked to compare the 49ers’ defense to another unit in the league, Flacco mentioned the Steelers.
“In terms of style of defense they run, it’s probably similar to the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Flacco told Dan Patrick during an interview that aired on NBC Sunday. “Every team is unique in their own way. These guys are a team that can get after the quarterback. They’ve got good linebackers and all their guys in the secondary just really attack downhill and really get after the ball. At the same time, they have really good ball skills. They’re a pretty dangerous group.”
Baltimore split with Pittsburgh this season and only scored 33 points in the two games. The good news is that their offense has looked pretty good in the postseason, and that San Francisco has shown vulnerabilities against good passing offenses.
The Atlanta Falcons exploded for three passing touchdowns against San Francisco in the first half of the NFC Championship Game. And though Green Bay was unable to stop the Niners’ offense, they were able to move the ball fairly well against the Niners.
Will Baltimore’s offense be able to produce against San Francisco? They probably will. And if they win, Flacco could be in line for a nice raise from the club.
Patrick asked Flacco whether his play in the Super Bowl would influence his contract negotiations with the team.
“I’m not sure,” he answered. “You’d have to ask the guys in the front office that question. It’s not really my concern. My concern is with my teammates right now and making sure we go out there and play the best game that we can.”
Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome has already said that Flacco’s performance won’t have an impact on the contract situation. You have to figure that Flacco will be cashing in if he does win the Super Bowl, regardless of what Newsome says.
