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The San Francisco 49ers put up a valiant effort, but fell just short of overcoming a 22-point deficit to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. The Ravens beat the 49ers, 34-31 after leading 28-6 at one point.
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The Niners had a chance to take the lead with just two minutes left in the game. Colin Kaepernick overthrew Michael Crabtree on fourth and goal from the Ravens' 5-yard line, giving the ball back to the Ravens with a 34-29 lead and little time left on the clock. There will be plenty of discussion in coming days whether Crabtree was interfered with on the play. The refs kept the yellow flag in the pocket, however.
The game turned in favor of the 49ers when a 34-minute power outage struck the Superdome just after the Ravens took a 22-point lead. Jacoby Jones ran the opening kickoff of the second half 109 yards for a touchdown, and the 49ers punted on the next possession. The Ravens could have taken a stranglehold lead with a scoring drive, but then half of the lights at the Superdome went out, and so did all of Baltimore's momentum.
The 49ers reeled off 17 straight points before the Ravens could answer. Colin Kaepernick led an 80-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree. The Niners added a touchdown and a field goal on drives of 20 yards and eight yards, respectively, thanks to a shanked punt and a Ray Rice fumble.
After a Ravens field goal early in the fourth quarter, Kaepernick led the 49ers on another touchdown drive that was finished off with a 15-yard quarterback run to the end zone. Down 31-29, the 49ers couldn't convert on the two-point conversion. The play would prove pivotal late in the game.
Kaepernick had a big day, going 16-for-28 passing for 302 yards and a touchdown, and had 62 yards rushing on seven carries. He also threw a costly first-half interception. Joe Flacco led the Ravens with 287 yards passing and three touchdowns. He'll compete for MVP honors with Jones, who also had a 56-yard touchdown reception.