Super Duped Predictions

Superbowl XLVII is coming, so yours truly simply can't resist the urge to make some silly and bold predictions.

- MVP will be QB Alex Smith of the San Francisco 49ers, in a losing effort (more on that later).

In case you are not following the NFL closely, here is what happened to Smith, in Peter King's words on Monday Morning Quarterback:

"(Smith was) NFL's top-rated passer [104.3] through 10 weeks. Completed 18 of 19 passes in his last full game, at Arizona (Cardinals). Took a week off due to a concussion suffered the next game against St. Louis (Rams). Lost his job in that one week off to (Colin) Kaepernick, who never had started an NFL game. Kaepernick quarterbacked the Niners to the Super Bowl ..."

Smith was the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft and was widely regarded as a bust early in his career. In came head coach Jim Harbaugh in 2011 who has turned him into a highly-efficient (if not spectacular) quarterback. This season he has been in fine form, until admitting that he had suffered a concussion in the game against the Rams. And the rest is history.

In football, everyone says that you won't lose your job because of injury. But that is exactly what has happened to Smith. So wouldn't it be ironic (or right) to see Kaepernick having to leave the game (due to injury or ineffectiveness), and then for Smith to come on and play out of his mind, by throwing a couple of touchdown bombs late in the game?

- The Baltimore Ravens will beat the 49ers, rather easily.

Kaepernick has been playing brilliantly in place of Smith. But he is still a rookie, and his play has been a bit inconsistent. Like Smith, Ravens' QB Joe Flacco is a solid player not known for his big plays until the last couple of games. The Ravens started 9-2 this year, only to stumble to a 1-4 finish. Then Flacco found his groove and with him at the helm, the Ravens have become the hot team of late, by beating Peyton Manning and Tom Brady away from home in the playoffs. The last two Superbowls have been won by the hottest team at that point (Green Bay Packers and New York Giants respectively). Look for the streak to continue this year.

- Ray Lewis' Last Hurrah

Having announced his retirement earlier this year, Lewis brilliant career should have ended at Denver in the Divisional playoff game. But somehow the Broncos let Jacoby Jones sneak by the secondary and Flacco found him for a 70-yard score with 31 seconds left to tie the game.

Are the Ravens destined to win? Yours truly thinks so. But don't expect a great game from Lewis, who has shown signs of age and is still hampered by his arm injury. He will have a solid performance as usual, rack up a dozen tackles, and be instrumental in keeping the 49ers at bay (no pun intended).