Super Bowl XLVII

Lore & Background

This was the first Super Bowl to feature two brothers coaching against each other – Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers and John Harbaugh of the Ravens – earning it the nickname Har-bowl. It was also the first Super Bowl with two teams that had undefeated records in previous Super Bowl appearances (Ravens 1–0, 49ers 5–0). A partial power outage in the Superdome after the second-half kickoff suspended play for 34 minutes, leading to the nickname Blackout Bowl. The Ravens took an intentional safety in the final moments to preserve the victory.

In Their Own Story

The lights flickered once—a sickening stutter—then died completely, plunging the Mercedes-Benz Superdome into a silence so profound it seemed to swallow the roar of eighty thousand fans whole. On the sideline, the humid New Orleans air froze; even the players stood motionless under the emergency glow. Colin Kaepernick, helmet reflecting the dim red exit signs, watched the clock bleed away while the world held its breath. When the power finally surged back on thirty-four minutes later, the atmosphere had shifted irrevocably. The Ravens, unshaken by the darkness, struck with surgical precision. The Niners' dream of a second ring, so vivid just moments before, began to fracture under the weight of that unnatural intermission.

Reader's Guide

The Ravens dominated the first half, aided by quarterback Joe Flacco's three touchdown passes, taking a 21–6 lead at halftime. Jacoby Jones returned the second-half kickoff a record 108 yards to increase the lead to 28–6. After the power outage, the 49ers rallied with 17 unanswered third-quarter points to cut the lead to 28–23. The 49ers drove to the Ravens' 7-yard line late in the game but turned the ball over on downs. Flacco completed 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns and was named Super Bowl MVP.

Did You Know?

• The 49ers entered the game seeking their sixth Super Bowl win, which would have tied the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most by a franchise.
• Linebacker Ray Lewis and wide receiver Randy Moss both played in this game, their last before retiring from professional football.
• This was the first Super Bowl held in New Orleans since Super Bowl XXXVI and the first since Hurricane Katrina struck the city in 2005.
• Beyoncé performed the halftime show, featuring a reunion with Destiny's Child alumni Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.