Jacoby Jones scored two of the most spectacular touchdowns in Super Bowl history as Baltimore Ravens edged San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in a thriller.
First Jones, playing in his native New Orleans, caught a long Joe Flacco pass before running into the endzone.
Then, after Beyonce’s stunning half-time show, Jones returned the kick-off 108 yards in barely 11 seconds for the longest ever Super Bowl play.
After a long delay due to a power cut, the 49ers hit back but fell just short.
The Ravens led 28-6 early in the third quarter, riding the momentum of a 108-yard Jacoby Jones kickoff return for a score before the Superdome lost power, casting the field in darkness, shutting off the air conditioning and delaying the game for more than half an hour before order was restored.
While the impact wasn’t immediately felt, the 49ers soon found their rhythm on both sides of the ball.San Francisco quickly rallied with three scores in 4:10 – a 31-yard Michael Crabtree reception, a 6-yard Frank Gore run and a 34-yard David Akers field goal. After Baltimore answered with a field goal, San Francisco scored again on Kaepernick’s 15-yard sprint. After a failed two-point conversion, Baltimore clung to a 31-29 lead.
Flacco, who finished 22-of-33 for 287 yards and three touchdowns, led the Ravens on a time consuming field-goal drive, allowing a gassed defense a bit of rest and a five-point cushion. Along with the Lombardi Trophy, he will take home MVP honors.
Kaepernick responded only to stall out on downs inside the Ravens’ 5-yard line, the vaunted Baltimore defense making red zone yards so difficult to attain.
In the end, it may not have been pretty, but it was enough. And since when has Baltimore football been about beauty?
The victory gave Harbaugh a victory over his younger brother Jim in the first Super Bowl featuring brothers as opposing coaches. In the postgame handshake, John Harbaugh told his sibling that he loved him. Jim’s reply was “congratulations.”
Sympathy for the younger Harbaugh was evident. “It’s very tough,” John Harbaugh said. “It’s a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be. It’s very painful.”
Lewis walks off into retirement a winner, earning his second Super Bowl championship. He stayed true to his faithful form when the Lombardi Trophy was presented to the team.
“When God is for you, who can be against you?” Lewis asked.
