Flacco Proves Doubters Wrong By Leading Ravens To Super Bowl Glory
NEW ORLEANS (CBSNewYork) — Two quarterbacks from non-traditional quarterback producing colleges took their pro teams to the biggest stage at the Super Bowl.
Delaware and Nevada don't have the history of quarterback factories like Purdue or Stanford, but two star quarterbacks have come from unlikely places all the way to the big game.
You know their names -- Joe Flacco and Colin Kaepernick. Only one could stand atop the mountaintop at the conclusion of Super Bowl XLVII.
When it was all said and done, Flacco had led the Ravens to glory and was named Super Bowl MVP.
After years of disappointment, Flacco's time to shine had finally come. The Audubon, New Jersey native took command in Super Bowl XLVII by throwing three first half touchdowns to give the Ravens a 21-6 lead over the 49ers, only to see the tables turn in the second half.
Kaepernick did everything possible to steal a Super Bowl ring away from Flacco's finger, but it wasn't enough as the Baltimore Ravens became Super Bowl champs by defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31.
Flacco finished the game with 287 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
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Over the years, Flacco's greatness has been put under the microscope by NFL analysts. The big question hanging over Flacco was whether he was an elite quarterback and there isn't a greater pressure than leading your team to Super Bowl glory. Flacco was able to do that on Sunday night.
On the biggest stage in New Orleans -- Flacco proved he's worthy of an elite status.
The multi-dimensional Kaepernick flourished under fire. Kaepernick has engineered an incredible second half comeback effort, falling just short. The lights went out for 35 minutes inside the Superdome and that's when the tables began to turn around for the 49ers.
Kaepernick is no stranger to pressure. He was immediately thrown into the fire when he took over for former number one overall draft pick Alex Smith midway through the season.
While Kaepernick performed admirably, it wasn't to be as it was Flacco's day. Much of the focus ahead of Super Bowl XLVII was on Flacco's teammate Ray Lewis, who is taking part in his final NFL game. While one NFL great is departing the stage, Flacco wrote the cementing chapter of his career.
It hasn't always been an easy road for Flacco who often drew criticism for not leading the Ravens into the big game in seasons past, but now he's finally proved critics wrong for underestimating him.
Has Flacco finally proved his critics wrong by winning Super Bowl XLVII? Sound off below...
