Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Appearing on the Rich Eisen Podcast on Thursday, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree revealed for the first time what exactly happened on the offenses fourth down play in the Super Bowl loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Crabtree said right before the final play on offense for the Niners, he couldn’t see because of a helmet-to-helmet hit (picture above) he took from Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith on the previous play.

He (Smith) hit me, he hit me all in the face. But I’m not tripping. I’m not the one to whine about nothing, but he hit me all in the face and I really couldn’t see, you know what I’m saying, after he hit me.

The 49ers offense was facing a 3^rd-and-goal from the Ravens five-yard line in the final two minutes of the game. San Francisco was down 34-29 at the time and the offense was in desperate need of scoring a touchdown to regain the lead. After two straight passes to Crabtree, Colin Kaepernick went to Crabtree again on the fateful fourth down. However, by that time Crabs said his vision had returned and it had no effect on his performance on the final play. Crabtree said:

Then it just came back… it’s not concussion-like. After you get hit in football — you’re going to get hit and you’re going to feel it. And it’s going to feel like you can’t see. It’s going to feel intense, you know what I’m saying? But it snapped back. It happens all the time in football.

Like many of the 49ers Faithful after the Super Bowl loss, Crabtree said he felt “sad” but also that the loss is “nothing but motivation to come back next year and do my thing.”

Another intriguing part of the interview was Crabtree dishing on the split in the locker-room after Alex Smith was replaced as the starting quarterback by Kaepernick.

You had guys on Alex Smith’s side, guys on Colin Kaepernick’s side. I was on the winning side. You can’t beat that. The guy was hot, that’s no secret. Kap was hot.

I hate to talk about it. But you had the starting quarterback and, a couple games later, he’s the starting scout-team quarterback. He’s taking all the snaps with the scout team, so that was kind of crazy to see. Alex Smith is a good guy, man. He’s been through a lot being a San Francisco 49er. He went through all the boos, the winning … he’d been through so much. I wish him success with the Chiefs.

Click HERE to listen to the full interview.

Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers return to the Super Bowl for the sixth time in franchise history as they go up against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. The 49ers are on a three game winning streak and have won five of the last six games.

San Francisco will attempt to win the Super Bowl for the sixth time in franchise history and for the first time since the 1994 season on Sunday. The 49ers six trips to the Super Bowl are tied with the Denver Broncos for the 4th most Super Bowl appearances in league history. With a Niners victory they will be tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for most Super Bowl victories in NFL history.

The 49ers earned a trip to the Super Bowl with a 28-24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game, after trailing 17-0 in the first half. The 17-point comeback was the 2nd largest deficit overcome to win a conference championship. The Ravens punched their ticket to the NFL championship game by also overcoming a first half deficit against the New England Patriots and ended up winning, 28-13.

THE HISTORY

This will be the fifth-time the Ravens and 49ers have played, but the most memorable game was last years battle on Thanksgiving night. In the first edition of the HarBowl, Baltimore won, 16-6. The only time San Francisco has won in the series was the first game played in 1996 when they defeated the Ravens, 38-20.

Matchups: 4

Series Record: Ravens lead series 3-1

49ers Home Record vs. Ravens: Series tied 1-1

49ers Away Record vs. Ravens: Ravens lead series 2-0

First Meeting: November 17, 1996, 49ers won 38-20

Last Meeting: November 24/11, Ravens won 16-6

Current Streak: Lost 3

Longest 49ers Win Streak: 1 – (November 17, 1996)

Longest Ravens Win Streak: 3 – (November 30, 2003 – November 24, 2011)

Most 49ers Points Scored: 38 – (November 17, 1996), 38-20

Most Ravens Points Scored: 44 – (November 30, 2003), 44-6

Game Results

1996-49ERS 38, Ravens 20

2003-RAVENS 44, 49ers 6

2007-Ravens 9, 49ERS 7

2011-RAVENS 16, 49ers 6

THE NUMBERS

2012 Comparison

 49ERS     (rank)                     RAVENS     (rank)

11-4-1 (1st NFC West) Record 10-6 (1st AFC North)

24.8 (11th) Points Per Game 24.9 (10th)

361.8 (11th) Total Offense 352.5 (16th)

155.7 (4th) Rushing Offense 118.8 (11th)

206.1 (23rd) Passing Offense 233.7 (15th)

30:49 (10th) Possession Average 28:09 (29th)

17.1 (2nd) Points Allowed Per Game 21.5 (t-12th)

294.4 (3rd) Total Defense 350.9 (17th)

94.2 (4th) Rushing Defense 122.8 (20th)

200.2 (4th) Passing Defense 228.1 (17th)

38 (t-11th) Sacks 37 (t-15th)

14 (t-16th) Interceptions 13 (19th)

48.1 (3rd) Punting Avg. (Gross) 47.1 (8th)

+9 (t-8th) Turnover Differential +9 (t-8th)

49ERS RAVENS

PASSING YARDS

Colin Kaepernick……..1,814 Joe Flacco…………………..3,817

Alex Smith………………..1,737

RUSHING YARDS

Frank Gore……………….1,214 Ray Rice………………………1,143

Colin Kaepernick………. 415 Bernard Pierce…………..532

RECEPTIONS

Michael Crabtree………..85 Anquan Boldin……………….65

Mario Manningham……42 Dennis Pitta…………………….61

Vernon Davis……………….. 41 Ray Rice…………………………..61

RECEIVING YARDS

Michael Crabtree…….1,105 Anquan Boldin…………….. 921

Vernon Davis…………….548 Torrey Smith……………….855

INTERCEPTIONS

Dashon Goldson…………….3 Cary Williams……………………4

Three Players………………..2 Ed Reed……………………………..4

SACKS

Aldon Smith………………. 19.5 Paul Kruger…………………..9.0

Ahmad Brooks……………6.5 Haloti Ngata………………….5.0

Justin Smith………………..3.0 Two players…………………..4.5

• 1: Ray Lewis’ first career sack was on Jim Harbaugh in 1996.
• 5: The 49ers are 5-0 in Super Bowls in franchise history. The 5 victories are tied for the second most in NFL history (Pittsburgh – 6; Dallas – 5).
• 9: QB Colin Kaepernick enters Super Bowl XLVII with 9 career NFL starts (regular season and postseason). The 9 starts mark the 3rd fewest starts by a QB entering the Super Bowl in NFL history. (Jeff Hostetler, NYG – 6; Vince Ferragamo, L.A. Rams – 7)
• 2: RB Frank Gore led the way with 21 carries for 90 yards and 2 TDs against the Atlanta Falcons. This marked Gore’s first career multi-touchdown performance in the postseason.
• 20: Under head coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers are 11-2-1 when Gore has 20 carries or more.
• 3: QB Colin Kaepernick completed 16 of 21 passes (76.2 comp. pct.) for 233 yards with 1 TD and a QB rating of 127.7 in the NFC Championship Game. His 76.2 comp. pct. ranks 3rd in franchise postseason history.
• 28: The 49ers have won 28 playoff games since 1970.
• 15: RB LaMichael James registered his first-career TD on a 15-yard TD run in the win over the Falcons. James became the first 49ers rookie to register a TD in the postseason since FB William Floyd recorded a 4-yard TD reception from QB Steve Young vs. San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX.
• 17: The 17-point comeback against Atlanta was the 2nd largest deficit overcome to win a conference championship.
• 100: Davis registered his 3rd career 100-yard game in the postseason in the NFC Championship Game. He now ranks t-2nd in NFL postseason history for the most 100-yard receiving games by a tight end.
• 6: The 49ers will be making their sixth Super Bowl appearance which ranks second all-time.
• 110.5: TE Vernon Davis has averaged 110.5 rec. yards per game in 4 career postseason games which ranks 3rd in NFL history (min. 4 games) and is the most among tight ends.
• 10: San Francisco’s defense allowed just 157 plays of 10 or more yards this season, ranking 1st in the NFL. The defense only allowed 7 TDs of 10 or more yards, also ranking 1st in the NFL.

 49ers Super Bowl History

Super Bowls Games: 5

49ers Record: 5-0

First Game: 49ers win 26-21 over Bengals (SB XVI – January 24, 1982)

Last Game: 49ers win 49-26 over Chargers (SB XXIX – January 29, 1995)

Current Streak: Won 5

Longest SF Win Streak: 5 (January 24, 1982 – Current)

Most SF Points: 55; 49ers win 55-10 over Broncos (SB XXIV – January 28, 1990)

Most Opp. Points: 26; 49ers win 49-26 over Chargers (SB XXIX – January 29, 1995)

Total SF Points: 188

Total Opp. Points: 89

Average SF Points: 37.6

Average Opp. Points: 17.8

Largest SF Win: 45; 49ers win 55-10 over Broncos (SB XXIV – January 28, 1990)

 49ers Super Bowl Wins

 1981 (1/24) W San Francisco 26, Cincinnati 21

1984 (1/20) W San Francisco 38, Miami 16

1988 (1/22) W San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16

1989 (1/28) W San Francisco 55, Denver 10

1994 (1/29) W San Francisco 49, San Diego 26

 THE CONNECTIONS

• 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh faces his older brother, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, for the second time. It marks the first time in NFL history in which siblings have faced each other in a Super Bowl as head coaches.
• Jim Harbaugh played quarterback with the Chicago Bears (1987-1993) when quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst (1991-1995) and Ravens defensive line coach Clarence Brooks (1993-1998) were on the Bears’ coaching staff.
• Jim Harbaugh was co-captain with Ravens offensive line coach Andy Moeller at the University of Michigan in 1986.
• 49ers assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Brad Seely coached with Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees with the New England Patriots from 2004-2008.
• Jim Harbaugh played quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens in 1998.
• 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was on the Baltimore Ravens coaching staff as the special assistant to the head coach from 2006-2008 and in 2009 he was the linebackers coach.
• 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman was the assistant offensive line coach for the Ravens from 2006-2007.
• 49ers LB Tavares Gooden was selected in the 3rd round (71st overall) by the Ravens in 2008 and played with Baltimore until 2010.
• 49ers LB NaVorro Bowman grew up in District Heights, Maryland and attended Suitland HS (Forestville, Maryland).
• 49ers TE Vernon Davis is a native of Washington D.C. and attended the University of Maryland.
• 49ers RB Frank Gore played at Miami (FL) in 2001 with Ravens S Ed Reed and T Bryant McKinnie.
• 49ers LB Patrick Willis and Ravens T Michael Oher were teammates at Mississippi from 2005-2006.
• 49ers T Anthony Davis played with Ravens RB Ray Rice from 2006-2007 at Rutgers.
• 49ers RB LaMichael James and FB/DT Will Tukuafu played at Oregon with Ravens TE Ed Dickson from 2008-2009.
• 49ers QB Alex Smith was a teammate of Ravens LB/DE Paul Kruger at Utah in 2004.
• Ravens wide receivers coach Jim Hostler served as the 49ers quarterbacks coach from 2005-2006 and offensive coordinator in 2007.
• Ravens LB Brendon Ayanbadejo is from Santa Cruz, CA.

JCredit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Teams playing in the Super Bowl try avoiding controversy at all costs leading up to the NFL championship game. But as the San Francisco 49ers have learned, you cannot control players from making controversial comments with so many reporters asking questions at the Super Bowl.

The controversy and headaches started for the 49ers when CB Chris Culliver made anti-gay remarks at Wednesday’s Super Bowl Media Day. Afterwards Culliver issued an apology, but it did not go away. LB Ahmad Brooks and NT Isaac Sopoaga denied making an It Gets Better video, which part of an anti-bullying campaign for LGBTQ teenagers.

Brooks and Sopoaga appeared in the video back in August along with teammates Ricky Jean Francois and Donte Whitner. However, a USA Today reporter approached them about the video and Brooks said the following:

I didn’t make any video. This is America and if someone wants to be gay, they can be gay. It’s their right. But I didn’t make any video.

After that he was shown the video and said,

Oh, that. It was an anti-bullying video, not a gay (rights) video.

When the reporter pointed out that most teens who are bullied is because of sexual identity issues, Brooks replied,

I know that. I know that. Okay, you’re right and I’m wrong. Are you from one of those New York newspapers?

If you thought it couldn’t get any worse, Sopoaga also denied making the video. After he was reminded by a teammate about making it, he played coy as if he didn’t know what the video was for and said someone was using ‘my name.’

Here was the exchange between the USA Today reporter and the nose tackle:

Sopoaga, too, denied making the video, even while teammate Will Tukuafu, who overheard the question, tried to refresh his memory.

“Yeah, you made that video, remember?”  Tukuafu said.

“No,” Sopoaga said. “I never went. And now someone is using my name.”

Sopoaga was shown the video.

“What was that for?” he asked.

To ask teens to stop bullying other teens because of sexual identity, he was told.

“Yeah, OK,” he said.

Would you like to comment on it, he was asked.

“No,” he said.

This is a self-inflicted wound and is not the type of attention the 49ers needed two days before the Super Bowl is played. I am a supporter of LGBTQ rights and Culliver’s statement, and the denial by Brooks and Sopoaga is deplorable and not welcomed. However, I am not the kind of person to hold someone’s ignorance against them, even Niner players. Everyone had different upbringings and religious beliefs that shape their view of the world and the LGBTQ community. While this is getting a lot of attention now, I am reserving judgment on the three players. What will be important is how they handle the situation going forwarded and whether or not they do something positive to make up for their comments and denials.

The 49ers were the first team in the NFL to have players appear in the It Gets Better video campaign. At the time, Niner Noise applauded the decision because it was the right thing to do and because of how much the LGBTQ community is a part of the city of San Francisco. In response to Brooks and Sopoaga denying making the video, the campaign removed the video featuring the 49ers from its website.