A Tale of Two Brothers: The Harbowl

Examining Jim and John Harbaugh

Dan O'Brien

Photo Credit: theshadowleague.com

Let's face it: the NFL has lost a bit of its luster. Perhaps it is the ridiculous contracts or just the slowing down of the game to make it safer, but there is something about it that lacks the energy it had more than a decade ago. When the only thing we can point to for drama in the game is a late field goal for a win, I think it is time to reevaluate what it is about the game that makes it so enticing. Frothing-at-the-mouth fans tune into the NFL to watch a game that challenges the perseverance and the strength of the human condition, both physically and mentally. I am not going to turn this into a tirade about why distilling the game to a final kick in the final seconds has damaged the league (I will leave that to Skip Bayless), but instead talk about what drew fans to football in the first place: smash-mouth football. 

The Harbowl, as it is affectionately being called, is a return to a much older time in football, better times in the opinion of many fans and analysts .Strong defenses unwilling to give up an inch and a run game that keeps linebackers and defensive backs honest. The Baltimore Ravens have been this kind of team with Ray Lewis as an emotional and physically impressive centerpiece since he walked on the field. Over the past two seasons, the 49ers have emerged from the ashes to become a defensive stalwart and a truly impressive offensive presence. This Brother's Bowl has rejuvenated a love of football for many fans, creating a dramatic stage that has been painfully absent over the past couple of seasons. My inclination is that the threat of a Brother Bowl might lurk long after the final moments tick off the clock in New Orleans this Sunday. 

John Harbaugh

Photo Credit: fox59.com

Following nearly a decade in Philadelphia as a Special Teams coordinator and then working with the secondary and safeties in his final year (2007), John's coaching career really started at Western Michigan University in 1984 as the running backs and outside linebacker's coach in 1984. From 1988 until 2006, John was the man behind the Special Teams, an interesting career path of a coach in the Super Bowl. There has been a lot of talk recently of NFL head coaches who spent time as Special Teams coordinators and the value that front offices might place on that in the head coaching selection process. Looking at John's record, there might be something to that. 

As coach of the Baltimore Ravens, his all-time record of 80-54 (a .675 winning percentage) is quite impressive. The worst record he has carried as head coach was 9-7 in 2009, which was the last time they did not win their division. Going into the Super Bowl, he is 8-4 in playoff games, though he has yet to hoist the coveted Lombardi trophy. 

Jim Harbaugh

Photo Credit: usatoday.com

The turnaround in San Francisco was intense and dramatic and is due to the personality of its coaching staff heralded most prominently by Jim Harbaugh. He has been referred to as a player's coach and I imagine this comes from his time spent on the field doing precisely what he expects of his player's every time they step on the field. There is a mantra that I live by and it has served me pretty well: do not demand something of someone else that you are unwilling to do. Jim Harbaugh has stood in the pocket and taken a hit from Ray Lewis and can demand that toughness of his own players. 

Drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1987 (26th overall), Jim would spend the next 13 years as a quarterback in the NFL. He would not remain with Chicago, spending time in Indianapolis, Baltimore, and San Diego before retiring in 2000. He only posted two winning seasons as a pro quarterback and that was with the Chicago Bears in 1990 and 1991. His journey as a coach began at Western Kentucky in 1994 and then was highlighted by his time at Stanford. It is the radical change in philosophy that we saw transitioning from Mike Singletary to Harbaugh that speaks to his tenacity on and off the field. In only two years as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Jim was one game away from a Super Bowl and now coaching in one. He has helped create a football culture in San Francisco that is reminiscent of the Bill Walsh days. San Franciscans have a team to cheer for once again, and they have Jim Harbaugh to thank for it. 

Opinion Time

Who do I think is the better coach? 

This is a tough call. What I would look to in determining this is an upward trajectory in terms of team play. John  made a risky move in bringing on Jim Caldwell to call the offense and it helped propel the Ravens into the Super Bowl. Jim created a stir in San Francisco by benching Alex Smith and starting Colin Kaepernick in his place: this turned out pretty well. If I had to choose one, then I would go with Jim because of the sudden transformation of the 49ers without changing any other piece other than him taking the helm. Jim Harbaugh essentially used the pieces that had been left behind from a sub .500 team the year before and made them a team to be feared in a division that was roundly dismissed until the 49ers started crushing teams and the Seahawks became the upstarts of the league. 

The larger point that looms is that one Harbaugh brother is going to win a Super Bowl and one of them is going to have to watch his brother lift the Lombardi trophy above his head. The novelty of a Harbaugh winning a Super Bowl regardless of who wins is a special moment in NFL history. A conference for Jim and John's parents best illustrates what it means to experience crushing defeat and overwhelming joy in the same breath. 

More about the author: A psychologist, author, philosopher, freelance editor, and skeptic, Dan O’Brien has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Portent, The Path of the Fallen, Book of Seth, and Cerulean Dreams.

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Harbaugh's Heroes: Ray Rice vs. Frank Gore

Ray Rice vs. Frank Gore

by Dan O'Brien

Photo credit: cbsnews.com

The comparisons continue; this time with two premier backs. Frank Gore became the leading rusher in 49ers history this year and has stuck with the team through thick and thin. Ray Rice became the main attraction of a powerful run game the moment he stepped on the field. Both of these running backs are strong downfield runners who are not afraid of some contact. Part of what makes this Super Bowl (or Harbowl) so fascinating is that the match-up is between two old-style clubs: a strong run offense and a hardnosed, lights-out defense.

Ray Rice

Photo credit: sports-kings.com

Ray Rice is a complete running back. He is great off-tackle and he is great in the open field. He has the speed and the strength to be considered an elite running back, which he most certainly is. When he came into the league in 2008, he was not the first option for Baltimore. This, however, quickly changed. In 2009, he rushed for 1339 yards and 7 touchdowns. He caught 78 passes for 702 yards, solidifying his presence as a double-threat back. In 2012, the year that matters because the Ravens are in the Super Bowl, he rushed for 1143 yards and 9 touchdowns; he added to that 61 receptions for 478 yards. Despite a strong season, this was by no means his best season. 

Frank Gore

Photo Credit: examiner.com

Frank Gore is a part of 49ers history and this game might mean more to him than a lot of the other guys on the team. Gore, while being a powerful runner, is not the same dynamic back that Rice seems on track to be. He rushed for 1695 yards and 8 touchdowns in his first year as a starter (2006), which are monster numbers, but he managed to only hover around 1200 yards for the remainder of his career. If you add 61 receptions for 485 yards, then you are talking about more than a 2000-yard season in 2006. Fast-forward to 2012: this was a pretty good year as well, as he rushed for 1214 yards and 8 touchdown, adding to that 28 receptions for 234 yards. It seems clear to me that he never recovered from the knee injury, taking a little power and speed out of his step.

Opinion Time

Both teams are going to threaten the run. Both defenses are prepared for the run. Both of these running backs are willing to stretch and fall for that extra inch. I feel like Kaepernick should be included in the running back conversation, simply because the threat of his quickness and the Read-Option make the 49ers running game more of a threat. Gore average 4.7 yards per carry for an average of 75.9 yards per game. Rice average 4.4 yards per carry for 71.4 yards per game. Those numbers are too close to call. Gore had three fumbles on the year, one of which was taken back for a touchdown, while Rice had only one. I think whichever team wins the contested run game will inevitably emerge victorious this Sunday. With numbers this tight between two powerhouse running backs, something has to give.

More about the author: A psychologist, author, philosopher, freelance editor, and skeptic, Dan O’Brien has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Portent, The Path of the Fallen, Book of Seth, and Cerulean Dreams. 

Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) 

Visit his blog at http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com.

Harbaugh's Heroes: Flacco vs. Kaepernick

Flacco vs. Kaepernick

by Dan O'Brien

As the drama unfolds this Sunday in the aptly named Harbowl, there is something fascinating brewing in the background, estranged match-ups that seem ripe for comparisons. Leading up to Super Sunday, we here at Empirical are going to provide our two cents about the marquee match-ups in this brother bowl. Joe Flacco has been called many things, chief among them "weak under pressure" and a "loser" for not making it to the Big Show. This has now changed, right before a contract year I might add, in that it certainly puts into perspective a winning quarterback who had yet to win it all. Colin Kaepernick was at the center of a QB controvery in the Bay that turned out to be less a controversy and more a misunderstanding by the public as to what was in the best interest of the team.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

Joe Flacco

The 6’6” quarterback from the University of Delaware has over the course of his short career (starting in 2008) racked up some impressive statistics: an average completion rating of 60.5 percent; 102 touchdowns to only 56 interceptions. The worst season under Joe Flacco the Ravens went only 9-7, a telling statistics given the presence of a playoff wrecking ball like the Steelers being in the same division. What is most interesting about this run of winning seasons (every season since Flacco has started has been a winning season) is the lack of jewelry, the true testament to the efficacy and noteworthiness of a quarterback. Another notable Flacco fact, despite not appearing in the big game at season's end,  he does hold the NFL record for most playoff road wins. While his averages are striking when juxtaposed with the same quarterback class, which includes another perennial winner as-of-yet to make it to the most important Sunday of the season, Matt Ryan, is the criticism that he [Flacco] does not have what it takes to join other Super Bowl winners.

The more important and relevant statistic is how Flacco stood up this year. The Ravens went 10-6, though this seems better than the late-season lull in Baltimore right before Ray Lewis announced his retirement at the end of the season and the AFC juggernaut gathered steam. He completed 317 of 531 passes (59.7 percent) for 3817 yards over the course of 16 starts. (I realize that you know a regular season is 16 games, but it becomes important we when compare him to a fresher quarterback who started half as many games.) He was fairly efficient, throwing 22 touchdowns to only 10 interceptions. He had an 87.7 Quarterback rating; a statistic that I think has been given too much weight in the current NFL climate.

A pretty solid year for a consistent quarterback chasing greatness.

Colin Kaepernick

The 6’5” quarterback who came out of Nevada-Reno has been spectacular this year. There was some speculation about his game and field management when Jim Harbaugh first benched Alex Smith after a concussion. I would think that the doubters, for the most part, have been silenced by this point in the season. With Kaepernick at the helm, the 49ers were able to do what they could not do last year: make the Super Bowl. In the 7 games that Colin started, San Francisco went 5-2. He made 136 out of 218 passes (62.4 percent) for 1814 yards. He threw 10 touchdowns to only 3 interceptions. His QBR of 98.3 is impressive, but I do not think it is as telling as many people would like to believe.

Not bad for a second-year back-up quarterback starting for a team in the Super Bowl.

So What?

Looking at the numbers, you might shrug and say So What? The numbers are pretty close and if Kaepernick had played a whole season his numbers would be about the same or marginally higher. I could regale you with statistical analysis (but this is not ESPN and I do not get paid as much as John Hollinger), but needless to say a little goes a long way in terms of what is significant.

There is a key difference between these two quarterbacks that warrants mentioning: mobility. Both are tall and athletic, but Kaepernick has a very similar game to RG3, Russell Wilson, and Michael Vick. The threat of the Read-Option, even if it is only run three times per game, gives defenses the fits. Jim Caldwell calling the offense certainly gave the Ravens a much-needed boost in the passing game, but there are only so many times that you can Ray Rice the ball on a first down before a defense knows it’s coming and renders it ineffective. The 49ers have quietly created a three-headed monster with a dynamic passing game (with Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, and an aging, but spry, Randy Moss), a monster running game fronted by Frank Gore, and the late year brilliance of a young Kaepernick.

I think we might be in for a slugfest this Sunday after all….

More about the author: A psychologist, author, philosopher, freelance editor, and skeptic, Dan O’Brien has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Portent, The Path of the Fallen, Book of Seth, and Cerulean Dreams. 

Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) 

Visit his blog at http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com.