Jan 28, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (21) speaks during a press conference at the Marriott New Orleans game to discuss Super Bowl XLVII to be held February 3, 2013. Mandatory Credit: Tyler Kaufman-USA TODAY Sports

Jan 29, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice is interviewed during media day in preparation for Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

With the countdown to Super Bowl XLVII finally starting to wind down, it’s time to start looking at the matchups on the field. Specifically, we are going to look at the running game, and see who has the edge. Which one of these two guys had a better season, per Pro Football Focus, Ray Rice or Frank Gore? We are going to use some of their unique grades to look at who has the edge on Sunday, “By the Numbers.”

First let’s see who graded out higher overall:

RAY RICE: 13.7
FRANK GORE: 11.0

If you looke at their grade, solely based on running, there is a huge difference:

RAY RICE: 4.4
FRANK GORE: 10.4

So, what accounts for this difference? Well, look at their rankings in the passing game:

RAY RICE: 9.3 (first overall)
FRANK GORE: -0.6

So, one guy is more of a threat strictly in the running game, while one is more of a balanced threat. One more number to look at…..who is more elusive? (Elusive ranking per PFF)

RAY RICE: 23.7
FRANK GORE: 37.9

What does this all tell us? Frank Gore is more of the lethal threat on the ground, but Ray Rice can beat you multiple ways.

Finally, we look at footballoutsiders.com to see how these defensive lines fared against the run.

The Niners allowed nearly .5 a yard less per run with a 3.68 yards per carry, vs the Ravens 4.10. The Ravens were actually last in stuffed percentage, or the percentage of time that they stopped the RB for either no gain or a loss. By contrast, the 49ers were ranked right in the middle at #16. The Ravens power rank was 29th, which means in situations of 3rd or 4th and 2 or less, the Ravens were near the bottom of the league at preventing a TD or a first down. The Niners were 17th.

Basically, the Ravens give it up a lot more than the 49ers do, and the 49ers RB is the more explosive one. Going by the numbers, Jim Harbaugh will win this element of the brothers battle on Sunday.

Feb 26, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; From left to right Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh sits with his brother and San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh while scouting during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Super Bowl 47 is just under a week away. This is the game we all love to get together with family and friends, party, and of course, have our pools. A lot of people like to do more than just pick squares, and bet on the winner of the game. People like to make some exotic bets, such as the coin toss, among others. For those of you who like to include these in your game day festivities, here is a list of prop bets, along with odds, per Foxsports:

Jan 20, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) walks off the field after the AFC championship game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Ravens won 28-13. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Jan 20, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh talks to quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during the third quarter of the NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

We are still 2 weeks away from Super Bowl 47, but the storylines have begun. We have the obvious ones, such as the Harbaugh brothers coaching against each other. You also have Ray Lewis, trying to end his Hall of Fame career with a second Super Bowl title. Today, I wanted to talk a bit about a story line that isn’t as major as those two, the quarterbacks. We certainly have two opposite type of guys, don’t we?

First, we have the unflappable Joe Flacco. In the league five seasons, he has led his team to the playoffs 5 times, and won a whopping 8 road playoff games. Since his rookie year, he has never thrown less than 20 touchdowns, and never more than 12 INTs. He has been remarkably consistent with his play, and is in the prime of his career at 28 years old. He is looking to cash in, finally, with that big contract, and be considered an elite quarterback. In 2012, especially since Jim Caldwell took over as offensive coordinator, Flacco is doing everything he can to earn that status. So far in the 2012 postseason, he has put up 8 TDs against 0 INTs, and a passer rating of 114.7. He probably has earned the status already, but if Flacco can win in two weeks, he has cemented himself in that status, and will make the money he is hoping for.

On the other side of the field, we have the young superstar, Colin Kaepernick. Watching him play, isn’t it shocking to realize that he is only making his 10th NFL start? In the Super Bowl? I don’t know if it is possible to have a more exciting stretch. He came on for Alex Smith after he was injured, and gave him the “Wally Pipp” treatment, never relinquishing his starting job, going 5-2 in his seven starts to end the year, throwing 10 TDs vs only 3 picks. Then, we have his eye opening play in the playoffs. First, his record setting performance against the Packers, throwing for 263 and rushing for 181. Then the Falcons game planned to contain the run game, so Colin was 16-21 through the air for 233 yards. Kaepernick is a little Steve Young, and some Randall Cunningham rolled up into one, and he is exciting to watch. Is he the new wave of QB that will take over the league?

It will be exciting to watch.