Five things to watch in Super Bowl XLVII

1Kaepernick's youth

Colin Kaepernick has made only nine starts, including two playoff wins. Only twice previously has

a quarterback started a Super Bowl with fewer career starts than Kaepernick. Jeff Hostetler helped the New York Giants win Super Bowl XXV in his seventh start. Vince Ferragamo made his eighth

start in Super Bowl XIV, which the

Rams lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2Flacco's future

Joe Flacco isn't just playing for his first Super Bowl title, but a new contract, too. He wants a contract that averages $20 million per season, and a championship would help his cause. He is 8-4 in the postseason in his career, and his six road playoff victories are the most in history for a starting quarterback. In three playoff wins this postseason, he has passed for 853 yards with

eight touchdowns,

no interceptions and

a 114.7 passer rating.

3Akers' woes

David Akers earned All-Pro honors last season when he kicked an NFL-record 44 field goals. After the 2012 season, the 49ers kicker had surgery for a double hernia and then went only 29 for 42 this season. He missed a 38-yarder off the left upright against Atlanta in the NFC Championship Game a few days after the team cut Billy Cundiff.

4Red-hot Boldin

Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin is clutch in the postseason. In 10 playoff games, he has 46 catches for 702 yards and six touchdowns. That includes eight catches for 84 yards for the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. This postseason, he has 16 receptions for 276 yards and three touchdowns.

5Lewis'

retirement

This is Ray Lewis' swan song. After 17 seasons and 248 total games, the Ravens middle linebacker is calling it quits. Lewis' first of 41.5 sacks came against Jim Harbaugh in 1996. Now, Lewis can win a second Super Bowl title against Harbaugh's 49ers. Only a handful of NFL greats have ended their careers with victories, including Otto Graham, Michael Strahan, John Elway and Jerome Bettis.

-- Charean Williams

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