The craziest Super Bowl also became one of the best.
After trailing by 22 point after the first play of the second half and suffering through a power outage that essentially operated as a second extended halftime, the 49ers charged back.
But the Niners came up three points short short at 34-31, failing to score despite having a first down and goal to go from the seven.
Along the way, quarterback Colin Kaepernick didn’t see a wide open Randy Moss at the back of the end zone, with his hand thrust in the air like it was 1999.
A third-down play with Kaepernick taking the snap from under center at the five yard line resulted in a quick throw short of the end zone that fell incomplete. On fourth down, a blitz from the Ravens forced Kaepernick to throw a fade route to Michael Crabtree prematurely.
There could be a reasonable argument that Crabtree was mildly interfered with, but in that spot the flag is far more likely to stay in the pants -- like it did for the Niners when the Falcons to convert on fourth and short with the NFC title game on the line.
The Ravens eventually faced fourth down deep in their own end of the field, and coach John Harbaugh wisely called for punter Sam Koch to take a safety while also chewing up as much time as possible. The free kick would have required a Stanford band-style return, but the Niners didn’t get the ball to the 50.
Game over. Ravens win. The only question left is whether, as Kenan Thompson predicted, Ray Lewis will go to midfield and ascend into heaven.