Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals
Pick: Steelers
On a personal note, I will be rooting for the . As much as I love to root for the underdog, I just cannot support the NFL allowing a team that finished in a three-way tie for the sixth best record in the NFC to have the critical home field advantage in two playoff games against better teams. I have a hard time believing that the Cardinals would otherwise be in the Super Bowl, were it not for that.
The Cardinals played in the worst division in their conference, so essentially the eighth best team was rewarded with home field advantage in two games that they otherwise would have lost in my opinion. I love to see the underdog shock the world just like I like to see a man go from rags to riches. But if the man does it by insider trading and tax fraud then how can I support that. That is not to infer that the Cardinals cheated, but they are benefiting greatly from an unfair system and they are not that proverbial feel good story in my book.
Game Analysis
This really looks like the 2006 Super Bowl match-up between the and the. In that game, the Steelers dominated more than the 21-10 score would even indicate.
Roethlisberger was only a second year quarterback then, but truthfully he is not that much more polished than he was then. He is still the same guy that is going to throw for a shade of 200 yards and not hurt you by throwing interceptions. That is all the Steelers ask him to do, since their defense takes care of the rest. Their defensive points against average of 13.9 was the best in the league.
The defense was good then and it is even better now. The Steelers gave up only 44 yards rushing per game! And they do not deliver bone bruising hits, they deliver imobilizing hits. Just ask the Ravens running back, Willis McGahee, who was carted off in the final minutes of the AFC Championship.
Great defenses always trump even good offenses. The Steelers defense will knock Kurt Warner down a peg. Instead of being a lock for the Hall of Fame, he will go back onto the bubble. Edgerin James will look pedestrian and be denied any real shot at true sports glory.
The Cardinals defense has looked amazing at times during this playoff run. Shots Heard cannot account for the improvement. But one reason might be the incredible prowess of players like safety, Adrian Wilson. If you have not seen his hops, you need to check it out!
The Cardinals defense will need to take it to even another level, instead of thinking that Warner and Fitzgerald can simply outscore the Steelers. If their defense can force two or three turnovers on the Steelers side of the field then the Cardinals will have a shot.
Larry Fitzgerald has looked like a beast in the playoffs. Even double teams and special zone awareness has hardly slowed him down. I have not seen anything like the Terrell Owens broken leg dominance during the season that the Eagles went to the Super Bowl.
We can be assured that with two weeks to prepare and the league's best defense that the Steelers will contain Fitzgerald. The Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Haley will need to suck up his pride and make sure that is as much of a part of the game plan as Fitzgerald, if not more. Based on Haley's ego driven mannerisms and his ego, I have serious doubts that he would be willing to go in that direction.
It is true that Boldin was sour about his contract situation earlier in the year. Boldin also was a bit selfish by not celebrating the team's NFC Championship victory with the team. But it is important to note that Boldin clearly is a blood and guts type of player.
The man was paralyzed for a few seconds in a hit earlier this season. He also had to have his face reconstructed to even be playing in the post season. Most players would not have even bothered to try and help a terrible team make the Super Bowl. So the Boldin detractors, should take a step back.
And to truly add insult to injury, the Cardinals front office gave Larry Fitzgerald a four year 40 million contract to Larry Fitzgerald. Anquan Boldin, a receiver with similar output was in the middle of his four year $22.5 million contract. Boldin has 6,496 yards receiving in six seasons. Fitzgerald has 5,975 yards receceding in five seasons. Clearly, any player would feel de-valued in those circumstances.
But despite all that sidebar drama, Boldin should be ready to go and anxious to shine. He will want to show that he is just as worthy of the big bucks. All that said, Steelers are still the favorites.
Outcome: Steelers 27 Cardinals 23 - Cardinals cover the spread; Steelers win most exciting Super Bowl since the last one.
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