CASPER
New member
TAMPA -- In the broad realm of improbable Super Bowls, the Arizona Cardinals versus the Pittsburgh Steelers is right at the very top of the list.
With the NFL's No. 1 defence and players like Hines Ward and Ben Roethlisberger on offence, it was not a huge surprise to see the Steelers win the AFC Championship game. Since the day Chuck Noll took over as head coach, the Steelers have become one of the most successful franchises in the NFL. This year, the Steelers are trying to win a record sixth Super Bowl title.
The Cardinals are another story altogether. Up until this season, the Cardinals franchise had won a grand total of one playoff game in 60 years. During that six-decade run, the Cardinals went stretches of 24 years and 14 years between playoff appearances. Since the last time the Cardinals won any kind of championship, they moved from Chicago to St. Louis to their current home in Phoenix.
So now, here they are in Tampa, ready to fight it out Sunday on the pristine grass at Raymond James Stadium.
The Cardinals are here thanks in a large part to the record-setting, post-season heroics of receiver Larry Fitzgerald. I loved what Rod Woodson told me when I asked him what he would have done to stop the Fitzgerald. He was short and to the point, "good luck." Here's Woodson, a Hall of Fame-caliber corner back during his heyday, telling me that Fitzgerald is almost impossible to stop. If that is indeed the case, then the game plan for the Steelers defence is very simple: get to Kurt Warner.
Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is the genius behind the "zone blitz" defence. With reigning Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison as well as Lamarr Woodley at his disposal, expect LeBeau to bring the heat early and often. As we have seen in the Cardinals run to the Super Bowl, if Warner has time in the pocket he will find Fitzgerald down the field.
That in a nutshell is the tipping point for Super Bowl XLIII. Stop Fitzgerald and the Steelers win. If Fitzgerald is able to have yet another big playoff game, then the Cardinals could do what was once thought of as impossible, and that's win the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is going to do everything in his power to make sure that doesn't happen. More importantly, Tomlin is going to make darn sure that his team doesn't take the Cardinals lightly.
This Super Bowl is also a great litmus test for the two starting quarterbacks. Should Warner lead the Cardinals to victory, it will all but cement his status as a legitimate Hall of Famer. Should Roethlisberger end up as the winning quarterback, that would give him two Super Bowl titles in his first five seasons. All week Roethlisberger has been talking about the importance have having a better performance than the one he had in the Steelers win in Super Bowl XL.
Key Match Up --LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison against the Cardinals offensive line. Levi Brown and the Cards offensive line don't receive a lot of recognition but they only allowed 28 sacks for an offence that threw the ball 630 times. Compare that to the much-maligned Steelers offensive line. Those five large lads from Pittsburgh allowed 49 sacks on 506 pass attempts. Simple math tells you that the Cards offensive line had a very solid year. Now they have to go up against the Steelers frightening quarterback hunters. Woodley and Harrison combined for 27.5 sacks in the regular season and another five in the playoffs. Stopping Larry Fitzgerald is nearly impossible, however, stopping Kurt Warner is a very realistic game plan for Dick LeBeau. If LeBeau can bring the heat with Woodley and Harrison and disrupt Warner's timing, than Fitzgerald becomes a non-factor. Warner can't throw the ball if he's lying on his back. If the Steelers can't get to Warner, than the Cardinals offence will be able to some damage.
What to look for -- Willie Parker and the Steelers running game. The Steelers are a perfect 6-0 in the playoffs when Parker gets the start. Feeling the healthiest he's been all year, Parker has run for 193 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs. Of course, Parker didn't have a great game against the Ravens. But no running back has much success against the Ravens. Against the Cardinals, Parker and the Steelers will do whatever it takes to establish their running game. The more Willie Parker runs the ball, the longer Kurt Warner and the Cards offence will end up sitting on the sidelines.
For the Cardinals, keep an eye on their secondary. The quartet of Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle, Rod Hood and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie have combined for four interceptions, two sacks and a fumble return for a touchdown in the post-season. The Cardinals secondary has thrived under coordinator Clancy Pendergast's direction. Don't be surprised to see one of them to make a big play during this game.
Intangibles -- After spending all week around the Cardinals, you can't help but like them. Ken Whisenhunt has groomed a professional and accountable football team. Having said all that, the Cardinals have a long way to go before they can be mentioned in the same breath as the Steelers. This is the second Super Bowl I have covered where the Steelers were involved and it never ceases to amaze of the passion of their fans. Love them or hate them, the Steelers have a definite aura about them. The Black & Gold uniforms, the Steel Curtain defence, the crazy, rabid fans -- it's all part of the Steelers nation. Heck, even President Obama is a Steelers fan and will be waving his Terrible Towel on Sunday.
Who Wins - Far be it from me to argue with the odds makers in Las Vegas, but I think the Cardinals are going to give the Steelers all they can handle. If anything, last years dramatic win by the Giants over the Patriots in Super Bowl XVII should have proven once and for all that on any given Sunday, anyone can win. More than anything, the Cardinals have the most-talented player taking part in this game. Even the most ardent Steelers fan would agree that Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is something special. So special that he is capable of turning nothing into something every time he touches the ball. That kind of greatness is difficult to game plan for.
I have always been a big believer that in a battle between a great offence and a great defence -- the defence wins. Led by their wise old sage, Dick LeBeau, the Steelers possess the best defence in the NFL. The Steelers offense isn't prolific, but it is efficient. Hines Ward isn't the biggest receiver I have seen but he is one tough cookie. Bad knee and all, Ward will be in the lineup Sunday and that's a huge plus for the Steelers.
In the end, the Steelers defence will make the difference in this game and the City of Pittsburgh will see the arrival of their record sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.