The Superbowl Preview

The Steelers vs The Cardinals

Its super bowl sunday and the fat guy is going to compare the teams starting players and make a decision over who will win. Before i look at the stats I am picking Pittsburg 31 Arizona 17. Defense wins championships and the Steelers defense is better. Lets start on offense and see where that leads us

Quarterbacks

Kurt Warner.

At age 37 Kurt beat out former Heisman trophy winner (the most overrated award in the history of awards) Matt Leinart for the starting job. Kurt was thought to be washed up after he left the rams. But in the desert he has resurrected his career. This year he was on fire throwing for 4,583 and 30 Touchdowns vs only 14 picks He has been even better in the playoffs.

Ben Roethlisberger

I have never been a big ben fan. Sure he went 15-1 his rookie year and then won the super bowl in his sophomore season but I believe that was because of the coaching staff and a amazing defense. In 2005 the Steelers caught fire at the right time and road a defense and willie parker to a win over the Seahawks. This year Ben was pedestrian at best throwing for 3301 yards with 17 tds and 15 ints. Not very impressive but as always Ben was a little banged up. I think he had more trips to the x-ray machine than touch down passes. Ben has a way with his feet and to buy more time.

I believe that Kurt warner is the better qb and has played in 2 super bowls. In 99 he went up against a very stout Titans D and drove the game winning drive before handing his lead over to the defense. They stopped Steve McNair and the Titans on the one for the victory. In 01 his team went up against the Cinderella Pats and was stopped most of the day by a swarming Patriots D. With 1:43 to go he hit Ricky Proehl for the tying touch down. If it wasnt for the coming of age by Tom Brady the game would have gone to overtime and maybe we would be talking about a rams dynasty. Big Ben in his one superbowl appearance was 7-21 in passing and I still believe was stopped short on his touchdown run.

My Pick Kurt warner

Running backs

Edge vs Fast willie Parker

Both players fell way short of expectations this year due to injuries and coaching decisions. Neither player topped 1000 yards this season. Edge received less than 200 carries for the first time in his career. Parker started out strong but injuries slowed his season. The question with Willie is which Willie shows up the man who can change a game with 1 big run or the guy who gets hurt and averages 3 yards a carry. For Edge before the playoffs started he was predicting his demise in the dessert. Upset that he no longer got to touch the ball. The playoffs he has been the starter and averaged 4 yards a carry. This matchup has more to do with the defenses they are going up against then the guys running the balls. Pittsburg in tough to run against and I don't feel that the cards have what it takes to pile up yards against them. Arizona has limited good running teams all playoff long by a suddenly good defense. How ever you need to run the ball to win in this league. Bill Parcells and Bill Belicheck have always said that its not the number of yards gained but the number of carries that win football games. Time of possession is huge and a key for the Steelers to slow the high flying Arizona passing attack.

I am taking Willie parker in this matchup simply because of his big play ability

Wide outs and Tight ends

Im going to take the top to WR's on each team as the slot recievers of washington vs breston is an easy win for AZ.

Arizona has Fitzgerald and Boldin Vs Pittsburgs Ward and Holmes.


Obviously Fitzgerald is the star here. He had a great regular season catching 96 balls for 1431 yards and 12 trips over the goal line. He has followed that up by breaking Jerry Rice's all time playoffs receiving yards record. He has 20+ catches for 400 plus yards. If you add up Ward and Holmes' regular season they combined to catch just 40 more balls for just over 400 yards and the same amount of touch downs.

Hines Ward has always been one of my favorite receivers a hard nose guy who will throw his head in any where. He has a mean streak and is not afraid to block down field. The man can run catch and throw. but he got banged up with a knee injury in the afc championship game. he is not a 100% but he is going to play. this guy is like cal ripkin minor aches and pains dont keep him out of action. He is older now and doesnt have the flash he use to but he has the fight in him.

Boldin is an amazing specimen on the football field, since his game breaking rookie season first game til now this guy can flat out play. In 12 games this season (he missed 3 games after a vicious jaw breaking hit against the jets an injury that cause him to play with wires plates and screws in his jaw. and 1 game with a hamstring injury) Boldin caught 89 passes for just over 1,000 yards and 11 touch downs. he is the perfect compliment to Fitzy and would be the number 1 receiver for many teams including the steelers if he played for them. With 2 weeks between games his hammy should be healing. He does have a hot head as we saw with the fight on the sideline with his fight with arizonas o coordinator. He is heading to free agency after the season and what better way to get the big bucks then a huge game in the biggest game of all.

Holmes is the wild card here in his 3rd season out of Ohio state. Holmes has proven to be a solid #2 receiver. Anyone who has seen him return punts or his catch run and touch down against baltimore know that when he is in the open field he is hard to bring down. On any other team I think his numbers would be better. But he is still solid. He is key for the steelers hopes of throwing the ball against an suddenly ball hawkin cardinals defense.



The tights end story is a different story for each team. Pittsburg has Heath Miller and he is the number 3 target for big ben catching 48 passes this season. He is a big part of pittsburgs offense and a threat in the redzone and on any third down play. Arizona counters with Pope and Patrick. They combined for 20 catches and just under 200 yards this season with no trips into the endzone. They are after thoughts in the pass happy arizona offense. they do see action on running downs and have been a big part in the improve cardinals playoff running game.

The edge here goes to the cards. but you can't count out hines ward


Defense

The cardinals ranked in the bottom half of defensive categories of pts allowed yards against pass againsts and rush against during the season. They were scored on at will on many occasions with the big ones coming by the jets 56 points the eagles 48 points and the patriots 47 points. The playoffs have been a different story. they held the falcons to 24 points and in the game had 3 sacks 2 picks and returned a fumble for a touch down along with a safety. And they held the vaunted falcons rushing attack to just 60 yards. vs the pathers they held a great running game to 75 yards and picked jake delhomme off 5 times along with recovering a fumble. Against the eagles they forced 3 turnovers and held the rushing attack to 95 yards 31 of those yards were on scrambles by mcnabb. they seam to be complimenting the offense quit well right now.

The steelers are the cream of the crop on defense first across the board on points yards and passing yards against and second against the run. James harrison and Lamarr woodley combined for 28 sacks this year more than some teams. And they have a great safety in Troy Polamalu who had 7 picks this season. In the playoffs they shut down the chargers in the second half and took out Flacco and the ravens in the championship game with 3 picks. Woodley has 5 sacks in the playoffs. This defense is the reason the steelers are in the big game.


Coaching

Winsenhunt vs Tomlin.

Both are in there second year with the respective teams.

Ken Wisenhunt took over a team that has not won in 60+ years and lead them to more playoff wins this year then combined in there franchise history. Mike Tomlin took over a much better team that has already won a super bowl this decade. Obviously Arizonas coach has done the impossible by taking the laughing stock of the NFL to the superbowl. And he was part of that 05 steelers championship. Does he have what it takes to make an upset.


The final

Ok i thought the steelers were going to win easily but i can change my mind. I see this game coming down to the wire Big Ben making a mistake in the forth quarter and Kurt warner throwing a touch down pass to Larry Fitzgerald with lamar woodley hanging on his back to win the game.

Cardnals 24 Steelers 20