Super Bowl XLIII

Cardinals vs. Steelers

by Robert Holt

After a long day of football the two teams that will battle it out to decide who will be Super Bowl XLIII champions has now been decided.  The surprising Arizona Cardinals will face the powerhouse Pittsburgh Steelers.  Even though the Cardinals have been a surprise so far this post-season, they are far from slouches.  

The Cardinals have quite possibly the best WR duo in the entire National Football League.  Starring Pro Bowlers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.  Larry Fitzgerald has shown that he is seemingly impossible to cover, even when opposing teams apply double coverage.  Anquan Boldin has been battling serious hamstring problems this entire post-season, however he able to play in the Cardinal's win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.  His status will be updated on daily.  Kurt Warner will be making yet another trip to the big game, however this time ending the second longest playoff drought in North American sport history.  That drought has been passed on from city to city, until the Cardinals finally stayed in Arizona in 1988.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be making their second appearance in the Super Bowl in the last three years, with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm.  This will be Steeler coach, Mike Tomlin's first appearance as head coach, this makes him among the youngest coach ever to make it to the Super Bowl.  While the Cardinals have one of the best offenses in the league, the Steelers sport the best defense in all of the NFL.  Throughout the season the Steelers have shut down opposing teams, allowing less than 100 yards rushing in 14/16 games.  With big name stars as Troy Polomalu and Harrison this team is a defensive juggernaut.  It will be a great matchup against the star-power opposing them on the other side of the field.

Hines Ward who left the AFC championship game in the first quarter with a seemingly sore knee, was unable to return after receiving treatment from the medical staff.  He does however have two weeks to re-cooperate before Super Bowl XLIII which will take place in Tampa.  

This game will represent a very high powered offense taking on a very potent shutdown defense.  Predicition: Arizona 24 Pittsburgh 17

Keys to the Game:

Arizona:  

-Protecting Kurt Warner from the vicious pass rush of the Steelers.

- Running the ball successfully with Edgerrin James early and often which will set up the play-action pass down the field.

Pittsburgh:

-Shut down Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

-Eliminate turnovers.

-Get to Kurt Warner. 

Update on Jan 21, 2009 at 6:55 PM by Joe Spaghettio

The Cardinals and the Steelers also have many ties to each other.  Many of the Cardinals coaches (including the head coach) at one time worked for the Steelers.  Also, some of the Cardinals' players either played for the Steelers or grew up in the Pittsburgh Steelers.