The Official Super Bowl XLIII Thread

[HD MM]

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What: Super Bowl XLIII

When: Sunday Feb. 1st, 6PM ET, NBC

Background: The Steelers have made 6 Super Bowl appearances and won 5 titles. The Cardinals are new to the big dance, but have won 3 consecutive playoff games in decisive fashion heading into Tampa.

*Let's use this thread to discuss all things relevant to the upcoming Super Bowl........

 

[Ramy]

Go CARDS!!!!

 

[cybok0]

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Going for the 6 pack.

Here we go Steelers.

 

[HD MM]

Most analysts and Pitt fans on this board assume that the key to a Steelers win would be to simply shut down Kurt Warner and the Card's passing attack. And to look at it on face value, they have a case. The Steelers have the #2 rush defense in the NFL and the #1 pass defense. But it's not that simple....

Now let's look at the other side to see how beatable these big, bad Steelers actually are. First let's review their 2008 regular seasons schedule....

Wk 1 vs. Houston: W (38-17)
Wk 2 @ Cleveland: W (10-6)
Wk 3 @ Philadelphia: L (6-15)
Wk 4 vs. Baltimore: W (23-20 OT)
Wk 5 @ Jacksonville: W (26-21)
Wk 6 BYE
Wk 7 @ Cincinnati: W (38-10)
Wk 8 vs. NY Giants: L (14-21)
Wk 9 @ Washington: W (23-6)
Wk 10 vs. Indianapolis: L (20-24)
Wk 11 vs. San Diego: W (11-10)
Wk 12 vs. Cincinnati: W (27-10)
Wk 13 @ New England: W (33-10)
Wk 14 vs. Dallas: W (20-13)
Wk 15 @ Baltimore: W (13-9)
Wk 16 @ Tennessee: L (14-31)
Wk 17 vs Cleveland: W (31-0)

What I got from examining the Steelers above schedule is that their loses came at the hands of teams with good QB play. In all of their losses, they got beat through the air. Also, in each loss Rothlisberger got outplayed by the opposing QB....

Wk 3- Donovan McNabb: 196 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT (Roethlisberger: 131 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT)
Wk 8- Eli Manning: 199 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (Roethlisberger: 189 yards, 1 TD, 4 INTS)
Wk 10- Peyton Manning: 240 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT (Roethlisberger: 280 yards, 0 TD, 3 INTS)
Wk 16- Kerry Collins: 215 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (Roethlisberger: 329 yards, 2 TD, 2 INTS)

The Steelers rushing attack isn't what it used to be. In a close game, most of the pressure will be on Ben Roethlisberger to make plays. If he can't, Roethlisberger is prone to costly mistakes. In the Steeler's 4 losses this year, Big-Ben had 10 interceptions, while opposing QB's had only 1. And guess what? The Cards have a helluva secondary in Adrian Wilson, Antrel Role, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Roderick Hood.

Everyone talks about what the Steelers defense is going to do to the Cards passing attack, but conversly I think the Steelers should be worried about what might happen to their own passing attack.

The Steelers have a proven track record of losing because of QB turnovers and being beaten by better oposing QB play. These Steelers are also a team that isn't built to comeback from being down by large deficits. If they get down early and have to depend on Big-Ben to make plays, things may get ugly.

I think this game is going to come down to the Kurt Warner vs. Ben Roethlisberger show. Whichever QB plays better or worse will decide the game.

I'll take the savvy veteran gun slinger over the Big Ox.

Go Cards!!!!

 

[ripnbigc]

Go Cards!

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Steelers 27 - Cardinals 17

 

[cybok0]

I think this game is going to come down to the Kurt Warner vs. Ben Roethlisberger show. Whichever QB plays better or worse will decide the game.

I'll take the savvy veteran gun slinger over the Big Ox.

Go Cards!!!!

Defense wins championships, I might be wrong and the Cards might win, but at least we made it to the big game.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Defense wins championships, I might be wrong and the Cards might win, but at least we made it to the big game.

Fence-straddler.

 

[cybok0]

Fence-straddler.

I'm picking the Steelers.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/1677523-post3.html

But I understand that the other team is good also, or else they wouldn't be there, so there is a chance they can win.

 

[HD MM]

Defense wins championships, I might be wrong and the Cards might win, but at least we made it to the big game.

Tell that to Kurt Warner's Super Bowl XXXIV team where the "Greatest Show on Turf" beat the Tennessee Titans stoutly defense.

This Super Bowl is eerily similar to that Super Bowl in 2000.

 

[cybok0]

Tell that to Kurt Warner's Super Bowl XXXIV team where the "Greatest Show on Turf" beat the Tennessee Titans stoutly defense.

This Super Bowl is eerily similar to that Super Bowl in 2000.

They won by one yard, It's not like they were blown out.

I'm not saying the Steelers are going to stop the Cards completely, Fitzgerald will have good catches, but will they be able to score touchdowns, or will Pittsburgh hold them to field goals, I don't know, but it should be a good close game.

 

[SabresRule]

I'm sticking with the prediction I made in the NFL thread:

my heart says Cardinals, but my head says Steelers.

Unlike last year, I would not be angry or ticked off if the Steelers won.

I don't have a festering hatred for the Steelers like I do for the Giants.

Besides, the Giants cost my Bills a Super Bowl- Steelers only cost Buffalo a spot in the AFC Championship, which likely would have meant a fifth Super Bowl loss.

 

[HD MM]

They won by one yard, It's not like they were blown out.

I'm not saying the Steelers are going to stop the Cards completely, Fitzgerald will have good catches, but will they be able to score touchdowns, or will Pittsburgh hold them to field goals, I don't know, but it should be a good close game.

How confident are you in Roethlisberger?

If he throws 2 picks the Steelers will lose.

 

[cybok0]

How confident are you in Roethlisberger?

If he throws 2 picks the Steelers will lose.

I'm very confident, he has more wins in his first five years than any other QB. Yeah Ben doesn't have the numbers like Brady, Rivers or the Mannings, but wins count more than anything.

If Ben wins Sunday, that is two Superbowl wins in four years, and he still has a lot more years in him.

Edit...I am a big Marino fan, he has all those records, but how many Superbowl wins dos he have? 0.

 

[Ramy]

I'm sticking with the prediction I made in the NFL thread:

my heart says Cardinals, but my head says Steelers.

Unlike last year, I would not be angry or ticked off if the Steelers won.

I don't have a festering hatred for the Steelers like I do for the Giants.

Besides, the Giants cost my Bills a Super Bowl- Steelers only cost Buffalo a spot in the AFC Championship, which likely would have meant a fifth Super Bowl loss.

So does that mean you also hate Dallas and Washington.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

I'm very confident, he has more wins in his first five years than any other QB. Yeah Ben doesn't have the numbers like Brady, Rivers or the Mannings, but wins count more than anything.

If Ben wins Sunday, that is two Superbowl wins in four years, and he still has a lot more years in him.

You're right he isn't pretty to watch, but like Terry Bradshaw, he finds a way to win. That's #1 in my book.

 

[CeltsHD]

Tell that to Kurt Warner's Super Bowl XXXIV team where the "Greatest Show on Turf" beat the Tennessee Titans stoutly defense.

This Super Bowl is eerily similar to that Super Bowl in 2000.

I have one problem with this analogy:

IMO, Pittsburgh is superior to that Tennessee team, and more to the point, St. Louis was vastly superior to this Cardinals team.

 

[CeltsHD]

Defense wins championships

That's what I'm hanging my hat (and money) on! :up

 

[HD MM]

Defense wins championships.

Except when it doesn't. If you've read my post #4 in this thread, I went back and examined all of the Steelers losses. In each loss, Roethlisberger was miserable. This is not a coincidence. When he throws picks, the team loses.

 

[Skyhi]

As much as it pains me to say it, I see the Steelers winning big (w/o the help of the refs this time ).

I don't think the Cards will be able to run the ball at all which will eventually allow the Steelers D to tee off against Warner. Warner will fumble at least twice and Big Ben will do what he needs to do to get the W.