Super Bowl XLIII

“Offense sells tickets; defense wins games.”
-- Bud Grant

Pittsburgh -6.5 Arizona 46.5

Not having a horse in the race is one sure way of feeling apathetic about the big game, but it’s not just New Englanders who are feeling less than thrilled about Sunday’s tilt. Maybe it’s the economy or something, but there just does not seem to be much national buzz about this one. It’s simply not that intriguing a matchup, hence the collective shrug (save for Steeltown and the Valley of the Sun). The probability of this game turning out like the Bears-Patriots Super Bowl is more likely than, say the Patriots-Rams game. But anything can happen. Arizona can have a hot start like they did in the NFC Championship, or the Steelers could come out cocky and flat. Possible, yes; likely, no.

One team is flush with the excitement of going to the Big Dance while the other is quietly preparing to win a football game.

On one side of the ball are the Wandering Cardinals, who have not been this close to grabbing the brass ring since they were rockin’ ‘em out on the South Side and Harry S Truman was in the White House. There’s a lot of sentiment for the underdog Cardinals and Kurt Warner to have a big day, but warm wishes don’t win football games. This year, Arizona was dreadful on the road, yet they found a way to put things together at the right time.

On the other side are the Big Bad Steelers, looking for their sixth Lombardi Trophy. Big Ben and Hines Ward may be a little bit stiff and sore, but the Steel Curtain is raring to wreak havoc on the Cardinals’ offense. All they need to do is play their game. Their defense is the best in the League and the offense does everything well.

For Arizona to win, they need to control the ball and Warner needs to effectively pick his spots. There are simply too may things that have to go in their favor. The offense needs to come out and deliver a series of devastating blows, knocking Pittsburgh back on their heels. That’s a tall order since there’s a far greater likelihood that the ground game won’t have much success, forcing Warner to throw more than is necessary. The key is for Hightower and James to chew up yards and the clock. It’s not going to happen. Sure, Fitzgerald and Boldin are the best 1-2 wideout punch in the League, but Warner needs time to throw. The Steelers will go blitz happy and Warner will spend a lot of time avoiding the rush or looking up at the night sky.

The Steelers have the ability to work the clock with their running game, and Rothlisberger is one tough cookie in the pocket. The Cardinals’ defense will need to step up and play over their heads to compete. True, they have a couple of marquee players in Adrian Wilson and Darnell Dockett, but collectively, there are far too few horses on the defensive side.

It would be one thing if Pittsburgh came into this game overconfident and assured of victory. There is no conceivable way that Coach Tomlin would allow any sort of arrogance to permeate the locker room. His team will be humble and confident coming in, and victorious walking off. These guys know how to win.

Be that as it may, the only thing that the vast majority of Americans are hoping for is a game that’s more competitive and exciting than the commercials, or else Puppy Bowl III on Animal Planet is going to get record ratings…

Projected Final Score: Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 20