Super Bowl XLIII Informational Post

SUPER BOWL XLIII:

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (AFC) vs. ARIZONA CARDINALS (NFC)

Quick Information
When: February 1st, 2009
Kick-Off Time: 6:20 PM Eastern Time
Where: Raymond James Stadium - Tampa Bay, Florida

Team Information

Pittsburgh Steelers:
This won't be unfamiliar territory for Ben Roethlisberger and company, seeing as they captured the Vince Lombardi trophy back in 2005 with a victory over the Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field, in Detroit, Michigan. The Steelers went 12-4 this season, with losses to the Colts, Titans, Giants, and the second sleeper playoff team, the Eagles. Both Big Ben and Hines Ward put out a great season, each helping their team to a successful season and postseason. The Steelers are known for their hard working and spectacular defense and due to their skill on defense, have been a formidable opponent for many teams around the league. Their cornerbacks/safeties and middle linebackers move well and this allows for a lot of pressure on the opposing teams quarterback. Look for the Steeler "D" to shut down the offensive surges of the the high-flying Cardinals. While Pitt. does have a very strong defense, they will be facing an offensive scheme that features two wide receivers (Fitzgerald & Boldin) who are each very skilled and great at catching the ball, along with a third and fourth Wide Receiver/Running Back (Breaston & Hightower) option that can catch the ball and get some short yards on 2nd and 3rd down. The Pitt. defense also needs to be aware of the recent emergence of The Edge (Edgerrin James) at running back. Even though he was pretty silent and didn't do much during the season, he has broken out of his shell and has exploded during the postseason and will be a factor in this years Super Bowl matchup. Big Ben needs to have a flawless game and put together some good numbers offensively to match the high-scoring Cardinals.

Arizona Cardinals:
The fairy tale story that is the Cardinals leads us to the true underdog story of this years Super Bowl game. The Cardinals posted a 9-7 record, getting it's first Super Bowl appearance in team history. They are only the second team in NFL history to make a trip to the Super Bowl with seven losses. Many say that the Cardinals will get blown out by the hard-hitting and defensive minded Steeler defense. On the contrary, there are those who think that the Cardinal defense will end up being too much for the Steeler "D" to handle and that Kurt Warner has proven he can still be a great quarterback in the NFL. The Cardinals will look to score big and often and look to exploit the Steeler defense where they can. Warner has many options to throw to, Breaston, Boldin, Fitzgerald all accumulated over 1,000 yards receiving this season, only five teams in NFL history have ever had this happen. The Cards also have a great running game that features the veteran Edgerrin James and the emergence of the young Tim Hightower. Look for Warner to give looks to his wide outs and to Hightower out of the backfield. Also, be on the lookout for a strong defensive presence out of the young and underdog Cardinals. Their defense was shaky at times this season, but they have gotten a grip on their inconsistent play, and it seems (thus far in the postseason) that any offense in the league is going to have a hard time moving the ball down the field without facing some bone-crushing hits and some interceptions and miss-plays. While the Steeler defense is great, the Cardinal defense is close to just as good, and will make be giving Big Ben (Steeler QB) headaches all day.

Predicted Winner: Arizona Cardinals

Congrats To Both Teams On Getting This Far, And Best Of Luck To Both Teams

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