January 30th, 2008 5:27pm PST
MY SUPER SUNDAY PREVIEW
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Super Bowl Sunday...
It took 22 weeks and 266 games later to finally get here, but here is where we are, "Super Bowl Sunday." Today the Arizona Cardinals roll into Raymond James Stadium having won four straight games and looking for their first Super Bowl title in franchise history. The Pittsburgh Steelers have won three straight and in their franchises storied history, they'll be looking for their sixth title.
This matchup today consists of two teams with quite different styles and when the Cardinals and Steelers square off, it will be interesting to see, who struggles and who is successful.
Arizona Offense vs Pittsburgh Defense!
When the Cardinals have the ball, there's no question that their strength is in the arm of quarterback Kurt Warner. The Steelers are going to come with pressure all day and if Warner is going to be effective, he'll need to get the ball out in a hurry. The Card's receivers Fitzgerald and Boldin are going to be primary targets the Steelers secondary will have to watch, but against the blitz, running back Tim Hightower and receivers Steve Breaston and Jerheme Urban could be huge keys. The Cardinals ranked 32nd running the ball this season and today they won't worry about trying to run the ball too much, they just need to be effective. The keys on the ground for Edgerrin James and Hightower, will be picking up good yards on 1st down and key short-yardage situations.
To be efffective against Warner and his quick release, the Steelers are going to have to bring lots of pressure up the middle. The defense will try to take away Warner's ability to step up and get rid of the ball quickly. Defensive lineman Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel will be key in clogging the middle and keeping the Cards in predictable long yardage situations.
If Harrison and Woodley get their names mentioned in the game often, Warner may not have a memorable Sunday. This is going to be a classic matchup of defense and offense, if Warner has protection, it could be a long day for the Steel Curtain and it's secondary.
It took 22 weeks and 266 games later to finally get here, but here is where we are, "Super Bowl Sunday." Today the Arizona Cardinals roll into Raymond James Stadium having won four straight games and looking for their first Super Bowl title in franchise history. The Pittsburgh Steelers have won three straight and in their franchises storied history, they'll be looking for their sixth title.
This matchup today consists of two teams with quite different styles and when the Cardinals and Steelers square off, it will be interesting to see, who struggles and who is successful.
Arizona Offense vs Pittsburgh Defense!
When the Cardinals have the ball, there's no question that their strength is in the arm of quarterback Kurt Warner. The Steelers are going to come with pressure all day and if Warner is going to be effective, he'll need to get the ball out in a hurry. The Card's receivers Fitzgerald and Boldin are going to be primary targets the Steelers secondary will have to watch, but against the blitz, running back Tim Hightower and receivers Steve Breaston and Jerheme Urban could be huge keys. The Cardinals ranked 32nd running the ball this season and today they won't worry about trying to run the ball too much, they just need to be effective. The keys on the ground for Edgerrin James and Hightower, will be picking up good yards on 1st down and key short-yardage situations.
To be efffective against Warner and his quick release, the Steelers are going to have to bring lots of pressure up the middle. The defense will try to take away Warner's ability to step up and get rid of the ball quickly. Defensive lineman Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel will be key in clogging the middle and keeping the Cards in predictable long yardage situations.
If Harrison and Woodley get their names mentioned in the game often, Warner may not have a memorable Sunday. This is going to be a classic matchup of defense and offense, if Warner has protection, it could be a long day for the Steel Curtain and it's secondary.
Pittsburgh Offense vs Arizona Defense!
The Steeler's offense is more conventional and less complicated than the Arizona Cardinals. Just like the Steel city from which it hails, the offense is typically blue collar, run the ball between the tackles and the deep ball. Running back Willie Parker is going to be a big factor in today's game running the ball. The Steelers would like to get him 22-25 carries or more today. The more carries and closer he gets to these numbers will be in direct proportion to the teams success against the Cardinals defense. The Steeler's quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will rely heavily on a solid ground game to set up the pass. Roethlisberger has a big arm and will count on his nimble feet to give him the time needed to find Santonio Holmes downfield, who will be blanketed by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Hines Ward is playing today and Big Ben will be counting on him and his tight end Heath Miller to be open underneath in passing situations.
The Cardinal's defense is not a big blitzing unit. It will be key for the linebackers and safety Adrian Wilson to keep Parker in check today. They can not allow Fast Willie-P to get loose. If the defense can clog the line and keep the Steelers in long passing situations, pressure from Bertrand Berry, Antonio Smith, and timely blitzes will be huge in stiffling the Big Ben and the offense.
In his last Super Bowl appearance Big Ben was not particularly sharp, he'll need to play much better today for the Steelers to be successful, but key your eye out for Wilson and DRC who will be looking to make big plays.
The Steeler's offense is more conventional and less complicated than the Arizona Cardinals. Just like the Steel city from which it hails, the offense is typically blue collar, run the ball between the tackles and the deep ball. Running back Willie Parker is going to be a big factor in today's game running the ball. The Steelers would like to get him 22-25 carries or more today. The more carries and closer he gets to these numbers will be in direct proportion to the teams success against the Cardinals defense. The Steeler's quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will rely heavily on a solid ground game to set up the pass. Roethlisberger has a big arm and will count on his nimble feet to give him the time needed to find Santonio Holmes downfield, who will be blanketed by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Hines Ward is playing today and Big Ben will be counting on him and his tight end Heath Miller to be open underneath in passing situations.
The Cardinal's defense is not a big blitzing unit. It will be key for the linebackers and safety Adrian Wilson to keep Parker in check today. They can not allow Fast Willie-P to get loose. If the defense can clog the line and keep the Steelers in long passing situations, pressure from Bertrand Berry, Antonio Smith, and timely blitzes will be huge in stiffling the Big Ben and the offense.
In his last Super Bowl appearance Big Ben was not particularly sharp, he'll need to play much better today for the Steelers to be successful, but key your eye out for Wilson and DRC who will be looking to make big plays.
WHO TO WATCH!!
Key Players:
KURT WARNER:
The Cardinal's veteran quarterback has been on the big stage a couple of times and has played well. He'll be no stranger to pressure and could be huge key to the Cards starting big and striking fast. He'll see plenty of pressure, but with his experience and savvy, he knows where he needs to go and has shown the ability to make good decision.
Prediction: 22 of 34 passing, 335-yards, three touchdowns, 1 interception.
KURT WARNER:
The Cardinal's veteran quarterback has been on the big stage a couple of times and has played well. He'll be no stranger to pressure and could be huge key to the Cards starting big and striking fast. He'll see plenty of pressure, but with his experience and savvy, he knows where he needs to go and has shown the ability to make good decision.
Prediction: 22 of 34 passing, 335-yards, three touchdowns, 1 interception.
WILLIE PARKER:
The Steelers running back could very well be the biggest key today. He'll need to run the ball effectively. If he can stay involved in the game plan, that could go a long way. The Steelers would like to see Fast Willie-P carry the ball around 25 times today and average close to four yards per carry, this will create plenty of play-action opportunities and open up the deep ball.
Prediction: 16 carries, 61-yards, no touchdowns.
LARRY FITZGERALD:
The Cardinal's wide receiver has been the talk of the town throughout the playoffs. It's not likely the Steelers will have an answer for him in the secondary because of his size and athletic ability, but will have to rely on forcing Warner to go elsewhere. Regardless, Fitz will still make plays today and be a huge factor.
Prediction: 7 receptions, 79-yards, 1 touchdown.
ANQUAN BOLDIN:
While Boldin drew much unwanted attention following the NFC championship, today the attention he'll receive will be warranted. The Steelers will likely key Fitzgerald and give Boldin plenty of single coverage to be effective and key in the Cardinal's passing game. Boldin is big strong and can make plays in both the pass and run game.
Prediction: 8 receptions, 101-yards, 1 touchdown, 3 carries 26-yards.
BEN ROETHLISBERGER:
The Steeler's quarterback has not played particularly well on the big stage and could feel a lot of pressure today to change that. He'll need his running game to get going to be effective. Big Ben has a tendency to hold the ball a little long trying to make plays downfield. He doesn't run a lot as compared to avoiding the pass rush, so his running numbers could have an adverse effect on the offenses effectiveness. This could be key, if the Steelers are not moving well on the ground.
Prediction: 18 of 38 passing, 245-yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, one fumble, 4 runs for 16-yards.
HINES WARD:
For the past two weeks, everyone has been asking about his knee and today we'll get all the answers we want. Ward suffered a sprained MCL two weeks ago, but he'll play today and should be effective. Ward is not going to beat you deep, but you will still have to cover him. He's Roethlisberger's most trusted receiving option, so expect to see him come up with big catches in critical situations today.
Prediction: 7 receptions, 65-yards, one touchdowns.
SANTONIO HOLMES:
While the Cards will focus on taking away the deep threat posed by Holmes, by shadowing him with Rodgers-Cromartie, expect to see Big Ben still take a few shots. Nate Washington will also warrant some attention downfield, but Holmes will be the primary deep threat. DRC has been solid in the post season and it could just come down to a jump ball between the two. Holmes has come up with big plays throughout the post season, but could struggle today.
Prediction: 4 receptions, 55-yards, no touchdowns.
EDGERRIN JAMES:
The Cardinals are not expecting a big game from their rushing attack today. They will be relying heavily on the Edge to be an effective runner, as well as Hightower when he's in the game. In short yardage situations, it will be key for James to pick up those needed yards as well as being effective on 1st down with 3 to 4-yard gashes to keep the Steelers defense in check. I would expect to see James not only used in blitz pick up situations, but also leaking out of the backfield. Prediction: 17 carries, 71-yards, 4 receptions, 22-yards, one touchdown.
THE CARDINALS DEFENSE:
The Cards defense is not a dominant group like their adversary. They will rely on control the line of scrimmage and not allow Big Ben to make big plays downfield. If the defense can keep Parker in check, this should allow Defensive Coordinator Clancy Pendergast to be more effective with his play call in long yardage situations.
THE STEELERS DEFENSE:
While this defense has been plenty good this season and in particular the post season, they have yet to be challenged by an offense like the Cardinals. Against the Chargers, the defense was key applying the pressure and making plays. In the AFC championship facing a rookie quarterback, the defense was suffocating. Today, they'll face a seasoned veteran, who's not just playing well, but he's been here before and knows what he needs to do. Expect Defensive Coordinator to bring back "Blitzburgh" to new heights and bring pressure like no one has ever seen. It could be highly successful if they get to Warner, or completely disastrous it they don't.
Super Bowl Sunday is just hours away, god-bless both teams, all of their fans, all fans of the NFL, and everyone on such a Super Sunday!
By David G. Ortega
The Cardinals are not expecting a big game from their rushing attack today. They will be relying heavily on the Edge to be an effective runner, as well as Hightower when he's in the game. In short yardage situations, it will be key for James to pick up those needed yards as well as being effective on 1st down with 3 to 4-yard gashes to keep the Steelers defense in check. I would expect to see James not only used in blitz pick up situations, but also leaking out of the backfield. Prediction: 17 carries, 71-yards, 4 receptions, 22-yards, one touchdown.
THE CARDINALS DEFENSE:
The Cards defense is not a dominant group like their adversary. They will rely on control the line of scrimmage and not allow Big Ben to make big plays downfield. If the defense can keep Parker in check, this should allow Defensive Coordinator Clancy Pendergast to be more effective with his play call in long yardage situations.
THE STEELERS DEFENSE:
While this defense has been plenty good this season and in particular the post season, they have yet to be challenged by an offense like the Cardinals. Against the Chargers, the defense was key applying the pressure and making plays. In the AFC championship facing a rookie quarterback, the defense was suffocating. Today, they'll face a seasoned veteran, who's not just playing well, but he's been here before and knows what he needs to do. Expect Defensive Coordinator to bring back "Blitzburgh" to new heights and bring pressure like no one has ever seen. It could be highly successful if they get to Warner, or completely disastrous it they don't.
Super Bowl Sunday is just hours away, god-bless both teams, all of their fans, all fans of the NFL, and everyone on such a Super Sunday!
By David G. Ortega
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