Super Bowl XLIII: Arizona vs Pittsburgh

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by Digger

Super Bowl XLIII is a very intriguing matchup on paper. On the surface, everyone is talking of the NFL's #1 ranked Pittsburgh Steelers defense against a revved up Arizona Cardinals offense. I going deeper in this blog. Exposing where the game will be won or lost and how coaching familiarity comes into play.

Arizona Cardinals (9-7)

Head Coach: Ken Whisenhut. Arizona's rookie coach is one victory away from leading the Cards to their first ever Super Bowl Championship. Interesting twist, Whisenhut is Pittsburgh's former Offensive Coordinator which might pay dividends for his defensive play calling packages. His previous stint in Pittsburgh might tip off is defense to certain looks. Whisenhut's offense likes to mix it up and take advantage of mismatches on the outside. Look for many misdirection runs to freeze Steelers aggressive linebackers.

Offense: QB Kurt Warner leads the NFL's 4th ranked unit. He's coming off a stellar season (4583 yards, 30 TD). Cards offense supplies Warner with plenty of weapons. Three 1,000 yard wide receivers (Fitzgerald, Boldin, Breaston) and former All Pro RB Edgerrin James are the main targets. Warner knows he'll be facing relentless Steelers blitzes all game long. He needs to hang tough in the pocket with Marino-like quick releases to cutting WR's exploiting single coverages.

Defense: Cards overlooked D has 8 Playoff interceptions. They've been playing bend but don't break D making big plays at the right moments. Pass rush needs to pressure Roethlisberger into mistakes and to shut down an elusive Willie Parker out of the backfield. Secondary provides big hits but has had moments of ineffectiveness throughout the year. Steelers offense will bring many different looks. Key for Cards is keeping plays in front of them and not getting burned deep or by Pittsburgh gadget plays. Defense must step up by forcing Steelers into many 3 and outs.

Special Teams: Any game can be changed on a dime when special teams makes or blows big plays. Steady place kicker Neil Rackers and newly acquired punter Ben Graham cannot make any mistakes. Rackers is steady. Graham sometimes out kicks coverages which could come back to haunt Cards.

Key: In my eyes, this game will be decided by how effectively Arizona's offensive line can hold off the Steelers front unit. It's the names nobody knows which will determine success or failure. RT Levi Brown, RG Duece Lutui, C Lyle Sendlein, LG Reggie Wells and LT Mike Gandy. These 5 players must have their career best game or it could be a long evening. Simple plan, staving off blitzes for Warner and creating running lanes for Edgerrin James. Running attack execution is a must or Warner will be looking at dangerous 3rd and longs. If Warner gets time to throw, Arizona's attack will be hard to stop. Protect the ball is another must. Steelers thrive on creating costly turnovers.

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)

Head Coach: Mike Tomlin. Tomlin is a defense specialist. Steelers own #1 ranked defense. Continues in Knoll/Cowher tradition of mis-direction ball control offense supported by tenacious defense. No nonsense coach isn't afraid to mix it up with trick plays.

Offense: QB Ben Roethisberger gets the job done. Sometimes it isn't pretty but he's one of the QB's in the league you want at the with the game on the line. Pressure is no stranger to Big Ben. He's already won a Bowl game. RB Willie Parker handles the running attack and might be in store for a big day. I think Pittsburgh will rely heavily on Parker as they try to dominate time of possession to keep Arizona's offense on the sidelines. Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward provide the deep threat while TE Heath Miller will be a possession go to guy along with Nate Washington. Offensive line should not take Cards D unit for granted. Cards D has made big plays when they've had to. Steelers front 5 need to dominate.

Defense: Well deserved hype surrounds this crew. NFL regular season #1 and +5 turnover ratio in two playoff games. These guys swarm around the ball and destroy those daring enough to touch it. Farrior, Clark, Harrison, Woodley, Timmons, Taylor, Polamalu, Foote, Keisel & Co. will be ready to bring punishment. Steelers blitz from all angles and bring pressure on nearly every single snap. Coverages are often disguised to fool opposing blocking techniques. Biggest challenge of the year vs Cards three 1000 yard receivers. Blitzes make for single coverage which could easily be exploited.

Special Teams: Santonio Holmes already has one punt return TD this post-season and might find plenty of room to roam vs Cards coverage unit. PK Jeff Reed and P Mitch Berger will be counted on to play mistake free football.

Key: All the talk has focused on Pittsburgh's defense. Yes, they'll have to step up and shouldn't have much trouble putting a pounding on Warner. Key on D is pressure and covering wideouts. Another key is their offense. Willie Parker needs to turn it up field and penetrate gaps for positive yards. Steelers drop-a-lot WR's will find plenty of lanes vs Cards zones. This is not the game for drops. If Roethlisberger & Co. is sharp early then folks will be talking of Steelers offensive prowess after the final gun.

PREDICTION: Steelers pounding offense controls the clock. Willie Parker roams for 150+ yards. Roethlisberger moves offense at will. Steelers defense creates turnovers. Cards show a few early flashes but can't sustain any sort of momentum. Steelers knock off Arizona, 33-20.