SUPERBOWL!!

Pittsburgh and the greatest QB in the league and has ever lived... BEN ROETHLISBERGER


Vs

Packers and a lot of questionable gay sex with Aaron Rodgers and the Mack Family

Superbowl Preview

Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

After two long weeks (and one awful pro bowl) Superbowl weekend has finally arrived. The Pittsburgh Steelers, representing the AFC will take on the Green Bay Packers out of the NFC. The big game will be hosted by Jerry Jones at his vivacious new(ish) stadium, “The Palace in Dallas” (even though it’s in Arlington, still sounds flashy). Nobody needs a history lesson here, but it should be noted that these two franchises are rich with prestige and Superbowl fortitude. Outside of that, nobody really cares how good the Packers were in the 60’s or how dominant the Steelers were in the 70’s… It’s irrelevant.

What is relevant, the two Superbowls won by Pittsburgh in 2005 and 2008. Whether or not you like Pittsburgh, they are on the verge of another dynasty. Say what you will about Ben Roethlisberger, but if he wins this one, that makes three… before he turns 30. He certainly isn’t the pretty boy with rooms filled with indvidual accolades, but there’s no debate that he knows how to win in the post season. Roethlisberger’s 10-2 playoff record is second percentage wise only to the great Bart Starr, who ironically played for the Packers. The last thing Green Bay wants is to have that percentage broken against them. Unfortunately, Ben is at his best when the other person doesn’t want him to succeed (zing). Only guys named, Aikman, Bradshaw, Brady, and Montana have three and there’s little argument that each one of those guys will be enshrined in Canton (if they haven’t been already). The majority of Pittsburgh’s roster carried over from their last title run, giving them a certain familiarity with the whole process. An advantage they hold over their Green Bay counterpart. But hey, if Henry Rowengartner can lead the Cubs to a pennant as an 11-year old, anything can happen.

Speaking of laser-rocket arms, Green Bay quarterback, Aaron Rodgers has quickly gone from Brett Favre’s understudy to an elite NFL passer. No need to bring up his statistics for the third time in this playoff run, but you should know, this guy can put the ball anywhere. That includes the hands of opposing players. We’re all aware that Green Bay’s A-rod is a heck of a player and has brought his game to another level this winter. However, he is not perfect. Against the stout Bears defense, Rodgers was picked twice and did not record a passing touchdown. In fact, the best play he made all day was tripping up linebacker, Brian Urlacher, after a disastrous red zone interception. Had Urlacher not stumbled like Peter Griffin leaving the Drunken Clam, I would most likely be writing a Bears vs. Steelers preview. While Big Ben is trying to build upon his legacy, Rodgers is still trying to carve out his on niche amongst the Green Bay legends.

For the first time since the early 80’s the two defenses that allow the fewest points will be squaring off on Super Sunday. I’ve watched Merril Hoge spit and stutter his way through debating which team has the better defense for 10 days, and frankly he’s starting to sound like farmer Fran from the Waterboy. Why ESPN continues to put him and Lou Holtz on TV will forever baffle me. Anyways, the Defenses… Four out of the top seven defensive players in the league will be active on Sunday and their names are sure to be called by Joe Buck, Al Michaels, Bob Costas, or whatever blow hard is broadcasting the game.

The four I’m referring to are, Troy Polamalu (2010 Defensive Player of the Year), James Harrison (2008 Defensive POY), Charles Woodson (2009 Defensive POY), and Clay Matthews (robbed of 2010 Defensive POY).

At any rate, these four guys are labeled as game changers. What makes the defensive backs (Woodson and Polamalu) so dangerous is their ability to wreak havoc in both the pass and run game. Some argue that Woodson is at his best when he get in the backfield and disrupt screen passes and runs to the outside, on top of that, he’s a shutdown corner. Polamalu is without a question at his best when he is rushing the quarterback or blowing up plays before they even start, but he’s also a ball hawk and usually finds a way to jump a passing lane. Not to mention Polamalu looks like something out of Genghis Khan’s Mongol empire. It doesn’t matter which time period this guy lived in, he would have been born a fierce warrior. Instead of a spear and a shield he’s given pads and a helmet, fair trade. Clay Matthews is arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL. His innate ability to get to the quarterback has gotten him serious notoriety amongst NFL players and coaches. The challenge for Matthews will be bringing down the toughest quarterback in the league in Big Ben. James Harrison is the last person in the world I would want to owe money to. After watching his rigorous workout on ESPN this week, I am convinced he could beat up Brock Lesnar after going 12 rounds with Ivan Drago. His 100-yard pick-6 in Superbowl XLIII was the biggest play of the game, up until Santonio Holmes bailed out Roethlisberger to seal the deal. With two evenly matched defensive units, it will boil down to whoever can get the big stop or the big turnover when their respective offense has gone stagnant.

The Steelers may have an advantage in running back, Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall isn’t quite underrated… but he’s certainly undervalued. What could hinder Mendenhall’s success is the status of rookie center, Maurkice Pouncey. If Pouncey can suit and play, how effective can he be three days out of a hard cast? And If he doesn’t that leaves the Steelers awfully thin on lineman (no pun intended). In their two most recent Superbowl victories, Pittsburgh has always been aided by an excellent running back. In 2005 they had Jerome Bettis, and in 2008 they had Willie Parker. Pittsburgh has to establish Mendenhall early, if the Steelers rely on Roethlisberger’s arm to win them a title they will be in worse shape Joaquin Phoenix’s acting career.

The key for the Packers will be spreading out the Pittsburgh defense. In order to neutralize pressure brought on by Lamarr Woodley and company, Rodgers will have to make quick decisions and spot the mismatch before somebody like Polamalu or Harrison does. The best way counter Pittsburgh’s rush is to put as many receiving options on the field as possible. Opening up the offense and putting four wide receivers and forcing linebackers to cover slot receivers is the best way for Green Bay to move the ball. When the Packers use their spread formation Rodgers has more weapons at his disposal than James Bond. Receivers Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Donald Driver are going to get plenty of looks considering Green Bay’s rush offense is not worth mentioning.

This game is going to come down to two things. Quarterback play and defense. Essentially the quarterback that plays better will win. I know that this sounds simple and is not always the case, but when Rodgers gets hot, it is curtains for the opposing team. The same can be said for Big Ben, if he is going to shed defenders, extend the play, and find guys open down the field the Steelers will win. Defensively, as I’ve said in each breakdown for these two teams, whichever team can force the crucial turnover is going to end up on top. Green Bay has done it all post season long. But Pittsburgh has been known to do it on the championship level.

This promises to be nothing short of a classic between two great franchises. Hopefully I don’t miss any of the second half because of my refusal to watch the Black Eyed Peas perform for a second. The only way to ruin a good Superbowl is listening to Fergie’s voice. Anyways, both teams are very resilient and capable of coming back from deficits, and I see this one being close from start to finish.

Green Bay 28 Pittsbrugh 24

Jets/ Giants Win Superbowl Bid in 2014

The Jets/ Giants won a Superbowl bid for 2014 and it's biggest supporter is Robert Craft. There will be a cold Superbowl. blah, blah, blah.

Am I the only one that thinks having a Superbowl outdoors is stupid? I know I'm going to get killed for this but c'mon, outdoors, in February, really? Seems only bad things could happen from that. One all fans will say, "Man, it would be wicked cool to play in the cold, the unpredictable elements will bring the game back to what it was!" Fuck that. If I went to the Superbowl and was sitting in -20 degrees and if the score at any point was more than a 10 point lead I would be pissed. I wouldn't want to be there, I would be getting hypothermia, and consider pissing myself to stay warm. It would suck. And if a team loses due to a fumble or something else that the weather would play a hand in, I don't want to hear excuses. I don't want to hear, "Well the Patriots would have won, but the weather screwed them out of a chance to win." All this does is pretty much guarantee whoever has the better offensive line and run game a Superbowl ring and that's stupid. I like the way it is in dome's it's the most equal playing field possible (If someone writes a comment saying it's an unfair advantage for teams who play in a dome at home compared to teams who don't, I'll punch you.)

But then again people have said dumber things like keeping Fenway around and the old garden was better than the new garden.

Super Bowl

Seems like we have been waiting for this game forever, but the day is finally here. Anyways, drink up the game is finally here. Here is our predictions...

DP's Prediction: Saints 42-35

BMack's Prediction: Saints 31-28

The Latest On Dwight Freeney

There has been a lot of back and forth on whether or not Dwight Freeney will be able to play against the Saints in the Super Bowl this weekend. The Colts coach did sound optimistic that he will be able to play, saying he is heading in the right direction. Even if he does play I don't think it will matter much. His speed is going to be affected by that torn ligament in his right ankle. Freeney is one of those guys who uses mostly his speed to get to the QB, but with him being hurt even if he does play I don't see him being much of a factor.

This is huge for the Saints, since the Colts defense is based off of getting pressure on the QB. So, unless Freeney pulls some kind of Curt Schilling magic it is going to be a long day for that Colts defense.

Tony Dungy: Colts Are Going To Smoke The Saints

Obviously not surprised that Dungy picked the Colts, but what is surprising is how many people feel the same way. Here is what Dungy said...

"I think they're going to be so far ahead that people are going to say, 'Oh, ho-hum, he played a good game, they won by two scores, the Colts won their second championship,' " Dungy said of Manning on Thursday. "He's going to have those rings Sunday night. I don't think it's going to be close."

I get the Colts have Manning, who may very well be the greatest QB to ever play, but how can people just right off the Saints? They have a better defense, and running game. Yet, most of the "experts" don't seem to care. Don't get me wrong I think the Colts have a good chance at winning, but I really think this is going to be a very close game. Maybe I am wrong, maybe I am buying into "Who Dat" too much, but they seem like the team of destiny, and to just write them off is a terrible mistake.

Oh and fuck Tony Dungy, I am so sick of hearing him and seeing his stupid fucking face.

Reggie Bush Partying at 3:30am?

The picture above (courtesy of TMZ.com) were said to show Reggie Bush and his entourage leaving a South Beach club at 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The media is trying to make this a big story, but the players and coaches for the Saints don't really seem to care.

Bush fired back today saying that it was not really 3:30am, but it really doesn't matter since it was the players day off anyways. Bush says he has not been out past 10pm on any given night.

The media around the Super Bowl is crazy, and hopefully this doesn't become a distraction. Curfew starts tomorrow night for the Saints, so I doubt you'll hear anymore stories like this.

Colts Might Have To Play Without Freeney

Dwight Freeney has a tear in one of his ligaments in his right ankle. The President of the Colts says he thinks he will play, but even if he does there are serious questions about how affective he can really be. Freeney is a speed rusher, and one would think with a torn ligament that your speed would be one of the things affected.

Either way, I think this is a huge blow to the Colts. Their only chance to slow down the Saints offense was to get a lot of pressure on Brees. Without Freeney playing (or playing injured) their ability to get pressure on the QB is clearly going to be affected. I have been going back and forth about who I thought would win this game. If I was to pick the Colts it was going to be because of the "Manning factor" and the Colts being able to make Brees' life hard. Now that the Colts will be playing without (or at least not at full speed) best pass rusher, I think this is the Saints game to lose.

I will save my exact prediction until this weekend, but I will say I'm picking the Saints.

Need Another Reason To Hate Tebow?

Well here is one...

While we are all enjoying the Super Bowl there will be an unfortunate turn of events as Tebow and his mother (Pam) will appear in a pro-life commercial that tells the story of his risky birth 22 years ago. This has got the media in a frenzy with the whole pro-life, pro-choice thing, and has really pissed me off. For one thing, I don't want to see Tebow's face ever again on my TV. I also don't think it is right for their to be political/religious commercials during the Super Bowl. This is supposed to be about sports, and all we get is this fag telling me what I should believe.

I am not going to try to preach to you about what you should believe, but all I can say is I wish I had a time machine, so I could convince Tebow's mother to abort him.

GET OFF MY FUCKING TV TEBOW!!!!!

Colts/Saints... I Can Live With That

I never hesitated to pick a team to root for in the NFC title game. And that contest ended perfectly. An absolutely moronic INT by Brett Favre across his body, instead of running 7 yards to the sideline and securing a 49 yard field goal attempt to win the game. Vintage Favre.

But the Jets/Colts game was a tough one. I found myself rooting for turnovers by both teams. Turnovers, sacks, negative plays in general. I took a nap through most of the 4th quarter. Hatred makes me sleepy.

But I'm happy with the Colts winning. Happy might not be the right word. Relatively content?

Because at least I'm accustomed to Peyton and the Colts being praised. And at least they are a genuinely good team. It would've been entertaining to see them reap what they sewed by being eliminated by the team they let sneak into the playoffs.

But that enjoyment would be shortlived. It would soon be replace by my new least favorite word: "Refreshing."

Rex Ryan is refreshing. "He's the Anti-Belichick." Rec Ryan is a fat, lucky loudmouth that's pregnant with twins.

And now, my TV stand can relax, and no longer fear struggling to support Rex Ryan's obesity.



And now, GEAUX SAINTS! WHO DAT?

-The Commodore

Why Patriot Fans Suck

If you may have noticed the poll this morning our very own BMack put up a question that had three options. Who is going to win the Superbowl? Patriots, Saints or don't care. Why would he even have a don't care option? Oh yea, that's right all Patriot fans can't be happy for a great match up and suffer from being bitter and band wagoners. I know it must be tough to grasp a team being so intertwined with a city, because being a Pats fan is a relatively new phenomenon. But even though the Katrina disaster will be played out this week, the people in New Orleans have been through some shit and have stayed loyal too their team all the way back to the Aints days.

How could you not be a fan of this game by just loving football as a sport? You have the best quarterback that's ever lived verse America's new team. You have guys like Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie becoming great wide receivers and you have all of the explosive weapons the Saints have. It's going to be a great Superbowl, and most likely live up to all the hype.

But I guess New Englanders would much rather watch Tom Chokey and Bill Belichoke on their couches.

Either way, this will be a hell of a game and I'm pumped for it.

Who Dat?

Superbowl Commercials Sucked

Was it me or was this the worst bunch of Superbowl commercials. There were too many horses, Heros/ Chuck commercials and nothing really stuck out in my mind. But they must fix this next year.

27 Steelers, 23 Cardinals

This game has to be one of the best Superbowls I have ever watched. Many people are already talking that this IS the best Superbowl of all time and as much as I would like to agree with them, I still have to give it to the Patriots over the Rams. However, even non Steelers fans can agree with me when I say that, that was one of the most intense fourth quarters anyone has ever witnessed. There were a couple of underlying stories going on for this Superbowl. 1. The chess match between the two coaches, 2. The battle of two pretty opposite Quarterbacks. The 3rd was the question,who was going to win the battle of great offense vs great defense? Did this game answer all of these questions? Not really, but it was a hell of a game regardless.

The first quarter pretty much belonged to the Steelers. On the opening drive Pittsburgh was able to eat up the clock, and eventually get a field goal after Ben Roethlisberger's run, this was what seemed as the first of many challenged plays. The Steelers were then able to stop the Cardinals and then drive down and score on a Gary Russell TD punch. Then Kurt Warner fired back with a TD pass and the Cardinals offense seemed to be back. At the end of the second quarter Kurt Warner was leading the Cards to another apparent scoring drive when the leagues defensive MVP did something no one has done in a Superbowl ever before, and James Harrison was able to step in front of a slant pass and return the ball 100 yards for the score with no time left on the clock. This gave the Steelers a 17-7 point lead going into halftime.

Nothing really happened in the 3rd quarter as the Steelers got a field goal, but once the 4th hit, shit started to get nuts. For all game the Steelers did a great job covering Larry Fitzgerald, in fact he only got his first catch leading up to the final minutes in the 2nd quarter, but the fourth quarter belonged to him. With 7 minutes left in the 4th and the score being 20-7 Pitt, Warner was able to drive the Cards down the field and hit Fitzgerald for a 1 yard lob making the score 20-14. I started to panic. Both teams failed to get any points in the next two drives, but Arizona was able to punt the ball to the Steelers 1 yard line. Pitt ran a couple plays and one play that seemed like Willie Parker was tackled in the endzone but he was able to get the ball onto the one with a late push. The next play Ben threw the ball to Santonio Holmes for an apparent 1rst down, but there was a flag down and a tick tack holding penalty was called on Pitts Justin Hartwig and that gave the Steelers an automatic safety. The score was now 20-16.

The Steelers punted the ball from the safety and the Cards got the ball with all the momentum. Then right there the unthinkable happened. The age-less Kurt Warner hit Larry Fitzgerald for a 64 yard pass and the Cards took the lead to be 23-20. I pooped myself, The Steelers defense did such a good job containing Fitzgerald but Warner took advantage of the one mistake they had. With 2:30 seconds left that gave the Steelers and Big Ben to have one final drive to tie it or better yet win the game.

The drive started a little past the 20 yard line. Ben Roethlisberger was able to engineer one of the most heart pounding drives I have ever seen in my life. Every single down seemed like he had to escape and my a play on the fly. On the Drive he was able to hit Santoinio Holmes, and Nate Washington, and eventually get the team to have a first and goal. On first down Ben threw a catchable pass that could have been caught by Santonio Holmes, but it went through his fingers and I was thinking field goal. However, on second down Ben was able to escape a couple of defenders and threw a perfect pass to Santonio Holmes who was triple covered and he was able to make probably the best catch in Superbowl history as he snagged it, then dragged both feet to put the Steelers ahead 27-23. After the Steelers were able to cause a fumble from Kurt Warner on the Cards final game, all Ben needed to do was kneel the ball down and celebrate his second ring in 5 years, pushing him to the Elite status in NFL Qbs.

27 Steelers, 24 Cardinals

That's right.

More tomorrow

Superbowl Prediction

Well the game is finally here, and I have had two weeks to be terrified. This game makes me extremely uncomfortable as a Steelers fan. Kurt Warner has the ability to torch any secondary and Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are two of the best WRs in the league. The Match-up that will make or break the Cardinals will be the 6-2 Ike Taylor on Fitzgerald. Ike has been turning into a premier corner in the league, and this will be a great test for him.

The guy who I think can put this game away is the effectiveness of Willie Parker. If Willie Parker has a good game, the Steelers will win. The reasoning is his effectiveness will determine how much Kurt Warner is not on the field and how effective the play action pass will work for Ben. Ben Roethlisburger is very capable to win the game on his shoulder, but if Willie is running well, it would make things a lot easier for the Steelers offense.

I feel like the Cardinals are going to win the game, but as a Steelers fan, Pitt is going to win this game. The score will be 28-17. The MVP will be Ben Roethlisburger.

Looking back on 2008

Well here we are, Superbowl eve. The conclusion of another NFL season is a mere 24 hours away. It has been a strange season to say the least. I can’t remember a season in which I have seen more injuries, upsets, disappointments, and surprises.

Let’s start with the injuries. The injury bug bit all over the NFL and no team got it worse than the Patriots. The Pats had to make do without reigning MVP, Tom Brady. However, losing Brady was just the beginning of the injury woes. After suffering losses at running back, linebacker, safety, cornerback, and offensive line, it is a miracle they pulled an 11-5 season. Who knows what would have happened if they had #12 taking the snaps. Like I said earlier, injuries played more of a role this season, than any other I can recall. There were plenty of teams who were dismantled by injury this year, here is a look at the teams who were forced to play without their centerpiece.



Bengals- Carson Palmer missed 12 games with a right elbow problem.
Browns- Derek Anderson was benched, making way for Brady Quinn. Long story short, Ken Dorsey was the starter for three games.
Texans- Matt Schaub, was out for 5 games with a knee injury.
Titans- Vince Young had some mental issues that forced him to watch his Titans post the best record in the NFL behind backup Kerry Collins.
Chiefs- Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard get bit by the injury bug thrusting Tyler Thigpen into the starting role.
Bears- Kyle Orton twisted his knee and missed a game, allowing a Rex Grossman citing in the Chicago area.
Lions- Quarterbacks Orlovsky, Kitna, and Stanton all suffered injuries and opened the door for Daunte Culpepper to finish what the other three had started, a winless season.
Vikings- Guss Ferrotte missed the last five games of the season with a concussion.
Cowboys- Tony Romo missed 4 games with an injury to his throwing hand, giving the keys to Brad Johnson who steered the cowboys right out of the playoffs.
Seahawks- Matt Hasselback only played in 7 games this season, enough time for him to launch 10 interceptions.
Patriots- Tom Brady, what else needs to be said the man threw 50 touchdowns a season ago, allowing Peyton Manning to collect another MVP trophy.



I’m not sure about everyone else, but this prediction business is not easy. The teams I had my eye on in the pre-season completely collapsed at one point or another during the regular season.

First off, I predicted the Patriots not only would make the Superbowl, but they would trounce whichever opponent came out of the NFC. A few injuries and one Miami blowout later, the Pats finish 11-5 and are on the outside looking in.

My NFC Superbowl pick, the Dallas Cowboys, proved to be a bigger fraud than Bernie Madoff. They had it all, the two-headed running back monster, two explosive wide receiving threats, the athletic convict, and a mistake proned quarterback who can challenge anyone for the most overrated player award. All in all, Dallas won’t win as long as they have T.O. calling secret meetings, Wade Phillips coaching this team into the ground, and Jerry Jones trying to salvage his legacy in the 21rst century.

The biggest disappointment is without a question the 0-16 Detroit Lions. For the first time in NFL history a team has played 16 games and won zero. That's all that needs to be said, Hopefully the Lions don't draft Michael Crabtree.



This year was the year for the underdog. For me, it starts in Miami. I remember last season, week after week hearing how the Dolphins dropped yet another game. Collecting just one (1) win all of last season. It’s amazing what one big Tuna can do when dropped in the dolphin tank. After drafting Jake Long with the first pick, and signing Jet’s castoff, Chad Pennington, the Phins had in place a winning organization. It seems to be a theme in Florida, let the Boston and New York teams battle it out and slowly sneak into first place before falling short of a championship in the postseason.

Shifting to another surprise story, the Atlanta Falcons. After a dreadful 2007 campaign, in which the Falcons saw their quarterback get locked up and coach Bobby Petrino walked away before the end of the season, 2008 was a rebirth of sorts. First year head coach, Mike Smith, took control of hotlanta and with the help of Rookie of The Year, Matt Ryan, led the falcons to a playoff birth.



And what bigger surprise than the Arizona Cardinals? Honestly, give it up for the Arizona Cardinals. This team is led by Kurt Warner, former grocery store shelf stocker turned Superbowl champion. Nobody can deny their offensive talent; they have, in my opinion, the most gifted wide receiver tandem in the league. Larry Fitzgerald has put up unprecedented post season numbers and has showed no signs of slowing down, increasing his output more and more each game. Anquan Boldin, despite the screaming match with offensive coordinator Todd Haley which is fresh in everyone’s mind, Boldin has tremendous talent and may be overlooked by Pittsburgh in an effort to contain Fitzy. Tip of the cap to Ken Wisenhunt as well, he rallied his team after getting ousted at Gillette in the beginning of December. Anyone saying it’s a fluke that Arizona made it all the way is just upset that their team didn’t make it. Arizona does play in an NFL-AA division, but they have played their best when it matters the most. Their defense may be their most underrated attribute.

With all that being said, the 2008 season comes to a head tomorrow with the AFC champion Steelers taking on the Cardinals, will it be another win for the underdogs? Or a disappointment in the steel city? Either way, I’m hoping for a terrific end to a memorable season.


-Brian B

SuperBowl Breakdowns

Today seems to be an easy answer, but with the way the Cardinals defense has played in the past weeks this match-up seems a lot closer than you may think.

Cardinals:
The Cardinals defense has a series of play-makers and they are Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, actually fuck it.

The Steelers have a way better defense than the Cardinals and Polomalu, Clark, Woodley, Harrison should do enough to get into the head of Warner to cause a couple of turnovers. If they don't this defense will be looked at as the biggest choke artists in the NFL, and they have pride to look after.

Superbowl Breakdowns

Today's edition of superbowl breakdowns focuses on the wide receivers. Pittsburgh won the match-up of the first two match-ups so lets see how this ends up.

Arizona Cardinals:
They obviously have better wide receivers in this match-up. Larry Fitzgerald may be the best WR in the NFL and has had a nothing short of spectacular playoffs so far, Anquan Boldin is another premier WR in the league, and although he has been an ass this year on th sidelines he is an amazing pass catcher, and Steve Breaston may be the best slot WR in the league. All of the fore mentioned guys are extremely explosive, are deep threats, and physical guys, many people compare this WR corp to the Rams that Kurt Warner led to the Superbowl against the Patriots, but there is one glaring difference. These guys can't be pushed around and can't be intimidated, like Holt and Bruce could. The only thing that can slow these guys down is if Pitt says fuck the run game, we are going to be in dime the whole game. Either way, this is an extremely tough match-up for Ike Taylor, Troy Polomalu, and Ryan Clark. I expect nothing less than 2 TDs in the air.

Pittsburgh:
Hines Ward is banged up but is going to play, Santonio Holmes has been a home run threat in the playoffs, Nate Washington is the burner, and Heath Miller is the check down guy. Although they aren't as explosive as Fitzgerald or Boldin, the Steelers WR's do their job. They are extremely physical, hardly drop passes and given the opportunity they can break one deep. No one ever knows what to think of the Steelers passing game, and even me being a Steelers fan have no idea who could lead the team in receiving yards any given week. The Steelers will probably spread the ball around, with a couple of deep bombs to Washington or Holmes, but who knows.

This match-up goes to Arizona.

Superbowl Breakdown

This is a very intriguing match-up, both RBs had dissappointing seasons for different reasons. Willie Parker had an off year due to injuries, while Edgerrin James had a bad year because he was a shithead. But something no one will argue is that these guys could be a huge factor come Superbowl time.

Arizona:
The Cardinals have two runningbacks that they feature, Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower. Both of these guys will have a huge task in front of them going against Pitt's legendary defense. Edge does have more explosiveness than Hightower, and Edge has the potential to make a play go longer with his ability to shed a few hits, but he has never had to face a defense like this. Hightower is their short yardage back who can get those tough north/ south yards as well as the ability to punch the ball in the endzone. Expect nothing more than 65 total yards on the ground combined from these two backs. Pittsburgh's defense is too strong to have any runningbacks succeed against them let alone these two mediocre runningbacks.

Pittsburgh:
This is the duo who I am interested in. Willie Parker seems to be healthy and ready to go and Mewelde Moore has turned into a great 3rd down back. A lot of Pittsburgh's success can be attributed to Mewelde Moore who emerged after rookie Rashard Mendenhall was lost for the season. Willie Parker came up huge during the last Superbowl and if he can have any type of impact, then that would make things a hell of a lot easier on everyone on the Steelers offense. Both Parker and Moore are speed backs that can be explosive and have homerun ability. Even though Arizona's defense has been playing out of their mind, expect a big game from the Pittsburgh RBs. The advantage has to go to Pittsburgh.

Superbowl Breakdowns

With the Superbowl only days away it's hard for a Steelers fan like me not to get excited. So in this first rendition of the Superbowl breakdowns, today I will be focusing on the quarterbacks:

This is really a tale of two qbs. One was a journeyman that went from a grocery store worker to a gun slinging Superbowl MVP, and the other is a young play making stud out of college that has found ways to win through adversity and his own stupidity. I'll start with Warner.

Kurt has a big arm and is deadly accurate deep, and with the way the Cardinals offensive line has been playing he has enough time to hit one of his stud wide receivers easily. Both Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are both premier wide receivers in the league and having Steve Breaston as the slot WR makes this a scary match-up no matter what type of defense the Cards are playing against. Warner has earned his spot in the Hall of Fame with this Superbowl bid and with a victory it would solidify his spot. The only weakness Kurt Warner has is his limited mobility and his non existent game when he has a heavy blitz ahead of him. If the Steelers can hold Warner to under 300 yards it would be a victory on their end.

Next Ben Roethlisberger:
Big Ben has had to rely heavily on the run game and been lopped into the manager type quarterback until the past couple of seasons. With Willie Parker being banged up all season, Ben has been asked to shoulder more of the offensive burden. In 9 games that he threw over 30 passes he has won 7 of them, and this game will be another one where he has to run the offense. Ben has been a master of the broken play and impromptu play making, and many of his critics say that is a negative trait, I say it may be his best trait. I watched the Steelers a lot this year and with the problems they had with their offensive line, he had to, and he did it often and it worked out a lot. But there is a downside to that, with Ben holding onto the ball longer than he should he often takes a lot of unnecessary hits making him constantly in pain. Since Hines Ward is back, and Santonio Holmes continues to be the play maker Antwaan Randle El was, I like Ben in this match-up. Arizona's defense loves putting pressure and Ben can definitely take advantage of that.