Around the NFL: Super Bowl Primer

It is time for the apex of the NFL season, the crème-de-la-crème of annual sporting events, the Super Bowl! I look forward to Super Bowl Sunday every year even though there is the inevitable depression that looms afterwards, knowing that the NFL season is over and I have a long off-season before I get to watch my favorite teams and players (as long as they aren’t on NFL Network) again. I love the Super Bowl because it represents the pinnacle of success in my favorite sport, and this week we get to watch a dynamic offense play against one of the best defenses I’ve ever seen. This game should be exciting, and there are plenty of storylines to go around for those needing added drama. Before I get into my prediction however, last week I asked what people thought about the Michael Vick issue and about PETA’s demands for him. Here are two comments that sum up the majority of responses from two opposing sides:

Alex in Rhode Island states: “What Michael Vick did to those dogs is inexcusable. The ability to do something like that is just ****ed up and he deserves to rot in prison!”

Other similar responses had more expletives.

Corey in Pennsylvania had a different opinion: “PETA needs to keep to their own business of annoying celebrities who wear fur. Vick paid his dues and PETA has no right to say anything about it.”

Corey doesn’t like PETA and continued to say as much.

Interesting how strong people feel about this issue. Keep writing in if you have something else to say: letstalknfl@hotmail.com

Keys for the Steelers

The Steelers are considered the favorites to win the Super Bowl. For them to actually pull it off, they are going to need to do the following things:

Catch the ball! It’s not just Limas Sweed dropping bombs that leads me to this assessment. Everyone from the backs to the tight ends to the receivers needs to be on their A-Game as far as making catches goes. The Steelers have to maintain possession in order to minimize the opportunities given to the Cardinals offense. Making clutch catches on third down is critical.

Big Ben’s decision-making. It’s not just keeping himself from throwing interceptions. Big Ben is notorious for holding the ball too long. If he does this against the Cardinals, he’s going to take more sacks and get the Steelers in too many third and long situations. Once again, this leads to the Cardinals having more opportunities on offense.

Pressure Kurt Warner. The Steelers are great at providing pressure, and they’ll need to be against the savvy veteran QB of the Cardinals. Warner has a quick release and makes quick decisions. Because of this, the Steelers are going to have to disrupt his timing and keep him pressured all day. Without pressure, a player like Warner will pick apart your secondary, no matter how good it is.

Protect Roethlisberger. Cardinals DT Darnell Dockett has been a dominant force in the playoffs and the Steelers will have to contain him to keep him from collapsing the pocket and disrupting the run game. With the offensive line being the Steelers’ weakest link, it will be imperative that they figure out how to block guys like Dockett and give Big Ben as much time as possible.

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Keys for the Cardinals

Don’t Turn the Ball Over. The Steelers defense is very adept at forcing opposing offenses into making mistakes with the football. Kurt Warner has done a fairly good job protecting the ball this season, and he’ll need to continue to do that this week. Keeping the ball in positions where only the receiver can catch it, as well as running drills all week that will help players hang on to the football will be imperative to the Cardinals success. Win the turnover battle and the Cardinals can win the game.

Stop the Run. The Steelers are going to try to run the ball, as they always do, in order to shorten the game and limit the amount of opportunities the Cardinals have on offense. Pittsburgh is very good at this, combining rushing efficiency with big play ability and a solid third-down conversion rate. It will be increasingly important for the Cardinals to contain the Steelers rushing game, setting up third and long situations. Look for Dockett and LB’s Gerald Hayes and Karlos Dansby to be active in trying to stop Willie Parker, Mewelde Moore, and Cary Davis.

Create Turnovers. Arizona is going to have to get a couple of turnovers in this game in order to ensure that they don’t get caught with bad field position continuously. The Pittsburgh defense is outstanding and it will be very difficult to move the ball 80-95 yards on every drive in order to get in the end zone. The Cardinals defense needs to be physical and create turnovers in order to give Kurt Warner and company a chance to do what they do best.

Run the Ball! The Cardinals have gotten back to the running game since they entered the playoffs, and it’s paid huge dividends in their three playoff victories. While the trio of Edgerrin James, Timothy Hightower, and J.J. Arrington may not be putting up incredible statistics, they are doing an excellent job of keeping defenses honest and providing the Cardinals with the ball-control ability that they were lacking for most of the regular season. This will have to continue in order for the Cardinals to emerge victorious.

Super Bowl Prediction

This should be a very good game, and I’m excited to watch it. Look for the Cardinals to inevitably make some big plays on offense and look for the Steelers to pay tough, physical football. This game could really go either way and it’s very difficult to predict. That being said, more often than not, a great defense wins the battle in big games. Because of this, look for the Steelers to win their second Super Bowl in four years in a tough game, and for the difference to come on the defensive side of the ball. MVP of the game: Steelers RB Willie Parker.

Enjoy the Super Bowl!

By Brandon Niles
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer