Super Bowl Prediction

As the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers take the field this Sunday, it will mark the first time since Super Bowl 18 that two quarterbacks who already have a Super Bowl ring to their name will compete for another. The Raiders’ Jim Plunkett and the Redskins’ Joe Theismann were the first to do so, and now the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger and the Cardinals’ Kurt Warner will have that honor come Sunday.

However, despite this one coincidence, each respective team has very little in common. On one hand there’s the return of the Steel Curtain defense for Pittsburgh, led by pro-bowl linebacker James Harrison, and on the other, the high flying, Cinderella story Cardinals, led by one of the great comeback stories in NFL history. Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback, Kurt Warner, a 2-time NFL MVP, was thought to be washed up by many a couple of years ago. A division title and 3 playoff wins later, Warner has responded to doubters.

So with such different teams, how will this game play out? What are the keys to success for each team? The weather should play a huge factor. Warner is a warm-weather quarterback; he’s seen his most success when playing in a controlled environment: in the Arena Football League playing indoors, in the Edward Jones Dome with the Rams, and now in the warm state of Arizona with the Cardinals. If the weather is comfortable, look for the underdog Cardinals to have a solid chance.

Another important factor to keep in mind Sunday is whether Arizona’s wide receiver Anquan Boldin is healthy. Though Boldin hasn’t been a big factor this postseason due to injury, a healthy Boldin may prevent the Steelers from maintaining double-coverage on Larry Fitzgerald, who is having arguably the greatest postseason of any wide receiver in NFL history. He has 419 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns thus far.

Finally, another important factor in Sunday’s game should be the Steelers’ defensive line. When they penetrate the offensive line, it opens up opportunities for Harrison and the linebackers, as well as Troy Polamalu and the secondary to make big plays. Also, if the defensive line is able to slow the Cardinals’ much improved rushing game, it will force Warner to throw more often, making him more vulnerable to blitzes and may prevent him from getting into a rhythm.

Overall, I believe that if the Cardinals’ offensive line can hold their blocks, and allow Warner to strike early through the air, they’ll have the ability to ride that momentum to victory. If there is one team that could achieve an upset of this magnitude, it’s the Arizona Cardinals, who despite having a much weaker defense and ground game, always have a puncher’s chance with the talent of Warner and his two top-notch receivers.

Final Prediction: Cardinals 24, Steelers 16

References:

news.yahoo.com/s/sn/20090119/sp_sn/10packsuperbowledition

profootball-reference.com

superbowl.com

steelers.com

azcardinals.com

Editor’s…er blogger’s note(s)

In response to my Nov. 25th post:

- Okay, maybe Subway Super Bowl was a little much…but come on – the Jets were 8-3 despite some mediocre first-half of the season performances. Since then, they’ve managed a 1-3 record, and have watched in amazement as Chad Pennington puts together an MVP-caliber season. The Dolphins are 10-5, and have their foot on the throats of the Jets’ season. If they can come away with a win next week, or get some help from the Patriots – they’re in the playoffs.

- As for Big Blue, after some Plaxico drama and a couple of hiccups the last two weeks, they came away with a HUGE win against Carolina Sunday night. The G-men rushed for an insane 301 yards (thanks in part to the return of Brandon Jacobs, as well as Derrick Ward turning in the greatest game of his career.) More importantly, they picked apart the Panthers on their final drive in OT, with a couple of huge gains on the ground from Ward, and Jacobs finishing the job for the game-winning TD. This win gives the Giants home-field advantage for the playoffs, and secures them as the team to beat in the NFC, and possibly the entire NFL.

A note about my Oct. 28th post:

Since I just mentioned my good friend Plaxico Burress in  the above paragraph, why not take a look and see what he’s up to? We know he’s been suspended from the team, but what’s he been doing with his new-found spare time?

http://enews.earthlink.net/article/spo?guid=20081222/494f1ed0_3ca6_15526200812221282790355

Plax. Behind on your insurance premiums? I’m sure you couldn’t afford to pay – what with your $7 million per year salary (not to mention millions in bonuses you would’ve been awarded).

Just another example of what I had referred to in my post…not a DUI, but something just as (if not more) foolish… 

In response to my December 18th post:

I stand corrected, the Knicks cant just not close games…they can’t start them either. New York got off to a slow start against the Bucks, en route to a home loss Friday night. Then, they trailed Boston by 19 at the end of the first quarter Sunday night, but bounced back time and time again, cutting the lead to single digits on multiple occasions. I will say this: the Knicks gave the Western Conference champs (in their building)  all they could handle, and also made several runs against the defending-champion Celtics before slipping away late in the game.

How can they take their game to the next level and get back into playoff contention? Stop living and dying with the 3-pointer. While hitting 3’s kept the Knicks in the game against Boston, it was Rajon Rondo’s ability to attack the basket which proved to be too much for the Knicks. They need to look to the low post on occasion; David Lee has become so solid down low, it boggles my mind why they don’t give him more looks. The man has an excellent field goal percentage, and it’s not from chucking up 3’s. He does what no other Knick will do, and that’s fight for offensive Leebounds and wreak havok in the paint. New York would also improve if Al Harrington can work on a post-up turn-around J, something he’s got the agility and size to do, but rarely puts into action. The man is in love with the 3, and too often is either hot or cold, and that’s that. The Knicks need consistency out of Harrington if they’re going to have any chance at making a run as the season continues….

- Thanks for reading; more to come soon.

P.F.

Subway….Super Bowl???

Okay, so you wouldn’t actually need your Metrocards. In fact the game wouldn’t even be played at the Meadowlands, but as a New York football fan, one can’t ignore the types of seasons that the Jets and Giants are having.

The Giants improved to 10-1 Sunday, but even more impressive was the Jets absolute dismantling of the Tennesee Titans. A lopsided 34-13 win handed the Titans their first loss of the season, and the Jets with their biggest win.

For the Jets, Sunday’s win made it five in a row, and none of the wins were small.

We begin in week 8, in which the Jets were stuck at .500, and had just come off a heartbreaking loss to a team they should’ve beat, the Raiders. The Jets gutted out a win against the Chiefs to go above .500.

The next week, they beat their division rivals, the Buffalo Bills, handly. The Jets followed that with a 44 point win over St. Louis.

With the whole country watching on a Thursday night, they picked up a grueling OT win against the defending AFC champions, the Patriots.

This brings us to last week – as the Jets took on the undefeated Titans, and won by three touchdowns.

As for the G-Men, they’ve quietly gone a spectacular 10-1.

Both of these teams are for real. We know about the Giants, and they’ve actually played better this season than in their Super Bowl season last year. But the Jets are for real. They have the most experienced quarterback every to grace the gridiron leading them, and he has a solid receiving core to throw to.

As for the running backs, Leon Washington is the best playmaker in the NFL this season. He had a 61 yard touchdown run Sunday. The Jets’ starting RB, Thomas Jones has been an old-school bruiser this year. He has 9 touchdowns, and is the Jets’ “between the tackles” back.

Throw in Kris Jenkins, and a solid defense, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

Folks, it’s 4:22 p.m. on November 25, and I’m calling it now. The first ever Jets vs. Giants Super Bowl. Not because I’m a Jet fan, or even because I’m a New Yorker. Because these are the two best football teams in the NFL right now.

Sources:

www.jets.com

www.giants.com

A time for reflection…

So, it’s election day, we’re halfway through the NFL season…time for some reflection:

• The New York Jets are 5-3 despite looking completely out of sync on offense. They’re getting by simply on talent: Favre’s arm,  Laverneus Coles’ and Jerricho Cotchery’s hands, and Thomas Jones’ newly acquired nose for the endzone. Their future-hall-of-fame QB still hasn’t gotten the hang of this offense, but the team has managed to get by, largely because of their defense. And this defense is, in a word: solid. Kris Jenkins is a monster nose tackle – the kind the Jets have been missing since switching to the 3-4 defense. Darrelle Revis has developed into a nice little cornerback, and Kerry Rhodes has quietly become an elite safety in this league. A huge road win against the tough Buffalo Bills was a tremendous boost. If Favre can master this system, these Jets may make some serious noise come postseason.

Brett Favre, despite learning a new offense, has still seen success this season with the Jets.

Justin Tuck has played a key role in the Giants’ success this season.

• The 7-1 New York Giants have the best record in the NFC. They’ve managed to follow up their Super Bowl Championship with a remarkable first half, and in my opinion are the team to beat in the NFL. While the Tennesee Titans remain the NFL’s only undefeated team, the Giants are built for more than just 16 games; they have postseason success written all over them. Why? This team has the most well-balanced attack of any team I’ve seen in recent NFL history. Their ground game is truly scary. Brandon Jacobs is a monster who can come out of the gate running the ball right at you, and just when the defense is getting fatigued, the G-Men can give the ball to a guy who is averaging 6.1 yards per carry, Derrick Ward. Throw in an occasional Ahmad Bradshaw, and there’s no stopping their rushing game. Eli Manning has been impressive, and he spreads the ball around extremely well: 7 different Giants have a receiving touchdown this season. As far as the defense, despite losing Osi Umeniora, and Michael Strahan, they still have the best pass-rushing unit in football. Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Fred Robbins have combined for 19.5 sacks. Antonio Pierce has been solid at linebacker, and the secondary has been above-average. Don’t be surprised to see Tom Coughlin’s squad repeat this year.

Sources: nfl.com, nyjets.com, giants.com