Super Bowl 43: Aces Are in the Cards

My, my, my, how the season has gone by so quickly. It seems like just yesterday that we were in a frenzy of 18-1, Peyton Manning’s knee injury, and a myriad of Super Bowl predictions. 

Fast-forward to Jan. 31, and already we are on the eve of Super Bowl 43, taking place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida. More than 4000 reporters were at Media Day this year, and you can bet the stadium will be rocking all afternoon.

And although this years edition of the Super Bowl hasn’t created quite as much buzz as last year, it could be the most strategically played out game we’re ever going to witness in a game with the magnitude such as this one. 

Breaking down the key match ups isn’t easy. Underlying story lines, key coverage match ups and defensive pressure are just three of the many breakdowns we can discuss. However, to keep it short, I’m going to breakdown two. Here they are.

Cardinals

Arizona has to rely on Kurt Warner’s playoff success and experience to take them to a victory.

With the Steelers likely to use their zone blitz heavy and often, Arizona will have to utilize a variety of screen and swing passes, dump offs to Edgerrin James, JJ Arrington, and Tim Hightower out of the backfield, and effectively use the underneath routes, where Steve Breaston and Anquan Boldin are nearly unstoppable.

Dick LeBeau is still one of the NFL’s greatest defensive coordinators, and you have to think he has recognized Breaston’s and Boldin’s success in the middle, and will likely keep inside linebackers James Farrior and Larry Foote from bringing the heat up the middle.

The wild card in the middle of the Steelers defense, is under-utilized pass rushing extraordinaire Lawrence Timmons, a former number one pick out of Florida State University. Foote has done a superb job holding off Timmons for the past two years, but that doesn’t mean LeBeau will continue to run with Foote, especially if Timmons gets in a groove, getting the better of center Lyle Seindlein and right guard Deuce Lutui. 

Arizona’s offensive line is going to be key. Mike Gandy has emerged as a top ten left tackle this year, and Levi Brown has been solid and dependable, yet unspectacular throughout the year.

The two tackles are going to have to keep Pittsburgh’s two main weapons in the defensive repertoire, DPOY James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley from wreaking havoc in the Arizona backfield, and jarring Kurt Warner.

If Arizona can keep these two at bay for most of the game, it gives the Cardinals the best chance to win this football game.

Expect coach Ken Whisenhunt to go against the popular opinion of spreading the Steelers’ defense out, and play a lot of seven and eight man sets, with a lot of split back formations to keep Kurt Warner as healthy as possible, while letting Boldin, Fitzgerald, and Breaston man up with Ike Taylor and the Steelers’ underrated secondary. 

If the Cardinals do beat these keys to a pulp, they will give Pittsburgh quite the game. 

Steelers 

We all know the saying “defense wins championships” and that applied for the New York Giants last year, and could very well likely apply for this years game as well.

Dick LeBeau’s renowned zone blitz defense has garnered a bucket full of attention throughout this year, with the Steelers holding opponents to an incredible13.9 points per game, and just 237 yards overall per game, both good for first in the National Football League. 

However, some of the philosophies that have made Pittsburgh so famous this year could be left aside in order to cope with the heavy offensive attack expected from Todd Haley and the Arizona Cardinals explosive offense.

Some of those options may include toying with the defensive chemistry that have made the defense click this year, such as reducing the field Troy Polamalu is allowed to roam to prevent the big play, dropping James Farrior and Larry Foote back into coverage more often then not, and playing a lot more man to man coverage then the team is used to. 

The big one, like previously mentioned, is Troy Polamalu. All year LeBeau has allowed Polamalu to roam free as a rover-like player, in order to make plays. Polamalu answered that call with a career-high seven interceptions, and 73 tackles, 54 coming solo. But don’t expect Polamalu to go off like he has all year.

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