Fantasy Football Weekly Words: Countdown to the Super Bowl

Once again, the NFL playoffs have left us with another intriguing matchup as we head into Super Bowl Sunday as the aerial attack of the Arizona Cardinals will battle it out with Troy Polamalu and Co. When all is said and done, we know that for the 43rd time, one of the two teams entering Sunday's contest will become the undisputed champion of the NFL. (Take that BCS!) The only question that remains is whether that team will be the Cardinals, thereby, ending a 61-year championship drought, or the Pittsburgh Steelers, thus giving them the most Super Bowl wins in the history of the game with six. It's going to be a fun-filled Sunday with a lot of action and story lines. To get you ready, this week's edition of the weekly words highlights some of the stories to watch for during Super Bowl XLIII.

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Kurt Warner—Doubling the Fun

While Warner has already joined Craig Morton as the only man to appear as the starting quarterback for two different teams in the Super Bowl, the veteran quarterback could become the first quarterback in NFL history to win the big game with two different squads (Morton loss both of his Super Bowl appearances). Already a Super Bowl victor back in 1999 with the St. Louis Rams, Warner's flirtation with history will be widely talked about heading into the weekend, and if Warner is able to lead the Cardinals to victory, a trip to the Hall of Fame will all but be secured, though Warner should be headed to Canton win or lose on Sunday.

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Big Ben on the Big Stage

Already the youngest winning Super Bowl QB, thanks to the Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XL in which he was 23, Big Ben has a chance to claim title No. 2 at the very young age of 26. Doing so would place him just two behind Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for the most ever (both Bradshaw and Montana own four Super Bowl wins). However, to claim the title, Big Ben will almost assuredly need to perform better than he did back in that first win over the Seattle Seahawks. A 22.6 QB rating on nine completions for 123 yards, zero TDs, and two INTs won't nearly be enough to get it done this time around as the Cardinals, despite the Steelers' tough defense, should be able to ride that high-flying offense to some points.

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Anquan's Anger

Even without checking his mood ring, anyone watching the NFC Championship game knows Anquan Boldin's mood. And, let us just say, he's not exactly giddy. Upset that he wasn't as involved in the Cardinals' gameplan as he felt he should be, Boldin lashed out at offensive coordinator Todd Haley on the sidelines during the Cardinals' hard-fought battle with the Philadelphia Eagles. That tongue lashing has led to a somewhat uncomfortable situation for Arizona heading into Sunday as it leaves Haley in a bind. Does he curb things Boldin's way during the Super Bowl to keep the wide out happy or does he create an offensive game-plan that heavily favors the hot hand of Larry Fitzgerald? Time will tell, but we think Haley will remember football's a team game and, thus, will do what he believes to be best for the team, throwing the ball to Fitz. That leaves just one question to be answered, come Sunday, will Boldin remember this is a team game or will he morph into yet another prima donna wide out?

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Practice! Practice! Practice!...Play in Super Bowl

Signed as an undrafted free agent, the career of Steelers' linebacker James Harrison didn't get off to the start most pro players hope for as he spent his early years yo-yo'ing between practice squads and couches. In fact, at one point, the linebacker considered hanging up the pads and focusing on becoming a veterinarian. Luckily, the Steelers' found him a permanent spot on their roster before that happened back in 2004. With hard work and determination, Harrison has since developed into a lean, mean, hitting machine, recording 101 tackles this past season to go along with seven forced fumbles and one INT. Those numbers were strong enough to land the linebacker the AP Defensive Player of the Year award this regular season. A Super Bowl victory would be the perfect ending to this zero to hero story.

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Does James Have His "Edge" Back?

Following five seasons in which he rushed for at least 1,100 yards and six TDs, Cardinals' running back, Edgerrin James saw his numbers plummet in 2008 as the back amassed just 514 rushing yards and three scores on 133 carries. In fact, things got so bad for James during the regular season, the back was benched as the Cardinals handed the starting running back job to rookie, Tim Hightower. At the age of 30, it appeared James had lost his mojo. Luckily for James, Hightower was ineffective as the team's featured back, leading to a second chance for the veteran, a chance he has capitalized on in these playoffs. In three games, James has rushed for a solid 203 yards on 52 attempts, going for 73, 57, and 73 yards respectively. While it appears the Cardinals will move on after this season and look for another body to put in the running back slot, a solid Super Bowl outing by James could lead other teams to take a chance on the aging runner.

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Six for the Steelers?

With a win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Steelers will become the first team in the NFL to own six Lombardi Trophies, pushing them ahead of both the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, both of whom own five. Should the Steelers carry out that feat and come away with the win, it'll be another example of the success solid defensive football with a well-balanced offensive attack can bring. It will also be further indication of the importance of consistency for a franchise as the Steelers have had just three head coaches at the helm since 1969 in Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and, now, Mike Tomlin—all of whom came to their position in what were seamless transitions. Perhaps other teams should begin to follow the Steelers' game-plan. After all, who better to mimic than the most winningest franchise in the game.

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