Super Bowl XLIII Preview & Prediction

The greatest holiday of the year is upon us.
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While mulling over which song The Boss is going to open the halftime show with, I'm wondering how I want to see Super Bowl XLIII unfold.

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The thing that gets me geared up for events like the Super Bowl are the "moments" that occur in the game. The out-of-nowhere play that takes an anonymous player and forever etches his name in Super Bowl history - (See David Tyree, New York Giants, Super Bowl XLII).

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Not being a fan of either team, I obviously want a close game. Blowouts in the Super Bowl are a major letdown. For me, it is all about the action on the field. Surely in the minority, commercial breaks are still made for trips to the bathroom, not viewing commercials.

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For Pittsburgh to Win: Play the same type of physical defense that has suffocated opponents all season. The Steelers are the toughest bunch around and have the ability to impose their will on opponents.

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An early Pittsburgh lead will be fatal for Arizona.

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I'm expecting Pittsburgh to come out aggressive, throw the ball around to Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward with a few early trick plays. Roethlisberger was horrible in Super Bowl XL against Seattle, they'll want to get him off early. Arizona has not been here before - not even close - so the Steelers may have the opportunity to catch a big play early if the Arizona defense is in awe of its surroundings.

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With its great defense, Pittsburgh has the luxury of taking a few early chances before settling into the ground attack with Willie Parker.

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On defense, Pittsburgh is going to turn it loose. D-coordinator Dick LeBeau is the greatest DC in NFL history. He has two weeks to prepare for this game. That isn't a good thing for Arizona.

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For Arizona to Win: The Cards have to get the offense cranking early, mixing run with pass.

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The Steelers are going to blitz early and often so Arizona will need to toss in a few screen passes to the RB's and use some misdirection to slow down the Steeler defense.

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Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are going to get hit early and often. How they handle the physical beating by the Pittsburgh secondary will speak volumes as to Arizona's chances of pulling the upset.

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More than all, other factors, Arizona has to get the lead and play with it. If Pittsburgh jumps out and turns the Cardinals offense one-dimensional, the game will be over. Kurt Warner is an immobile QB and could get buried under an avalanche of Steeler blitzes.

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The Arizona defense will play well and should hang in there with a Steeler offense not known for its explosiveness.



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Prediction: It has been a great run for Arizona and they are the
Cinderella story.

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However, when a high-flying offense meets a prolific defense, the defense wins every time.

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Roethlisberger will atone for his bad performance three years ago and will be the MVP. .

The Steeler defense will turn the game with a few turnovers and turn the game a bit ugly.

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Final Score - Pittsburgh 30, Arizona 13

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On to the NFL draft............still praying for a Michael Crabtree sighting in Oakland.