Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl XLIII Champions
[Matt Cashore/US Presswire]
Wow. The Steelers’ defense gave up 200 yards passing against an opponent just once coming into this game. If you had told me that Warner would gain almost double that plus three touchdowns, I would’ve told you that the Cardinals would win their first Super Bowl.
What a game! The Cardinals’ defense played hard and their offense came up with a smart game plan of short dumps and slants. They were patient and it paid off with Fitzgerald scoring up the middle for the go ahead lead toward the end of the game.
The only problem: there was still two and a half minutes left. In typical Steelers fashion, Big Ben, Santonio Holmes, and the Steelers’ offense took advantage of what little time they had and came up big with one of most memorable drives and catches to seal the victory.
It was a season of many ups and downs. The Steelers faced the toughest schedule in the league, had a patchwork offensive line, and suffered many key injuries early on. The only consistency came from their defense and Big Ben’s ability to bring the team back from behind in the clutch, which he had to do in a third of the games played this year. They got better and better towards the end and the adversity they faced all season long toughened them up for this amazing playoff run. Though the Steelers’ defense wasn’t its dominating self today, the unit played well enough (thanks to James Harrison’s remarkable end-zone interception and 100-yard return TD) and the offense came through once again.
Congratulations to the Cardinals on this improbable run and the Steelers for winning their league-best sixth Super Bowl.
[Al Bello/Getty Images]
Super Bowl XLIII Prediction
[Photo via cbcsports.ca]
The only teams that match up well against the Steelers are the Patriots and teams that mirror the Steelers’ smashmouth style: a stingy defense plus a ball-control offense with a relentless running game and play-action passing game. The Cardinals are neither the Patriots nor this type of smashmouth team.
They remind me of the Colts of recent memory: good running game, great quarterback and receiver corps, and a defense that steps it up come playoff time. We saw the Steelers disassemble the favorite-to-win-it-all Colts during their 2006 Superbowl-winning run by playing physical at the line against the Colts’ receivers.
I have to give the Cardinals credit, though. No one predicted them to even make it out of the first round after they stumbled into the playoffs in the worst division in the league. Larry Fitzgerald has become the premier receiver after already having the best postseason statistically as a receiver. Kurt Warner is a lock to make it into the Hall of Fame, and he has not one, not two, but three 1,000-yard receivers at his disposal.
Even with all these weapons on the offensive side, the Steelers’ defense is just too good. I know they probably haven’t faced a passing game this potent, but the Steelers’ have shut down every passing game they’ve played all year. It used to be a weakness in this zone-blitz defense, but with the number-one ranking, the pass defense has proved itself more than capable at thwarting any air attack.
In order for the Cardinals to compete, they’ll have to establish a short passing or running game and their defense must be able to force turnovers and Roethlisberger to make plays on long third-downs. The Steelers are going to play physical at the line against the Cardinals’ receivers and the stud linebackers will try and hit Warner as much as they can.
Look for the Steelers to win their league-leading sixth Super Bowl and the Steelers’ defense to cement its place as one of the best in NFL history.
Steelers 31, Cardinals 16
2009: Year of the Ox? Or is it the year of the Timberwolves?
[Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images]
Which NBA team has the best record in games played in 2009? No, not the sizzling Lakers, Cavs, Magic, or Celtics, but the left-for-dead, Timberwolves. At 9-2 in January, the Wolves have an overall record of 15-27 after going 4-23 in their first 27 games. That means the Wolves are 11-4 in the past 15 games!
Though the Wolves were not predicted to even compete for a playoff spot, they were strongly considered to be one of the more promising young teams. After the disastrous start to the season, many pundits wrote the team off and questioned whether the current team could improve and stay competitive in the future. Did McHale assemble yet another team with overvalued players, trade away a sure-fire pick, and draft another lottery bust? Should the Timberwolves blow up their roster and start from square one in this rebuilding process?
It looked really dismal in the beginning, but the team is getting better and better each game, primarily because of McHale’s hands-off and player-oriented coaching and the subsequent improvement of the young core. I feel more comfortable as a Wolves fan with McHale scribbling plays rather than making personnel decisions in the front office. Foye is starting to shine, Jefferson should be an All-Star, and Love is posting unbelievable numbers of 11.4 ppg, .532 fgp, and 9.9 rpg in 23 mpg this month. Talk about efficiency! If he continues this pace, he should be in the discussion for ROY. The biggest surprise, though, has been Carney’s energy and improved play after Brewer went out with a season-ending injury. He’s been supplying the much-needed athleticism at the wing and in the break.
It’s just past the midpoint of the season, so there are many more games to be played. I stated before that if the Wolves can win at least 30 games, I’d be ecstatic. The Wolves are rolling right now and if they win the games they should win and pull out some upsets, they can surprise some people at season’s end.
Blitzburgh Bop
[Photo source: NPC]
I have to admit, I’m obsessed and madly in love with the Steelers’ defense.
The success of this complex and unpredictable 3-4 zone blitz, designed by the masterful Dick LeBeau, starts with the nosetackle. If there was a photo in the dictionary of an immovable object, it would be of Casey Hampton - 6’ 1” and 325lbs of uncompromising man-meat. He has the critical responsibility of filling both the A-gaps: taking on not two but sometimes three linemen at a time.
With Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel also doing an excellent job on the line at both ends, the Steelers’ high-octane defense is put into gear as the four linebackers are free to mix up coverage and go after the opposing quarterback. The tandem of James Harrison, the Defensive Player of the Year, and Lamar Woodley on the outside has been more than disruptive - they’re dominating games with their 27.5 combined league-leading sacks. Inside, Larry Foote has been a do-it-all tackler and James Farrior, the unsung leader of this D, is having another Pro Bowl year.
Past playoff failures against teams that can spread the ball, e.g., Tom Brady and the Patriots, exposed the Steelers’ ineptitude in defending 4- and 5-receiver sets. What makes this defense better than previous incarnations is the relentless penetration of the linebackers. Opposing quarterbacks often have little to no time to react, which gives the much-improved secondary relief in coverage and let’s them play aggresive on passing routes.
They are allowing a league-low 156.9 yards per game through the air. Deshea Townsend and Bryant McFadden are solid and Ike Taylor is becoming one of the premier shut-down corners in the league. Free safety Ryan Clark is often left out of the discussion, but he is doing a stellar job at anchoring the defense - the Steelers give up the least amount of big plays over twenty yards. No disrespect to Bob Sanders, but Troy Polamalu has been the best strong safety in the league this year: he defends the run and pass to perfection. This play is just ridiculous.
The Steelers came close to becoming the first team to lead the NFL in rushing defense, passing defense, total defense and scoring defense. If the Giants decided not to sit out Brandon Jacobs (he’s a beast, by the way) for the last game of the season, the Steelers would have set the record by beating the Vikings in allowing the least rushing yards.
When Sunday comes around, it will be a joy to watch this defense back in action. Ruthless, stingy, hard-hitting, smart - call it whatever you want; it’s simply a thing of beauty.
Now let’s see if the offense holds up their end of the bargain.
Fuuuuu... 42 Point Blowout! 
[AP Photo by Jim Mone]
Yeah, so what if it’s against the worst team in the NBA! The Wolves are on a roll: winning 4 in a row, 6 of the last 8 (the reverse for the struggling Celts). That’s 60% of their games won this season!
Despite his first 8 games (all against playoff-caliber teams), McHale has got the team playing with much more confidence. Whereas Whittman had his players on a short leash, McHale has simplified the playbook and is letting his players play through their mistakes. It’s paying off because Foye is playing relaxed knowing he doesn’t need to memorize more than 200+ plays or run the offense all the time - Ollie/Telfair have been more than serviceable at spelling him at the point. He’s no longer in a slump: shooting 50% from the field and a red-hot 53% from the arc during this run. He might not live up to the trade involving Brandon Roy, but he could be a very solid starter or even a fringe all-star in this league.
There’s really nothing new to say about Jefferson since he’s been so consistent all season. He probably won’t be selected to the All-Star game considering the Wolves’ bad record, but I would put him up there in the top 5 when it comes to offense in the post. He definitely has some of the best post moves in the league and at the age of 24, the Wolves have a cornerstone to build with.
Love’s been a monster on the boards, especially on the offensive glass where he leads the league in offensive rebounds per minute. McHale is bringing him on slowly even though most top rookies have been given the greenlight. His outside shots are improving and he’s getting to the line with much more tenacity than he was earlier in the season. Mayo might win the R.O.Y. this year, but in no way did the Wolves get the worst out of this deal: Love could be an 18 and 14 guy if he gets the minutes and he’s a good complement to Jefferson’s inside game.
The Wolves are salvaging what looked like a disaster of a season. McHale did a terrible job as a GM, but I see him as a good coach for this rebuilding process since he’s a let-them-play type and seems very enthusiastic to mentor the players he signed/traded in this inside-out offense. I would be thrilled if they could pull off a 30+ win season and I hope they can draft a stud guard like Harden or Holiday (Rubio is most likely off the boards by then) and add length at the center position with their lottery picks.
São Paulo photo by Jan Egil Kirkebø. Moleskine-inspired image by Lost in Scotland.
Modded template from DisorderList. Powered by Tumblr.
