Super Bowl XLIII is only 48 hours away, and now the teams begin to hunker down and really prepare for the game. I feel like this Super Bowl week has not been as crazy as other years. The economy has surely affected the Super Bowl atmosphere. The matchup is not the sexiest Super Bowl matchup of all time. Usually by Friday the buildup to the game really starts to expand and everyone can't wait for kickoff on Sunday. This year it hasn't been like that; however, the Super Bowl will still deliver a great event on Sunday. As far as this game goes, all week long the experts have talked about how the Steeler defense will shut down Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and all of the other weapons on the Arizona offense. Some people feel that Pittsburgh will harass Warner and cause problems. Others feel that the Steelers are going to have to sit back and alter their play to slow down the Cardinal attack. I look at this game from this standpoint: Are you really going to back the Arizona defense? I know they have created something like 11 turnovers in three playoff games, but I have a bad feeling about the Cardinal defense. This is a team that gave up 56 points to the Jets, over 40 points to the Pats in basically a half, and got picked apart by Tavaris Jackson and the Vikings. I just think that Ben Roethlisberger will make enough plays to hurt the Cardinals. I think Willie Parker gets going early and often in this game as well. Here's how I see this game. The Cardinals will take an early 10-3 or 10-7 lead. Everyone will think that Pittsburgh is in trouble, and then the Steeler defense will make a play. I think Pittsburgh has a small lead (17-14) late in the third quarter. When the fourth quarter rolls around and Pittsburgh's defense needs a stop, they will get it. In turn, the Steeler offense will march down the field on one of those classic clock-killing drives to ice the game. The Steeler defense will force a Warner turnover and that will be the end. Will this game be competitive? Absolutely. At some point will the Steelers look like they are in big trouble? I think so, but remember in all of these Super Bowls, the better defense always beats the better offense. It happened last year with the Giants and the Pats. It happened in Super Bowl XXXVI, when the Pats shut down the Rams. It happened in Super Bowl XXXV, when the Ravens destroyed the Giants, and it happened in Super Bowl XXV, when the Giants slowed down the Bills. It will happen again. The Steel Curtain defense will rise again in Super Bowl XLIII, and the Steelers get their sixth Super Bowl title.
Prediction: Steelers (-6) over Cardinals
Final Score: Steelers-27 Cardinals-17
Playoff Record: 5-5
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