The most successful franchise in NFL history? Look no further than Pittsburgh.
The Steelers will surpass the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers with their record sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy when they beat the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.
And why will they win?
One word: Defense.
Pittsburgh finished the regular season with the league’s top-ranked defense, yielding just 237.2 yards per game. The strength of the unit is pass defense, as it allowed just 156.9 aerial yards per game. The pass defense is anchored by linebacker James Harrison (101 tackles, 16 sacks), the Defensive Player of the Year, and Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu (73 tackles, 7 interceptions).
But Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner can’t focus all his attention on them: He has to worry about linebacker LaMarr Woodley, one of the game’s most underrated pass rushers. Woodley finished the regular season with 11.5 sacks and has been nearly unblockable in the playoffs, recording at least two sacks in each of the past two games. The Steelers have 58 sacks through 18 games.
And don’t expect Arizona’s defense to give its offense many short fields.
The Cardinals defense has looked good this postseason, forcing 12 turnovers. But it has allowed at least 24 points twice and the majority of those turnovers were against Carolina’s Jake Delhomme (6). Arizona’s recipe for success has been shutting down an opponents’ running game and making them win with the deep ball — something the Steelers have no problem doing with receivers Nate Washington (631 yards, 3 TDs) and Santonio Holmes (821 yards, 5 TDs). Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward (1,043 yards, 7 TDs) also is expected to play with a sprained knee. The Steelers’ biggest strength is an early lead: They have scored on the opening drive in nine straight games.
In the past 10 Super Bowls, the losing team has scored more than 21 points only once — New England’s 32-29 win over Carolina in 2004.
That trend continues this year, as Warner will get battered into retirement, receiver Anquan Bolden again blows up on the sideline and Ravens fans hate the Steelers even more after they hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Baltimore, get ready for Ben Roethlisberger to go to Disneyland.
I hope the commercials are entertaining, because this game won’t be — Steelers, 31-17.
