Steelers vs. Cardinals: Best Super Bowl Ever

[irish]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

One of the things that Arizona proved during this game is that they were playing a stronger grade of football at this point in the year than the Steelers, but boy, that Harrison return won a Super Bowl.

I don't want to take away from what the Steelers have done, but I think they are the luckiest champion I've ever seen. One of many calls in their head to head games vs. the Ravens goes against them and they don't win the division. Tony Romo doesn't totally melt down, and they're 1-3 against the NFC East. Heck, Roethlisberger doesn't get hurt against us, and they could have been 1-3 vs the BEAST even with Romo's collapse. The Eagles and Giants beat them very soundly.

And then the Super Bowl, they get (in many respects) outplayed by the NFC's 4th or 5th best team. Their defense plays its very worst game of the year. And yet, two monsterous game-changing plays later and they are Champions of the NFL.

I think the 2008 Steelers should be remembered as a team that got crushed by the very best teams in the NFL this year (Eagles, Titans, Giants and Colts at home), but the combination of incredibly consistent defense and an endless supply of timely luck, and wow look what I found, a Lombardi!

If Az was playing a stronger grade of football (whatever that is) they would have won the game. Championship teams make ther own luck which isnt luck at at all. Its opportunity combined with timing.

If the Eagles, Titans, Giants & Colts were the very best of the NFL they'd have won the championship but they'd didnt because they werent.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by irish

If Az was playing a stronger grade of football (whatever that is) they would have won the game. Championship teams make ther own luck which isnt luck at at all. Its opportunity combined with timing.

If the Eagles, Titans, Giants & Colts were the very best of the NFL they'd have won the championship but they'd didnt because they werent.

Except reality falsifies every statement you made here. Because using your own logic, if Pittsburgh was better than ANY of those four teams, they would have beaten them.

Arizona was playing at a higher level throughout the postseason. They beat a team that Pittsburgh lost to (Philadelphia), they crushed a team (Carolina) who went 12-4, same as the Steelers, and went through the very toughest playoff schedule to get there.

Pittsburgh was 12-4 this season, but 3-4 against playoff teams. 9-0 against teams who missed the playoffs. The two teams they played in the AFC bracket just happened to be the only two teams in the tournament they had beaten (SD and Balt). Which, I suppose had something to do with Ben Roethlisberger's grit.

And then the Super Bowl, the defense plays terribly, and the offense bails them out to the tune of a great performance by the Quarterback. Great game from Roethlisberger/Holmes? Absoultely. Still, very out of character for the Steelers.

[irish]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Except reality falsifies every statement you made here. Because using your own logic, if Pittsburgh was better than ANY of those four teams, they would have beaten them.

Arizona was playing at a higher level throughout the postseason. They beat a team that Pittsburgh lost to (Philadelphia), they crushed a team (Carolina) who went 12-4, same as the Steelers, and went through the very toughest playoff schedule to get there.

Pittsburgh was 12-4 this season, but 3-4 against playoff teams. 9-0 against teams who missed the playoffs. The two teams they played in the AFC bracket just happened to be the only two teams in the tournament they had beaten (SD and Balt). Which, I suppose had something to do with Ben Roethlisberger's grit.

And then the Super Bowl, the defense plays terribly, and the offense bails them out to the tune of a great performance by the Quarterback. Great game from Roethlisberger/Holmes? Absoultely. Still, very out of character for the Steelers.

This who beat who stuff can be spun any way one wants as Pgh crushed the Skins who beat Philly twice and AZ. What does that mean, nothing. In the end, Pittsburgh was 3-0 against the playoff teams (SD, Balt, AZ) that really mattered.

I think Pgh's D played pretty good vs AZ. They held Fitz down pretty good for 3 quarters (he had something like 1 catch in the 1st half) and nobody is going to keep him down for the whole game. Also Pgh held an AZ team that averaged 29.5 ppg in the playoffs and 26.7 ppg in the regular season to 23 pts. Not bad IMO.

The bottom line is Pgh did it in the regular season and in the playoffs. They won the title and deserved it.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by irish

This who beat who stuff can be spun any way one wants as Pgh crushed the Skins who beat Philly twice and AZ. What does that mean, nothing. In the end, Pittsburgh was 3-0 against the playoff teams (SD, Balt, AZ) that really mattered.

I think Pgh's D played pretty good vs AZ. They held Fitz down pretty good for 3 quarters (he had something like 1 catch in the 1st half) and nobody is going to keep him down for the whole game. Also Pgh held an AZ team that averaged 29.5 ppg in the playoffs and 26.7 ppg in the regular season to 23 pts. Not bad IMO.

The bottom line is Pgh did it in the regular season and in the playoffs. They won the title and deserved it.

I think the point is that there were a bunch of teams that would have killed to have the propostion: "Hey, beat the Chargers and Ravens at home, then beat the Cards at a neutral site and you win the super bowl."

The point is not that the Steelers were underserving. They went 12-4 in the regular season with the leagues best defense. They clearly were deserving. The point is that they were very, very lucky. Things broke out so that the 5th, maybe 6th best team in the NFL was favored heavily in every playoff matchup they played. How often does that happen?

I think there's a strong case that they were the luckiest SB champ ever. Not the worst. The 07 Giants were a mediocre at best regular season team. The Steelers were a very, very good regular season team.

Usually, being very good guarentees you little in the postseason. For the Steelers, it all but won them the title.

[irish]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

I think the point is that there were a bunch of teams that would have killed to have the propostion: "Hey, beat the Chargers and Ravens at home, then beat the Cards at a neutral site and you win the super bowl."

The point is not that the Steelers were underserving. They went 12-4 in the regular season with the leagues best defense. They clearly were deserving. The point is that they were very, very lucky. Things broke out so that the 5th, maybe 6th best team in the NFL was favored heavily in every playoff matchup they played. How often does that happen?

I think there's a strong case that they were the luckiest SB champ ever. Not the worst. The 07 Giants were a mediocre at best regular season team. The Steelers were a very, very good regular season team.

Usually, being very good guarentees you little in the postseason. For the Steelers, it all but won them the title.

I think every team in the AFC would have loved to be in the Steelers position. From what I remember, the 5th & 6th best teams in the NFL were not favored in every playoff game they played. Az was never favored in any game they played. Balt was only favored vs Mia not vs TN, SD was not favored vs Indy, NY was favored over Philly. Maybe I'm mis understanding what you meant to say but the notion that the lesser seeded teams were favored throughout the playoffs just isnt true.

The point isnt that the Steelers were lucky because they werent. The point is they played good in the regular season they put themselves in position to get those home playoff games vs whoever came along. That isnt luck. Luck would have been Az deciding to not to play in the Super Bowl and having the NFL pick Pgh's opponent out of a hat and that opponent being Detroit. That's luck. Beating a playoff team (not matter who) in the playoffs isnt luck its good football.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Except reality falsifies every statement you made here. Because using your own logic, if Pittsburgh was better than ANY of those four teams, they would have beaten them.

Arizona was playing at a higher level throughout the postseason. They beat a team that Pittsburgh lost to (Philadelphia), they crushed a team (Carolina) who went 12-4, same as the Steelers, and went through the very toughest playoff schedule to get there.

Pittsburgh was 12-4 this season, but 3-4 against playoff teams. 9-0 against teams who missed the playoffs. The two teams they played in the AFC bracket just happened to be the only two teams in the tournament they had beaten (SD and Balt). Which, I suppose had something to do with Ben Roethlisberger's grit.

And then the Super Bowl, the defense plays terribly, and the offense bails them out to the tune of a great performance by the Quarterback. Great game from Roethlisberger/Holmes? Absoultely. Still, very out of character for the Steelers.

Huh??? Pittsburgh's defense did not play terrible. Harrison and Woodley just killed Arizona. How many holding penalties did they force that killed drives? How about the game changing play which was a defensive TD? I don't call that luck. It was pure coaching and that play totally fooled Warner. As Irish said you make your own luck.

I think you also need to give credit to Ariz's offense instead of saying Pittsburgh played bad defense. Warner threw it 40 some times? Chances are a great QB and the best wr tandem in the NFL are going to make some plays on you if you throw it that much. But what Pittsburgh did to off set that was make their own plays as well. Also they held Ariz down on the running game.

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

Huh??? Pittsburgh's defense did not play terrible. Harrison and Woodley just killed Arizona. How many holding penalties did they force that killed drives? How about the game changing play which was a defensive TD? I don't call that luck. It was pure coaching and that play totally fooled Warner.....

I agree, excellent defensive call. PISS-POOR offensive play call. When you get inside the five you can't try to pass it in there out of a spread formation unless you either throw the fade, whip, quick slant or something in the back of the end-zone. Play action is fine, but you have to protect your QB by giving him throws that are low risk. There isn't time for anything else and you have too many bodies crammed into a small space. You have two very big & physical WRs let them earn their paychecks, I'll throw a fade to Fitz and take my chances, you can't double him to the outside.

This is the same thing that happend to OK in the National Championship (OK's offensive coordinator cost them the Championship IMO).

So many times these "genius" OCs think their playcalls will overcome anything. There's nothing wrong with executing simple plays and if they aren't there, come away with points.