Steelers vs. Cardinals: Best Super Bowl Ever

[skinsfan_nn]

Good fourth quarter. But not even close to the 'BEST SB EVER'

[Meks]

game was good, officiating was ATROCIUOS. the NFL should be embarrassed.

[Slingin Sammy 33]

NO WAY. Read the Aldridge column. He's right on here. Fairly boring and poorly played game until mid-4th Qtr.

David Aldridge: The Pittsburgh Steelers' 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII wasn't the greatest Super Bowl ever - The League at washingtonpost.com

These SBs come to mind as better, not mentioned in the article:

SB XVII Skins 1st win, Hogs vs. Killer Bs, Riggo's run the #1 moment in Redskins history.

SB X Pitt beats Dallas 21 - 17, Lynn Swann amazing game.

SB XXXVI NE last minute drive to beat STL. Cost me $ 1300 in a missed square...damn you Weis/Brady

[AnonEmouse]

I agree with the last two posts. For me the 49ers win over the Bengals with Montana's pass to Taylor may have been the best, but the Rams v Titans was up there. THis one was close as, again it got exciting late.

I don't think the officiating was atrocious though. It was bad. Two reversals on review (and one wasn't even hard to call) and that roughing the passer call were bad, and how Harrison wasn't ejected for what he did I don't know. However, Gandy made it hard for them not to call holding and they did commit some other dumb fouls (like running over he holder!), so it can't come close to contributing to the result. However it does raise a lot of what if questions. It should be about the game on the field, not whether the officials made the difference.

In the end it was the Cards D failing to suck it up and play strong when it mattered that made the difference. They played well through the playoff's, but nobody will remember that compared with that last drive. I just hope the quality players on that Cards team get another chance sat the big one, whether with them or a new team. It would be a crime if Fitzgerald never gets a ring - he is awesome.

[Meks]

the non-call on the LAST TD celebration using the ball as a prop and multiple players going to the ground, and NOT even LOOKING at the last play was atrocious IMO.

[Meks]

carolina vs N.E. is up there too... with this game... prolly better.

[horse]

Yeah and **** the steelers they beat us, But atleast we beat zona fair. The cards got hosed by the refs and the steeler loving league.

[Ruhskins]

Originally Posted by horse

Yeah and **** the steelers they beat us, But atleast we beat zona fair. The cards got hosed by the refs and the steeler loving league.

The Cards got hosed by letting Harrison run 100 yds by a TD. All they had to do was tackle him and they would not have had to worry about those 7 pts.

This was a great SB in the 4th quarter. Felt bad for the Cards, but they are going to have a helluva team next season (as long as Warner stays healthy). I'm just glad that with a Steelers win, those whinny New England fans can stop b!tching about them not being called a dynasty.

[budw38]

Our three wins , Maybe the Steelers beating dallas after the 74 season . Actually The Steelers vs Dallas a few years later was a hell of a game . Denver vs GB was an awesome game as was the NYG vs Buffalo . The finish might make this a top 10 , Maybe I see a good steelers team beating an 8-8 team not as big a deal , but a great 4th qtr .

[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!

[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.

[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.