Steeler Smackdown: Super Bowl XLIII

We've arrived! After a long season and a very tough schedule, our beloved Steelers are in the big game!

Use this thread to give us your thoughts and predictions on the outcome of the Super Bowl.

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 To start, hopefully some of you loud and obnoxious ravens fans will read this. HAA HAA!!!. So the first time we played it went into overtime.the second time there was a controversial call at the end of the game. Now the third time what is the excuse, or can ravens fans admit they were outplayed from start to finish. JOE "cool", huh. More like Flacid joe when the big game is on the line. Now its SUPERBOWL time. Although a keystone state matchup would have been big, the steelers of the west will be the foe. The Main key to the game is obviously our secondary. Ike  has provwen time and time again that he can shadow the superstar WR , now as long as the great consistent play of Deshe continues, then Kurt warner will be in for a long night. And as I have been saying all along, when the offensive line keeps big ben off his back, then you see why he is worth his contract. Offense has clicked at the right time. Starting the ring on the other hand on Feb. 1.  Steelers 27 - cardinals 17

My God did we as steeler fans get to see the best safety in the N.F.L sunday night. He was on the field and playing defense, and has been talked about a lot this year. So, if any of you confused Raven fans that know how to read and not just look at pictures, or have a Steeler fan read this to you.His name is Troy Polamalu. I know the dumb-ass Raven fans still think it is Ed Reed but I along with all of steeler nation believe it is Troy. As a matter of fact the only time I took notice to Ed Reed is when he was staring at Santonio Holmes ass for 65 yards. That sure was a big time play from that so called game changing safety. Have fun golfing with your teammates Ed. As for the superbowl, all the steelers have to do is do what they have done all year. Play great defense and get to Kurt Warner early and often.We all know as Steeler fans that we will be able to run the ball against Arizona. We just have to make sure we don't take this team lightly. And one last thing,if you Raven fans don't know how to count, that is 3 times in a row the Steelers -slapped ya's. HA ! HA ! 

I don't want to sound overly optimistic, but I think the Steelers are by far the better team and will win handily over the Cardinals. Arizona hasn't faced a defense like we have and has been a very inconsistent team throughout the season, especially late in the season prior to the playoffs. The Steelers, on the other hand, have been very consistent and have only lost close games where mistakes cost them whereas the Cardinals were utterly blown out several times.

All in all it should be a fun game watching Warner and Fitzgerald go up against the Steelers defense. I also think Ben could have a big game as he's seemingly better since that concussion and has really been playing well. The Cardinals don't have a great defense which I think will allow us to establish our running game and use up a lot of clock allowing our defense to be rested for much of the game. I think our D will pressure Warner and force him off his game and our offense will turn in a solid performance too.

Steelers win 31-14.

The Steelers are by far the better team playing in the Super Bowl. Not to knock on the Cardinals, but I truly believed that, regardless of which team won the NFC, the AFC, either Baltimore or Pittsburgh, would win the Super Bowl. And I speak for many in regards to that idea.

Yes, I'm concerned about Fitz, but Ike has done a damn good job this year covering the best receivers. Clark is having a pretty good year as well, and I think that with both of them focusing on Fitz, he'll go nowhere. The Steelers have done a great job this postseason eliminating the threats that critics proclaim they should be worried about. Sproles was supposed to run all over us, and we held the Chargers to 15 yards rushing, as well as that amazing third quarter. Reed was supposed to pick apart our offense, and I believe he had three tackles, and was virtually non existant? Now it's time for Fitz to be shut down like everyone else has been shut down.

I really hope Ben has a better game this time around. His XL performance barely scraped by. A good game by him should cement his place among the NFL's elite. He's just as clutch as Peyton, and he wins the big games just as well, if not more spectacularly, that Brady did. I'd also like to see great officiating. Officiating, especially concerning the plethora of holding calls against James Harrison that went missed, needs to be great. I do not want to hear Arizona fans or Steelers haters saying that the Super Bowl was given to us by the refs. I don't want them to take my Super Bowl away, either. Just give some good officiating, please.

Finally, I livei n Orlando, and I'm going to head to Tampa a few times over the course of the week. Does anyone know anything about where the Steelers are staying or if they're doing any autograph sessions or something? I'd really love to meet a few of them, if possible. I need to get my authentic Parker jersey signed!

Thank you for all your help, and go Steelers!

 I LOVE THE STEELERS!!!...LOVE THE "D"!  BUT...must beg to differ with your assessment of Ike Taylor. Somewhere along the line Ike developed the bad habit of playing the man not the ball! I see Mr. Taylor as a liability when Warner gets him isolated  on Breston or Boltin near the goal line, Warner will take advantage of Taylor just like. Flacco and the Ravens were able to do! , it makes me shutter to think what an old pro like Warner will do to him. If you think Ike Taylor will get one on one with Mr. Fitzgerald...well I believe that would be fool hardy! The Cards represent the stiffest challenge for our D to date. They have three 1,000 yd receivers and no one has a quicker release than Warner. In my estimation the best D the Steelers can line up with is to keep the Card's offense on the sidelines. I believe the x factor will be Fast Willie Parker...if he can run and the Steelers can mount long drives ending with  SCORING TDS  we will win. I also believe it may be a long day for Big Ben the Cards like to use stunts and loops with their D linemen and our O line has had the most trouble handling that type of assignment. Edgerin James and Mr. Hightower also represent challenges for our D with swings and delayed screens out of the back field. All and all, we best jump on this team early and hope the "moment" of the Super Bowl overwhelms the youngsters. This will be a tough game and am anxiously waiting to see what Dick LeBeau dials up to counter what I consider the best passing team in many years...thank goodness the Cards can't consistently run!

 Awesome Game against the Ravens.  Only one thing to Say to all Ravens Fans "CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR", HA!!  I am very excited about the Superbowl and Playing a team the media has named PITTSBURGH WEST.  Funny thing is in all my years I have never seen a Cardinal fan up close and in person but now they're coming out of the woodwork.  I can't wait until the cardinal's offense meets the NFL's number one Defense and we knock that stupid smile off Fitzgerald's Face.  Take Warner and Fitzgerald out of the game and the Cards have nothing.  Steelers 35 Cardinals 14. 

 I am a life long cardinal fan.   We have never kept key players around or signed any key players.  But we are starting to turn things around and winning is everything.  It is our time.  Whisenhunt and Grimm have brought that smash mouth football attitude to our part of the country which has been very much needed to succeed in this league.  Go Cardz!!!  Cardz 24- Steelers 13!!!  Watch out pittzburgh!!!

I am not discounting the Cards, but 24 -13????   Steelers defense is likely to score 14 points themselves.    Remember, your record on the East Coast, outside, etc.   The game is likely to be close, at least for 3 quarters, and either team may win on a last minute TD/FG.    Whoever wins the turnover battle will probably be the winner.

   If the winning margin is more than 7 points, it won't be the Steelers on the short end.   I believe it will be more like 34-24 Stillers.

I am having a hard time with this game against Arizona. As a lifelong Steeler fan, I just can't see them being physical enough to hang in there with the Steelers. Arizona didn't have too play those hard hitting knock them out kind of games the way the Steelers did. But every time the Steelers take the field for a game I get nervous. I would almost rather this be one of those games where we were the underdog instead of being favored. I think we just play a little better when we aren't favored. But with that said, the job Coach Tomlin has done with this team is off the charts. He seems to have this team ready to play, especially in the big games. Coach also seems to squeeze every bit of effort  he can out of them. So I don't see us losing for the lack of effort. I also noticed during the season that every time some so called big time receiver goes up against the Steelers defense, he leaves with very little impact in the game. And one man does not make a team. So lets watch the Steelers take on this N.F.C west team and enjoy the outcome.Steelers 27   Arizona 13.

 Im already tired of the whole "whisencunt and Grimm have something to prove and thats why they want it more"crap. U think that Tomlin who won the job over the both of them doesnt want it even more. Tomlin has way more to prove, not to fans,or players, but to himself. he wants this probably a little more than some of the players. In Tomlins eyes he wants to be one of the few elite steeler coaches that are legends, and the only way to get into that club is with at least 1 superbowl win. If anyone is going to tampa make sure you head down to "channelside" its next to the st. pete times forum. Thats where espn and all the shows are set up. Im headin down fri. (i live in gainesville) so hopefully all you stiller fans will be partying down there too.

 this is my first post here, and I am here to make a clear statement about the Steelers, so many talk about Steelers Nation, when in fact,  it is "STEELERS WORLD", there are fans all over the world, not just this country, we even had an astronaught waving the Terrible towel, from space, on a satelite feed recently, so maybe in fact we are STEELERS SOLAR SYTEM,lol, but most definitely "STEELERS WORLD", THANKS AND GO STEELERS, TCOB, FOR LOMBARDI NUMBER VI

the D and running game will be crucial. We all know they will double JH all day but that leaves Farrior and Foote open to chase Kurt, not good for that old man. Which means they'll be thowing a lot of short stuff underneath. Ask Wes Welker what it's like to run across the middle on the Steeler D! They can control the game by running and chewing clock, Kurt and Fitz cant score when they're on the sideline!

I was waiting for all the Arizona trolls to show up here. It's been fun during season seeing the trolls around here fall every week and have to eat their words. Dallas, Baltimore, San Diego...there's been a bloody heap of trolls that have been crushed under the mighty heel of Big Ben and the Steeler D all season!

I guess the Arizona fans are a little scared (or maybe they're all still waiting in line to get on the bandwagon, lol).