First off, the Steelers have the best defense in football, which they proved against the Ravens in one of the hardest hitting games I have ever seen. This weekend of football had more big hits in the two games then I saw in any weekend of football this whole season. It was awesome. But the Steelers, despite their shaky offense, have the most solid defense in football and I feel were truly the best team in the AFC (that made the playoffs).
The Cardinals, I am not trying to downplay how much they stepped up and rode their Cinderella type momentum through the far less impressive NFC pool of teams in the playoffs then the AFC, but I have some things I need to get off my chest. First off, the reason they came into the playoffs and started kicking butt was because another team, who missed they playoffs and absolutely destroyed the Cardinals two weeks before their opening playoff game (the New England Patriots) gave them the best wake up call they could have asked for. As the Pats spanked the Cardinals 47-7 it made them realize what it was going to be like if they wanted to compete with any of the other playoff caliber teams in the NFL. And, seeing as there were far less well rounded and dominant teams in the NFC, Cardinals fans should be thanking the Pats for the end of year wake up call they so desperately needed. If not for the fact that they were in the worst overall division in football, they would have been sitting at home watching the games like all the other teams who didn't make it. So as a Pats fan, "you are welcome Cardinals, give the Steelers hell." Ha.
The Pats not making the playoffs with an 11-5 record is nauseating. How can you win over 11 games and not make the playoffs? Cause clearly the Dolphins deserved it. You had to recognize that 14 weeks of a Cinderella story just isn't probable. They gas had to run out sooner or later and unfortunately for the Pats who did everything in their power to save their playoff lives, Brett Favre and Eric Mangina (whoops, I am so bad at spelling, silly me) could not win one more game to help out a division foe. Well at least one of them is out of our hair for now, even though the league will probably have the AFC east and NFC central playing each other next year. Ugh. But, with the franchise tag option in place and teams around the league getting ready to pull the trigger on the trades for Matt Cassell (Minnesota, Kansas City and a few others) look for the Pats to get a first and third rounder as well as possibly a legitimate starter in return for the 27 year old. Not to mention the better draft picks we already have. I'm not too upset about all the talk about Brady possibly being out until week two of next year because, oh right, he's Tom Brady. And O'Connell should be just fine for to games.
This Super bowl might actually be more entertaining then everyone thinks. The high-powered Cardinals offense will be going up against the best defense in football. Polamalu vs Fitzgerald, I love it. I still think the Steelers will win and after they showed that they could score points, I think they will hold on and will this game with a score line like 35-24. But who knows. Ill be back when the draft inches closer, my favorite event of the year.