HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
Feb. 3, 2006 Thirty-nine years ago, the champion of the well-established National Football League faced the champion of the upstart American Football League in a game to determine which team was the true champion of the pro football universe. By the time the dust settled on the floor of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Green Bay Packers dusted off the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 and staked their claim to supremacy. A few things have changed since 1967. But one thing hasn’t—the Super Bowl is still the biggest game in pro football. Super Bowl XL will mark the sixth appearance for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have already secured their place in history. They were the third team to win back-to-back Super Bowls and the first to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice. They are also only the second team to reach the Super Bowl by winning three playoff games on the road, and the first number-six seed to play in football’s showcase game. There is just one blemish on the Steelers record in Super Bowl play, a loss to the hated Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX which, for a minute, made defensive back Larry Brown look much better than he was. The Steelers had already won their second Super Bowl by the time the Seattle Seahawks joined the NFL. The Seahawks debuted in the NFC West in 1976, jumped over to the AFC West the next season and stayed there until 2002, when the league realigned with the addition of the Houston Texans. Going into their first Super Bowl, Seattle is also bringing a little history with them. They were the first team in the post-merger NFL to play for a championship in both conferences. The eventual Super Bowl XVIII champion Raiders beat them for the AFC championship in 1984. Twenty-two years later, though, the Seahawks crushed the Carolina Panthers to win the NFC championship and justified their standing as the conference’s best team. Pittsburgh and Seattle have vastly different football traditions. They reached Super Bowl XL via vastly different paths. But only one of them will hoist the Lombardi Trophy as the league’s best team, come Sunday night. Let’s break it down. What Pittsburgh needs to do to win Super Bowl XL With veteran receivers Antwaan Randle El and Hines Ward and rookie tight end Heath Miller to throw to, Ben Roethlisberger will need to crank up the passing game to set up the run. Ward is renowned as much for his run blocking as he is for his pass catching; Randle El gives Pittsburgh a delicious X-factor with his speed and his ability to throw the football; and Miller has proven to be a solid change-of-pace target.If the passing game gets revved up and the Steelers can get a big early lead, they can really turn Willie Parker and Jerome Bettis loose. On defense, the Steelers have to pressure Matt Hasselbeck and shut off the running lanes that league MVP Shaun Alexander and his running mates, Maurice Morris and Mack Strong, will be looking to fill. They shut down three high-powered offenses to get to the Super Bowl. If they don’t rise to the challenge and stop the fourth, it will be a long Sunday. What Seattle needs to do to win Super Bowl XL Matt Hasselbeck will have his work cut out for him against the Steelers’ fierce blitz. So it will be important for the Seahawk offense to be able to grind it out on the ground, so they can get their passing game in gear. Shaun Alexander wasn’t much of a factor in the Divisional Playoffs against Washington, but he had a masterpiece in the NFC Championship Game, rushing for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns on 34 carries against a normally stingy Carolina defense. Maurice Morris picked up the slack when Alexander was out against Washington, and kept the chains moving with some good runs. Fullback Mack Strong is one of the best in the business, and will need to help open some holes through a tight Pittsburgh defense. Seattle’s offense has certainly overshadowed its defense this year, but that defense has shown its mettle throughout. During the regular season they led the league in sacks, and in the playoffs they held Carolina and Washington to a combined 24 points—17 if you throw out Steve Smith’s 59-yard punt return in the NFC Championship Game. They will need to create turnovers to keep Pittsburgh’s offense off the field. Otherwise, the Seahawks could be headed back to the Pacific Northwest empty-handed. How about the special teams? Hmm, that’s a good point. In terms of the specialists, things are a dead heat. Punters Chris Gardocki and Tom Rouen, who have a combined 28 years of experience, have similar stats. And while Seattle’s Josh Brown is accustomed to kicking on an artificial surface at Qwest Field, Jeff Reed normally plies his craft in what has become an execution chamber for kickers at Heinz Field. One thing to watch for is the Steelers’ return game, especially if Antwaan Randle El is the one standing back there to run back kicks. He’s as dangerous as they get on returns, and that could give Pittsburgh a much-needed advantage. So who wins Super Bowl XL? My heart is with Pittsburgh in this game. How can it not be? Head coach Bill Cowher went to NC State (my alma mater); placekicker Jeff Reed is from Charlotte (my hometown) and played his college ball at North Carolina (my other favorite school); and Jerome Bettis has a certified 300-game to his credit. Say what?! In case you didn’t know, The Bus could also be nicknamed The Bowler. In fact, he should probably consider a career on the PBA Tour once he retires. Who knows, the man could wind up in both the Pro Football and Bowling halls of fame. Seriously, Pittsburgh has proven that they belong in this football game. And they’ve earned the respect and admiration of a lot of fans. To beat the three best teams in their conference, on the road, over consecutive weeks, is a monumental accomplishment. My head, though, is with Seattle. It’s easy to make the case that they played in a weak division—and they did. It’s also easy to make the case that they didn’t have many quality wins in the regular season—and they didn’t. But they are clicking at the right time, and there’s no doubt that they belong in the big game. More often than not, I go with my head. I may regret it on Monday morning, especially since I know that at least two fellow columnists will rag me unmercifully if I’m wrong, but I’m going with my heart on this one. Final Score: Pittsburgh 23, Seattle 21 By the way, football fans, the coaching staffs of the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos aren’t ready to call it a season just yet. On February 12, they will be in Hawaii for the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. I don’t think I’m going to do a whole lot of analysis on that game—it’s an exhibition, after all, and aren’t y’all about tired of reading my football analysis anyway?—but I’m picking the AFC. They were the stronger conference all season, and they’ve won seven of the last ten Pro Bowls. Final Score: AFC 42, NFC 34 Aloha, y’all, and enjoy the big game! ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written a number of articles for Useless Knowledge. He works as a business systems analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
