TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -So the Pittsburgh Steelers are getting fitted for another Super Bowl ring, with who knows how many more to come.
And the Arizona Cardinals are stowing away their magic potion, hoping to use it to cast another spell on the NFC later this year.
After a riveting Super Bowl that was even wilder than the epic finish of the previous February, one franchise reasserted its pre-eminence, and the other obscured its sorry history.
If you ask the folks in Las Vegas, the Steelers will be right in the mix to extend their record of six Super Bowl crowns: Pittsburgh is listed at 10-1 to win the next championship, behind only New England and Dallas, according to the oddsmakers.
Those same wise guys have the Cardinals deep in the pack at 30-1, far better than the 45-1 odds they carried into the 2008 season, but hardly a cosmic change considering how close they came to winning their first NFL title since 1947.
o look for from both teams.
The Steelers, who went 15-4 against the kind of schedule that would make some teams cringe – and finish around .500 – are champions with staying power.
They led the league in nearly every important defensive category, imposing their will on most opponents the way the original Steel Curtain did in the 1970s. And the defense is young, with the exceptions of 34-year-old linebacker James Farrior, who doesn’t appear to be wearing down; end Aaron Smith, at 32 still a perfect fit for the 3-4; and 33-year-old cornerback Deshea Townsend, a support player.
Such stars as defensive player of the year James Harrison at linebacker and Troy Polamalu at safety are in their primes. LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons are becoming intimidators at linebacker, and Casey Hampton remains virtually immovable at nose tackle.
With defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau making no noises about retiring, there’s no reason to expect the new Steel Curtain to fall apart, even if it was shredded by Kurt Warner and the Cardinals late in the Super Bowl.
s, doesn’t have the quarterback pedigree of the Mannings or the glamour of Tom Brady. But he wins.
Plus, he’s as creative as any passer in the game when he has to be. Big Ben is a big-timer.
The Steelers never have lost a postseason game with running back Willie Parker in the lineup. Rashard Mendenhall should become the complement to Parker the Steelers hoped for before Mendenhall’s rookie season was curtailed by injury. There’s also depth in the backfield.
Santonio Holmes, the Super Bowl MVP, will remain deferential to team leader Hines Ward, but he’s clearly the Steelers’ No. 1 receiver. Tight end Heath Miller and Roethlisberger almost always operate on the same wavelength.
Pittsburgh must upgrade its offensive line, but it did win the title even after letting perennial Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca leave as a free agent.
As for coach Mike Tomlin, consider that he won a championship quicker than predecessors Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher did. He might not win four like Noll did in the ’70s, but he’s already tied with Cowher after two years on the job.
The youngest coach to win a Super Bowl at age 36, Tomlin has the respect of every player and assistant coach on his staff. Not to mention the keys to Steel City these days.
So let the bookies make the Steelers the third choice in 2009. A more relevant number could be 7 – as in Ring No. 7.
ut of nowhere to make the Super Bowl – in the past decade or so, see Atlanta, St. Louis, Carolina and Chicago – must prove this was not a fluke. Only the Rams among those four clubs got back to the big game, and look where they’ve plummeted to recently.
Arizona has some contract issues it must solve immediately. Re-signing Warner is a no-brainer because, at 37, he looks as good as when he was earning MVP awards in St. Louis. He’s a leader, a lot more rugged on the field than he’s given credit for, and, like Big Ben, Warner is a winner.
A new contract for receiver Anquan Boldin would be a wise move, as well. Sure, Larry Fitzgerald was virtually uncoverable in setting the postseason record book on fire, but to break up the 1,000-yard trio of Fitz, Q and Steve Breaston would be counterproductive.
To keep them so productive, though, the Cardinals must boost their running game. Perhaps Tim Hightower, coming off a solid rookie year, is the guy. Or maybe the Cardinals need to bring in a veteran considering that Edgerrin James appears adamant about leaving.
The defense is too inconsistent, but might just need time to grow. Coordinator Clancy Pendergast used his personnel well in getting the Cardinals so far, and there’s a strong talent base with tackle Darnell Dockett, linebacker Karlos Dansby, safety Adrian Wilson and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who could become a dominant cover man.
As for that 30-1 line for the next Super Bowl, well, it hardly would be surprising if someone is plunking down a few bucks on the Cardinals right now.
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