It's Super Bowl or bust. All that stuff about being ranked No. 1 in scoring defense, pass defense and total defense during the regular season will be all for nothing if the Pittsburgh Steelers do not win the Super Bowl. To a man, the Steelers know that in order for them to be considered the best defense in NFL history, they need to win the Super Bowl.

To be considered one of the all-time greats, the Steelers need to dominate in the playoffs. The way the Steel Curtain did in the 1970s, the way the Chicago Bears did in 1986, the way the New York Giants did in 1987 and 1991, and the way the Baltimore Ravens did in 2001.

The 1991 Philadelphia Eagles, headed by Hall of Famer Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, Seth Joyner and Eric Allen, were rated No. 1 all across the board (rush, pass and total defense), but did not win a championship so only the hardcore football fan remembers them.

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All eyes will be on the matchup between Kurt Warner and the high-powered Arizona Cardinals offense against the top-ranked Pittsburgh Steelers defense. It's the classic offense vs. defense showdown. The Cardinals have the second-best pass offense while the Steelers have the stingiest pass defense. Something has to give, right?

Though the highly anticipated matchup chess match between Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley, who will relay plays into the ear of Warner, and Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, who will relay his signals to linebacker James Farrior, is the sexy choice, I don't consider it as the determining factor in the game. I see this matchup as a wash. Both units will have their moments and will pretty much cancel each other. It's a 50-50 action.

The game will come down to this one question: Can Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense score enough points to put pressure on the Cardinals?

Continue reading "STEELERS' OFFENSE WILL DECIDE SUPER BOWL XLIII"