Last Thoughts

I was thinking of Paul Zimmerman when the Steelers were marching down the field on what would turn out to be the winning drive. Zimmerman, the great Sports Illustrated writer on pro football, had multiple strokes last fall, and has been sidelined since then. One of Zimmerman's pet peeves has always been the defense that changes the way it plays late in the game, and in the process ends up letting the other team pull it out. I was too caught up in the drama to see if the Cardinals were playing any differently on that last drive, and now I won't be able to read Zimmerman to see if they were.

But in any event, I don't want to discount the play of Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes on the last drive. They were both incredible, and such are the things of which legends are made.

Kudos for a job well done, even if I was rooting for the Cardinals.

Oh Well

Well, that was an odd ending to an incredible game. For such an important play, they sure didn't spend a lot of time reviewing it upstairs. Maybe it was obvious, but it didn't look that obvious.

And so...two classic Super Bowls in a row. Plus, Bruce Springsteen at halftime. Does it get any better than that?

Unbelievable!

Is it a touchdown?

If so, what an amazing drive by Pittsburgh - when they haven't done anything offensively in the second half.

And if they win, then the Arizona defense, which has played so well in this postseason, let them out of a box.

But what an incredible catch by Santonio Holmes.

But then, if there's anyone you'd want on your team to be under a Hail Mary, it's that guy on the Cardinals with the long hair.

Holy Sh*t!!!!

LARRY FITZGERALD, ladies and gentlemen!!!

No matter what happens...a legend is born.

And while the Cardinals have spent all game trying to give it away through penalties, it is the Steelers who forget the fundamentals in the fourth quarter.

Two classics in a row. Can you believe it?

And now, it's Big Ben's turn.

Larry Fitzgerald!

You really cannot guard him on that play.

And all of a sudden, it's nervous time.

J.J. Arrington!

Nice to see a California Golden Bear make an impact!

And all of a sudden, the Cards are near the red zone.

No Huddle

Or as Al Michaels would say, working with alacrity.

You Have to Hand It To The Defense

Despite their propensity for penalties at just the wrong time, the Arizona defense is keeping the Cardinals in the game.

But with 11:30 left...it really is now or never.

It's Now or Never

If the Cardinals don't score on this drive, it's over.

Now THOSE are the Cardinals We Know and Love

Luckily for them, they manage to escape with just a Steelers field goal. But come on guys - get your heads in the game!

Chippy

All of a sudden, the officials are really calling a chippy game. Sure, that was a face mask, but the 15-yard variety? And that sure was a questionable roughing the passer call.

The Steelers are knocking on the door of the red zone, and the sands of time are running out on the Cardinals. They need a turnover, now.

Second Half

Interesting first drive by Arizona. Obviously, the Arizona staff thought they saw something that made them think there was something to be found in the running game.

But the drive comes to and end, either with an incomplete pass on 3rd-and-6 or a Warner fumble. If it's a fumble, then that may be all she wrote.

And...it's an incomplete pass. And Arizona has never been happier about an incomplete pass.

But no score, so now the defense needs to step up to the plate.

Ladies and Gentlemen...James Harrison

You may not have heard of him before, but you'll now be seeing him for the rest of your life.

And son #2 is right...he does look like Shaquille O'Neal.

I think the game comes down to what Arizona does on this first drive. If they can score, we have a game. If they don't, we don't.

The Real Order

1. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out. In retrospect, that was entirely predictable.

2. Born to Run. Had to be there, although I got the order wrong.

3. Working on a Dream. Again right, but not in the right order.

4. Glory Days! Should have thought of that one. Of course, new lyrics for football.

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen...12 minutes of pure, unadulterated rock 'n roll.

Brooooooce!

OK, here we go...remember, the prediction is:

1. The Rising

2. Working on a Dream

3. The Promised Land

4. Born to Run

Wow.

Well, we've certainly never seen anything like that.

That's what you call a dagger in the heart - 1 yard away from taking a 14-10 lead into halftime, and instead you go in trailing 17-7.

It will be hard for the Cardinals to come back from this.

Man, Here They Come...

Can Larry Fitzgerald win an MVP without catching a pass?

Of course not, but the double-teaming on him is what's opening up some other stuff for the Cardinals.

I have a feeling he's going to break a big one, eventually.

Well, So Much For That

Yeah, that Steelers' defense is pretty good, all right.

A Cardinals' score would have come in really handy for me, since I've got 4/0 Arizona in the Super Bowl pool.

UPDATE: Never mind...I have 4/0 Pittsburgh in the pool. It's 1/0 Arizona that I've got. So a TD now, and another TD, and I'm in great shape.

Right Back In This Game!

With that return by Steve Breaston, Arizona is right back in this game. They've got the momentum, and their defense has proven it can stop the Steelers' offense.

Are we in for another rock 'em, sock 'em classic?

Hmmm...

I dunno, but Clancy Pendergast doesn't sound much like a defensive coordinator type of name to me.