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		<description>RUWT? News for Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals 2/1/2009</description>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:29:59 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Steelers deep-VI Cardinals for Super Bowl title]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- Having watched his Pittsburgh 
Steelers squander a huge fourth-quarter lead, Ben Roethlisberger
stood in the huddle in the final minutes and gave the offense a 
simple message: "It's now or never."

Roethlisberger and the Steelers then delivered.

Roethlisberger's 6-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 
35 seconds remaining rallied Pittsburgh to a 27-23 victory over 
the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday night.

Holmes barely managed to drag both feet down before going out of
bounds as the Steelers pulled out the wild victory that featured
23 fourth-quarter points and two lead changes in the final 2:37.

The victory gave the Steelers an NFL-record sixth Super Bowl 
title.

The Cardinals, making their first Super Bowl appearance, 
overcame a 20-7 lead in the final eight minutes with 16 
consecutive points. However, Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 
78 yards in eight plays for the dramatic victory.

"Before that drive, I told him, 'Ben, I want the ball in my 
hands no matter what ... no matter where it is,'" said Holmes, 
named the game's Most Valuable Player. "I wanted to be the one 
to make the play and I did it for our team."

On the decisive drive, Holmes had four catches for 73 yards, 
including a 13-yard reception on 3rd-and-6 and a 40-yard 
reception to Arizona's 6. He scored two plays later.

Holmes, who grew up in Belle Glade, Florida, and admitted this 
week he sold drugs as a youth, finished with 131 yards on nine 
receptions.

"I knew my toes were on the ground the whole time," Holmes said.
"Once I extended my arms and my body, everything just flowed 
right together. I never left the ground."

Roethlisberger was 21-of-30 for 256 yards for one touchdown and 
an interception in joining New England's Tom Brady as the only 
quarterback to win two Super Bowls by the age of 26.

"I was going to throw the ball in the flat," said Roethlisberger
of the game-winning TD. "They covered it up, so I went to Hines 
(Ward). He was covered, getting held. But all of a sudden, I saw
(Holmes) go to the corner.

"I threw it and thought it was going to be picked. He made a 
heck of a catch."

The victory also made 36-year-old Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin 
the youngest in NFL history to win an NFL title.

Played on a brisk, beautiful night in Raymond James Stadium, the
Steelers seemed in complete control until the Cardinals' 
comeback in the fourth quarter.

A seven-point underdog, the Cardinals overcame a 20-7 deficit 
with 16 points in the final eight minutes. Larry Fitzgerald's 
64-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Warner gave the Cardinals their
first lead of the night, 23-20, with 2:37 remaining.

"You can't explain it," Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said. "You
are seconds away from crying in the locker room, and them being 
out there. That's how amazing this game is."

However, the Cardinals' defense couldn't stop the Steelers one 
final time.

Fitzgerald, who was held to only one catch in the first half, 
finished with seven receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

Warner, who was honored as the 2008 Walter Payton NFL Man of the
Year minutes before kickoff, finished 31-of-43 for 377 yards, 
two touchdown and one interception.

He became the first quarterback in Super Bowl history with three
300-yard passing games.

But it wasn't enough to compensate for a non-existent running 
game that had only 33 yards rushing - 40 yards below their NFL 
worst 73.6-yard average.

With Arizona trailing, 20-7, in the fourth quarter, Warner drove
the Cardinals 87 yards on eight plays, capped by a 1-yard 
touchdown pass to Fitzgerald, making it 20-14 with 7:41 
remaining.

Arizona reached Pittsburgh territory on its next possession but 
couldn't capitalize and punted with 3:26 remaining. It was 
downed at the 1-yard line.

On third down, the Cardinals were awarded a safety when Steelers
center Justin Hartwig was penalized for holding in the end zone,
making it 20-16.

After another Pittsburgh punt, Fitzgerald's touchdown appeared 
to put the Cardinals in control. But Roethlisberger and Holmes 
rallied the Steelers in the final minutes to avoid squandering a
13-point lead in the fourth quarter.

"That was a shot in the heart," Polamalu said of Fitzgerald's 
64-yard touchdown catch from Warner.

Tomlin said he was glad that the Cardinals scored so quickly.

"If they score, that's how you want them to score," Tomlin said.
"You don't want them to milk the clock."

Arizona reached midfield in the final seconds, but Warner was 
sacked by linebacker LaMarr Woodley, forcing a fumble that was 
recovered by Brett Keisel to secure the victory.

"I'm disappointed for our team," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt 
said. "This is a group of men that I'm really proud of. They 
played very hard in circumstances where nobody believed in them,
but themselves.

"I think it's a great message that if you believe together as a 
group, you can accomplish things and be successful. We learned a
lot about our team and it's unfortunate that it had to come out 
this way."

The Cardinals averaged 32 points in their final four games, but 
were ineffective until the game's final eight minutes.

The turning point of the first half came on the final play of 
the second quarter.

With 18 seconds remaining, Arizona had 1st-and-goal at the 2, 
but Warner's pass intended for Anquan Boldin was intercepted at 
the goal line by James Harrison, who rumbled 100 yards for the 
touchdown.

"We had them matched up and it was kind of like, give it time, 
and I slid over to the right and (Warner) threw it right to my 
hands and I took off," Harrison said. "I was just trying to get 
to the other side and score seven. That's all.

"It was very tiring, but it was all worth it. I was just 
thinking that I had to do whatever I could to get to the other 
end zone and get seven. I just wanted to help my team win, that 
was it. That was all I was thinking about."

Instead of possibly trailing 14-10 at the half, the Steelers 
held a 17-7 advantage.

"It is tough when you are in a game like this," Warner said. 
"You have the lead later, but you know everything rides on the 
balance of this game. Your emotions are so high with two minutes
left in the game when you have the lead.

"You know that you are two minutes away from being World 
Champions. On the flip side, they come down and make a big play 
to win the game and the emotions flip.

"Either way, I'm proud of this team. I think that is one of the 
reasons why it doesn't hurt as bad as it could. These guys have 
exceeded expectations. We gave ourselves a chance to win a world
championship, but that other team went out and won it."

In the first quarter, the Steelers dominated the Cardinals, 
outgaining Arizona 140-13, but Pittsburgh only had a 3-0 lead.

On the game's opening drive, Pittsburgh marched 61 yards to the 
1. On 3rd-and-goal, Roethlisberger appeared to bull over for a 
touchdown. However, Roethlisberger's TD was reversed after a 
challenge by Whisenhunt and Pittsburgh settled for an 18-yard 
field goal by Jeff Reed.

On its next possession, Pittsburgh increased its lead to 10-0 on
Gary Russell's 1-yard touchdown run, capping a 70-yard drive.

However, the Cardinals answered with a nine-play, 83-yard 
touchdown drive. Warner hit tight end Ben Patrick for a 1-yard 
touchdown with 8:34 remaining in the second quarter. On the 
drive, Warner was 7-for-8 for 92 yards, completing his final 
seven passes, including a 45-yarder to Boldin.

In Roethlisberger's first Super Bowl against Seattle, he was 
only 9-for-21 for 123 yards and two interceptions. He nearly 
exceeded that in the first quarter against the Cardinals, 
completing 7-for-8 for 118 yards.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell summed up the feelings of the 
70,774 fans before presenting the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the 
Steelers.

"Some said we couldn't top last year's Super Bowl," he said. 
"But we did that tonight."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/87523-Steelers-deep-VI-Cardinals-for-Super-Bowl-title</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/87523-Steelers-deep-VI-Cardinals-for-Super-Bowl-title</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:58:23 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Cardinals bidding to deny Steelers historical win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[PITTSBURGH (14-4) AT ARIZONA (12-7), 6:25 p.m. EST

TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are chasing 
history and a most unlikely challenger is left standing in their
path.

A victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII on 
Sunday would give Pittsburgh its sixth world championship - 
surpassing the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys for the 
most all-time.

The surprising Cardinals are trying to carve out their own niche
and, in the process, deny the Steelers a spot in the NFL record 
books.

While an upset by Arizona would not go down as the biggest in 
the history of the game, it surely will make the Cardinals the 
most improbable Super Bowl champion to be crowned.

Yes, there have been biggest upsets on the NFL's grandest stage.
See Joe Namath and the New York Jets in Super Bowl III, Tom 
Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI and, just
a year ago, the New York Giants KO'ing those same Patriots.

But at least those teams were considered worthy champions of 
their own conference, earning a level of respect that certainly 
has eluded the Cardinals.

"I actually heard somebody say that we are the worst Super Bowl 
team there was," Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett said. 
"One thing about it, though, is that we deserve to be here. We 
beat Atlanta. We beat Carolina. We beat the Eagles. Every last 
one of those teams, people picked us to lose. How can people 
think we are the worst Super Bowl team ever when we have proved 
(otherwise)?"

How can anyone think otherwise, say the skeptics, pointing to a 
bevy of factors. Start with the Cardinals' weak opposition in 
the NFC West, where at one point in the season their three 
division rivals sported a combined 7-26 record.

Check the four losses in the final six regular-season games in 
which Arizona surrendered at least 35 points, including brutal 
beatings at Philadelphia (48-20) and New England (47-7) that 
were part of the team's 0-5 record on the East Coast. Need one 
mention giving up six touchdown passes to Brett Favre in a 56-35
loss to the Jets earlier in the season?

And, finally, take note of the franchise's own checkered 
history. The Cardinals come into Sunday's game as just the 
second nine-win team to reach the Super Bowl since the league 
expanded to 16 games in 1978.

Arizona's NFC championship marked its first title since 1947 - 
ending the second-longest drought in professional sports - while
the Cardinals' NFC West crown was just their second division 
title since 1975, when Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain" was in the 
midst of delivering four Super Bowl titles in six seasons.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has an impeccable pedigree, and will be 
making its seventh Super Bowl appearance - second all-time to 
Dallas' eight - and second in four years following its victory 
in 2006.

The Steelers feature 20 players on their roster with Super Bowl 
experience, compared to just five for the Cardinals. And as far 
as second-year Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin is concerned, that 
factor means little.

"This team is definitely very different than the team that won 
the Super Bowl a few years ago. I think that in this business 
you have to respect that and you don't take the process for 
granted," Tomlin said. "Individual experiences can be helpful to
people, but collectively this team's body of work stands alone 
and speaks for itself, as does Arizona's.

"What has happened in the past will really be kind of irrelevant
to determine the outcome of the game. It is going to be about 
how the players execute in Raymond James Stadium on February 
one."

One player who executed on football's biggest stage was Steelers
wide receiver Hines Ward, the MVP of Super Bowl XL.

Ward suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee in the AFC 
championship game, missing most of the final three quarters.  
However, Tomlin is not worried about his star receiver, who 
practiced for the second straight day Friday and was listed as 
probable for Sunday's game.

Tomlin said Ward's status "never was a question."

Given that they have accomplished in their stunning postseason 
run, the Cardinals rate a puncher's chance against the favored 
Steelers, who have ridden their top-ranked defense to eight wins
in their last nine games, allowing 14 of fewer points in seven 
of them.

Despite playing one of the most rugged schedules in recent 
memory, Pittsburgh has allowed just one opponent to amass 300 
total yards, providing a juicy contrast between an impenetrable 
defense and Arizona's high-scoring offense.

Sparked by the tandem of pass-rushing linebackers James Harrison
and LaMarr Woodley, the Steelers rang up a league-high 51 sacks 
during the regular season and have tacked on seven more in 
postseason victories over San Diego and Baltimore.

"I don't know if you're ever ready for that defense," Cardinals 
offensive coordinator Todd Haley acknowledged. "Three weeks in a
row now we have our work cut out for us."

Arizona does have reasons for optimism. Not only have the 
Cardinals scored at least 30 points in each of their three 
postseason victories, but they have a familiarity factor with 
the Steelers.

Head coach Ken Whisenhunt and assistant head coach Russ Grimm 
were a part of Pittsburgh's coaching staff in Super Bowl XL, and
both were candidates to succeed coach Bill Cowher - a job that 
eventually went to Tomlin.

The Cardinals also beat the Steelers (21-14) a year ago - albeit
in the desert - so the "awe" factor should not be overwhelming 
for the team.

"Well I hope it can't hurt us that we know a little bit about 
them," Whisenhunt said. "Hopefully it will only help us."

And, finally, Arizona has the best player on the field in wide 
receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who has been unstoppable in the 
postseason with 23 receptions for five touchdowns and a 
playoff-record 419 yards.

"I think that this guy is special. That is indicative by a 
number of his catches," Steelers defensive coordinator Dick 
LeBeau said.  "I always try to approach it like a great scorer 
in basketball; you are not going to stop them, you just have to 
keep them from dominating the game. Instead of scoring 50 
points, they score 18-24. That is what we try to do with a top 
receiver."

Pittsburgh also needs to apply pressure to quarterback Kurt 
Warner, who has resurrected his career and is flashing the form 
that earned him league and Super Bowl MVP honors while leading 
the Rams over the Tennessee Titans in 1999.

Warner carved up blitz-happy Philadelphia in the NFC title game,
completing 21-of-28 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns.

"When you look at them I think it starts with the quarterback 
position, Kurt Warner, spectacular," Tomlin said. "He is a 
veteran football player. He is the same Kurt Warner that he has 
always been. He makes quick decisions, he doesn't make mistakes.
He absolutely tortures you when he recognizes pressure and he 
gets the ball out of his hands."

Warner's counterpart, Ben Roethlisberger, has struggled through 
an uneven season due to injuries that caused running back Willie
Parker to sit out five games. But he also owns a Super Bowl ring
and has a knack for making the big play out of nothing, as 
evidenced by a 65-yard scoring strike to Santonio Holmes in the 
AFC title tilt.

"Most guys think he is easy to bring down, but he is not like 
that," Dockett said of the 6-6 Roethlisberger. "He makes a lot 
of plays by just bouncing off sacks and throwing the ball down 
field."

Still, the game will be decided by the ability of Pittsburgh's 
defense to neutralize Arizona's offense, which features a 
starting Pro Bowl trio in Warner, Fitzgerald and fellow wideout 
Anquan Boldin - along with a rejuvenated Edgerrin James in the 
backfield.

History has shown that a great defense typically will conquer a 
superb offense - witness the Giants' upset of New England a year
ago - which is just one more reason why the Cardinals are a 
seven-point underdog.

"We are definitely the underdog. It doesn't matter to us," 
Arizona safety Antrel Rolle said. "The media, the critics, the 
commentary, they can set whatever scoreboard that they have in 
their minds. At the end of the day, they don't produce the 
outcome. The two teams on the field produce the outcome."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/86856-Cardinals-bidding-to-deny-Steelers-historical-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/86856-Cardinals-bidding-to-deny-Steelers-historical-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2009 11:57:17 GMT</pubDate>
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