Cards Offense, Steelers Defense: One will be the winning factor Super Bowl Sunday

- Super Bowl XLIII kicks off in Tampa, Fla., at 6 p.m. ET
- Bruce Springsteen will perform during Super Bowl XLIII’s halftime
- New 3-D commercials during the Super Bowl, check local stores offering 3-D glasses


Hosted at the Tampa Bay Raymond James Stadium, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals will clash for the NFL Championship. Fans of both teams say victory will rest with the Steelers defense or the Cardinals offense, the first to crumble will see defeat.


Steelers are known for being a NFL dynasty with five championships. The majority of the Steelers starters have seen one or more of these championships. These reasons, to Cardinal fans, won’t be enough to stop the Cardinals stretched-out offense.


“The Cardinals’ spread-offense is something Pittsburgh hasn’t faced off against yet. (Larry)Fitzgerald will be able to spread the field out enough to score points,” Michael Wills, 18, a freshman undecided major at The University of Memphis, said favoring the Cardinals. “Their defense can contain Pittsburgh’s offense easily to secure a win.”


The leading factors for the Cardinals are going to be wide receiver, Fitzgerald, and their veteran quarterback, Kurt Warner, who has been in the game for over 10 years. Fitzgerald made a lasting impression with 419 yards from 23 receptions during the post-season. He averages 18.2 yards this should even make the Steelers defense wary about covering him.


For a Cardinals victory one thing stands in the way, and that’s the challenge against the rugged and relentless Pittsburgh defense.

“Arizona will lose because they have not gone up against a tough defense like Pitts yet. Pittsburgh is the winning team with an expert quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, and a solid defense,” said Heath Hatfield, 18, a freshman undecided major at The University of Memphis.


On the Steelers defense, Polamalu accompanied with other linebackers will be the main push toward a Steelers victory. Not saying that Ben Roethlisberger won’t make his game-turning plays, but like an old saying, ‘Defense wins championships.’
The Steelers have game winning veterans for the most part. This team has seen Super Bowl games, won Super Bowl games, and has the desire for another. When compared to the Steelers track record for appearances and victories in Super Bowls, the Cardinals record is little to none.


“Steelers have the greatest chance of winning because they have all played in a Super Bowl,” said Rob Williams, 23, a senior sports management major at the University of Memphis. “With it being the Cardinals first time at a Super Bowl since being moved to Arizona, this could be a main attribute to them losing.”


For the Steelers, they are working on their sixth NFL Super Bowl Championship victory. With a leading defense in the NFL, the Steelers have great odds of winning. The Cardinals offense must penetrate the Steelers defense in order to come out of this battle as champions.


Cardinals will be an underdog to the majority’s opinion. According to ESPN, Pittsburgh is favored 68 percent over Cardinals 31 percent. When overall stats are compared on both teams, the Cardinals defense allows 100 more yards per game than the Steelers defense. From the same source, it also says the Steelers offense lacks 56 yards per game compared to the Cardinals 365 yard average.


“Polamalu and the linebackers are the Steelers defense, with them they are stacked on that (the defensive) side. Still with the Cardinals being the underdog, that may make them play harder and come up with a win. It should be a good game with a close score, 28 – 24 Steelers,” said Tony Jackson, 19, a freshman recording technology major at The University of Memphis.