>Quick Hits… Steelers ride Polamalu to the Super Bowl
World War III has come and gone, and the Steelers have emerged victorious on a cold winter’s night in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Steelers used their fierce defense to pull out the win over their hated division rivals from Baltimore, defeating them for the third time this season, 23-14.
QB Ben Roethlisberger came to play in this game, throwing for 255 yards and a touchdown against a Ravens defense that fought through injury after injury to put themselves in a position to win the game. Roethlisberger’s biggest contributions came outside of the pocket, when he was able to consistently evade the pressure and find the open receiver, none bigger though than his 62 yard pass to WR Santonio Holmes in the first half.
Roethlisberger’s counterpart in Baltimore, Joe Flacco, couldn’t have had a worse night on the field, completing only 13 passes for 141 yards to go with three interceptions. His worst mistake came at the most crucial part of the game when he threw a pick-six to Steelers safety Troy Palamalu late in the game, essentially sealing the victory for Pittsburgh.
It will be interesting to see the betting line heading into Super Bowl 43, with the Steelers matching up against the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa Bay, FL on February 1st, 2009. Pittsburgh is likely the overwhelming favorite in that game, given their dominant defense and mistake-free offense, but the Cardinals have shown time and time again this postseason that they’re are capable of playing with anyone.
All in all, this matchup lived up to its billing of being one of the most physical games ever played, with players flying all over the field, smashing their bodies into each other with reckless abandon. The only sad part of this game came when Ravens RB Willis McGahee was carted off the field after a vicious hit late in the fourth quarter. We’ll definitely keep McGahee in our prayers and hope that he’s able to get back into the game very soon.
It’s now on to Tampa Bay for the Steelers, who will now match up against their former offensive coordinator, Ken Whisenhunt, in what will surely be a tough game for both teams.
Final score…
Pittsburgh Steelers - 23
Baltimore Ravens - 14