Super Bowl Preview: The coaches, outcome and MVP

I’m going to make this quick because I think I’ve done enough blogging about a game that is not a huge draw. But the last aspect I do want to talk about is the coaches.

For Arizona, Ken Whisenhunt has done his best coaching job against Atlanta where he got the team to be more physical at the point of attack. They were able to build fomr that win and went on to destroy Carolina and Philadelphia. Other than Kurt Warner, he is the reason that the offense is one the best in the NFL. In fact, he was the offensive coordinator for the Steelers when they won their last Super Bowl in 2005. He will have this team ready and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals come out with a fast start.

Even though I liked what Whisenhunt has done with the Birds, I have to say this about the Steelers head man Mike Tomlin; I’m a huge fan of his. Every time I see him I say to myself, “This is a NFL coach.” He is only 36 years old but sounds like he has been a head coach for the last 20 years. The best coaching decision he has made is keeping defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau on the staff and keeping the 3-4 defense. That doesn’t seem like a big deal to most, but Tomlin is a disciple of Tony Dungy which means that he runs a 4-3 Tampa 2 defense which is highly successful. He has the intensity of Bill Cowher and the calmness of Chuck Knoll which is the reason why Pittsburgh hired him in 2007.

So who do I think is going to win the game? It really could go either way, but I have to go with the Steelers by 10. I think because their defense is so smothering, it’s going to be difficult for Warner to et anytime in the pocket. But if Arizona gets off to another fast start like they have in the last three games, they will win because the Steelers offense is not built to come from behind. I don’t see that happening though and I think that the MVP of the Super Bowl will be Heath Miller. A tight end you say? I know it’s odd, but I really believe with Hines Ward hurt, Miller is going to come up with some big catches and will lead the men in the black and gold to their sixth Super Bowl victory. That’s it for now. Have a safe and fun Super Bowl Sunday.

From a Cardinals View

Hey guys, if you want to learn more about the Cardinals, go to www.glitzandblitz.com. Kiki and I went to Kennesaw State together and she now lives on the West Coast. She is a huge USC Trojan and Arizona Cardinals and has good opinions on NCAA and NFL football. And you know she is excited about Sunday.

Super Bowl Preview: The Playmakers

As I have already mentioned, Super Bowl 43 is not an anticipated ball game and I think that everybody is taking the Steelers because very few people know anything about the Arizona Cardinals. But I think it will be a close game and there are a few players to watch for on both teams.


Over the past 40 years, the Steelers have been known for playing hard-nosed, smash mouth football and the 2009 squad is no different. In my previous blog I talked about Ben Roethlisberger and how he doesn’t have to play well in order for the Steelers to win. The reason for that is running back Willie Parker is the catalyst for what the Steelers want to do on offense – run the ball and throw on play action. Parker is having a solid postseason with two touchdowns and averaging 3.8 yards-per carry. But I think the most important piece on the Steelers offense is former Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward. He has not scored a touchdown in the postseason, but can stretch the field and can make bone-crushing block. Ward will be playing with some pain as he suffered a knee injury in the AFC Championship game against the Ravens. If he is not effective, look for receiver Santonio Holmes and tight end Heath Miller to pick up some of the slack.

As good as the Arizona offense has been this postseason, they have their most daunting task as the go up against a Steeler defense that has been ranked No. 1 in the NFL all season long. They are led by linebacker James Harrison who was named Defensive Player of the Year when the regular season ended. But also watch out for linebacker James Farrior who leads the team in tackles in the postseason linebacker LaMarr Woodley who has four sacks in the last two games. But the one player that Kurt Warner needs to find on every play is safety Troy Polamalu. He is dangerous when it come to stopping the run or defending the pass. I can also make the argument that he is slightly better than Ed Reed, but that’s another blog for another day. Their version of the 3-4 scheme is what other teams aspire to be and fans what a top-notched NFL defense is on Sunday.

Now on to the Cardinals. As I mentioned earlier, they don’t have household names other than Kurt Warner. But Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald make up the best wide receiver tandem in the NFL and when they are both on, they are extremely dangerous. Running back Edgerin James is not the back he was earlier in the decade with the Indianapolis Colts, but he has rejuvenated himself this postseason and he was one of the reasons that the Cardinals were able to get past the Falcons and the Panthers. But I have to give credit to their offensive line because they have kept Warner upright all throughout the playoffs. Led by Levi Brown and Mike Gandy, the O-line is a big unit with the average weight around 325 pounds.

Defensively, the Cardinals don’t make as many plays as the Steelers defense, however, they are probably the fastest unit in the game. Linebacker Karlos Dansby leads the team in tackles (28) while cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie leads the team in interceptions (2). Safety Ardian Wilson is the Cardinals version of Polamalu and can lay a lick on a receiver. Darnell Dockett, Roderick Hood and Bertrand Berry are also having great outings in the playoffs and will have to come up big against an aggressive Steelers ground attack. That shouldn’t be a problem because they were able to stop the likes of Michael Turner, DeAngleo Williams and Brian Westbrook to make their way to Tampa.

That’s part two of my Super Bowl 43 preview. Come back on Saturday as I take a look at the coaches and make my predictions and who will win the Super Bowl MVP.

Falcons update 1/29/09

I thought I would do something new and give a weekly Atlanta Falcons update since I have covered the team for the past three seasons and I think the 2009 year is an important year for the franchise because they have a chance to have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in team history.

For the most part, it has been quiet in Flowery Branch and that is a good thing because there has been so many coaching changes and the Falcons have been fortunate to keep all their coaches in tact (especially Mike Mularkey who is the OC). But there has been a few notes before Super Bowl 43 kicks off on Sunday. Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff has been named NFL Executive of the Year by Sporting News. This is no surprise as he tuned an 4-12 team into a 11-5 playoff team with a rookie quarterback and and a rookie head coach. With Matt Ryan winning ROY and Mike Smith winning COY, the Falcons became the first team ever to win those three awards in the same year. I really believe that the Falcons are on the right track and expect those three to led the Birds to more wins for the next 5-10 years.

And speaking of winners, former Falcons Claude Humphrey is a finalist for the Hall of Fame and will know if he will be inducted on Saturday. He is the Falcons all-time leader in sacks (94.5) and went to six Pro Bowls. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1968 and led the Falcons in sacks eight of 10 seasons. Atlantafalcons.com managing editor J. Michael Moore sat down with Humphrey so go to www.atlantafalcons.com for more information.

That's it for now. I will have a Super Bowl preview on Friday and it will be on the coaches and playmakers. Take care folks.

Super Bowl Preview: The Quarterbacks

Well, the Super Bowl is only days away. Are you excited? Didn't think so because even with this game being the biggest game in the No. 1 sport in America, there is not a lot to talk about when it comes to story lines and angles. But I think the most intriguing thing to look for in the NFL Championship is the the two quarterbacks as both Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner have won the big game and who ever wins on Sunday will solidify themselves as a Hall-of-Famer. Here's what each player bring to the table:

BIG BEN

Okay, maybe it's too early to say he will make it to Canton , but with a win on Sunday won't hurt his chances. Most media types would say that the road for Roethlisberger has been easy since the Steelers have made the postseason four out his first five seasons and reaching two Super Bowls. That is far from the truth because he has take a beating like no other quarterback I've seen. Concussions are not new to him with the last one he suffered was right before the playoffs in a game against the Cleveland Browns. He is not a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady type who is going to throw the ball all over the field, but when he has to throw he is extremely effective, especially when he rolls out of the pocket. He has over 100 passing touchdowns and 14,000 passing yards in his career and has a rating of 89.4 which puts him sixth all-time. He engrave his name as one of the Steelers' all-time players if he can get a win on Sunday.

WARNER

But Kurt Warner has proved that he's still got it and is hungry for another ring. Most people know the Warner story; bagging groceries, playing in the Arena Football League and in 1999 he got his chance with the St. Lois Rams because Trent Green suffered a season-ending injury and all he did was led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory with one of the most high-powered offenses in NFL history. But after that things went downhill for the veteran, he did go to another Super Bowl two years later and was beat by a younger Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Then he fell out of favor in St. Louis and was sent to New York. But Eli Manning beat Warner out and now it was on to see the Cardinals and Warner got his chance to be the full-time starter beating out Matt Leinart. Warner had one of his best seasons as a pro with 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns. And with his help, the Cardinals were able to beat the Falcons (ugh), Panthers and Eagles to make their way to Tampa. Regardless of how the game goes, Warner has a good chance to, reach the Hall-of-Fame. He third all-time in passer rating with 93.8. Warner has also thrown for nearly 30,000 yards and has won the MVP award twice.

So who do I give the edge to? At first I said Warner, but the more I think about it, I say it's a push. Both have rings and they make plays when they need to. Warner does have the better numbers and has the MVPs, but Roethlisberger could win a few awards when his career ends and could end up with a better win-loss record when all is said and done. I will say this, both quarterbacks will need to play well if they want to hold the trophy late Sunday night.

New Podcast

Hey guys, I have a new podcast. Click on the title above if you want to hear my take on the Mt. Rushmore of Georgia sports. Have a great night.

Ed Dudley: One of the great high school coaches

High School football in Georgia is something that we cherish. I played at Walton High School and my coach was Ed Dudley. After I graduated in 2000, I would go back from time-to-time and see how he and the football team was doing. Every time I would go back. I said to myself “He is going to be here until he wins a state title and I can see him retiring here at Walton.”


Well, I was wrong about that statement as he announced on Thursday that he is leaving Walton to be the Head Football coach for Ware County down in Waycross. I’ll be honest, I was caught off guard because I don’t’ think anybody from the High School thought that he would be looking at other places to coach. He said on Thursday that it was a tough decision and that he loves the small town football atmosphere and is excited about the opportunity.


I think it’s safe to say that the people from Ware County did their research because what Coach Dudley did at Walton was nothing but amazing. Before he arrived at Walton in 1995, Walton only claimed one region title. During his tenure, he had won the region crown in 1999 (which I was a member of), 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008. He has led the 2004 and 2007 Raiders to the state semifinals and has coached 10 first-team All-State players. So he is leaving the program in better shape then what Robbie Robertson did after leaving in 1994.


Dudley is going down to Ware County who is replacing interim coach John Stephens. Stephens was replacing longtime coach Dan Ragle who led the Gators to a state title appearance in 2007 losing to Northside-Warner Robins. Dudley will come into the program that is expected to take that next step and win the state title. Based on the other teams in the region such as Brunswick and Glynn Academy, he should make the playoffs every year if the players respond to him.


So why did he leave? I may not be the right person to ask question, but based on the story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday, It probably came down to a change of scenery. After living in urban East Cobb for 14 years, rural South Georgia sounded nice to him and also the fact that Ware County football is the only team that the community can rally around, not like Walton where Lassiter, Pope and Wheeler are within a 10-mile radius. I know that the faculty, staff, students and alumni are disappointed that he is leaving, but he is going on to do bigger and better things. Not only he was a good coach, he was a great teacher and was like a father figure to most of his players. The only thing that I can say is thank you coach for what you’ve done for Walton over the last 14 years and good luck to you in Waycross. I hope you do get that state title that you have been chasing for so long.