Super Bowl gets two deserving teams
Burning questions Sunday on the NFL playoffs:
Q . Will Detroit have the two best teams in Super Bowl XL at Ford Field?
A . There is no doubt that Seattle is the best team in the NFC, and there is no doubt that Pittsburgh is the most deserving team in the AFC. Whether that makes the Steelers the best in the AFC doesn't matter. I'd take their players in a big game over any other team in the AFC.
Q . What did Seattle do to dominate the Panthers?
A . First, the roster they had at Qwest Field on Sunday was better than Carolina's. The Panthers had injuries at running back, and they got worse when Nick Goings went out because of an injury in the first quarter. Goings is their third-string tailback and had to start because of injuries to Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster.
But that's not what won the game for Seattle. It's the way Seattle played -- not who didn't play for Carolina.
Q . Who was under the most pressure for Seattle?
A . Three people. One was Mike Holmgren, the coach. He won one Super Bowl as head coach in Green Bay. This is his seventh season in Seattle, and the Seahawks hadn't won a playoff game since 1984. He got that monkey off the franchise's back when Seattle beat Washington in the divisional round the previous week.
But the NFC Championship game was a lot bigger. He had to prepare a young team that was experiencing something new. They hadn't been this far. He had his offense and defense tuned perfectly to handle anything the Panthers threw at them.
Q . What about Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck? He stepped up in the clutch and didn't make any big mistakes. Did this game validate him as a Pro Bowl starter?
A . Yes. Winning counts more than anything, and Hasselbeck has been outstanding in two playoff games.
Q . Shaun Alexander set a franchise record for the playoffs with 132 yards rushing. Was the heat on him, too?
A . Yes, again. He hadn't had a big game in the playoffs before. Against Washington, he went out early because of a concussion. He carried the load against Carolina -- 34 carries, inside, outside, wherever they needed him. He produced.
Q . In the AFC, the Steelers did what Carolina could not do -- win three road games to get to the playoffs. What is the secret?
A . There is no secret. It's performance. In two years, Ben Roethlisberger has become a dominating big-game quarterback. The Steelers are relentless in every area. Their coach, Bill Cowher, settles for nothing but the best and it shows in how his team plays.
Q . What about the Broncos? Where did they fail?
A . Everyone waited for Jake Plummer to fall apart, and he did. But that doesn't excuse the defensive breakdowns. Cowher and his staff out-coached Mike Shanahan and his staff.
Q . What does it mean for Jerome Bettis to play in his first Super Bowl in his hometown?
A . It's hard to tell who's happier -- Bettis or the people who rooted for him to get there. Playing for a championship doesn't leave room for sentiment.
Q . Pick a winner in Super Bowl XL.
A . On the field, Pittsburgh 27, Seattle 23. Overall, I like Detroit as the big winner.
Q . Will Detroit have the two best teams in Super Bowl XL at Ford Field?
A . There is no doubt that Seattle is the best team in the NFC, and there is no doubt that Pittsburgh is the most deserving team in the AFC. Whether that makes the Steelers the best in the AFC doesn't matter. I'd take their players in a big game over any other team in the AFC.
Q . What did Seattle do to dominate the Panthers?
A . First, the roster they had at Qwest Field on Sunday was better than Carolina's. The Panthers had injuries at running back, and they got worse when Nick Goings went out because of an injury in the first quarter. Goings is their third-string tailback and had to start because of injuries to Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster.
But that's not what won the game for Seattle. It's the way Seattle played -- not who didn't play for Carolina.
Q . Who was under the most pressure for Seattle?
A . Three people. One was Mike Holmgren, the coach. He won one Super Bowl as head coach in Green Bay. This is his seventh season in Seattle, and the Seahawks hadn't won a playoff game since 1984. He got that monkey off the franchise's back when Seattle beat Washington in the divisional round the previous week.
But the NFC Championship game was a lot bigger. He had to prepare a young team that was experiencing something new. They hadn't been this far. He had his offense and defense tuned perfectly to handle anything the Panthers threw at them.
Q . What about Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck? He stepped up in the clutch and didn't make any big mistakes. Did this game validate him as a Pro Bowl starter?
A . Yes. Winning counts more than anything, and Hasselbeck has been outstanding in two playoff games.
Q . Shaun Alexander set a franchise record for the playoffs with 132 yards rushing. Was the heat on him, too?
A . Yes, again. He hadn't had a big game in the playoffs before. Against Washington, he went out early because of a concussion. He carried the load against Carolina -- 34 carries, inside, outside, wherever they needed him. He produced.
Q . In the AFC, the Steelers did what Carolina could not do -- win three road games to get to the playoffs. What is the secret?
A . There is no secret. It's performance. In two years, Ben Roethlisberger has become a dominating big-game quarterback. The Steelers are relentless in every area. Their coach, Bill Cowher, settles for nothing but the best and it shows in how his team plays.
Q . What about the Broncos? Where did they fail?
A . Everyone waited for Jake Plummer to fall apart, and he did. But that doesn't excuse the defensive breakdowns. Cowher and his staff out-coached Mike Shanahan and his staff.
Q . What does it mean for Jerome Bettis to play in his first Super Bowl in his hometown?
A . It's hard to tell who's happier -- Bettis or the people who rooted for him to get there. Playing for a championship doesn't leave room for sentiment.
Q . Pick a winner in Super Bowl XL.
A . On the field, Pittsburgh 27, Seattle 23. Overall, I like Detroit as the big winner.
posted by auburntigerstick at 10:47 AM
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