The Scoop – Super Bowl Edition

By Dalton Del Don

A good game made great by a terrific fourth quarter, Super Bowl 43 (enough already with the Roman numerals) was definitely one to remember. I’m hardly the first to say it, but what was Mike Tomlin thinking not going for the touchdown on fourth and goal from six inches away? He might be my favorite coach in all of sports, but that was just a horrible decision. Even if Pittsburgh gets stopped, the difference in field position for the Cardinals is worth at least three (and probably more) points.

Has there ever been a bigger game-changer than James Harrison’s 100-yard pick-six? Kurt Warner obviously made the wrong read, but why not throw three straight fades to Larry Fitzgerald? That play is very safe as far as avoiding a sack as well. The decision cost Arizona the Super Bowl.

It’s safe to say Al Michaels and John Madden didn’t have a game to remember. I actually like them as announcers typically, but they were both nothing short of atrocious Sunday. Consistently behind what was happening (missing fumbles, way off on where the ball was spotted), the tandem also failed to even question Tomlin’s decision to kick a FG on the aforementioned fourth and goal. And the refs should have been absolutely hammered for not reviewing the final play of the game (more on that later). Also, Michaels referred to the Super Bowl MVP as “SanAntonio Holmes” and declared a holding penalty “huge!” when it resulted in a loss of approximately 1-2 inches of field position for Pittsburgh (they were pinned inside the one already). Not that I’m asking for Joe Buck, but a subpar effort from the NBC guys.

Speaking of disappointing, I can’t remember one commercial being noteworthy. It’s safe to say the ad agencies have officially ran out of ideas. Where’s Don Draper when you need him?

Let’s not put Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie into Canton just yet. Sure, Arizona’s secondary improved since he moved into the starting lineup, and he certainly has a bright future, but his cover skills had been overblown even before Sunday’s torching. Santonio Holmes absolutely abused him, and Nate Washington had a sure long TD if Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t underthrow him. Of course, Madden praised DRC for his “catch up speed” and batting down the would-be touchdown.

What ridiculous pocket work and escapability by Ben Roethlisberger. If anyone ever criticizes him for taking too many sacks in the future, they must not have watched this game. And Santonio Holmes better be more involved in this offense next season. He’s clearly one of the most gifted receivers in the NFL but was targeted as often as Steve Breaston and less than Lance Moore this season.

Pittsburgh’s defense can’t be called “historically” good after yielding 8.8 YPA with a combined 6:2 TD:INT ratio against two of the three quarterbacks they faced in the postseason. What they did in the regular season was extremely impressive, but when it mattered most, they were actually below average.

My pocketbook was rooting for the Steelers, but even I admit the refs once again heavily favored them. An extremely weak roughing the passer call on a play when Ben Roethlisberger committed intentional grounding really stands out, and Santonio Holmes pretty clearly used the ball as a prop during his TD celebration. But the lack of review on the game’s final play was indefensible. First off, that play is called an incomplete pass 95 percent of the time in the NFL, but to not even give the refs a second chance is mind-boggling. After the penalty on the same play, the Cards would have had the ball at the 29-yard line! And they would have been even closer had the Holmes excessive celebration been rightfully called.

Not only was Arizona’s rushing attack completely stymied, it often resulted in holding penalties as well. Not coincidentally, the team’s three touchdown-scoring drives consisted of a combined 18:1 pass:rush ratio. This isn’t rocket science. There are no rules stating a team has to attempt a certain amount of rushes per game, despite the media continuing to erroneously correlate running to winning. Speaking of, Kurt Warner is pretty damn good. Yes, he’s a clear-cut Hall of Famer.