SCOTT JACOBS

Fred Taylor has been the face of the Jaguars for much of his 11 year career. The former Florida Gator, who had amassed 11,271 rushing yards during an injury prone career, wanted to be that rare breed who finished a brilliant career with the same team he started with.  But yesterday, despite reports that Taylor was willing to take a pay cut to remain a Jaguar, the team cut the greatest running back it’s ever had.

Such is life for a running back in the NFL.  Great one minute.  Completely disposable the next.  It’s a tough fall for Taylor, who has spent his entire football life in the Sunshine State, but not one that is entirely that shocking.  The question for NFL veterans in the salary cap era is not, “what have you done for me lately,” but “what haven’t you done for me lately.”  It’s a cruel, painless demise that most former elite running backs face nowadays, with their position being labeled one of the most replacable and shortest lasting in the game.

Taylor is just one of many players who have been kicked to the curb despite consistent brilliance, because the ‘ol body didn’t have in it’s 30’s what it once had in it’s 20’s.  Because of that, the days of the Emmitt Smiths seem long gone. 

Larry Johnson was a machine from 2005 to 2006, scoring 37 touchdowns on the ground, and logging 752 carries.  The heart and soul of the Chiefs, LJ was indispensable, one of the few untouchables on KC, and a dynamo in fantasy leagues everywhere.  He was the engine that made their offense run.  Now, no one wants him.  Including, Kansas City.  That’s what 1,243 carries in six seasons will do for you.  His run ins with the law haven’t exactly helped his case either.

LaDanian Tomlinson was the greatest football player on the planet just a few years ago.  In 2006 he lit up the league for an astonishing 31 touchdowns, while bolting to 1,815 yards on the ground.  LT was an elite player, a fabulous athlete who could not only run the ball like the wind, but he could even throw the pigskin around a little too.  Picked 5th in the now infamous Michael Vick draft, after the Chargers traded their first overall pick for essentially him and Drew Brees, he helped turn around the helpless Lightning Bolts into an AFC contender.  But he’s on the wrong side of 29 now, and the full tank of gas is dropping steadily.  Tomlinson had his worst season as a pro last year, and still had 1,110 yards and 11 touchdowns, but the crickets starting coming out of the woodworks that not only were his best days behind him, but that he also might be expendable.

I guess that’s what 2,657 career rushing carries will do for a player.  And even though LT has scored 126 career rushing touchdowns, he’s not the same guy he once was.  Sure-fire Hall of Famer?  The eight year vet sure seems like a lock.  But it’d be a major stretch to say he’ll retire as a Charger.  He’s old news and the Chargers are looking for someone with younger fresher legs.

Six years of greatness, coupled with a few untimely injuries?  See ya!  Hitting 30 when we’ve got a 25 year old on our team who can fly?  Bye bye.  League MVP just a few years ago, but not what he once was?  Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Is it fair?  I don’t think it’s even remotely fair.

But it makes me understand why running backs command such seemingly obscene salaries.  They have to strike while the iron’s hot.  Like a stock, their value can plummet on a dime.

The aforementioned Emmitt Smith didn’t even finish his career with the Cowboys.  His last two seasons were forgettable ones as an Arizona Cardinal.

Shaun Alexander was the NFL’s league MVP in 2005 while helping to lead the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl.  But this offseason he was cut, not by Seattle, but by the Redskins.  Alexander who carried the ball a mind-blowing 370 times his MVP season got just 11 touches for a pedestrian 24 yards this past season.  His fall from grace complete, Alexander isn’t a trend-setter, merely just a product of a system that uses and abuses you, and then disposes of you.

These are the guys who put their team on their back and burden the load of carrying the offense.  When great, they’re the stars, the ‘it’ guys, and the untouchables.  But when father time creeps up, it comes fast.  Great players often find themselves cut to demoralizing exits, not only failing to spend their career with one team, but getting humiliated in the way that they are forced to leave town.

Cuts.  They stink.  No one wants to be cut.  But with salaries not guaranteed in the “what haven’t you done for me” world of the NFL, the longevity of a running back is on the verge of a total collapse.  The running back position is the NFL’s glamor position, but recently its become the league’s greatest positional revolving door.  Six years of greatness, coupled with a few untimely injuries?  See ya!  Hitting 30 when we’ve got a 25 year old on our team who can fly?  Bye bye.  League MVP just a few years ago, but not what he once was?  Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

And there is no sign of change either.

With the current system in place teams have no reason to actually fulfill their hefty contracts that they give to their then-elite running backs, turned mere mortal.  And the league is built that way.  That’s why signing bonuses are everything.  Five, six year contracts are a joke!  Get through year three, and the team is already getting your agent on the phone to renegotiate, sometimes for a lower number.

But college running backs now know the drill going in.  You better run while the going’s good, because as soon as you hit a rough patch, they’ll run you out of town.

So when Edgerrin James, Arizona’s prized $30 million free agent signing from a few years ago, gets cut this off-season don’t even blink an eye.  It’s the nature of the beast.  Fair or unfair, that’s how things go over in the most popular sport that this country has.

Great now, forgotten almost immediately.

Photo: Getty Images

SCOTT JACOBS

We asked, you answered.  By the slimmest of margins you, the Juiced Sports nation apparently don’t believe that Pittsburgh’s wild 27-23 win over the Cardinals was the greatest Big Game ever.  But boy was it close.  As of press time “No” had garnered 49.2% of the votes, with “Yes” slightly trailing at 44.1%.  “Need some time to think about it” (basically the equivalent of Ralph Nader running for President, aka: just something to take away votes) has collected 6.8% of the total tally.

We’re hearing your voice worldwide.  From Edmonton, Alberta (“No”) to San Martin, Argentina (“Need Some time to think about it”) all the way to France (“No”) you’ve made your opinion heard.  Not surprisingly, our one voter from Pittsburgh believes the Steelers-Cards tango was the best Super Bowl ever.  In fact, a good majority of the Northeast voters slotted “Yes” in for their vote.  Boston still seems pissed from a year ago about their Pats.  The lone voter from Beantown voted “No.”

You can see the entire breakdown of our poll here.  Check out the interactive map, and find out exactly where these votes are coming from.  Thanks to Vizu, we’re able to bring you in depth results.  So thanks for voting everybody.  We’ll probably take this poll down in the coming days.  We’re just looking for another question.  Got any ideas?  Email us.

Prediction: ARIZONA 28 PITTSBURGH 23

Total yards of offense:  Arizona 322 Pittsburgh 235
Passing Yards:  Arizona 240  Pittsburgh 170
Rushing Yards: Arizona 82  Pittsburgh 65
Turnovers: Arizona 1  Pittsburgh 3

QB
Kurt Warner: 25-36, 240 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Ben Roethlisberger: 15-32, 170 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT

RB
James/Hightower: 32 rushes, 82 yards, 1 TD (James)
Willie Parker: 22 rushes, 65 yards, 1 TD

WR
Larry Fitzgerald: 6 catches 82 yards, 1 TD
Anquan Boldin: 9 catches, 112 yards, 2 TD
Hines Ward: 7 catches, 71 yards, TD
Santonio Holmes: 4 catches: 53 yards
K
Neil Rackers: 0-0
Jeff Reed: 3-4, long of 46

Prognosis per quarter:
First quarter: Arizona 14 Pittsburgh 7
Second quarter: Arizona 21 Pittsburgh 13
Third quarter: Arizona 21 Pittsburgh 16
Fourth quarter: Arizona 28 Pittsburgh 23

Last play of game: Kurt Warner kneeldown

Super Bowl MVP: Anquan Boldin

SCOTT JACOBS

We know what you’re thinking out there– can they just play the damn game already?  We’ve had almost two weeks to break down every bit and piece of Super Bowl XLIII and I have to admit that I am sick of it already.  Just get on the field, play the national anthem, and let’s get this party started.  Maybe I’m just bitter because I tried to get tickets for two weeks and failed horribly, because of all the scams that I ran into.  Or, maybe I’m like most fans, who are tired of all the pre-game hoopla surrounding what should be an exciting game.

The storylines are great, but how many times can you hear them?  It gets old after a while.  Great offense versus fabulous defense.  80% Steelers fans to 3% Cardinals fans (approximation given the people I’ve seen on TV wearing Cardinals red).  Cinderella versus Golliath.  Kurt Warner and his quick release versus that great Bitzburgh defense.  Larry Fitzgerald against, well everybody.  Even Arizona’s defense against Ben Roethlisberger has become a pretty intriguing matchup, because of how well the Cardinals defense has performed this post-season.

But quite frankly, I’m tired of the cries that this is why college football is lucky not to have a post-season (I don’t agree).  I’m sick of all the people that claim Arizona hasn’t played anyone close to Pittsburgh this post-season (Hello, Carolina was one of the Super Bowl favorites entering the playoffs).  I’m tired of the ‘us against the world thing.’  Arizona you can’t pull that one quite off anymore.  I’m especially tired of that stupid Anquan Boldin clip of him yelling at Todd Haley.  Could we dissect that moment any more?

Let’s just play already! 

The Cardinals offense is great- if their offensive line protects Warner.  Fitzgerald and Boldin are the best wide receiver duo in the NFL, and they are unstoppable when Warner has time to pick apart the defense.  Pittburgh is a great defensive team, with their strength in their blitz packages. But the game may come down to the fact that the Cardinals might have a better defense right now than Pittsburgh’s offense.

And stop with the whole superior conference thing!  Arizona beat some very good teams to get to where they are now.  If it was Carolia or the beloved New York Giants in this game, even the sixth seeded Eagles no one would bring this thig up.  This isn’t college folks.  There is no SEC, Big 12, or ACC in the NFL.

So here’s the pick: ARIZONA 28 PITTSBURGH 23

The Cardinals are destiny’s darlings, I’m convinced of that.  But more importantly, they’re playing phenomenol football.  Everyone gives Arizona crap for beating a rookie quarterback in Matt Ryan, but the Steelers got to the Super Bowl by beating a rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco. The Steelers beat one team that was 4-8 at one point (Arizona was never under .500 in 2008) and the Ravens suspect offense to get here.  The Cardinals have an explosive offense unlike anything the Steelers have seen this year.

Add in the fact that the game is in sunny Tampa, not snowy Pittsburgh and you create a situation that is incredibly appealing for the Cardinals.  No one has mentioned this, but the Steelers won both their playoff games in the snow, where weather totally played to their advantage.  I have a hunch that Tampa’s weather will be a big difference in this game.

Kurt Warner is no Flacco.  He is an experienced QB who has been here before.  So has Big Ben, but he was atrocious when the Steelers beat the Seahawks at Ford Field.  I think Clancy Pendergrast will have some interesting blitz packages set up for the Steelers.  If you’ve been watching the playoffs closely, you’ll know that Arizona boasts a ball hawking defense that likes to take chances.  Big Ben loves to take chances, and make some risky throws.  I see him getting picked off, not once, but twice.  Arizona has been very effective in shutting down the powerful running games of Atlanta, Carolina, and Philly and I think they will hold Willie Parker in check.

Arizona wins at home.  They were 6-2 in the regular season, and 2-0 in the playoffs.  They’re the home team in this one.  I’m just saying, I’m just saying.  And look out for Steve Breaston.  Sure all the attention has been on Fitz and Q this week, but don’t forget that Breaston, the former Michigan standout, had a 1000 yard season in 2008.  Expect Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower to be productive, not spectacular.  But here’s a bold prediction: Hightower will break a run for 30 yards or more.

But I think the biggest key will be that Arizona has nothing to lose.  They didn’t expect to be here, but the Steelers did.  They aren’t a mighty juggernaut from the regular season, they just sort of floated under the radar.  Sure, people are picking them now (about time), but I think Arizona still feels disrespected. There are still some people who think they’re a fluke, and that they don’t belong.  But come Sunday night, when Arizona comes flying out of the gate, no one will be saying that anymore.

The Rays got close, but couldn’t finish the job.  Arizona only needs to win one.  They will.  And after, they will be considered the worst Super Bowl champions ever.  Remember, you heard that here first.  I’m not saying I agree with it, but just wait for it.  Just wait.

Of course, worrying about their place in history will be for someone else to worry about, because the Cardinals will be too busy celebrating an improbable journey from frauds to Super Bowl champs.

SCOTT JACOBS

Planet Earth, the Arizona Cardinals.  Arizona Cardinals, Planet Earth.  There you guys have been formally introduced.  Now we bypass the meet and greet process, and just get down to the nitty gritty: just who are you guys?  What are you doing here?  Are you too stupid to know that the Cardinals aren’t supposed to be here?

C’mon Arizona, just who are you trying to fool here?  The Super Bowl?  The Big Stage? You guys are lucky–Lucky!– to get a national game a year during the regular season.  And now you’re all over everyone’s TV’s for one whole week?  No one knows what to do with this story.  No one knows where to begin.  What happened to the team that always failed when the lights started to shine at all?  What happened to the group of guys that couldn’t live up to their potential?

What happened to the joke?  The walking punchline?  The team that has had a new logo since 2005, yet even sites like CBS Sportsline, still use their old one. No one apparently complains, because well, when you have an invisible team, with a silent fan base, people kick you around.  They don’t respect you.  You have to win to earn respect.  You have to strive for bigger things than mediocrity.

You guys aren’t supposed to be here.  Everyone’s like “yeah I know them,” but no one did a few weeks ago.  On Fox’s telecast a few weeks ago of Arizona’s throttling of Carolina the announcers were still mistaking the Cardinals for Phoenix.  Newsflash folks: the Cardinals became the Arizona Cardinals almost 15 years ago!  They changed from Phoenix to Arizona back in 1994!

The Cardinals don’t make sense.  They don’t!  They have a running back who has openly demanded to be released so he can play for a new team, a wide receiver who’s been miserable the whole year because they haven’t given him a new contract, a prima donna backup quarterback who moves closer to becoming a bust every year, and an owner who is so invisible from the media, that one writer the other day stated he had never heard Bill Bidwill bring up anything in the owner’s meetings.

But here they are.  In full color.  They’re putting their whole name in the endzone for the Super Bowl just to make sure you know who the heck they are!  They’re not the St. Louis Cardinals.  They’re the Arizona Cardinals! The team that won nine games this year in the regular season.  They beat the Cowboys on a blocked punt in overtime that was recovered for a touchdown, marking the first time in NFL history a game ended that way.

The Cardinals are the NFL’s guinea pigs.  Send ‘em to Mexico and let’s see if this whole International Series idea has legs.  Their fans won’t mind losing a home game. So the Cardinals went to Mexico in 2005, as the home team against the 49ers, and were booed mercifully.  But hey, it let the world know that, yes, Arizona still does have a pro football team.

I went to the mall the other day in Tallahassee (two malls actually) and they didn’t even have the official NFC Champs shirt. But they did have a red NFC Champs shirt that basically stated “second class.” The name of the store: Sports Fan-Attic.  But they had every Steeler AFC Champs gear and apparrel you could ever want.  Because quite frankly, their isn’t a demand for annonymous Cardinals gear.  They’re in the Super Bowl, yet they’re merely a curiosity.

They are seven point underdogs in this Super Bowl, despite the fact that they beat an 11, 12, and 9 win trifecta of NFC playoff teams to get to this point.  The Steelers knocked off 8 win San Diego, and 11 win Baltimore to get here.  But they’re the Steelers.  They have history.  They have rings.  They have the terrible towels, they are beloved.  While questions rampaged this past week about whether the Cardinals were the worst Super Bowl team ever, the Steelers were showered with the question if they were the greatest franchise in sports!  No one respects the Cards.  They’re not warm and fuzzy like the Cubs. They don’t push the red button and get ejected.  They follow the person who pushes the red button, and people laugh.

They’ve made it to the Super Bowl now, and still they’re overshadowed.  Steelers West they’re being called, because quite frankly, their coaching staff brought with them what makes the Steelers the Steelers.

So for the next week, you’ll hear their names, you’ll listen to their stories.  And you’ll sit there and ask yourself this question:

Who do these guys think they are, coming out of the shadows like that out of nowhere?

And then they’ll beat the Steelers, go to DisneyWorld, and tourists will stop and ask their friends, “are those the guys that won the Super Bowl?”

“Nah,” they’ll reply, “for surely I would know who they are.”

SCOTT JACOBS

You know them.  You do.  You just don’t know them, know them.

You’ve heard their name.  You’ve laughed at their futility.  You’ve wondered aloud if they have the worst owner in professional sports.  You know them.  You just don’t know them, know them.

You’ve heard about their great wide receiver tandem, the one who’s set, and the one who’s upset.  You’ve seen Kurt Warner, you know his name.  You know they don’t win, and you’ve been told they had one playoff victory before this post-season started.  You know their struggle.  You make fun of their fans.  It’s not exactly ‘chic’ to be a die hard Cardinals supporter.  You’ve seen them let go of their good players, only for them to then become great players.  You’ve seen them screw up drafts.  You’ve looked at their partying backup quarterback and his rowdy pictures.  You know them.  You just don’t know them, know them.

But in the next two weeks, be prepared for your formal introduction to the Arizona Football Cardinals.  The team that history has spit on, and that success has damned.  The team that moved from city to city to city looking for fans that love them, and a stadium that could comfortably house them.  You’ve heard their name.  You’ve seen pictures, and maybe even read about them in the papers.  But you’ve never been exposed to them like this.  And for good reason.  Sans this season, the Cardinals were considered a joke.  They’re hardly ever on national TV, and outside of Arizona they rarely make national news.  But you’re familiar with them.  Because they lose.  They lose a lot.  They’re the Chicago Cubs of the NFL, only they’re not beloved.

But starting this week you will see more segments, read more articles, and watch more videos of the Arizona football Cardinals then you ever could have imagined.  The sad sack Cardinals.  Cause now they’re good.  Dare I say ‘Super.’ I’ve been following them for years.  When I say that they are the invisible team of the NFL if there ever was one I do not joke.  They’re hardly even the top show in their own state.  The Dallas Cowboys still have a huge fan base in the Valley of the Sun.  But forget that, it’s all moot now.

The Cardinals are in the Super Bowl.  The Cowboys, well, they aren’t.  So sit back, grab a cold one, and enjoy the ride.  It’s an Arizona Cardinals tour, and you’re invited.  Hands and feet inside the vehicle please.  We’ll be leaving the station now.  Here we go.

The Cardinals are old. They’re really, really old.  How old?  Try 1918. That’s when they began play in not Arizona, not St. Louis, but Chicago. And they weren’t the Chicago Cardinals then.  Nope, they were the Racine Cardinals.  Yup, the Cards are 90 years young.  They’re the oldest team in the NFL. Of course, they didn’t start in the NFL.  Nope.  Their first two seasons were in the APFA.  And contrary to their losing history, the Chicago Cardinals actually had a winning season their first year of play.  They were 6-2-2. After two years in the APFA, they joined the NFL. Cost of admission to the new league: $100.

The Cardinals won 11 games in 1925.  They won 11 games in 1948.  They won 11 games in 1975.  And that is it.  Three times in 90 years, the Cardinals franchise has won 11 games in the regular season.  Three!

Charles W. Bidwell, Sr. bought the Cardinals for $50,000 in 1932, and his family has owned the team ever since.  Interestingly enough he was actually a vice president of the Chicago Bears at the time of the sale.  If you’re keeping score at home, he left the powerhouse Bears to join the sad sack Cardinals.  Yup, he dropped a pot of gold, to go search for pennies. Under his first year of ownership the Cardinals… lost.  They finished 2-6-2, and it started one of the most unsuccessful stretches for a professional sports team in the history of human civilization.  I’d like to say I’m kidding.  I’m really not.

In 1959 the Cardinals played their final season in the Windy City.  And did you know: their final win came against the Steelers. 

From 1932-1945 the Cardinals were awful.  They had one winning season (1935), and a lot of other years that were just plain atrocious.  In back to back seasons (1943-1944) in which they lost 20 games… and won none.

Because of World War II, the Cardinals had to merge their team with– you guessed it– the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1944.  The moral: even a historically brilliant franchise like the Steelers can suck, if you merge them with the Cardinals.  That team went 0-10.  But they did have a cool name: Card-Pitt.  Did you know that?  Because I’d be willing to bet you won’t hear it mentioned once this week.

In 1947 the Cardinals went 9-3, and won their first (and only to this date) NFL championship.  They raced out to a 14-0 lead over the Philadelphia Eagles, and then held on for a 28-21 victory. Elmer Angsman cemented the win with a 70 yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Bidwills probably thought this would be the first of many championships for the Cardinals franchise. It hasn’t uh, worked out that way as history might suggest.

Interesting side note: then Cardinals owner Charles Bidwill actually died in April, before Chicago was able to win the NFL Championship.  Amazing, when you think about it.  Chicago was terrible for most of his 15 years as owner.  He suffered through what was at the time, the longest losing streak in NFL history at 29 games.  Finally, the Cards became good, and won it all, and he didn’t live long enough to see it. Fitting in a way if you sum up the Cardinals and their mostly nightmarish franchise history.

The Cardinals were on the verge of back to back championships in 1948 after finishing 11-1, but it wasn’t meant to be as the Eagles got their revenge and beat Chicago 7-0. Steve Van Buren scored the game’s lone touchdown for the Iggles on a five yard rush in the fourth quarter.  Ever since that day, the Cardinals never came close to sniffing a championship up until this year.

In 1959 the Cardinals played their final season in the Windy City.  And did you know: their final win came against the Steelers.  See, these teams have quite a history.  Pittsburgh was the last ever team to lose to Chicago. After that, the Cardinals freefalled to six straight defeats, culminating in a 2-10 season, and a ninth losing season in 10 years.  They fought the Bears, and the Bears killed them.  Chicago, contrary to the belief of others only has room for one football team.  That team is the Bears.

So in 1960, the Cardinals took their act to St. Louis.  Another interesting fact: the Dallas Cowboys, arguably the Cardinals biggest nemesis, started play that very same year.  St. Louis’ first win even came against those very Cowboys 12-10.  In 1962 Cardinals owner Violet Bidwill passed away, and the team was passed on to her kids.  The team owner changed, but the losing didn’t.  The Cardinals threatened to bolt to a new home in 1987 amidst dwindling attendance figures.  After Bill Bidwill let it be known he was going to move the team,he began receiving death threats.  It got so bad that he couldn’t even attend the final few home games.  The Cards were off to Arizona after 27 years in St. Louis.  The Rams moved to St. Louis to replace them eight years later.

And that brings us to the here and the now.  Since 1988, Arizona has had two winning seasons: 1998 and 2008.  They had never been to the Super Bowl until now, and since 1960 they’ve made the playoffs an astonishingly pathetic five times.

But none of that matters now.

Because the team that once merged with the Steelers is now playing them for a world championship.

Funny how things work out.

Cardinals are officially Super Bowl bound, Steelers win another AFC title crown; Thoughts, observations, and an early look at Super Bowl XLIII

SCOTT JACOBS I just want to say this: In the last two weeks of the playoffs, I’m 5-1, with the only loss coming courtesy of the Eagles when they beat the Giants.  No hard feelings though, their win gave Arizona a home playoff game, so I’ll let it slide this time.

Shaun King challenged me to a bet before this weekend.  The bet was as follows:

“aight time to raise the stakes if the cardinals win i do the article for juicedsports, but if philly wins for a week u have to go to 20 facebook sites a day and say Shaun King is the MAN”

Well, the Cardinals prevailed, and if King is a man of his word (which I know he is) we should have him on Juiced Sports for you in the next few weeks leading to Super Bowl XLIII.

*How night and day are the Cardinals and Steelers?  Well, the Steelers are such an AFC mainstay on a year in and year out basis that people actually worried if them getting the AFC title game this year at home was a good thing.  Why?  Because, in their last five title games at home, that’s right I said five, they were 1-4.  The Cardinals on the other hand, dipped their toe in the NFC title game for the first time ever today.  They must have liked the feel, because they came flying out of the gate.

*Kurt Warner: washed up?  Safe to say you won’t hear that again this year.  What a game Warner had in fully cementing his legacy as a now surefire NFL Hall of Famer in my humbled opinion.  What he did with this team is nothing short of mesmerizing.  Warner was a a sterling 21/28 with 279 yards passing and four touchdowns. Not in that line, zero interceptions.  Yup, Philly was able to get to Warner at times, but they didn’t force the ageless one to cough up the ball a single time.  A far cry from their Thanksgiving meeting.

*Did you hear how loud that University of Phoenix crowd was?  They were deafening.  It was an incredible atmosphere, that the Cards could only have dreamed of when they officially started construction of the palace.  But today it was real, and the Cardinals, who for years played in front of sparse crowds, usually made up of the road team’s fans, had a home field advantage that few could have foreseen just a decade ago, when they made their last post-season appearance.

*That wasn’t over-bloated running statistics with the game out of reach.  Arizona actually ran the ball effectively today, and consistently too.  Edgerrin James had 73 yards, Tim Hightower contributed 33, and the rallying cry of stop their passing game because they have NO running game is officially dead.  Dead I tell ya.  The new Cardinals can run.  No one will confuse them for the Steelers, their opponent in the Super Bowl, but their running game is officially respectable and good enough to keep opposing defenses on their toes.

*Donovan McNabb played a bizarre game.  At times he was brilliant, other times not even close to his targets.  He threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns, but let it be known that it took 47 throws to get that.  And after the Eagles fell behind early McNabb was forced to throw the ball.  So I’ll say this: McNabb had a terrible first half (not quite Jake Delhomme-esque), but not good.  He missed wide open receivers, threw the ball behind a lot of his guys, and was pestered like crazy.  But in the second half he came out, and really played pretty well.  Yeah, people will say that once again he failed when the lights were brightest, but I look at it this way: he helped lead the Eagles back from the brink of embarrassment to an improbable come from behind lead late.  The defense for Philly couldn’t hold it.  The blame will go on McNabb, and people will say that he needs to go, but how much can you ask from him?  He helped the Eagles come back from an 18 point deficit, and then they just sort of ran out of gas at midfield.

*I’m going to say it: how about that Arizona run defense.  Wow.  First they held Atlanta’s high octane running game in check.  Then they went to Carolina and took DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart out of it.  And here, in the NFC title game they shut down Brian Westbrook, who mustered just 45 yards on 12 carries.  Arizona forced the Eagles to beat them through the air, because they didn’t even allow 100 yards today on the ground.  And the Eagles fell short.

*Larry Fitzgerald: the best wide receiver in the NFL.  The numbers speak for themselves folks, but records aside, how can you even argue otherwise.  What Fitz has done this post-season is turn the playoffs into his own personal playground.  Put the ball in his vicinity and he’s going to get it.  He has incredible hands clearly, but what Fitzgerald also has, is incredible body control.  He managed to make a great downfield catch, and then kept his footing to score.  The guy is clutch with a capital C.  He made every play, got a boatload of yards after the catch, and even after it became clear that you had to blanket this guy, he still made defenses look silly.  And Carolina, and Philadelphia have pretty good defenses.

*Great comeback from the Eagles.  Down 24-6 Philly could have easily folded and gave up.  But even after a McNabb fumble gave Arizona great field position from midfield, the Eagles D tightened and held.  Then McNabb and Co. started building their 19 point rampage in less than 10 minutes, in what appeared to be an epic comeback.  But their defense couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain.  Unlike the game against the Giants, the Eagles were unable to get a crucial stop on 4th and 1, and they were unable to stop Timmy Hightower from finding his way into the end-zone on 3rd and goal late in the game.

*What happened to David Akers?  He missed a field goal, and an extra point today.  Usually one of the most sure-fire kickers in the game, Akers didn’t have the greatest game today.  And it cost his team some crucial points.

*On January 15th, 2007 the Arizona Cardinals hired Ken Whisenhunt to lead the Cardinals to respectability.  I’d say he’s done a lot more than that.  In two seasons with the perennial losers Arizona is 8-8, and 9-7 in Coach Whiz’s first two seasons.  And o yeah, he helped lead them to triple their number of playoff wins, from 1 to 3.  Add an NFC West title, and an NFC Championship to that list, and what more can you say: he’s a miracle worker.  And it just snowed in hell.

*So, who had the Steelers-Cardinals Super Bowl match-up pegged before Labor Day?  Anybody?  If you did, you just became a very rich man.

*Arizona goes to their first Super Bowl, while the Steelers win their 7th AFC title.  Could there be anymore night and day of a franchise stack-up?  No.  And lest us forget: the Steelers have won five out of their first six trips to the Big Game (O sorry, was I supposed to trademark that?)  Whoops.

*The Steelers were the better team today against Baltimore.  Nough said. Yeah the game was close towards the end, but when push came to shove, Joe Flacco finally reminded us that he is indeed still a rookie.  I called it too.  I said he’d have a few turnovers, including the one that gave the Steelers the win in overtime.  Well, the game never got that far, but Flacco’s forced pick six to Troy Polamalu with just 4:24 left in the game sealed the Ravens fate.  Yup, no encore trip to Tampa for the Ravens, who hoisted their only Lombardi Trophy (since moving to Baltimore) in Tampa eight years ago. Instead, the Steelers, who got to stay close to home in their last Super Bowl trip (Detroit) get a sunny stage for Super Bowl XLIII.

*Flacco’s forgettable day: 13/30, 141 yards, 0 TD’s, 3 INT’s.  I guess Baltimore’s offensive woes aren’t exactly cured yet.  And I guess it’s safe to say the Ravens are still a year or two away from becoming an offensive force.  Still, what Flacco did in this post-season was impressive.  He won two games as a rookie.  He’s all by himself there.  No shame in that.

*Our thoughts and prayers go out to Willis McGahee who was obliterated by Steelers safety Ryan Clark with just 3:29 left in the game, and down 23-14.  McGahee was down for several minutes before being carted off the field with apparent neck pains.  But word is that he’s talking and moving, so that’s good.  I couldn’t help but think that Willis has horrible championship luck.  In his last huge game, as a Miami Hurricane, McGahee suffered a brutal injury against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, and it almost ended his football career.  He was done for that game, just like he was for this one, and his team lost both times.  Just an unfortunate injury for a good player.  We wish him a full recovery.

*Nothing Big Ben does is pretty.  But I think it’s safe to say he’s one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL.  Some days it’s hard to say that, but Big Ben does just enough to help his team win.  Sure the Steelers have a great defense, but Roethlisberger is a perfect fit for what Pittsburgh does, and the man wins.  Two Super Bowls since 2005.  I’d say he’s pretty darn good.

*Third times a charm?  Not this time.  The Steelers beat the Ravens for the third time this year, becoming the first team since the 1999 Titans to victimize a team three times en route to the Super Bowl.  If you remember, the Jags had three losses that year, and 14 wins.  You do the math.

*Early line for the Super Bowl: Steelers by 6 1/2.  What do the Cardinals have to do to earn respect?

SCOTT JACOBS

NFC Championship game: ARIZONA 31 PHILADELPHIA 20
I originally thought that this game would be a nailbiter, but if the Cardinals are truly a team of destiny, which i believe they now are, then they will begin to pull away late at University of Phoenix Stadium in front of a raucous, deafening home crowd. No one thought Arizona could get here, not the way they finished their season, but if there was ever a year where the Cardinals might be the chosen ones, this could be that year.

AFC Championship Game: PITTSBURGH 16 BALTIMORE 13 OT
These two teams are so even in my opinion that I don’t see this game getting settled in regulation. Instead I see it coming down to a Josh Reed 46 yarder in over-time to send the Steelers to Tampa. I expect around 3-4 turnovers, including a pick from Flacco in this game. I’ll even go out on a limb and say that the Steelers win this game after Flacco makes his first critical turnover of the playoffs.

Thoughts?

SCOTT JACOBS

I read a story today, that somehow I had never seen before.  The Eagles almost went to Arizona.  Not for a week, not for a game.  For good. Let that resonate for a second.  Philadelphia without the Eagles? Could there be such a world?  Well, practically 25 years ago Eagles fans and the city alike was on the verge of finding out.

Just imagine: the Arizona Eagles.  Three years before the Cardinals moved to Phoenix, the Valley of the Sun was seeking an NFL team.  They practically found a match when Tose came close to selling a nice little piece of the team to Phoenix-based real-estate developer James Monaghan.  He started looking at high schools and homes in Phoenix, and supposedly had a hand shake deal in place.  But it never happened as you’ve obviously figured out by now, and Tose ended up selling his share of the team.  The rest as we like to say, is history.

But picture this crazy idea:

This week’s NFC title game between Arizona and Philadelphia could still have happened if the stars alligned in a completely different way then any of us could have imagined.  Yup, ESPN, SI, CBS, Fox, they all could have been covering the clash between the two teams.

Only it could’ve looked a little different.

Philadelphia Cardinals at Arizona Eagles anybody?  And you thought this NFC title game was strange!

Read the original Philadelphia Inquirer article here