Super Warning: Don’t Take Arizona Lightly

The Steelers are 12-4. They’re playing an upstart team in the Super Bowl that went 9-7 in the regular season, a team that was not expected to make it this far. But I’m not talking about the Arizona Cardinals. I’m talking about the 1979 Steelers and the 1979 Los Angeles Rams.

The playoffs had just expanded to 6 teams in 1978, and some found it absurd that a 9-7 team made it to the Super Bowl. The Rams had to upset the Dallas Cowboys to make it to Pasadena, to face a Steelers team that was looking for a record 4th Super Bowl victory.

Nobody gave the Rams a chance. Nobody. Except the Rams. The leads changed six times that day. The Rams threw on the Steelers, and they ran on the Steelers. They intercepted Terry Bradshaw three times. Then they made a fatal mistake.

At the end of the third quarter, the Rams were actually leading, 19-17, and my 10-year-old heart couldn’t take it. The mighty Steelers were actually LOSING to this 9-7 team. But the Rams, a little too excited, ran down to the opposite end of the field when the quarters switched. They ran out of steam at that moment, and Terry Bradshaw and John Stallworth made Super Bowl highlight history.

Don’t think for a minute that Larry Fitzgerald can’t torch Ike Taylor.

Don’t think for a minute that Kurt Warner can’t get rid of the ball before Harrison or Woodley gets to him.

Don’t think for a minute that the Cardinals can’t pick off Big Ben three times.

As long as the Steelers don’t underestimate the Cardinals, they SHOULD win. This is a team that New England beat by 40. The Steelers beat New England by double digits. So should the Steelers win by 60? No.

Fortunately, I believe they have a coach that will keep their heads in the game. And barring a special teams nightmare, I look for an easy Steelers victory, 38-7. My 40-year-old heart can’t take much more than that.