SUPER BOWL

The NFL playoff season hasn't been kind to those who enjoy predicting. I mean, the Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl. That alone throws a huge problem in try to forecast the outcome. None the less, I press on in trying to complete .500 mark for the playoff season.

Arizona Cardinals - 23

Pittsburgh Steelers - 20

The better offense is clearly the Cardinals. The better defense is clearly the Steelers. The special teams are basically a push. So here's my thinking behind this pick:

Kurt Warner is on an amazing run right now. He has gotten hot at the right time and is making the right decisions at all the critical times. The Steelers defense will no doubt blitz and he is calm, cool and collective against that. Not to mention that ...

... Larry Fitzgerald is having a playoff run like no other Wide Receiver in NFL history. His aerial show is next to unstoppable. Certainly the Steelers will contain him from time-to-time but they will also have to contend with Steve Breaston and Anquan Boldin.

Edgerrin James is running the ball like "the edge" of old. If he was playing this well in the regular season, the Cardinals would have gone 11-5.

The Steelers injuries on offense are a concern for Pittsburgh fans. Hines Ward is so key in both the passing game (obviously) but his blocking really spurs the running the game as well. Big Ben is banged up and he can certainly get the job done in this game but he's not playing that well during the playoff run.

Pittsburgh's defense will come to play. No doubt about that. However, the Cardinals offense played great against a very good Eagles defense (third in the NFL) in the conference title game. They know how to beat a good defense.