The Pittsburgh Steelers faced off against the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. This big game featured an exciting matchup between the Ben Roethlisberger-led Steelers and the Kurt Warner-led Cardinals. The Steelers entered the game as touchdown favorites after a strong 12-4 season, while the Cardinals had a 9-7 season.
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin was early in his tenure with the team, having taken over from Bill Cowher. Many wondered if Tomlin could lead Pittsburgh to Super Bowl success. He began coaching the Steelers in 2007 and, by the 2008 season, had won a Super Bowl, becoming the youngest head coach to do so—a record later broken by Sean McVay.
Leading up to the game, an under-the-radar storyline was the presence of former Steelers Offensive Quality Control Coach Mike Miller, who was now the wide receivers coach for the Cardinals. In the book, Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers: Players Recall the Glory Years of the Black and Gold, Miller shared insights into the Cardinals' offensive game plan against his former team.
“To be honest with you, we thought we could attack their secondary. I thought they had a Hall of Fame safety in Troy Polamalu, and he was, in my opinion, the greatest strong safety to play the game, I think he revolutionized the position. But the other three, I think they were average players.”
Miller was with the Steelers from 1999 to 2003, and his familiarity with his former team gave him the confidence to exploit Pittsburgh's secondary with his wide receivers. He believed that, apart from Troy Polamalu and Deshea Townsend, the Cardinals could thrive by targeting what he saw as a weak secondary.
“The other guy we felt we were worried about was Deshea Townsend. Deshea played at Alabama and we thought he was a heck of a player. But we were not really impressed with the other guys in the secondary. The Steelers built that defense the way they built all their defenses throughout their history, which was they had a front seven that was in the top three every year. It seems their front seven is in the top three in every category. They're physical, they're fast. They had Casey Hampton anchoring the middle, who was just such a great anchor for that 3-4, he would dominate the inside and he was so athletic. And a smart guy, he could run, an amazing athlete, could flow to the ball.”
Miller highlighted the strength of Pittsburgh's defensive front, but identified their secondary as a weakness. Understanding the Steelers' strategy, he believed that if Warner could get the ball out quickly, the Cardinals could exploit and light up the Steelers' secondary.
“They had Aaron Smith on that unit, very strong, very powerful, great with his hands, almost impossible to get movement on. Their theory was, were going to get to you before you can expose our secondary. So you had Casey, James Harrison, Larry Foote and there was Troy behind them. They knew what their strength was.”
Miller's idea proved correct. In that game, Warner threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns. The Cardinals' star wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, had a massive performance, catching seven passes for 127 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
While Arizona struggled to run against the dominant Steelers' run defense, they successfully targeted Pittsburgh's secondary.
However, it wasn't enough for the Cardinals, as the Steelers made several game-changing plays to secure the win. The game came down to the wire, with Roethlisberger throwing a famous pass to Santonio Holmes, who made an incredible catch. The Steelers' defense then stopped the Cardinals' last-minute attempt to win the game.
Steelers Fans Were On The Edge Of Their Seats For The Entire Super Bowl
It was a stressful Super Bowl for Steelers fans, who saw their team go into halftime up 17-7, thanks to James Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown right before the half.
This play was a huge turning point, preventing the Cardinals from scoring and extending the Steelers' lead. Without that play, the Steelers might not have won the Super Bowl.
Miller and the Cardinals had the right game plan with their Warner-Fitzgerald connection, making impressive efforts in the second half. However, the Steelers won their sixth Super Bowl in the organization's history. For Miller, it was a disappointing loss to the team he once coached for. His strategy was solid, but it wasn't enough as the Steelers ultimately triumphed.
This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.
