Can the Unthinkable Happen?

As I'm sure everyone's aware of, the Arizona Cardinals are headed to Tampa to partake in Super Bowl XLIII.

Yes, the Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl.

For years, everyone lumped this franchise in with other bottom-feeders such as Detroit, Oakland, and Cincinnati. But in just his second year at the helm in Phoenix, Ken Whisenhunt has done the unthinkable as he has taken his team to the biggest game of all.

And Arizona's going to be facing something eerily similar in the Super Bowl that they have in the last three playoff games. Once again, the Cardinals will be the underdog, this time to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not only have the Cardinals embraced the role of the underdog, they also have some very recent history to feel good about.

Just last year, the New York Giants entered the playoffs as the fifth seed in the NFC. Their road to the championship has been described as the toughest road that any team has ever taken en route to a title. They began by going on the road against Tampa Bay and defeating the Buccaners. Then the following week, they stunned the #1 seed Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium. They then managed to overcome sub-zero conditions and Lawrence Tynes' chokejob at the end of regulation to beat the Packers at Lambeau Field to advance to the Super Bowl. One of the biggest upsets in sports history happened two weeks later at the University of Phoenix Stadium (where the Cardinals call home) by defeating the 18-0 New England Patriots.

The blueprint is there for the Cardinals. And an even bigger blueprint is that coach Ken Whisenhunt and assistant head coach/offensive line coach Russ Grimm were assistants on the Steelers' Super Bowl winning team just three short years ago under Bill Cowher. A lot has changed then as Cowher retired and Mike Tomlin has stepped in. But in a regular season game at Arizona last year, the Cardinals were able to defeat the Steelers in Week 3 to give Whisenhunt his first career victory as an NFL head coach.

The Cardinals may have been a 9-7 team to reach the playoffs, but they are a much different team than they were in the regular season. The offensive line grew more confident in their run-blocking abilities as Edgerrin James has had a career revival of sorts after wanting to be released by the Cardinals just a few weeks before the beginning of the playoffs. Tim Hightower has been a huge addition for the Cardinals as a goal line back, including catching the game-winning touchdown throw from Kurt Warner in today's NFC Championship Game.

While the Cardinals are running the ball much better than at any point of the season, they still have their explosive downfield game as Larry Fitzgerald is having one of the best postseasons of any player in league history. Anquan Boldin might be playing in his final game as a Cardinal at Tampa in two weeks, but he is still a top five receiver in the league. Even though Steve Breaston is the Cardinals third wideout, there's no question that he could be a number one receiver on several teams in the league, especially teams like the Bears and Raiders. Oh, and that Kurt Warner guy is still kind of good as well.

The Steelers are going to pose a very tough challenge to the Cardinals assault with the number one defense in all of football. I believe that they'll more than likely be able to handle the Cardinals ground game. But all throughout the postseason, the Cardinals have been able to feed off of the opponents' ability just to respect that ground game. When the Cardinals spread the field and go to their four wide receiver package, will the Steelers be able to match up with the speed of Steve Breaston and Jeremy Urban? Plus Larry Fitzgerald has proven that as long as you throw the ball up to him in his general direction, he'll come down with the ball even if he's in the middle of two defenders.

It's an exciting time to be one of the few legitimate Arizona Cardinal fans down here in Carbondale. The Packers will always hold a much higher standing in my heart. More than likely, I would've broken down after a game like this if the Packers were in it and won (sort of like last year except with a better outcome). And all of this is possible thanks to the likes of Josh McCown and Nate Poole. Without them, I'd just be like everyone else down here and probably wouldn't care all that much that the Cardinals are in the Super Bowl (for people that don't know what I'm talking about: check out the YouTube video below.)

The unthinkable is about to take place in Tampa Bay on February 1st. The Arizona Cardinals will raise the Vince Lombardi trophy as kings of the football world.

PITTSBURGH 23 BALTIMORE 14: Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers for winning Super Bowl XLIII. Wait. It's too early to crown 'em? I guess. Fine, I take it back. But is there really a way that the Arizona Cardinals can win a Super Bowl after a 9-7 season? I know Ken Wisenhunt is an offensive genius with a scoring juggernaut, to boot. But can they light up the NFL's top rated defense, which ranks No. 1 overall. OK, I spent too much time previewing the matchup. The Steelers just bullied the Ravens all over the field. Hats off to Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, SIU's Bart Scott and the rest of the gang for a hard-hitting display of their own. It just wasn't enough.

ARIZONA 32 PHILADELPHIA 25: The party's at Matt Leinart's house as the Arizona Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl. Get the "Fire Andy Reid!" and "Trade Donovan" threads going. And someone put Daulerio on suicide watch, will ya? I guess that city of Philadelphia dynasty went away rather quickly. Odds of Leitch ending up in pictures with Arizona college co-eds with Leinart ... pretty darn good if you ask me.

As favorites fall, Pittsburgh stands tall

The top seeds in the NFL playoffs were falling like the stock market.

First, the Tennessee Titans crashed and burned as Kerry Collins, LenDale White and Alge Crumpler each pressed the self-destruct button as the Baltimore Ravens picked up their second straight road playoff win. Joe Flacco didn't look like a rookie, probably because he is used to a playoff system playing in the Football Championship Subdivision last season.

So suck on that FBS, bowl apologists.

Then the Arizona Cardinals swooped into Carolina, allowed a game-opening touchdown before repeatedly punching the Panthers in the mouth en route to the team's first ever NFC Championship game.

So yes, both pairs of Smash and Dash were eliminated in one fell swoop.

Finally, the New York Giants were slayed by the Philadelphia Eagles, setting up a battle of the birds in the NFC Championship game. The Eagles will be making their fifth championship game appearance in eight years, cementing the greatness of Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb.

But it's hard to justify an NFC Championship matchup between a team that tied the Cincinnati Bengals and a team that lost four of its last six games and was outscored 167-70 in those losses.

Thank goodness for the AFC.

Birds and Bolts in the Super Bowl?

It is a distinct possibility that the Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Chargers could meet in the Super Bowl.

If I would have said that three weeks ago, I would have had to turn in my blogging credentials and begin searching for a job that did not involve sports or writing. Instead, the Cardinals (who finished the regular season with a less than spectacular 9-7 record) are one win away from the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance.

On the other hand, the Chargers (who started the season 4-8 before winning four straight to win the AFC West) still need to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers today and then beat the Baltimore Ravens next week to reach their first title game since 1995. Oh, and they need to do it without their best offensive and defensive players and with Norv Turner coaching on the sideline.

That might be one too many hurdles to overcome.

Nevertheless, it is possible that this Super Bowl could be mediocre at best.

Feeling kinda Monday: I figured the team that did not turn the ball over would win, but I did not expect a blowout Sunday afternoon. The Baltimore Ravens showed why Chad Pennington had no business being an MVP candidate as they intercepted four of his passes in B-More's 27-9 win in Miami.

Ed Reed is the best defensive player in football. End of story.

The Philadelphia Eagles did what I expected them to do, and that's beat the home-standing Minnesota Vikings, 26-14. You're not winning anything with Tarvaris Jackson as your starting quarterback. And no, Gus Frerotte isn't leading you to championship glory either.

Asante Samuel earned his payday. Brian Westbrook proved why he needs a million touches per game. And Donovan McNabb threw for 300 yards, dashing the hopes of this Bears fan hoping he would find his way home.

A 'wild' Saturday, indeed: Bolts (wearing the powder blues) beat Colts, 23-16 in overtime. MVPeyton doesn't even touch the ball in OT as D-Sproles just earned himself a phat paycheck from a team looking for a feature back. Norv Turner wins a meaningful playoff game? Nate Kaeding makes a clutch kick? Ron Rivera gets the best of the Colts offense. The last nugget comes two years too late for Bears fans.

Arizona's birds beat Atlanta's, 30-24, as the Cards' air attack struck early and often. Oh, and I learned to not trust rookie QBs in the playoffs. Watch out Joe Flacco. Is it too late to change my pick to Miami?

Oh yeah, and the home underdogs are undefeated ... Philly and B-More are officially on high alert.

NFL Playoff Pigskin Primer

Just because the NFL playoffs will not include my favorite team does not mean I won't be intently watching playoff football.

My hope is the quality of play in the Super Bowl tournament will exceed the kind of crap seen during the regular season. Parity is fun, but there is a fine line between parity and mediocrity. And in this regular season, the NFL violated that line.

With that said, here's hoping for the best.

Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona Cardinals. The Cards (9-7) stumbled down the stretch and I'm not sure if it was because they rested on their laurels or they are just not that good. They won the NFC West, which is the equivalent to winning a beauty contest judged by the blind.

Meanwhile, the Falcons come in hot. They have a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback and that did not stop them from posting an 11-5 record this season. Atlanta's dual-threat rushing attack with Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood should run wild in the desert.

C'mon, there's a reason no one wanted to go to a Cardinals playoff game. The writing is on the wall.

Prediction: Atlanta 24 Arizona 14

Indianapolis Colts @ San Diego Chargers. It's the Bolts and the Colts live from San Diego, which loosely translates to "a whale's vagina." Weird. Indy took the regular season matchup between the teams behind the leg of Adam Vinatieri, who booted a game-winning 51-yard field goal.

The Colts should look good as they go into this game with MVP Peyton Manning and a healthy squad going up against the injury depleted Chargers squad. Wait, where have I heard that one before? Oh yeah, the undermanned Chargers upset the Colts in Indianapolis last season en route to a trip to the AFC Championship game.

My guess is whoever wins this game will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Prediction: Colts 31 Chargers 20

Baltimore Ravens @ Miami Dolphins. Not only is this a rematch of a game earlier this season, it is a 2001 playoff rematch. By the way, the Ravens won that one.

Miami's return to glory this season is the story of the year as they finished with an 11-5 record and an AFC East title one season after finishing 1-15 ... 15 games behind division champion New England.

These are a pair of disciplined teams, so the winner will be decided by whoever wins the turnover battle.

Prediction: Ravens 16 Dolphins 14

Philadelphia Eagles @ Minnesota Vikings. This might be the mismatch of the entire playoffs. The Eagles rank in the top-10 in both offense and defense, and they are the only team in the playoffs that does so. That kind of makes them my sleeper in this format.

A heavy dose Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook should spell doom for the Vikings, who counter with the NFL's leading rusher Adrian Peterson. Unfortunately, they also counter with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback.

Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson is licking his chops and is having erotic dreams of the types of blitzes he will throw at the young signal caller.

And even though the Vikes are on turf in the dome, it just makes Westbrook that much faster.

Prediction: Eagles 31 Vikings 10