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Raising Arizona: Cardinals want revenge

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-14 11:41

NEW YORK -- Sunday's championship finals to decide the Super Bowl combatants could produce contrasting games when defensive-minded Pittsburgh hosts Baltimore and Philadelphia visits high-scoring Arizona.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) makes a catch between Carolina Panthers' Charles Godfrey (30) and Ken Lucas during the first quarter of the NFC Divisional Round NFL playoff football game in Charlotte, North Carolina, January 10, 2009. [Agencies]

The Steelers have the No 1 defense in the NFL while the Ravens, their American Football Conference (AFC) North rivals, rank second.

The second-seeded Steelers (13-4) beat the Ravens (13-5) 23-20 in overtime at home in September before muscling their way to a 13-9 victory in Baltimore in December.

Pittsburgh Steelers Nate Washington (L) celebrates with teammate Santonio Holmes after Holmes returned a punt 67 yards for a first quarter touchdown against the San Diego Chargers in their AFC Divisional Round NFL playoff football game in Pittsburgh, January 11, 2009. [Agencies]

"Us and the Ravens ... would be a big game if it was a scrimmage," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after Sunday's 35-24 win over the San Diego Chargers.

"It just happens to be the AFC championship game."

The sixth-seeded Ravens advanced with a 13-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans, the AFC top seed.

Philadelphia guaranteed the NFL would crown a new champion by ousting last year's Super Bowl-winning New York Giants 23-11 in a National Football Conference (NFC) playoff.

The sixth-seeded Eagles (11-6-1), in their fifth NFC title game in eight years, take on fourth-seeded West division champion Arizona Cardinals (11-7).

The Cardinals, who upset the Carolina Panthers 33-13, have scored more points this season than all but two teams and have an attack featuring experienced quarterback Kurt Warner and receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

"We're playing against a team that doesn't have any problem scoring points," said quarterback Donovan McNabb after his Eagles defense kept the top-seeded Giants from scoring a single touchdown.

Dig deep

"We're going to have to dig deep on offense and be able to come up with touchdowns."

Arizona Cardinals runningback Tim Hightower (34) gets past Carolina Panthers safety Chris Harris during the fourth quarter in their NFC Divisional Round NFL playoff football game in Charlotte, North Carolina, January 10, 2009. [Agencies]

The Eagles beat the Cardinals 48-20 in November, a turning point in their season.

Philadelphia was walloped 36-7 by the Ravens in Baltimore in a game that sent a jolt through its squad, with coach Andy Reid benching McNabb at halftime.

Four days later in a Thanksgiving Day game in Philadelphia, McNabb threw four touchdown passes to lead the Eagles past the Cardinals and begin a run of six wins in seven games.

"After the Baltimore game we all talked as a team," said McNabb, whose Eagles also beat the Steelers 15-6 in the third week of the regular season.

"We got away from guys flying around and making plays. We're a much better team when we're loose."

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin shrugged off suggestions the odds were stacked against his players beating a quality team like the Ravens three times in a season.

"I personally don't subscribe to that hocus-pocus," said Tomlin. "What happened in the other two games will have no bearing on the outcome of this game."

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is expecting a classic confrontation.

"It's going to be a battle," he said. "It's going to be one for the ages, I have a feeling."

Agencies