Steelers
OFFENSE
A Ben Roethlisberger solidified his hold on the top spot in the young quarterbacking fraternity with a much stronger performance than in his first Super Bowl. And Santonio Holmes is a legit star.
DEFENSE
A The league’s No. 1 defense was as good as advertised in the biggest game of the year. Extra credit to James Harrison for his 100-yard touchdown dash.
SPECIAL TEAMS
B Neither good nor bad, which is a great thing for a game of this magnitude.
COACHING
A Defensively, Mike Tomlin and Dick LeBeau schemed to slow Larry Fitzgerald, and on offense, they made the right calls to go to Holmes, the hottest player on the field.
OVERALL
A A memorable and thrilling game in which the better team won. The current Steelers regime is starting to rival the legendary Steel Curtain teams of the 1970s.
Cardinals
OFFENSE
B Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald got hot late and nearly pulled off an amazing comeback and upset. Down a grade for the red-zone interception to end the half.
DEFENSE
B Exceeded expectations, but the group wasn’t quite tough enough on the Steelers’ final touchdowndrive.
SPECIAL TEAMS
C A poor punting night for Ben Graham (36- yard average) gave the Steelers good field position.
COACHING
B Ken Whisenhunt won two important challenges, but he and offensive coordinator Todd Haley ultimately couldn’t outsmart the Pittsburgh defense.
OVERALL
B The Cardinals proved that they deserved to be here and showed potential to be a serious NFC contender for years to come if the team can stay intact.
