NFL Hot Takes: Cardinals and Steelers back to Super Bowl form

NFL Hot Takes: Are the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers both back to Super Bowl form in 2015?

It was 2008 last time the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers were this good. The Cardinals were led at that time by a different second-hand QB in Kurt Warner, who wound up as one of the best players at the position in franchise history. The Steelers were still led by Ben Roethlisberger, but also a dominant defense.

Each team has taken completely different paths to getting there, but seem to be on track for a return to prominence in the playoffs in 2015.

The Cardinals are one of the most complete teams in the league with a pair of head-scratching losses currently on their 10-2 resume’. The Steelers have suffered through injuries to Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell, both of whom you could argue are MVP caliber players in the league right now.

But let’s talk about the Steelers for a moment. At 7-5, they aren’t likely to overtake the currently top-seeded Cincinnati Bengals at 10-2 for the AFC North crown, but if they can squeeze into the playoffs in the AFC, this is a really dangerous team. There’s probably no better arsenal of offensive weaponry in the NFL than what they have in Pittsburgh with Roethlisberger throwing the football. Even Le’Veon Bell’s absence has paved the way for a career rebirth for DeAngelo Williams, who is currently one of the most efficient running backs in the NFL.

The Steelers have found a way to build this offense to be a juggernaut of sorts, at least when it wants to be. They absolutely embarrassed the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football and did it in a variety of ways. If it wasn’t star receiver Antonio Brown (who is one of the most ridiculous players in the league) it was Martavis Bryant, a player who — when coming out of Clemson — seemed like another boom or bust height/weight/speed guy.

He’s currently booming.

Bryant has developed into one of the most potent offensive weapons in the NFL today, averaging 21 yards per catch in his career with 14 touchdowns to date.

The Steelers also have the underrated Markus Wheaton and a veteran tight end in Heath Miller that can move the chains. Most importantly, the Steelers’ offensive line is starting to really pick up their play. They were dominant against the Colts on Sunday night.

Likewise out in Arizona, the Cardinals are playing some of the best football we’ve ever seen the franchise play, and it all flows through Carson Palmer.

A troubling series of events in Cincinnati led to a faux retirement for Palmer, who was traded to the Oakland Raiders for a steep price. His time in Oakland proved to be less than ideal, and he was cast off and signed by the Cardinals. It’s really not too dissimilar a path that Kurt Warner took to Arizona, save for a few details in the middle.

Palmer has been playing MVP caliber football for the Cardinals this season, and he’s not too certain his offensive weaponry isn’t on par with that of Roethlisberger.

Larry Fitzgerald, one of the best receivers of this generation, has been reborn in 2015. He looks like the old dominant Fitzgerald we had all grown to know and love since he was drafted out of Pittsburgh in 2004.

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Fitzgerald’s 91 catches this season are tops on the Cardinals, but John Brown has sort of developed into a poor man’s Antonio Brown for the Cardinals. He’s caught 51 passes this season, four for touchdowns, and is averaging 16 yards per catch. He’s a big play waiting to happen for Arizona.

The Cardinals also have former first round pick Michael Floyd, who has had some big games already this season and despite a slow start has really come on as the season has gone along.

Arizona has nine different players that have caught a touchdown pass this season. They have five different players that have scored rushing touchdowns, including rookie David Johnson who is one of the league’s best kept secrets.

Like the Steelers, they’ve battled through injuries to key players but the Cardinals can hurt you in so many different ways — on the ground, in the air, on special teams, and defensively — that it doesn’t seem to matter what you throw at them. They have an answer every single week.

These two teams combined for one of the most memorable Super Bowls for me in the last couple of decades. The Steelers obviously came out on top with one of the greatest throw/catch combinations in Super Bowl history from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes, and this year we could see them back together again on the NFL’s biggest stage.

And what a rematch it would be.

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