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Super Bowl Matchups - Steelers vs Cardinals

How do the Cardinals and Steelers compare on the simple old fashioned Pass Completion Percentage? As one of the 4 QB Rating stats developed by the NFL's Hall of Fame it is one of the important stats measuring QB performance.

Fans favoring the underdog Arizona Cardinals to upset the favored Pittsburgh Steelers can take a look at this simple Pass Completion % and smile. The stat graphic below pictures Steeler QB Roethlisberger well BELOW Cards' QB Kurt Warner. Find your team's position relative to the leaders:

Pct Passing Average

Percentile Chart

100=Stongest 50=Average 0=Weakest
Lines: Playoff Avg=75 SuperBowl Avg=62

Win Mrg Points Change

Winning Margin Points Change
Sorted by Points Change, 2007 to 2008
Rank Team Pctl Stat
Value
Points
behind
Leader
Win Mrg
Pts Chg
vs 2007
Games
Won
1 MIA 100 67.21 0.00 5.31 11
2 IND 100 67.18 0.02 1.43 12
3 ARI 95 66.35 0.45 3.13 9
4 HOU 94 66.13 0.56 0.37 8
5 NYJ 91 65.60 0.84 2.63 9
6 S D 89 65.27 1.01 2.92 8
7 N O 88 64.94 1.18 -1.32 8
8 BUF 85 64.51 1.40 2.81 7
9 N E 80 63.48 1.94 -2.75 11
10 G B 79 63.40 1.98 -1.49 6
11 T B 78 63.17 2.10 -0.69 9
12 JAX 74 62.38 2.51 0.51 5
13 WAS 74 62.35 2.53 0.83 8
14 DEN 73 62.26 2.57 -0.54 8
15 ATL 67 61.06 3.20 0.27 11
16 S F 65 60.71 3.38 3.79 7
17 NYG 65 60.69 3.39 2.69 12
18 BAL 62 60.28 3.60 -0.49 11
19 DAL 61 59.96 3.77 -2.31 9
20 PIT 60 59.88 3.81 -2.04 12
21 PHI 59 59.74 3.89 -0.48 9
22 CAR 58 59.42 4.05 1.55 12
23 MIN 56 59.07 4.23 0.74 10
24 CIN 56 59.06 4.24 -3.02 4
25 TEN 53 58.50 4.53 -1.86 13
26 CHI 48 57.58 5.01 0.06 9
27 K C 46 57.30 5.15 -1.14 2
28 STL 40 56.15 5.75 -0.97 2
29 SEA 35 55.27 6.21 -3.96 4
30 DET 35 55.21 6.24 -3.89 0
31 OAK 21 52.73 7.53 -2.56 5
32 CLE 0 48.77 9.59 -3.74 4

2008 Season, YTD through Week 17

In season 2007 Cardinals ranked 20th on Pct Passing Average at 60.34.
In season 2008 they ranked 3rd at 66.35, up 3.1 points per game on this one stat.
From 2007 to 2008 Cardinals declined by 0.3 points per game on Winning Margin.


Arizona ranks first in the NFC completing 66.35% of all pass attempts. The Steelers' QB Roethlisberger ranks 20th in the league.

Now let's take a look at the WEEKLY graphic to see how the two Super Bowl teams did during the 16-game season and in the playoffs:

Pct Passing Average

Arizona Cardinals

2008 through Week 17


Card's QB Kurt Warner was stronger than average. In fact, the Cards' moving average on Percent Complete was stronger than league average all season. And then they knocked off the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles in t he playoffs.

Fans of the Cardinals can take a look at the improvement on the efficiency of the passing game introduced by Coach Ken Whisenhunt when he made Kurt Warner the starter. This season the Cards' Pass Completion Percentage soared above last season's modest improvement. Below is a stat graphic picturing the impact of QB Warner (RED BLOCK) on the Offensive Total Points Scored (BLUE line) where both improved at an upbeat rate.

Pct Passing Average with Winning Margin
Yearly 2004 to 2008

Arizona Cardinals

In season 2007 Cardinals ranked 20th on Pct Passing Average at 60.34.
In season 2008 they ranked 3rd at 66.35, up 3.13 points per game on this one stat.
From 2007 to 2008 Cardinals declined by 0.3 points per game on Winning Margin.


The improvement added 3.13 PPG to the Cards' Winning Margin. By itself the Pass Completion % improvement fully accounts for the Arizona team's 1 1/2 point gain in the scoring differential.

The Steelers' weekly performance was not up to par. This graphic pictures the Steelers' pass percentage performance over the 16-week season and in the playoffs:

Pct Passing Average

Pittsburgh Steelers

2008 through Week 17


The data suggest that Coach Whisenhunt built a winning team, potentially a winning Super Bowl team in just 2 seasons. That's gotta' be a nod for Coach of the Year. And QB Kurt Warner has been consistent in producing a Super Bowl stat profile in terms of passing efficiency.

If there is an upset in the cards it surely will hurry up Waner's intro to the NFL's Hall of Fame.

Bud Goode

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