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Super Bowl Post Game - Steelers vs Cardinals

How valuable was the Steelers' INT return by LB James Harrison in Sunday's Super Bowl? The 100-yard run was worth 18.2 points in the winning margin. It made the largest contribution to the Pittsburgh Steeler victory.

Each stat contributes some point value to Offensive Points Scored, D Points allowed and to the Scoring Differential. All Return TD stats contribute more than 7 points to a win (the rare return TDs contribute the most). And you will see only one return score in every 5 games. And according to Forbes business magazine which does an annual survey of major league team franchise values, the Super Bowl victory may have increased the Steelers' bank account by at least $50,000,000. That's not pocket change. Let's hear it for LB Harrison.

Below is a stat graphic picturing the top 50 stats and their point contribution to the win:

PostGame Matchup Stats: Points Advantage on Key Independent and Dependent Stats

Charts show points advantage on key stats from each stat category. Team with advantage is pictured with a bar in Advantage column: the bigger the chart, the stronger the team's advantage. Far right column shows Points Advantage on each of our 36 stat matchups.

Steelers 27, Cardinals 23

Offense/Offense	Var	Independent	Offense	Offense	Advantage		Points
Matchup	Num	Variable Name	PIT	ARI	Steelers	Cardinals	Advantage
PIT Off vs ARI Off	20	Yds Opp Returnd Int - I	-1	100			18.2 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	93	Passing Efficiency - I	21	103			18 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	10	Total Rushing Plays - I	26	12			16.1 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	91	Rushes per Pass Att - I	0.9	0.3			9 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	174	Clock Time - I	32.8	27.2			9 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	12	Pass Attempts (Tot) - I	30	43			6.6 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	117	Pass Eff Percent - I	9	27.5			5.9 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	32	Fumbles This Season - I	0	2			5.8 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	155	Give Aways - I	1	2			4.8 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	4	First Downs Rushing - I	4	2			4.2 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	175	Rushes + Pass Comp - I	47	43			4 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	6	First Downs By Penalty - I	4	1			3.9 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	33	Fum Lost This Year - I	0	1			3.9 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	8	Yards Rushing (Net) - I	58	33			3.5 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	147	Rush Yards Percent - I	19.9	8.1			2.6 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	13	Tot Passes Complete - I	21	31			1 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	75	Total Plays (Scrim) - I	58	57			0.4 PIT
PIT Off vs ARI Off	17	QB Sacks - I	2	2			0
PIT Off vs ARI Off	19	Passes Had Intercpted - I	1	1			0
PIT Off vs ARI Off	24	Punt Rets.This Year - I	2	2			0
PIT Off vs ARI Off	129	Tot Yards/Pass Comp - I	12.2	12.2			0
PIT Off vs ARI Off	14	Pct Passing Average - I	70	72.1			1.1 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	11	Avg Yards per Rush - I	2.2	2.8			1.2 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	128	Pct QB Sacks/Attmpt - I	6.7	4.7			1.3 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	71	Pct Interceptions - I	3.1	2.2			1.6 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	15	Pct Comp(+QB Sacks) - I	65.6	68.9			2 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	130	Net Yards/Pass Comp - I	11.1	12.1			2.1 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	118	Plays per 1st Down - I	2.9	2.5			2.8 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	3	First Downs Total - I	20	23			3.9 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	82	Yards per Pass Att - I	7.3	8.3			4.2 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	5	First Downs Passing - I	12	20			5.6 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	9	Yards Passing (Net) - I	234	374			5.6 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	18	Yards Lost Passing - I	22	3			9.3 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	7	Yards Gained (Gross) - I	292	407			10.4 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	152	Yards per Sack - I	11	1.5			11.8 ARI
PIT Off vs ARI Off	77	Yds Gained per Play - I	5	7.1			13.2 ARI

In the Steelers vs Cardinals contest, the most important independent stat
was Yds Opp Returnd Int where Steelers had an advantage of 18.2 points.

Offense/Offense Var Dependent Offense Offense Advantage Points

Matchup Num Variable Name PIT ARI Steelers Cardinals Advantage

PIT Off vs ARI Off 21 Opp TDs On Intcpts - P 0 1 11.1 PIT

PIT Off vs ARI Off 84 Points per Pass Att - P 0.9 0.5 9.4 PIT

PIT Off vs ARI Off 39 TDs Scored On Ret - P 1 0 8.8 PIT

PIT Off vs ARI Off 37 Touchdowns Rushing - P 1 0 7.1 PIT

PIT Off vs ARI Off 27 Kickoffs Returned - P 4 5 5 PIT

PIT Off vs ARI Off 43 Total Points Scored - D 27 23 4.2 PIT

PIT Off vs ARI Off 36 Touchdowns Scored - D 3 3 0

PIT Off vs ARI Off 143 Yards per Touchdown - P 146 135.7 0.2 ARI

PIT Off vs ARI Off 149 Plays per Touchdwn - P 29 19 1.6 ARI

PIT Off vs ARI Off 121 Pass TDs/Opp Intcpts - P 1 3 4.3 ARI

PIT Off vs ARI Off 73 Pct TDs per Pass - P 3.1 6.7 7.2 ARI

PIT Off vs ARI Off 38 Touchdowns Passing - P 1 3 10.8 ARI

As our copy before the game suggested, the Steelers would run successfully against the Arizona D. The Run/Pass balance of 0.9-to-0.3 tells us the Steelers did fair-to-middling well. How about 300% more than the Cards?

And as this space suggested, Cardinals' QB Kurt Warner's passing efficiency stats would look good against Steeler QB Roethlisberger. Earning 8.3 yards per toss Warner topped Roethlisbeger's 7.3. Warner earned 20 First Downs Passing and Roethlisberger's 12 was substantially smaller.

It was a neat game. And we can't wait for the rematch next season.

Bud Goode

PS: Kurt, remember your first NFL game? Opening game of the 1999 season the St. Louis Ram QB Greene broke his leg. Coach Dick Vermeil's eyes glazed over. Backup QB Warner, standing next to him put a hand on Coach Vermeil's shoulder and said, "Don't worry coach. Everything is going to be OKAY." Rookie WR Tory Holt's first catch was a TD. His last catch of the season was a TD. The first game, QB Warner earned 10 yards per pass attempt and won the game. The second game he earned 11 yards per toss and Coach Vermeil's stat report had the Rams projected to win the '99 Super Bowl. Coach Vermeil didn't believe it.

QB Warner, one more time.