Dennis Green orchestrated the Cards' landmark '04 Draft.

Bob Rosato/SI

By Don Banks, SI.com

TAMPA -- Even if you happen to believe he did some of his worst coaching -- not to mention post-game press conferences -- in Arizona, it's impossible to ignore the fact that Dennis Green deserves some of the credit for the Cardinals being the most unlikely Super Bowl team of all time.

Green's three-year coaching record in Arizona (2004-06) was an abysmal 16-32, and his teams were notorious for blowing more than their share of games (see meltdown, Monday night, Bears). But Green's ability to judge personnel in Arizona, which he demonstrated time and time again during his 10-year coaching tenure in Minnesota, looks pretty good from the vantage point of Super Bowl week.

The 2004 draft, his first in Arizona, provided the backbone of the 2008 team, and is arguably the best haul in franchise history. Green and Cardinals general manager Rod Graves selected Larry Fitzgerald in the first round, linebacker Karlos Dansby in the second, defensive tackle Darnell Dockett in the third, and defensive end Antonio Smith in the fifth round. That's three Pro Bowl-level players and a key contributor (Smith) in the draft's opening five rounds.

Roger Goodell's instincts about the Pro Bowl are off-base.

AP

TAMPA -- During his annual pre-Super Bowl press conference Roger Goodell hit on a number of wide-ranging topics, from the economy, the collective bargaining agreement and post-concussion syndrome. While he eloquently stated the league's stance on each, he seemed absolutely clueless when it came to the decision to move the Pro Bowl from Hawaii to the site of the Super Bowl one week before the game.

Goodell said the move would increase the popularity of the game and reward players by putting them on the biggest stage next to the Super Bowl.

What Goodell essentially did with the move -- which, by the way, I fully expect to change after next year -- is make the least exciting all-star game absolutely irrelevant.

How can the league still call next year's game the "Pro Bowl" when players on both Super Bowl teams will not be allowed to play in the game? Let's say, for example, the Cowboys and Patriots played each other last year in the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl was played one week before the game. That would mean 21 players -- including Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Tony Romo and Terrell Owens -- wouldn't have been eligble to play.

That's like staging an NBA All-Star game without Kobe Bryant and LeBron James one week before an NBA Finals between the Lakers and Cavaliers. It makes no sense whatsoever.

Terrell Owens' stats make a compelling case for Canton.

AP

TAMPA -- There seems to be more Hall of Fame debate on Radio Row this week than discussion about the game on Sunday.

It started with Kurt Warner. When you check into the hotels, they have special floors for people who don't think he's made the Hall yet. Then it got to Shannon Sharpe, who's been wandering the Super Bowl media center and has a solid chance of being elected for enshrinement on Saturday.

But the best Hall debate I've heard was today on the Dan Patrick Show. Jerry Rice was talking about Terrell Owens' problems last year. Rice said he was concerned about T.O.'s lack of precision on route running and all the dropped passes. Rice wasn't sure Owens would ever make the Hall of Fame.

"He's at the door right now," Rice said of T.O.'s chances. "It's up to him to kick the door down."

I was surprised to hear there was even a debate about Owens' eventual enshrinement in Canton. He might be one of the most dislikable players in NFL history, but how can there be any debate about his Hall credentials. Rice is the only player in NFL history with more touchdown catches than Owens, and Owens is tied for sixth all time in catches (951).

Art Monk made the Hall of Fame last year. Monk was a good player, but would a defense be more worried about Monk or T.O.? You would double-team Owens and put a linebacker on Monk.

Ready or not Hall of Fame, Terrell Owens is coming your way eventually.

Check SI.com's Super Blog regularly for more dispatches from Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa.

The Steelers and Cards will play for the Lombardi Trophy.

David J. Phillip/AP

SI.com's team of NFL analysts went on record today with their picks for Sunday's game, with six opting for the underdog Cardinals.

Here's a summary of their prognostications:

Peter King: Pittsburgh 24, Arizona 21

Don Banks: Pittsburgh 23, Arizona 16

Jim Trotter: Arizona 24, Pittsburgh 20

Damon Hack: Pittsburgh 23, Arizona 17

Lee Jenkins: Arizona 24, Pittsburgh 21

Bucky Brooks: Arizona 27, Pittsburgh 21

Ross Tucker: Arizona 24, Pittsburgh 21

Adam Duerson: Arizona 28, Pittsburgh 21

Dominic Bonvissuto: Arizona 27, Pittsburgh 14

Andrew Perloff: Pittsburgh 21, Arizona 16

What's your prediction for Sunday's game? Does yours match up with any of the above scores? Let us know below.

Check SI.com's Super Blog regularly for more dispatches from Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa.

The Cardinals need a big game Sunday from Mike Gandy.

Icon SMI

By Ross Tucker, SI.com

TAMPA -- Everyone is talking about the mental fisticuffs between Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and blitz-happy Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. But they are overlooking one important point as we get closer to game time: LeBeau probably knows he doesn't need to blitz in order to get pressure on Warner.

If watching tape of the NFC Championship game taught LeBeau anything, it was that Warner is at his best when carving up a blitz-happy defense that exposes holes in the coverage. Warner knew where he was going with the ball before it was snapped on multiple occasions against the Eagles and Philly was hurt badly by the veteran's precision. That tape also showed that the Eagles were most effective when they simply turned their front four loose.

Cardinals left tackle Mike Gandy struggled against Eagles defensive end Trent Cole, giving up a sack and a couple of pressures. Gandy's technique was poor as he rounded his kick on his pass sets a number of times and failed to use his hands properly.

The bad news for Gandy and good news for LeBeau is that Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison is even better than Cole.  Couple that with the fact that Lamar Woodley has a favorable match-up with Levi Brown on the other side, and you can see why the normally blitz-happy Lebeau may opt to just turn his bulldogs loose.

Arizona needs Gandy and Brown to play their best games of the season or else find a way to provide both of them with help in the form of a chip from a running back or inside protection from an adjacent lineman.

Check SI.com's Super Blog regularly for more dispatches from Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa.