Super Bowl XLIII
1990 Team Analyzation
I honestly don't recognize almost any of these players... I saw Merril Hoge the other day on ESPN, that's about it though. Both of these teams were pretty mediocre in 1990, not like last year's teams where the Giants were 1990 champions and the Patriots were simply Detroit Lions awful. So we have a not so interesting matchup to be honest, but hey, I've never played as either of these teams in Tecmo Super Bowl before! That should make things exciting... maybe.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback named Bubby Brister
RB's Hoge and Williams
WR's Lipps and Hill
TE Green
Phoenix Cardinals
QB Rosenbach
RB Johnson
WR Green, Proehl, and Jones
TE Reeves
Game 1 - Steelers v. Cardinals (me as the Steelers)
1st Quarter
Steelers win the toss and I choose to receive. I throw an interception on only my second play! Cardinals turn to show me their stuff. Wow, they pull a trick play that totally fools me. I'm so embarrassed. Rosenbach hands it off to Johnson but I'm fooled into thinking that Rosenbach kept it... there goes Johnson running down the field for a quick touchdown. Hey, my entire team was fooled too, I was just playing opposite of center. It's 7-0.
I hit a wide open receiver and I'm down to the Cardinal's 8 yard line. This could be a high scoring Super Bowl. Merril Hoge runs it in untouched to tie it up, 7-7. Time for a stop. On the first play they actually go for the play I was expecting them to run last time, Right and A, not Left and A. We stuff them for a 10 yard loss. Man, the AI sometimes really sucks in this game. They get two big running gains in a row while my defense just stands there. They also keep running the same play!
The 1st Quarter ends tied at 7-7, the Cardinals haven't thrown the ball yet. Doesn't sound like Kurt Warner at all!
2nd Quarter
On the first play I block their pass! Nice! It does the cool animation where a Steeler jumps in front of the ball and it bounces off his chest. Okay, I seriously think the game is toying with me. I just tried to tackle some guy who never had the ball, but I swear he had a "2" over his head signifying he's the ball carrier. And on Rosenbach's first pass attempt, I intercept it. 80+ yards to go.
Ooh, neat, I haven't seen the first down measuring animation in years. Just a few inches short though. First down easily after a quick run up the middle. A long pass and a nasty broken tackle nets me my second touchdown. 14-7. We pin them deep in their own territory on the kickoff and after a sack and a blown rush, they're stuck at their 1 yard line. They end up getting a yard on third down so they punt. Darn.
Crap, time runs out before I can get tackled after the punt. That's the end of the first half of the Super Bowl! Score is 14-7. The marching band does its thing and the dance squad in their sports bra blow me a kiss. Time for the second half.
3rd Quarter
The Cardinals are out for blood and score in about five plays, tied again at 14 all. Oh no! I almost ran it in for a touchdown on the kickoff but fumble on their 15 yard line! NOOOO! And they score a touchdown in two plays. They have three plays that look exactly alike when starting out and it's so hard to figure out what they're going to do. They get me again.
Man, does Bubby Brister suck. We need a score badly and he's wildly overthrowing the ball. The clock in this game runs way too fast for a paced ground attack, because the third quarter has just ended.
4th Quarter
Brister finally connects with the deep ball and we're on their 9 yard line. Yes! Williams is in for six! I really thought I was going to miss the extra point though because I was too pumped up over my score, luckily, he made it. The game felt bad for me or something. Blitz AI is kicking in.
SAFETY! My excellent kicker once again nails them deep and then the defensive line does the rest. 23-21, Pittsburgh Steelers in the lead!
I'm going to run it from now on and burn some clock, but the Cardinals are calling timeouts to combat me. Wow! A big run by Williams to the 10 just about ices the game. Two minutes left. Touchdown! 30-21! Pop that champagne! Woah, wait, I accidentally onside kicked the kickoff... no worries! I knock them out in four downs and the ball returns to me, victory formation! Technically, there is no kneel down play in Tecmo Super Bowl, so I just drop back and let the super fast clock wind down to zero. Whoops, threw an inteception! Who cares! Steelers win 30-21!
Game 2 - Cardinals v. Steelers (me as Cardinals)
1st Quarter
I win the kickoff and elect to return again. I finally get to try the plays that eluded me so badly last game. That trick pass play is insane, it changes hands something like four times. On third and long, they blitz and Rosenbach fumbles, but somehow someone on the Cardinals recovers and manages to get within a yard of the first down. This is your time boys, go for it on fourth and short... first down!
Ugh, another fumble, and the trick play didn't work again. Blerg. I force a punt though, phew. The first quarter ends at zeroes.
2nd Quarter
I'm going to keep trying this play on first down until it works. Fails again and a few plays later I'm forced to punt. I boom a huge punt to their 20 and they start running back with it... but wait! Fumble!! And I've got it and we're in the endzone for the first score of the game! 7-0 nerds!
After a punt, I decide the Steeler's staff must be reading what I'm writing because they just blitzed me on my first down trick play. The first half of the second game ends with me up 7-0. Ohhh nice! It's the best half-time show: parachuter lands on the field, guys do the wave, cheerleaders high kick, and we get the elusive panty shot. Awesome.
3rd Quarter
Garth Jax just got a sack. Is that not the coolest name ever? Steelers have to settle with a field goal, 7-3. Finally, the trick play works for like a 20 yard gain. I think that's the last time I'll use it... so annoying. As a mostly uneventful third quarter ends, Bubby Brister misses a wide open Lipps that would have easily been a touchdown. Failure.
4th Quarter
Score is 7-3, time for the game's heroes to step forth. Good start, I force a punt and somehow they kick it out of the stadium. If your guy can kick it that far, why not try for a field goal? It's time to hit the ground with a rushing attack that will eat up the clock. Two first downs now and three minutes left.
Dang, I have to punt. Just under two minutes left, Steelers have the ball down by only four points. You would be loving this game if it was real life! Eric Hill with the sack! It's 4th and 15 on their own 15 with a minute left. They have to be going for the Hail Mary, right? They do and the ball skips away incomplete! Wow, that was close. Victory formation again!
I decide to go for a touchdown since I'm so close and end up throwing another interception. This could be very bad. Very, very bad. They have 24 seconds and the whole field to work with, but you never know.
Oh no he didn't! Freddie Joe Nunn (who's name just barely fits on the screen) hits Brister with a sack and safety! That's the game! Cardinals win 9-3!
3rd Game - Steelers v. Cardinals (computer versus computer)
1st Quarter
Since the two games ended with each team grabbing a win of Super Bowl 43, it's time to let the computer play it on, head-to-head. Steelers win the toss and will get the ball. Another early interception swaps the sides. Pittsburgh's strong defense forces a punt though.
This is kind of boring just watching... well, the Cardinals finally score a touchdown on their trick play. They used it no less than three times that series. First quarter ends 7-0.
2nd Quarter
Steelers intercept a Rosenbach pass with a sweet cutscene, nice. And they throw one right back to Phoenix/Arizona. This is getting kind of painful. Steelers suddenly resort to an all out passing game and end up kicking a field goal... and missing. Pathetic. The first half mercifully ends at 7-0, Cardinals. Wow, that half-time had both panty girl and kiss face girl. Crazy.
3rd Quarter
Phoenix somehow scores another touchdown with their trick play from like the five yard line! Why not just rush it in? Well, who cares, it's 14-0 now, and I don't know how the Steelers can recover. Then they throw another interception. It's going to take a miracle.
4th Quarter
14-0, Cardinals. Game over? Well, the Cardinals biff a field goal, and there are four minutes left... nah. Pittsburgh breaks a big run and then goes on to throw four straight incompletions (some wide open) to turn the ball over.
I think I can call it now, Cardinals score another touchdown to make it 21-0. And that ends up being the final score, making the Cardinals the winner.
Final
With the Arizona Cardinals winning two of three, I predict they will be the winners of Super Bowl XLIII! See you next year!
