TAMPA, Fla. -- A team with a defense that ranked in the top 10 in scoring won the Super Bowl 22 straight years, from 1984 to 2005.
The past two years, that trend was broken.
The classic offense-vs.-defense argument will be played out today in Super Bowl XLIII, and the football world will see which trend holds up.
Will the Pittsburgh Steelers once again prove that defense wins championships?
Or will the Arizona Cardinals prove they have one of the greatest one-year pass offenses in NFL history?
"We've got to keep them from dominating the game," Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said.
In one corner, there is the 71-year-old LeBeau, one of the greatest defensive chiefs ever, the creator of the zone blitz scheme and the mastermind of Pittsburgh's new "Steel Curtain."
Pittsburgh ranked No. 1 in the NFL this year in points allowed (13.9) and No. 1 in yards allowed (237 a game).
In the other corner is 37-year-old Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player bidding for a second Super Bowl title and what could be the cap to a Hall of Fame career.
Arizona ranked tied for third in the NFL in scoring (26.7 ppg) and No. 2 in passing yards (292 a game).
"This will be the best offense we've played all year at a time when they're clicking the best," Steelers safety Ryan Clark said. "It was good to have two weeks off to prepare."
Pittsburgh aims for a record sixth Super Bowl title. The Steelers, Cowboys and 49ers all have five Vince Lombardi trophies.
Arizona aims to complete a rags-to-riches fairy tale. The Cardinals have not won the NFL title in 62 years.
The outcome may come down to how well Warner handles LeBeau's blitzes.
Warner was the highest-rated quarterback in the NFL this year against the blitz, completing 64.4 percent of his passes with 14 touchdowns, four interceptions and a passer rating of 103.1.
He has the best wide receiver tandem in the NFL in All-Pro Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Fitzgerald had 1,431 receiving yards and Boldin 1,038 this year. No. 3 wideout Steve Breaston had 1,006 yards. In three January games, Fitzgerald already has the NFL single- season playoff receiving record with 419 yards on 23 catches.
"You don't play in the league as long as he's played and have the success that he's had without being able to handle anything the defense does," LeBeau said. "He's comfortable against pressure. He's comfortable against max coverage. Our feeling is that offenses in general don't play quite as well against pressure. So we'll be trying to search for a way to do that."
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, ranked second in the NFL in sacks. The Steelers' linebackers combined for a league-high 381/2 sacks, led by NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison, who had 16.
"One of the great things about the blitz is you know that when it comes, there is going to be some vacated space out there where you can get the ball in your playmakers' hands to make plays," Warner said.
"He does such a great job of recognizing where the pressure's coming from and understanding where the ball has to go quickly," Cards offensive coordinator Todd Haley said. "So he's able to make those quick decisions."
The Steelers have excelled at containing No. 1 wideouts this year. Not counting garbage-time yards, only two wideouts (the Colts' Reggie Wayne and the Titans' Justin Gage) managed 100 yards against Pittsburgh.
Look for the Steelers to follow the tactic New England's Bill Belichick employed against Warner in Super Bowl XXXVI. The Pats' 3- 4 defense frequently rushed four men, played man-to-man coverage underneath and put two safeties over the top.
Lots of teams try that, but not many have pass rushers as good as Pittsburgh's.
"We want to try to get him out of his rhythm," LeBeau said. "If the quarterback doesn't feel any pressure in this league you're going to have a tough time with him, no matter who it is. It will be magnified with Kurt Warner."
It will help Warner if the Cardinals can run. Arizona ranked 32nd in the NFL in rushing, and the Steelers were No. 2 in run defense. Arizona would become the worst rushing team ever to win the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh has gone 21 straight games without allowing a 100- yard rusher.
Colossal mismatch, right? Maybe not.
Arizona has newfound balance, averaging 111 yards rushing the past four games. Edgerrin James has 203 rushing yards and Tim Hightower 132 in three playoff games.
Arizona's defense also has played better in the playoffs, improving the run defense from 110 yards allowed (16th in the NFL) in the regular season to 77 yards allowed in the playoffs.
Two years ago, Indianapolis won the Super Bowl despite a run defense that ranked 32nd in the NFL.
Last year, the New York Giants upset New England with a defense that ranked 17th in scoring during the season. The Giants' defense, however, raised its level in the postseason last year.
Only four teams allowed more points than Arizona (26.6 a game) this year -- Detroit, St. Louis, Denver and Kansas City. All four fired their coaches.
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