Dueling QBs are worthy of praise

TAMPA, Fla. — Were they worthy? That was the question. On one side, a former supermarket stock boy, a reject, a has-been. On the other, a guy who had flopped on the grand stage three years earlier and needed a bailout from his teammates.

One of them would be a two-time champion.

So would either Kurt Warner or Ben Roethlisberger be worthy, even with a win Sunday in Super Bowl XLIII? Worthy to have won two more Super Bowls than Dan Marino, one more than Brett Favre, Joe Namath and Peyton Manning, the same number as John Elway, Bob Griese, Bart Starr and Roger Staubach? Worthy to be within striking distance of three-time champions Tom Brady and Troy Aikman, and four-time champions Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana?

Were they worthy in the Steelers' heart-stopping, 27-23 victory?

Were they ever.

Not one. Both. In victory, Roethlisberger. In defeat, Warner. Without strong running games. Until the last snap, when the Steelers finally finished the latter by forcing a fumble.

Forget the statistics. Forget the ratings. They're not worth noting.

Don't calculate. Celebrate. This was as good a quarterback duel as the Super Bowl has seen.

As confetti covered the field, the Fatboy Slim song lyric said it: Got to praise you like I should.

Praise Warner, who touched the ball on only one first-quarter series, for leading the Card(iacs) back, rallying emotionally from the last play of the first half, a slant attempt to Anquan Boldin that James Harrison returned 100 yards for a touchdown, and bringing Arizona from 13 down into a lead.

Praise Roethlisberger, stymied for much of the second half, for a nearly flawless final drive, including a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes that couldn't have been more perfect.

Warner had performed well in his two previous Super Bowl appearances, which were two of the most competitive and compelling Super Bowls of all time — he threw for 414 yards in a MVP effort against the Titans and 365 in a last-play loss to the Patriots. He was brilliant as ever in Sunday's final three quarters, after hardly touching the ball in the first. With his primary target, Larry Fitzgerald, covered well by Ike Taylor, Warner did what he does best: He improvised, by progressing through his reads and extending drives with short completions to Steve Breaston over the middle.

Then, finally, he found Fitzgerald. First, on a fade, a jump ball, with Fitzgerald outleaping Taylor. And then on a slant that Fitzgerald took the distance for a 64-yard score and the lead.

But it wasn't over.

Not with Roethlisberger getting the ball with 2:37 left.

This wasn't the same guy who played in Super Bowl XL in Detroit three years ago against Seattle. He was nervous that day. And he was awful — 9 of 21, 123 yards, two interceptions. The Steelers' only passing touchdown that day was thrown by a receiver, Antwaan Randle El.

This was a different team, too, one without a powerful rushing attack.

This week, former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who retired after that game, noted that "it's not like a couple of years ago, when we didn't need him to play his best game."

So Roethlisberger had to be better.

"He can't play any worse," Bettis joked.

"He's not the same guy as the last one," coach Mike Tomlin said. "He was a young guy in the last one. He's a franchise quarterback."

The growth was evident early. On Roethlisberger's first attempt, he play-faked to Willie Parker, rolled right and hit Hines Ward for 38 yards. He may be as balletic as the average bison, but repeatedly broke the Cardinals' beaks on broken plays. Some gains seemed small, like a 5-yard completion to Heath Miller on third-and-four — stumbling, bumbling, twisting, turning and flinging to the right flat. That gain extended a first-quarter drive, setting up the first touchdown.

That all helped set up the end.

"I said it's now or never," Roethlisberger said. "I told all the guys, all the film study doesn't matter if we don't score."

Fourteen yards to Holmes. Thirteen more to Holmes. Forty to Holmes. Finally, 6 to Holmes, over three defenders, including the raised left hand of Antrel Rolle.

"I had a lot of fun," he said.

So did anyone watching.

We're not worthy.