NE just showed that a good defense beats a good offense. The rams had a horrible defense to go with their great offense and couldn't stop NE when they had to. They won games back then by outscoring their opponents, just like Arizona does.
I think if you look back coming into this season Pitt was picked 2nd or even 3rd in their division. With the toughest schedule in the NFL (and some said
ever) looming, a new coach and coming off a 10-6 season and first round loss in the playoffs to the Jags few gave them any chance to be in the Superbowl this year (
I can think of nobody that did..) The consensus SB favorite was Dallas, with of course NE winning the AFC. There were also high hopes for SD and Jacksonville and even Indy and Tennessee. Even half way through the season few were betting against the Titans and Giants to be in the big game. Pitt was just slotted into the "Possible Wildcard" group with a killer 4 game stretch with NE, Dallas, Baltimore and Tennessee back-to-back starting November 30th and with the Ravens having a much easier schedule.
Nobody thought Pitt would win 8 of their last 9 games.
So that dog don't hunt that Arizona is the only dangerous team that isn't supposed to be there. Chris Berman on ESPN picked both SD AND Baltimore to upset Pitt in the playoffs. It was surely a fluke that Pitt beat them both (the Ravens twice) in the regular season. Pitt couldn't possibly beat SD twice and the Ravens Thrice. After all, the #1 AFC seed Tennessee couldn't beat the Ravens twice even with two weeks rest.