While there were some great performances in this year’s Super Bowl when the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals clashed, there were also a few disappointments. Here’s a look at the 2009 Super Bowl disappointments:

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Prior to his last touchdown drive, Ben Roethlisberger was a fantasy football disappointment. Even after getting his first touchdown pass of the game on his final throw, he still didn’t produce at the level many expected out of him, especially fantasy-wise.

RB Tim Hightower, Arizona Cardinals
During the regular season, Tim Hightower led the Cardinals in rushing touchdowns. By the end of the season, it appeared as if he had won the starting spot. But in the Super Bowl, he did next to nothing as he watched Edgerrin James get most of the touches.

WR Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers
Coming into the Super Bowl with an injury, there was some question about how well Hines Ward would be able to perform. While he appeared to be running well, Ward didn’t put up many stats. He was held to two catches for a total of 43 yards.

TE Leonard Pope, Arizona Cardinals
While no one was expecting Leonard Pope to have a huge game, it is somewhat surprising that he ended the Super Bowl without a catch. That is especially true considering that he had two grabs in Arizona’s previous game.

QB Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals
Although the Cardinals lost the Super Bowl, it wasn’t Kurt Warner’s fault. He had a very good game, especially in the fantasy football world. He finished the Super Bowl with three touchdowns, one interception and 377 passing yards.

RB Willie Parker, Pittsburgh Steelers
No running back in the Super Bowl had much of an impact. Willie Parker was the best but he didn’t help out too much. In 19 rushes, Parker picked up 53 yards. The Steelers had a rushing touchdown but it came courtesy of backup RB Gary Russell.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
Early on, it looked like the Steelers might be able to take Larry Fitzgerald out of the game. But late, Fitzgerald found room and ended up with very good stats. In the Super Bowl, Fitzgerald finished with nine catches, 127 yards and two touchdown grabs.

TE Ben Patrick, Arizona Cardinals
Although Heath Miller of the Steelers had a decent game, Ben Patrick was was able to score a touchdown from the tight end position. The Cardinals backup caught a one yard pass to give Warner his first touchdown pass and Arizona’s first points on the night.

Although the Pittsburgh Steelers are favored, this Super Bowl will undoubtedly be a well fought game. Here are our predictions on how it will play out and the resulting fantasy football stats for the Super Bowl.

Final Score
Pittsburgh Steelers - 24
Arizona Cardinals - 21

Quarterbacks
Kurt Warner - 301 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions
Ben Roethlisberger - 215 yards, one touchdown, one interception

Running Backs
Willie Parker - 125 yards, two touchdowns
Edgerrin James - 45 yards
Tim Hightower - 25 yards

Wide Receivers
Larry Fitzgerald - 109 yards, two touchdowns
Anquan Boldin - 90 yards, one touchdown
Hines Ward - 77 yards, one touchdown
Santonio Holmes - 90 yards

Even before the start of the NFL offseason, there are still some rumblings about possible offseason transactions. One such transaction that is now a rumor is Anquan Boldin of the Arizona Cardinals ending up with the New York Giants.

Even though Boldin and the Cardinals are about to play in the Super Bowl, Boldin hasn’t been a happy camper as of late. After the Cardinals advanced to the Super Bowl, instead of celebrating with his teammates, Boldin slipped out the back door because he was angry about not playing enough. Throughout the season, Boldin has expressed displeasure regarding his current contract.

Why would the Giants be interested? Two words: Plaxico Burress. In the season after winning the Super Bowl, Burress was a Super Distraction. When he wasn’t getting suspended for missing meetings, he was literally shooting himself in the leg. Although the Giants haven’t made any firm decision regarding his future, there is a lot of talk around New York that the Giants will cut ties with Burress.

If the Giants were to replace Burress with Boldin, it would definitely shake things up. While both players are very good wide receivers, Boldin is more of a possession receiver while Burress is more of a big play receiver. In the same offense, Boldin would likely get more reception and more yards, while Burress would get more touchdowns.

For Eli Manning, his fantasy value may rise if the Giants replace Burress with Boldin. Boldin is more consistent and would give Manning a dependable receiving option in each game.

Heading into this year’s Super Bowl, perhaps the most explosive fantasy football player on the field will be a familiar face. Kurt Warner, who has helped countless fantasy teams win championships over the years, has a chance to be a fantasy stud during the Super Bowl.

Although the former NFL MVP and NFL Super Bowl champion with the St. Louis Rams has been extremely hot as of late, it’s easy to forget how cold he was not too long ago. Between Week 11 and Week 16, he had more than one touchdown in a game just one time. During that stretch, he had 7 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.

That said, most of the attention is focused on how hot Warner has been lately. In the last game of the regular season, Warner had four touchdowns and more than 260 passing yards. In the three games in the 2008 NFL playoffs, Warner has a total of eight touchdowns and has at least 220 passing yards in each game. Almost equally as impressive is the fact that he has only two interceptions and no fumbles in the playoffs.

What should we expect from Kurt Warner in the Super Bowl? Logic tells us he shouldn’t be overly explosive in the Big Game. The Pittsburgh Steelers only allowed 157 passing yards per game during the regular season and only 12 passing touchdowns. However, even with that in mind, if there’s one quarterback who could figure out a way to excel against Pittsburgh, it’d be Warner — especially considering how well he has played as of late.

RB JJ Arrington, Arizona Cardinals
In the fantasy football world, JJ Arrington is best known for being a bust of a fantasy draft pick. Coming into the league as a rookie, fantasy owners were under the impression that he would have a big rookie season. While that was off base, Arrington gets some time at running back for the Cardinals and is a threat in the open field.

RB Carey Davis, Pittsburgh Steelers
Most fullbacks aren’t startable in the fantasy football world but with Carey Davis of the Steelers, you can be confident that he’ll at least get a couple touches. In the two games Pittsburgh has played in the playoffs, Davis has five touches. In their last three games, he has seven touches. If you need an emergency starter and all the other RBs are taken, look at Davis.

WR Jerheme Urban, Arizona Cardinals
There’s no doubt that the Cardinals will try a couple trick plays against the Steelers to try to catch Pittsburgh off guard. One target for the trick play could be Urban, who is the fourth wide receiver for the Cardinals. During the regular season, he threw a pass that was complete and he also had two touchdowns in the final three games.

WR Limas Sweed, Pittsburgh Steelers
Against the Ravens, Limas Sweed’s stat line would have looked a lot better if he would have hauled in the long bomb that fell right through his finger tips. If Hines Ward is banged up and Santonio Holmes is double-covered, Sweed could be the difference maker as a long ball threat.

RB Edgerrin James, Arizona Cardinals
Not too long ago, there were rumors that Edgerrin James would be released. Now, not only is he still with the Cardinals, he’s an important part of the team. In a pressure packed game such as the Super Bowl, expect James to play well.

RB Mewelde Moore, Pittsburgh Steelers
When Willie Parker was injured earlier in the season, Mewelde Moore came up huge and led the Steelers to a number of victories. Although his role is now reduced, he definitely has big play potential as a runner, receiving and a returner.

WR Steve Breaston, Arizona Cardinals
With Anquan Boldin still not 100% and Larry Fitzgerald demanding a huge amount of attention, Steve Breaston could find himself more open than usual. Breaston is a threat in Arizona’s vertical passing game and is also big enough to be an end zone threat.

WR Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers
Hines Ward has stated that he will play in the Super Bowl but it’s unknown how healthy he will be. With that in mind, Santonio Holmes has a chance to be the featured offensive player for Pittsburgh. In the playoffs so far, Holmes has been extremely explosive and has illustrated his vast potential.

QB Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals
Not only is he playing very well, Kurt Warner knows his way around a Super Bowl. He’s not going to be afraid of the stage and has a chance to have a huge game.

RB Willie Parker, Pittsburgh Steelers
Speaking of knowing about Super Bowls, Willie Parker has fond memories of his lone Super Bowl appearance. He was big in that game and could come up huge again for Pittsburgh.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
The most talented player in the Super Bowl has to be Larry Fitzgerald. He’s living up to his potential and is showing why he might become the best WR in the league sooner rather than later.

TE Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger trusts Heath Miller and if Hines Ward is banged up at all, there’s a chance that Miller will become Big Ben’s go-to receiving option.

K Neil Rackers, Arizona Cardinals
Not only is Neil Rackers kicking well, he has a strong leg and will likely be called upon a lot if the Cardinals are moving the ball. Rackers finishing with two or three field goals is somewhat likely.

D Pittsburgh Steelers
Despite going against a high-powered offense, the Steelers have the best fantasy football defense in the Super Bowl. They are aggressive, stout and make plays on a consistent basis.

QB Eli Manning, New York Giants
Six weeks ago, there were questions whether Eli Manning was a good enough quarterback to be considered the New York Giants’ quarterback of the future. Now Manning sits as the Super Bowl MVP and the guy who single-handedly beat the unbeatable New England Patriots. His numbers don’t blow you away but his poise and big play ability were off the charts. Amazing game and amazing playoff run for Manning.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw, New York Giants
Ahmad Bradshaw came off the bench and again provided a spark for the Giants. On nine carries, Bradshaw led the Giants with 45 yards rushing. With starter Brandon Jacobs being held to only three yards per carry, Bradshaw’s production was vital for the Giants. He won’t get much recognition but Bradshaw was one of the many heroes for New York.

WR David Tyree, New York Giants
Who? That’s the question you would have likely asked before the start of the Super Bowl. But David Tyree came up with one of the greatest catches in NFL history when the Giants needed it most in the fourth quarter. After Manning scrambled to buy time, Tyree jumped and made a one-handed catch that will be replayed millions of times between now and however long the NFL is in existence.

Simply amazing pass from Eli Manning to David Tyree …

TE Kevin Boss, New York Giants
I’ve praised him a lot since he took over for Jeremy Shockey and Kevin Boss didn’t disappoint. Although he only had one catch, the catch was a 45 yard completion that helped the Giants move the ball down the field when they desperately needed to do so. Boss also provided solid blocking all night. Throughout the playoffs, Boss showed enough that the Giants may opt to trade or even release Shockey.

New York Giants Defense
Amazing, amazing performance by the defense. The Giants flustered Tom Brady all night long and the pounding was enough to wear out Brady and end his magical season. After playing horribly in the first two weeks of the season, the Giants picked it up and became dominant throughout the rest of the year. Against the Patriots, the Giants defense shined bright.

QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots
After all the records and all the wins, Tom Brady and the Patriots couldn’t finish off their run. 18-1 is usually a good season, but not when the one loss comes in the Super Bowl. In Brady’s defense, he was rushed and harassed all night and couldn’t get into any sort of rhythm. He finished 29-for-48 with 266 yards and one touchdown. Good numbers but not the numbers you’d hope for coming into the game if you were a Patriots fan.

Brady last week scoffing at the idea the Pats might only score 17 …

RB Laurence Maroney, New England Patriots
He scored the opening touchdown for the Patriots but after that, Laurence Maroney was nowhere to be found for New England. He had only 36 yards on 14 carries for a pitiful 2.6 yards per rush. Maroney was playing great in the playoffs until he fell flat on his face in the Super Bowl.

WR Randy Moss, New England Patriots
After a great regular season, Randy Moss only had seven catches in the playoffs. While five of those catches came in the Super Bowl, Moss just wasn’t dominant enough from the beginning. Most of his damage came when the Patriots were in trouble. If he could have came out smoking, New England could have put the Giants away early.

Head Coach Bill Belichick
Never known as a good sport, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick left the field with (a tiny amount of) time still on the clock. That should make Belichick the goat of all goats. How can you leave your team to run and hide? That was an embarrassing move by Belichick. Equally embarrassing was when he went for it on 4th down and a mile when he was in field goal range. Belichick got outcoached in the biggest game of his career … and couldn’t stick around to see the end. Some people will defend him and say that he didn’t know there was time left. Sure.