The Cardinals have been the Rodney Dangerfields of the NFL playoffs. First they were called the “worst playoff team ever“, then no one gave them a chance against the Falcons, Panthers or Eagles. People are now calling them the worst Super Bowl team of all time. It’s gotten so bad that even machines are showing no respect to the Cards.

According to the Canadian Press, Madden NFL 09 has told them the Cardinals will lose to the Steelers.

The simulation has the Steelers winning Super Bowl XLIII 28-24 with the games MVP being the Steeler’s Ben Roethlisberger.

Pittsburgh dominates the opening half, talking a 21-7 halftime lead. Roethlisberger throws TD strikes of 10 and 13 yards to Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward, respectively, while Willie Parker runs 10 yards for the other score. Edggerin James’ eight-yard run accounts for Arizona’s lone touchdown.

The Cardinals cut the lead to 21-14 in the third when James runs 14 yards for his second touchdown of the game. The Steelers counter with Roethlisberger throwing another TD pass to Holmes to take a 28-14 lead at the close of the quarter.

Kurt Warner hits Larry Fitzgerald on a 15-yard TD pass in the fourth before Neil Rackers hits a 45-yard field goal with 3:15 left to play to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 28-24.

Obviously the gaming system, like the prognosticators, haven’t watched the Cardinals very much. Everyone knows that Edggerin James getting a touchdown of more than 4 yards hasn’t happened this year, so two in one game is completely improbable.

EA Sports simulation has Steelers holding off Cardinals in Super Bowl [Canadian Press]

Madden NFL 09 Picks Steelers Over Cardinals For Super Bowl 43 Victory [FirstCuts]