Packers overcome Steelers 31-25 in Superbowl XLV
The Green Bay Packers hoisted the Lombardi trophy on Sunday after 14 years without a Super Bowl title. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t have a single playoff win when the regular season started, now he has three consecutive playoff wins, a Super Bowl and a well deserved Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
The Green Bay Packers faced the Pittsburgh Steelers for the championship. At the beginning of the first quarter, the defences set the pace of the game. The Steelers started the game on the offence from the 36-yard line. That drive also ended on the 36-yard line.
The Packers had a little more success than the Steelers but their first offensive drive couldn’t produce anything either. Rodgers was able to pass 24 yards to Donald Driver. Apart from that Rodgers was unable to connect with any other receiver. The Packers started from the 21-yard line and stopped on the 49-yard line.
After the first unsuccessful push forward, the Packers shifted gears. Rodgers and James Starks combined their talents, and the combination of the pass and rush proved to be successful against the Steel Curtain.
The Packers started from the 20-yard line and apart from a solitary failed pass attempt, they gained yards on every play of the series. Rodgers passed 34 yards in five attempts, with four of those connecting. Starks rushed the ball on three plays for 17 yards. In eight plays and less than four minutes, the Packers had advanced from their 20 to Pittsburgh’s 29-yard line.
On the final play Rodgers had Jordy Nelson in his sights. Nelson ran down to the right, along the sidelines to the endzone being tailed by Pittsburgh cornerback, William g*y. Nelson stiff-armed g*y and pushed him away far enough to catch Rodgers’ pass in the endzone for a touchdown. Mason Crosby kicked the ball for the extra point and the attempt was good.
The Packers led seven to nothing after 12 minutes of the first quarter. After the extra point, Crosby kicked the ball 71 yards to Pittsburgh’s -1 line. Wide receiver Antonio Brown ran the ball 15 yards to the Steelers 14-yard line but an illegal block penalty cost Pittsburgh seven yards.
So far in the game Steelers’ quarterback Roethlisberger had connected on just two attempts for a total of nine yards. After two drives, the Steelers had still advanced only 28 yards. Their offence needed to pick up its game but the pressure from the Packers was constant.
On the very next play after the first touchdown, Roethlisberger threw an extremely costly interception. From the 7-yard line, Big Ben pulled back into the endzone while he looked for a receiver. Wide receiver Mike Wallace was racing along the end zone with cornerback Tramon Williams by his side. Wallace was Roethlisberger’s intended target but the Packers defensive line wouldn’t have it.
Green Bay’s Howard Green pushed through the offensive line and got his hand in front of Roethlisberger’s face just before he released the pass. Green didn’t make contact with Ben or the ball but his presence was disturbing enough to make Roethlisberger’s throw go off target. Green Bay’s cornerback Nick Collins caught the ball on Pittsburgh’s 37-yard line with no Black and Gold jerseys around him.
Collins evaded the Steelers almost into the endzone. On the two-yard line Collins was trapped between Pittsburgh’s Jonathan Scott, Flozell Adams and Chris Kemoeatu. The three men combined to form an obstacle for Collins. However, Collins leaped through the air between the three linemen to make it into the endzone.
The second touchdown just added insult to injury. The Steelers now trailed 14 points behind the Packers. Green Bay had been successful in covering Roethlisberger’s receivers in the first quarter and had not allowed the Steelers any opportunities to score or even make big plays.
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