Super Bowl XLV Preview
Written by Josh Katz
--The Green Bay Packers have taken the NFL postseason by storm, playing essentially five playoff games if you count the dismantling of the New York Giants in Week 16 and the play-in game in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears. The Packers are one of those teams who peaked at just the right moment, combining phenomenal quarterback play from media-darling Aaron Rodgers, a solid running attack in newly-found stud James Starks, and a defense which can blitz and force turnovers at will. The Pack have been road warriors, traveling to some of the toughest venues in football in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago and winning games in every way possible. Yes, they seem unstoppable at this juncture, but in their way stands a more-than-formidable opponent in perennial Super Bowl contenders the Pittsburgh Steelers.
--It has been a controversial season for the Black & Gold. Though the well-documented troubles of Ben Roethlisberger seemed as if they would doom the Steelers early on, Pittsburgh rallied around their quarterback to an outstanding season. They did it with some big plays from their receiving corps, their ground attack, and their defense, the heart and soul of the team. The Steelers have won two Super Bowls in the past five seasons, and look for number three this weekend in North Texas. The stage has been set for a dandy in Big D.
--This game has, and will continue to be dissected right up until kick-off, so I won’t bore you to death with stats and numbers and silly rumors about the Packers team photo. But as my colleague alluded to in his previous column, these two franchises have the history and class to attract all fans. They are both classic franchises, which have built their success through the draft, great leadership and and outstanding quarterback play. I believe this game will come down to who can limit mistakes and control the clock via the running game. Look for a defensive battle in this game, with Rodgers coming back down to earth a bit.
