Super Bowl XLV is just a few hours away and while most people in Cleveland are hoping with their hearts that the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers tonight, I figured I would ask the editorial staff of SBN-Cleveland who would win tonight.
Eddy Jansen: Pittsburgh Steelers 32 - Green Bay Packers 29
The word "clutch" may be an understatement in terms of describing the play makers of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Roethlisberger, Ward, Wallace; they all elevate their level of play inside the two minute warning of quarter number four. They've came through at the highest stage before. And the Packers inexperience will not guide them in a new, but eccentric environment in Cowboys Stadium. An indoor atmosphere should translate into an offensive shootout, and Pittsburgh has some home run hitters.
Martin Rickman: Green Bay Packers 21 - Pittsburgh Steelers 17
The agonizing two weeks are over. Super Bowl Sunday is finally here. And with all the black and yellow and green and yellow we've been hearing about, boy am I relieved. This game comes down to quarterback play, plain and simple. Big Ben has a knack for making a bad game look good with his scrambling, quick shovels, delayed rollouts for first downs and tight throws to his receivers.
Aaron Rodgers is one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL, plain and simple. Can Rodgers break the vaunted (albeit slightly overrated) Steelers secondary and get Greg Jennings the ball early and often? Or will the Steelers put enough pressure on him to force him into mistakes that will ultimately doom the Packers.?
The Steelers always get lucky in these kinds of games, but for some reason, I think the luck won't be going their way this time. There's something about this never-say-die Packers team that gives them that extra "something." I can't explain it, but I've got to go with Green Bay.
John Bena: Pittsburgh Steelers 31 - Green Bay Packers 27
In 2009 the Packers and Steelers met during the regular season. The results - the teams combined for over 900 yards, over 70 points. Ben Roethlisberger threw for over 500 yards himself. So much for defense. While I don;t expect that many points to be scored today, I do expect plenty of scoring. Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers are both playing at a high level - as are the receiving corps - and I think it is going to be hard for the defenses to slow them down.
While Super Bowl experience is likely overrated - see Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints in 2010 - there will be a moment during the game that Aaron Rodgers will realize he is playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. That moment, in a game between two teams so evenly matched, could be the difference. Until a team other than the New England Patriots take down Big Ben and the Steelers I cannot bet against them.