PACKERS 31, STEELERS 25
Steelers’ record in Super Bowls: 6-2
Packers’ record in Super Bowls: 4-1
Series record (including playoffs): Packers lead, 22-14
STORYLINE
The NFL was founded in a Hupmobile showroom in Canton, Ohio, a town located thousands of miles from Dallas with Super Bowl XLV being staged at a venue at the complete other end of the spectrum from a car dealer’s showroom. But the participants in this Super Bowl are two of the storied franchises in the history of a league founded in 1920. The Steelers (six) and the Packers (12) have combined for 18 league championships, and the teams now have made a combined 13 appearances in the Super Bowl. And at their core, the Steelers and Packers franchises represent what is special about the National Football League – both have been extremely successful without the advantages of being in a major market, and while the Steelers have been family-owned throughout their existence the Packers are the only team in the league that’s community-owned.
TURNING POINT
The Steelers had closed to 21-17 and they had the ball at the Green Bay 41-yard line after a re-kick of a punt following a penalty. After an 8-yard run on first down,
STATS THAT STAND OUT
Green Bay has scored first in all five of its Super Bowl appearances.
Nick Collins’ 36-yard interception return for a touchdown was the 13th in Super Bowl history. Teams that return an interception for a touchdown in the Super Bowl are now 11-0.
The Steelers were penalized four times for 32 yards in the first half, while the Packers were flagged only for an illegal celebration by Nick Collins following his 36-yard interception return for a touchdown.
The Steelers were minus-three in turnover ratio
WHAT WENT RIGHT
* The Steelers’ best offense of the first half came in the final 1:45 of the first half. On the seven-play, 77-yard touchdown drive,
* As a balance to the Steelers having to play the entire second half without receiver
* In the first five minutes of the second half, the Steelers got exactly what they needed – a stop by their defense and a touchdown by their offense.
* On the series after Mendenhall’s touchdown, the Steelers got off the field with a third-down sack by
* A huge flip in field position late in the third quarter. On a fourth down from the Steelers 21-yard line,
* On a third-and-2 from the Packers 25-yard line, defensive coordinator Dom Capers got aggressive with a blitz, and Roethlisberger got the ball to
* The defense allowed the Packers to convert a third-and-10 with a 31-yard pass to Greg Jennings that moved the ball to the Steelers 44-yard line. But after Green Bay moved down to a first-and-goal, the Steelers defense stiffened and forced a field goal that kept the margin within a touchdown and an extra point, 31-25.
WHAT WENT WRONG
* The Steelers second possession began nicely. After a Green Bay punt went for a touchback, Rashard Mendenhall went for 15 yards on first down and then he rushed for 9 more to set up the Steelers with a second-and-1 from the Pittsburgh 44-yard line. But
* After the Packers took a 7-0 lead,
* On the first offensive play following Mundy’s penalty. Roethlisberger’s deep pass for Mike Wallace was severely underthrown, and Nick Collins intercepted the ball and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 Packers lead. It appeared Roethlisberger may have altered his delivery a bit because of pressure from Green Bay’s Howard Green.
* Roethlisberger’s second interception came on an attempted slant to Mike Wallace. Jarrett Bush came off his man and beat Wallace to the spot for the interception that the Packers turned into a 21-3 lead four plays later on a 21-yard pass to Greg Jennings from Aaron Rodgers.
* When
* After the kickoff following the field goal that gave the Packers a 31-25 lead,