And then there were two. Two storied franchises, two tremendous defenses, two incredible quarterbacks and a handful of great players. No, it’s not the Patriots-Falcons matchup that many predicted. Trust me, it’s much better.
Quarterbacks:
When the pocket is collapsing around the quarterback, most tuck the ball, anticipating a sack. But Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers are in a league of their own. Their uncanny ability to feel the pressure, shift in the pocket and extend the play using their feet is what makes them so difficult to defend against. In the AFC championship game, Roethlisberger posted a 35.5 passer rating but his scrambling ability — especially on third downs — clinched the Steelers a ticket to the Super Bowl.
Rodgers possesses all those abilities and then some. With the loss of a consistent run game, the offense relied on a heavy passing game, which Rodgers excelled in. He can beat you with his arm or his feet and rarely makes a mistake. He has a knack for carving up defenses and seems to be even better playing against the blitz. While Roethlisberger has two rings along with a 10-2 playoff record, Rodgers is the superior, more efficient passer.
ADVANTAGE: PACKERS
Defense:
The Packers and Steelers have statistical the two best defenses in the league, giving up 15 points per game in the regular season. They can credit that to defensive coordinators Dick Lebeau and Dom Capers who are amongst the best in the business at drawing up exotic blitz packages out of the 3-4 defense. The similarities don’t stop there. Each team has outstanding versatile linebackers rushing the passer and playing into coverage. They are almost identical, but the one thing that separates the two defenses is Pittsburgh’s ability to stuff the run. Nose tackle Casey Hampton dominates the line of scrimmage, freeing up Troy Polamalu and their linebackers to plug up run holes. The Steelers give up a league best of 62.5 rushing yards per game, forcing opponents to be one-dimensional.
ADVANTAGE: STEELERS
NT B.J. Raji vs. Steelers center
Steelers’ starting center Maurkice Pouncey suffered a high ankle sprain in the AFC championship game last week. He is doubtful, but Pouncey told ESPN that there is a 75 percent chance he will play. If he doesn’t play, backup center Doug Legursky, who has started only four games this year, will take his place. Legursky isn’t as athletic or as quick as Pouncey, so Raji could play a key role in stopping the Steelers’ run game.
PREDICTION: Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-26.
The Steelers have plenty of Super Bowl experience but I think the hot team prevails here.
