February 7, 2011
After the game ended last night several thoughts were running through my mind. One was a feeling of…emptiness, perhaps. The Super Bowl is over and there won’t be any more football until August, assuming the new CBA is drawn up in time. Sure, baseball is right around the corner, but football is the more exciting of the two, and it’s much easier to write about.
The other feeling was excitement. I had just watched the most exciting Super Bowl played during my lifetime. Of course, right now, as I write this post, that feeling has slipped away and I can think of a couple Super Bowls that I would rank higher on the excitement scale. But hey, last night’s game was very exciting, everything you expect of a sport’s championship game.
But how exciting was it really? When you compare it other recent Super Bowls like the Steelers/Cardinals game or the Patriots/Rams one early last decade, this one doesn’t seem all that exciting, despite the outcome not being determined until there was less than a minute to play.
Trying to figure out the answer to that question, I looked at the stats from last night. The Packers had a +3 turnover differential. They never turned the ball over and they scored touchdowns after every Pittsburgh turnover. That didn’t help me answer my question, though. On one hand, the fact that the Steelers played such a sloppy game in terms of ball security would imply a very unexciting game. Yet the Steelers only lost by six points and had the ball with a chance to win the game as it drew to a close.
If I were to call this game the most exciting Super Bowl of my lifetime, I would have to say that last year’s game sits right there with XLV. Last year the Colts lost by 14 points to the Saints. But Indianapolis was in a very similar position as Pittsburgh was last night, down by seven late in the game with a chance to tie it and force overtime. I don’t think last year’s game ranks that high on the excitement scale, so I have to say the same for last night’s game.
But that is not to say Super Bowl XLV was not exciting, because it was. The Packers looked like they were going to run away with the game for a while and they had a 21-3 lead late in the first half. Only a late touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Hines Ward gave Steelers fans any sense of hope heading in the second half.
This game turned into one of momentum. Green Bay had the momentum early and built up a big lead, one that barely stayed intact. But going into the second half, momentum was on the Steelers side and they took advantage of it while they had it. But when Pittsburgh drew close, Green Bay responded and their offense finally came back to life.
I was a little worried about how Aaron Rodgers would perform after the Bears game two weeks ago. He played well in that game, but was forced out of his rhythm as the game moved into its latter stages and he was never able to get it back. When the Steelers started making him feel uncomfortable last night, I thought, “Here we go again.” But he stepped up, returned to form, and delivered when it was most critical that he do so. In terms of stats, I think Greg Jennings deserved to be named MVP. But because he responded at the times he had to, I agree with the decision to give Rodgers the MVP award.
I’ll conclude this post here since there isn’t much else I can analyze about the game. The Packers played well throughout. Their only poor play came on a few stalled drives in the third quarter, and when that defines your poor play, you are in an excellent position. Pittsburgh played poorly, turning the ball over about three times more than you can if you are expecting to win a game. They made a run and had about a quarter and a half of really solid play. It wasn’t enough to net them a win, however, and Green Bay won their 4th Lombardi Trophy and Aaron Rodgers became the third Packer to win Super Bowl MVP.
Final Score:
Pittsburgh Steelers – 25
Green Bay Packers – 31
Showing posts with label Super Bowl XLV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Super Bowl XLV. Show all posts
Monday, February 7, 2011
Super Bowl XLV: Recap
Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX
Pittsburgh Steelers
Green Bay Packers
This game was probably the most anticipated Super Bowl since the New England Patriots attempt at perfection in Super Bowl XLII.
The Steelers entered the game with more Lombardi’s than any other NFL franchise with six. This appearance tied the Cowboys’ record for most in the Super Bowl with eight. This was also the third Super Bowl appearance for Ben Roethlisberger and the second for Mike Tomlin.
The Packers hadn’t been in the Super Bowl since 1998 when they lost to the Denver Broncos, 31-24. At that time, Brett Favre was the Packers starter under center. Today his successor, Aaron Rodgers, started in the first Super Bowl to be played after Favre’s, likely, final retirement.
The Packers won the coin toss and differed to receive in the second half. Pittsburgh wasn’t able to get anything going on their opening possession and had to punt. The game got exciting, and nerve-wracking, very quickly. Green Bay CB Tramon William muffed the punt when his own man interfered with his fair catch. The Pack dodged a bullet by recovering the ball.
On their possession, Green Bay got a free play on an offside call, but completed a pass near midfield anyway. They stalled on that set of downs, however, and it was the Packer’s turn to punt the ball away.
The Steelers had no more success on their second possession as on their first, but when they failed to pin Green Bay inside their 20, the Packers took advantage. It was a well-executed drive with Rodgers stretching the defense and finding his outlets when under pressure. The drive resulted in a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson that gave the Packers an early 7-0 lead. Rodgers was 5/6 on the drive with his one incompletion coming on a deep pass on the first play of the drive.
An illegal block in the back put the ball on the 7-yard line for the Steelers to start their ensuing drive. On the first play, a Packers defender applying pressure caught Ben Roethlisberger’s arm and his pass floated in the general direction of Mike Wallace. With no one else around, Nick Collins had an easy pick before running it back for a touchdown.
A 12-play drive for the Steelers finally put them on the board early in the second quarter when Shaun Suisham capped off the drive with a field goal. The Packers still led 14-3 and they got the ball back with the Steelers not putting up much resistance against Rodgers & Co.
That momentum didn’t carry over, however. The Packers were quickly forced to punt. With the ball back in his hands, Roethlisberger, who had been under constant duress up to that point, needed to find a way to get the ball into the end zone. Earlier in the game he had sustained shoulder and knee injuries but was confident he could still throw and run. An early penalty set the Steelers back to 1st & 20 inside the 20-yard line. The drive looked good for a while as Pittsburgh converted that first down and another, driving to near midfield. They would progress no further on that drive, however. Jarrett Bush picked off a pass Roethlisberger attempted to thread between two Packers defenders.
With another chance to extend their already comfortable lead, the Packers made quick work of the Steelers defense. They converted two first downs on their way to a 21-yard touchdown strike from Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings.
With just over two minutes left in the first half, the Steelers needed a break, or at least a quick, long drive. They started at the 23-yard line. On the first play they got a big break. Roethlisberger throw a bullet that had just enough lift to get over the outstretched arms of a Packer defender and into the hands of Antwaan Randle El for a 37-yard completion. Three plays later Roethlisberger found Hines Ward for a first down on 3rd & 10. Another big completion to Ward gave the Steelers 1st & Goal from the 8. With the kind of success he was having, Roethlisberger figured to go in the same direction once more and found Ward for a touchdown deep in the end zone.
When the Packers got the ball they called a run play that ran down the clock to half time with Green Bay leading 21-10.
After Pittsburgh shifted some of the momentum their way at the end of the first half, the Packers had a chance to take it back when they got the ball to start the second half. Green Bay hurt their cause by committing two penalties for a combined 15-yard loss. Pittsburgh then caught a bit of a lucky break when a 3rd & 5 pass from Rodgers was dropped and the Packers were forced to punt.
There was a questionable call on the punt return when a facemask was called on Green Bay. There was, however, no question about the Steelers running ability as they did nothing but run all over the Packers defense on their way to another touchdown.
Scoring another big defensive stop, the Steelers got the ball back with pretty good field position. They did a good job running the ball when they tried the ground game, but Roethlisberger passed a little more on this drive and did a decent job for a while. After the Packers defense finally locked down and forced a 3rd & 13, Roethlisberger was forced to wait for a play to develop downfield. Packers linebacker Frank Zambo had more than enough time to get to him and made the sack. Shaun Suisham was forced to kick a 52-yard field goal, which he missed badly.
With excellent field position and an 18-point lead that had dwindled down to four, the Packers needed a spark to take advantage of the opportunity. They never got one, but they did move the ball down the field a little bit and were able to score a small victory by pinning the Steelers at their own 13-yard line with a punt.
The Packers defense didn’t let Pittsburgh’s offense get past their 20-yard line and the Steelers had to punt.
After a 15-yard penalty and a three-and-out by Green Bay, the Steelers got another chance with great field position. Their drive started at Green Bay’s 41-yard line. On 2nd & 2, two Packers defenders hit Rashard Mendenhall hard. One of them was Clay Matthews, who dislodged the ball. Desmond Bishop was there to pick it up.
Green Bay took advantage of this possession as they converted a few third downs and ended the drive with a 2nd & Goal touchdown pass from Rodgers to Jennings, the second touchdown hookup for the two in the game, and the Packers took a 28-17 lead early in the 4th quarter.
With that score, the Packers had notched 21 points off Pittsburgh turnovers. This ended up being the story of the game. The Packers took care of the ball, fumbling just once on the early muffed punt, but they never turned the ball over. Meanwhile, Roethlisberger threw two interceptions and Pittsburgh lost their only fumble on the Mendenhall run and Green Bay took advantage by scoring a touchdown after each of these turnovers.
At this point the Steelers were down by 11 again. Roethlisberger led his team on a fantastic drive down field. They committed a penalty that could have really hurt them, but they got past it and capped the drive off with a 25-yard touchdown to Mike Wallace. They opted to try for two, having gone 2/2 during the regular season. The play looked dead when Roethlisberger was met by a wall of green, but he found Randle El, pitched it to him, and watched his wide receiver convert the two-point try to pull to within a field goal with about 7:30 left in regulation.
Just when it looked like the Packers next drive was about to die and the Steelers would have a chance to tie or take the lead, a huge pass to Jennings over the middle on 3rd & 10 gave the Packers just the spark they were looking for. James Starks took the handoff on the next play and picked up another first down and the Packers found themselves in field goal range. Another big pass to the back shoulder of James Jones gave the Packers 1st & goal at the 8-yard line. A couple short passes later and it was third down at the 5. Good defense by the Steelers forced the Packers to send Mason Crosby out to kick the 23-yard field goal.
Down by six with 2:07 left in the 4th quarter, the Steelers would get the ball back with only one timeout and the 2-minute warning at their disposal. The Steelers weren’t going to make it easy on themselves though. Not only did Redman not go down until after the 2:00 mark had passed, but Pittsburgh was also penalized on the play. The Steelers went into a hurry-up offense and quickly went to work on advancing the ball down field. Roethlisberger’s first two passes on the drive gave the Steelers a first down and a 5-yard gain. After throwing the ball away on 2nd & 5, Roethlisberger threw another incompletion, overthrowing Mike Wallace for the second time in the game. With only 56-seconds left, the Steelers needed to convert on 4th & 5. The pass was nearly picked off, but ruled incomplete. Regardless of the call, it was clear that the drive was over and the Packers were just a few long moments from taking home the Lombardi Trophy.
Green Bay called on Aaron Rodgers to sit on the ball two times while the rest of the players began to enjoy the moment. This is the city’s 4th Super Bowl win and 13th NFL Championship.
Early on, this game looked like it would be a blowout like so many Super Bowls have been in the past. But Pittsburgh battled back as their defense played well throughout the third quarter and Roethlisberger settled into a rhythm. The Packers offense finally got things back together in the 4th quarter and did not let the Steelers ever take the lead in the game. Though close, the Packers had this game from the beginning to the end and earned a very exciting victory. It was, as many of the championships this decade have been, a very close, exciting game.
Final Score: Green Bay – 31, Pittsburgh – 25
MVP: QB Aaron Rodger, Green Bay
Hopefully, after his performance, Aaron Rodgers will no longer be considered as being in Brett Favre’s shadow. Rodgers is a household name now, and it should now because of what he has done and not because of who’s act he followed.
In other Super Bowl related news, it is quite likely that Cowboys Stadium will not be hosting another championship game any time soon. When many fans were displaced from their seating, around 400 were left with no seating to be relocated to. Most of them were forced to use the standing room only platforms where there wasn’t nearly enough room. The NFL will be refunding them triple (each person will receive $1800-$3600 for what were tickets ranging from $600-$1200), but the fans are still unhappy that they traveled all the way to North Texas to watch the game in a bar setting, something they could have done back home.
One more note: my predictions for this game were pretty accurate. I predicted Green Bay to win 31-30 and for Rodgers to be named MVP. You can see those predictions in my “Super Bowl XLV: Predictions” post.
I hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl and, as always, thanks for reading!
Pittsburgh Steelers
Green Bay Packers
This game was probably the most anticipated Super Bowl since the New England Patriots attempt at perfection in Super Bowl XLII.
The Steelers entered the game with more Lombardi’s than any other NFL franchise with six. This appearance tied the Cowboys’ record for most in the Super Bowl with eight. This was also the third Super Bowl appearance for Ben Roethlisberger and the second for Mike Tomlin.
The Packers hadn’t been in the Super Bowl since 1998 when they lost to the Denver Broncos, 31-24. At that time, Brett Favre was the Packers starter under center. Today his successor, Aaron Rodgers, started in the first Super Bowl to be played after Favre’s, likely, final retirement.
The Packers won the coin toss and differed to receive in the second half. Pittsburgh wasn’t able to get anything going on their opening possession and had to punt. The game got exciting, and nerve-wracking, very quickly. Green Bay CB Tramon William muffed the punt when his own man interfered with his fair catch. The Pack dodged a bullet by recovering the ball.
On their possession, Green Bay got a free play on an offside call, but completed a pass near midfield anyway. They stalled on that set of downs, however, and it was the Packer’s turn to punt the ball away.
The Steelers had no more success on their second possession as on their first, but when they failed to pin Green Bay inside their 20, the Packers took advantage. It was a well-executed drive with Rodgers stretching the defense and finding his outlets when under pressure. The drive resulted in a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson that gave the Packers an early 7-0 lead. Rodgers was 5/6 on the drive with his one incompletion coming on a deep pass on the first play of the drive.
An illegal block in the back put the ball on the 7-yard line for the Steelers to start their ensuing drive. On the first play, a Packers defender applying pressure caught Ben Roethlisberger’s arm and his pass floated in the general direction of Mike Wallace. With no one else around, Nick Collins had an easy pick before running it back for a touchdown.
A 12-play drive for the Steelers finally put them on the board early in the second quarter when Shaun Suisham capped off the drive with a field goal. The Packers still led 14-3 and they got the ball back with the Steelers not putting up much resistance against Rodgers & Co.
That momentum didn’t carry over, however. The Packers were quickly forced to punt. With the ball back in his hands, Roethlisberger, who had been under constant duress up to that point, needed to find a way to get the ball into the end zone. Earlier in the game he had sustained shoulder and knee injuries but was confident he could still throw and run. An early penalty set the Steelers back to 1st & 20 inside the 20-yard line. The drive looked good for a while as Pittsburgh converted that first down and another, driving to near midfield. They would progress no further on that drive, however. Jarrett Bush picked off a pass Roethlisberger attempted to thread between two Packers defenders.
With another chance to extend their already comfortable lead, the Packers made quick work of the Steelers defense. They converted two first downs on their way to a 21-yard touchdown strike from Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings.
With just over two minutes left in the first half, the Steelers needed a break, or at least a quick, long drive. They started at the 23-yard line. On the first play they got a big break. Roethlisberger throw a bullet that had just enough lift to get over the outstretched arms of a Packer defender and into the hands of Antwaan Randle El for a 37-yard completion. Three plays later Roethlisberger found Hines Ward for a first down on 3rd & 10. Another big completion to Ward gave the Steelers 1st & Goal from the 8. With the kind of success he was having, Roethlisberger figured to go in the same direction once more and found Ward for a touchdown deep in the end zone.
When the Packers got the ball they called a run play that ran down the clock to half time with Green Bay leading 21-10.
After Pittsburgh shifted some of the momentum their way at the end of the first half, the Packers had a chance to take it back when they got the ball to start the second half. Green Bay hurt their cause by committing two penalties for a combined 15-yard loss. Pittsburgh then caught a bit of a lucky break when a 3rd & 5 pass from Rodgers was dropped and the Packers were forced to punt.
There was a questionable call on the punt return when a facemask was called on Green Bay. There was, however, no question about the Steelers running ability as they did nothing but run all over the Packers defense on their way to another touchdown.
Scoring another big defensive stop, the Steelers got the ball back with pretty good field position. They did a good job running the ball when they tried the ground game, but Roethlisberger passed a little more on this drive and did a decent job for a while. After the Packers defense finally locked down and forced a 3rd & 13, Roethlisberger was forced to wait for a play to develop downfield. Packers linebacker Frank Zambo had more than enough time to get to him and made the sack. Shaun Suisham was forced to kick a 52-yard field goal, which he missed badly.
With excellent field position and an 18-point lead that had dwindled down to four, the Packers needed a spark to take advantage of the opportunity. They never got one, but they did move the ball down the field a little bit and were able to score a small victory by pinning the Steelers at their own 13-yard line with a punt.
The Packers defense didn’t let Pittsburgh’s offense get past their 20-yard line and the Steelers had to punt.
After a 15-yard penalty and a three-and-out by Green Bay, the Steelers got another chance with great field position. Their drive started at Green Bay’s 41-yard line. On 2nd & 2, two Packers defenders hit Rashard Mendenhall hard. One of them was Clay Matthews, who dislodged the ball. Desmond Bishop was there to pick it up.
Green Bay took advantage of this possession as they converted a few third downs and ended the drive with a 2nd & Goal touchdown pass from Rodgers to Jennings, the second touchdown hookup for the two in the game, and the Packers took a 28-17 lead early in the 4th quarter.
With that score, the Packers had notched 21 points off Pittsburgh turnovers. This ended up being the story of the game. The Packers took care of the ball, fumbling just once on the early muffed punt, but they never turned the ball over. Meanwhile, Roethlisberger threw two interceptions and Pittsburgh lost their only fumble on the Mendenhall run and Green Bay took advantage by scoring a touchdown after each of these turnovers.
At this point the Steelers were down by 11 again. Roethlisberger led his team on a fantastic drive down field. They committed a penalty that could have really hurt them, but they got past it and capped the drive off with a 25-yard touchdown to Mike Wallace. They opted to try for two, having gone 2/2 during the regular season. The play looked dead when Roethlisberger was met by a wall of green, but he found Randle El, pitched it to him, and watched his wide receiver convert the two-point try to pull to within a field goal with about 7:30 left in regulation.
Just when it looked like the Packers next drive was about to die and the Steelers would have a chance to tie or take the lead, a huge pass to Jennings over the middle on 3rd & 10 gave the Packers just the spark they were looking for. James Starks took the handoff on the next play and picked up another first down and the Packers found themselves in field goal range. Another big pass to the back shoulder of James Jones gave the Packers 1st & goal at the 8-yard line. A couple short passes later and it was third down at the 5. Good defense by the Steelers forced the Packers to send Mason Crosby out to kick the 23-yard field goal.
Down by six with 2:07 left in the 4th quarter, the Steelers would get the ball back with only one timeout and the 2-minute warning at their disposal. The Steelers weren’t going to make it easy on themselves though. Not only did Redman not go down until after the 2:00 mark had passed, but Pittsburgh was also penalized on the play. The Steelers went into a hurry-up offense and quickly went to work on advancing the ball down field. Roethlisberger’s first two passes on the drive gave the Steelers a first down and a 5-yard gain. After throwing the ball away on 2nd & 5, Roethlisberger threw another incompletion, overthrowing Mike Wallace for the second time in the game. With only 56-seconds left, the Steelers needed to convert on 4th & 5. The pass was nearly picked off, but ruled incomplete. Regardless of the call, it was clear that the drive was over and the Packers were just a few long moments from taking home the Lombardi Trophy.
Green Bay called on Aaron Rodgers to sit on the ball two times while the rest of the players began to enjoy the moment. This is the city’s 4th Super Bowl win and 13th NFL Championship.
Early on, this game looked like it would be a blowout like so many Super Bowls have been in the past. But Pittsburgh battled back as their defense played well throughout the third quarter and Roethlisberger settled into a rhythm. The Packers offense finally got things back together in the 4th quarter and did not let the Steelers ever take the lead in the game. Though close, the Packers had this game from the beginning to the end and earned a very exciting victory. It was, as many of the championships this decade have been, a very close, exciting game.
Final Score: Green Bay – 31, Pittsburgh – 25
MVP: QB Aaron Rodger, Green Bay
Hopefully, after his performance, Aaron Rodgers will no longer be considered as being in Brett Favre’s shadow. Rodgers is a household name now, and it should now because of what he has done and not because of who’s act he followed.
In other Super Bowl related news, it is quite likely that Cowboys Stadium will not be hosting another championship game any time soon. When many fans were displaced from their seating, around 400 were left with no seating to be relocated to. Most of them were forced to use the standing room only platforms where there wasn’t nearly enough room. The NFL will be refunding them triple (each person will receive $1800-$3600 for what were tickets ranging from $600-$1200), but the fans are still unhappy that they traveled all the way to North Texas to watch the game in a bar setting, something they could have done back home.
One more note: my predictions for this game were pretty accurate. I predicted Green Bay to win 31-30 and for Rodgers to be named MVP. You can see those predictions in my “Super Bowl XLV: Predictions” post.
I hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl and, as always, thanks for reading!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Super Bowl XLV: Prediction
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
Pittsburgh Steelers
Green Bay Packers
It is finally here, the day sports fans have been awaiting for two weeks now, and anticipating for much longer than that.
As I have for now 11 years, I played a Super Bowl prediction game this morning on Madden. For the past four years, I have played as the team I will be rooting for (this year the Packers) in the first half and the other team in the second. Prior to that I only played as my preferred victor. I am 8-2 all-time using Madden and 2-1 when switching teams at half time.
All week I have been saying that I think the Steelers are the stronger team and so the team I think will win. Though I may still feel that way, the prediction you all will have to hold me to is my official one, which comes from this game.
It was close throughout, but I won’t go into detail since the highlights and stats, I can say with confidence, will not be anything like the real thing. But this should, in reality as in the video game, be a very good game to watch.
We are going through a really nice era in the NFL where the Super Bowl is generally a close matchup. Last year the Saints won by 14, but I consider it a close game because the Colts had a chance to tie it up late. The only reason New Orleans won by so much is because of a late pick-6. The last time a Super Bowl was decided by more than two scores was in 2003 when the Bucs smashed the Raiders, 48-21. Two years before that the Ravens crushed the Giants.
But before that, it was common for the championship game to be decided by double digits. In fact, from the 1982 Super Bowl (XVI, 49ers vs. Bengals) and the 2000 Super Bowl (XXXIV, Rams vs. Titans), only 5 ended with the losing team within 10-points on the winner.
Even if my prediction is wrong, I am hoping that the implication of a close game will hold true. That said, I will wrap up this post with my predicted score and my MVP, based on the player stats from my game.
My official prediction:
Final Score: Green Bay wins, 31-30
MVP: QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
Pittsburgh Steelers
Green Bay Packers
It is finally here, the day sports fans have been awaiting for two weeks now, and anticipating for much longer than that.
As I have for now 11 years, I played a Super Bowl prediction game this morning on Madden. For the past four years, I have played as the team I will be rooting for (this year the Packers) in the first half and the other team in the second. Prior to that I only played as my preferred victor. I am 8-2 all-time using Madden and 2-1 when switching teams at half time.
All week I have been saying that I think the Steelers are the stronger team and so the team I think will win. Though I may still feel that way, the prediction you all will have to hold me to is my official one, which comes from this game.
It was close throughout, but I won’t go into detail since the highlights and stats, I can say with confidence, will not be anything like the real thing. But this should, in reality as in the video game, be a very good game to watch.
We are going through a really nice era in the NFL where the Super Bowl is generally a close matchup. Last year the Saints won by 14, but I consider it a close game because the Colts had a chance to tie it up late. The only reason New Orleans won by so much is because of a late pick-6. The last time a Super Bowl was decided by more than two scores was in 2003 when the Bucs smashed the Raiders, 48-21. Two years before that the Ravens crushed the Giants.
But before that, it was common for the championship game to be decided by double digits. In fact, from the 1982 Super Bowl (XVI, 49ers vs. Bengals) and the 2000 Super Bowl (XXXIV, Rams vs. Titans), only 5 ended with the losing team within 10-points on the winner.
Even if my prediction is wrong, I am hoping that the implication of a close game will hold true. That said, I will wrap up this post with my predicted score and my MVP, based on the player stats from my game.
My official prediction:
Final Score: Green Bay wins, 31-30
MVP: QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
Friday, February 4, 2011
Super Bowl Week: The Weekend is Upon Us
Friday, February 4, 2010
It is officially Super Bowl Weekend and everyone is getting pumped for 6:30pm Sunday evening. For some, the Super Bowl activities will start even earlier.
I will be playing my official prediction game on Madden 11 Sunday morning and then posting my final preview early in the afternoon so keep an eye out for it. In the mean time, this will be the final preview until then. I won’t be posting tomorrow.
Steelers Center Maurkice Pouncey is officially out for the Super Bowl, as he did not practice today. Though a hit to their offensive line, the loss of Pouncey shouldn’t be too detrimental to their hopes of winning. Head Coach Mike Tomlin said it will not affect Pittsburgh’s game plan and Doug Legursky will make his first start at center and his fifth career start on the offensive line overall. He has previously started at the guard position and should be prepared to protect QB Ben Roethlisberger.
On the Packers side, Donald Driver missed practice for the second consecutive day. He sat out yesterday due to a quadriceps injury and did not practice due to the same issue again today. Head Coach Mike McCarthy says Driver sat out as a precautionary measure and that he will be shocked if Driver doesn’t play on Sunday.
The only other news out of North Texas was ice falling from the roof of Cowboys Stadium. It began falling this afternoon and six or seven people were apparently injured, six transported to a hospital. According to NFL.com, the two most seriously injured were listed as ‘stable.’ There was one possible concussion and a shoulder injury among other minor injuries. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell took time away from his CBA talks to address the issue. He said that within the next 24 hours there should be workers on the roof clearing the snow and ice so that there will be no such issues on Sunday.
Finally, 156,464 people have submitted votes on NFL.com concerning who they think will win Super Bowl XLV. The vote still stands at 53% in favor of the Packers and 47% in favor of the Steelers.
Look for my post early in the afternoon of Super Bowl Sunday. Thanks for reading and enjoy the game!
It is officially Super Bowl Weekend and everyone is getting pumped for 6:30pm Sunday evening. For some, the Super Bowl activities will start even earlier.
I will be playing my official prediction game on Madden 11 Sunday morning and then posting my final preview early in the afternoon so keep an eye out for it. In the mean time, this will be the final preview until then. I won’t be posting tomorrow.
Steelers Center Maurkice Pouncey is officially out for the Super Bowl, as he did not practice today. Though a hit to their offensive line, the loss of Pouncey shouldn’t be too detrimental to their hopes of winning. Head Coach Mike Tomlin said it will not affect Pittsburgh’s game plan and Doug Legursky will make his first start at center and his fifth career start on the offensive line overall. He has previously started at the guard position and should be prepared to protect QB Ben Roethlisberger.
On the Packers side, Donald Driver missed practice for the second consecutive day. He sat out yesterday due to a quadriceps injury and did not practice due to the same issue again today. Head Coach Mike McCarthy says Driver sat out as a precautionary measure and that he will be shocked if Driver doesn’t play on Sunday.
The only other news out of North Texas was ice falling from the roof of Cowboys Stadium. It began falling this afternoon and six or seven people were apparently injured, six transported to a hospital. According to NFL.com, the two most seriously injured were listed as ‘stable.’ There was one possible concussion and a shoulder injury among other minor injuries. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell took time away from his CBA talks to address the issue. He said that within the next 24 hours there should be workers on the roof clearing the snow and ice so that there will be no such issues on Sunday.
Finally, 156,464 people have submitted votes on NFL.com concerning who they think will win Super Bowl XLV. The vote still stands at 53% in favor of the Packers and 47% in favor of the Steelers.
Look for my post early in the afternoon of Super Bowl Sunday. Thanks for reading and enjoy the game!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Super Bowl Week: Just out of Reach
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
We’re so close to the Super Bowl I can hardly contain my excitement. This is without a doubt my favorite sporting even of each year, and now that we are just less than four days until the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLV I just want it to start now. The two teams playing on Sunday, meanwhile, are in the middle of their final week of preparation for the final game of the 2010-11 NFL season.
Not much happened today, so I wasn’t sure if I would write anything. But I did say yesterday that I would so I didn’t want to just not write. Instead, I will write on the two or three updates to come out of Arlington today and then say that whether I write tomorrow will depend on what happens from now until then.
One of the biggest storylines this week in North Texas is the weather. There have been some power outages all week, though none have, or are expected to affect Cowboys Stadium. Because of the weather both teams were forced to go indoors for practice. Pittsburgh used the indoor facility at TCU while the Packers held practice at Highland Park High School’s indoor football facility. Highland Park is the alma mater of Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford.
Steelers Center Maurkice Pouncey took his boot off today. He has a sprained right ankle and has been in a boot for some time. Though he did take it off today and did not use crutches to get around, he did not practice. He isn’t quite ready to get on the field yet but it still holding some hope of returning. He did say, however, that if he wants to play in Sunday’s game he will need to practice by Friday but feel confident that it will happen. He set his chances of playing at about 75%.
The only other notable Super Bowl news today is a poll on NFL.com. So far 122,711 have voted on who they think will win the Super Bowl. Currently, the Packers are considered the slight favorite by fans with a 53% vote to Pittsburgh’s 47%.
We’re so close to the Super Bowl I can hardly contain my excitement. This is without a doubt my favorite sporting even of each year, and now that we are just less than four days until the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLV I just want it to start now. The two teams playing on Sunday, meanwhile, are in the middle of their final week of preparation for the final game of the 2010-11 NFL season.
Not much happened today, so I wasn’t sure if I would write anything. But I did say yesterday that I would so I didn’t want to just not write. Instead, I will write on the two or three updates to come out of Arlington today and then say that whether I write tomorrow will depend on what happens from now until then.
One of the biggest storylines this week in North Texas is the weather. There have been some power outages all week, though none have, or are expected to affect Cowboys Stadium. Because of the weather both teams were forced to go indoors for practice. Pittsburgh used the indoor facility at TCU while the Packers held practice at Highland Park High School’s indoor football facility. Highland Park is the alma mater of Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford.
Steelers Center Maurkice Pouncey took his boot off today. He has a sprained right ankle and has been in a boot for some time. Though he did take it off today and did not use crutches to get around, he did not practice. He isn’t quite ready to get on the field yet but it still holding some hope of returning. He did say, however, that if he wants to play in Sunday’s game he will need to practice by Friday but feel confident that it will happen. He set his chances of playing at about 75%.
The only other notable Super Bowl news today is a poll on NFL.com. So far 122,711 have voted on who they think will win the Super Bowl. Currently, the Packers are considered the slight favorite by fans with a 53% vote to Pittsburgh’s 47%.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Super Bowl Week: Media Day
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
I took off writing yesterday for my birthday since I couldn’t take off school or anything else, but there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to make a few comments about Media Day down in Arlington. Unfortunately, my being in class all morning and having track obligations all afternoon kept me from seeing more than one or two guys live so you’ll see that my comments are on stuff that ended up on NFL.com.
The first video on NFL.com is of the Steelers players putting on a Troy Polamalu wig, including DE Brett Keisel who first used the wig to accentuate his beard. He was then asked how to spell “Polamalu,” and after messing up went on to say “T-R-O-Y.”
Ben Roethlisberger plans to just enjoy his time leading up the game because “you never know when it’ll be your last.” One thing that struck me during Big Ben’s time in front of the cameras is that he didn’t back down from any questions and he also didn’t take a lot of time trying to formulate a good answer. He’s been through a lot over the past year but, as he said, now isn’t the time to reflect because “it’s about this game.”
Unfortunately, the video on NFL.com for Roethlisberger’s counterpart, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, only showed the two questions by NFLNetwork’s Deion Sanders. Despite the brevity of the video, it was long enough to tell me that Rodgers is looking forward first and foremost to the game and that he and Brett Favre have not been in communication about the game, that fact coming from a single “no” given by Rodgers to Sanders’s question.
Troy Polamalu, who was chosen as this year’s Defensive POY by the Associated Press, also had his time in front of the camera. He’s always appeared very quiet in front of the cameras when it’s not one of his Head & Shoulders ads. He was still quiet today, but he did give a little insight into his mind, specifically when he’s going in to make a hit on an opposing player. He said that there are a lot of factors but that the first thing that he thinks of is that it’ll hurt but that he’s doing it to support his family and he doesn’t “want to let his brothers down.”
Another player I had hoped to get something interesting from was James Harrison, the Steelers linebacker who has constantly been in the news around the league for being so heavily fined throughout the season. Unfortunately, as with many other players, there wasn’t a whole lot to comment on, other than his look at the end of the video after saying, “we are not trying to hit anyone hard. We don’t want to get fined.”
Though most of the players didn’t have a lot to say that I found to be so interesting that I had to comment on it, I was sure to check out the Coaches interviews.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin:
This is the second time in four years that the Steelers, under Mike Tomlin, are in the Super Bowl. They won in their previous appearance against the Arizona Cardinals. Tomlin credited a lot of his team’s success this year to the players’ ability to make plays and not care who gets the credit. He also responded to a question from Deion Sanders about Center Maurkice Pouncey, saying that he “is not going to rule that young man out.” He said that everything Pouncey has done this year leads him to believe that Maurkice will be on that field if at all possible.
Packers HC Mike McCarthy:
In his first appearance in the Super Bowl as a head coach, McCarthy has a lot to be excited about. This is a Packers team that has had to deal with a lot of key players being listed on IR over the course of the season. No matter what happen this Sunday, they have a great shot at getting back to this point in the near future.
In the mean time, his focus is on this weekend. He said, about midway through his video, that in his previous five years the team has lacked a certain level of leadership. He mentioned not only QB Aaron Rodgers, but also CB Charles Woodson, as leaders that he feels have been cornerstones of the team’s success up to this point.
Most of the other players’ videos on NFL.com were full of clichés or just weren’t all that interesting and so aren’t worth my dragging on this already fairly long post.
For anything else, as always just check NFL.com, they have a lot more than I have time to post without losing interest from you. One thing that you may or may not be interested in was a video with Chad Ochocinco, which doesn’t really belong in this post but gives some insight into the Cincinnati Bengals organization. If you are interested, here is the link:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-super-bowl/09000d5d81e0b1d1/Ochocinco-at-XLV?module=HP_video
I’ll be back tomorrow with some more Super Bowl week updates.
I took off writing yesterday for my birthday since I couldn’t take off school or anything else, but there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to make a few comments about Media Day down in Arlington. Unfortunately, my being in class all morning and having track obligations all afternoon kept me from seeing more than one or two guys live so you’ll see that my comments are on stuff that ended up on NFL.com.
The first video on NFL.com is of the Steelers players putting on a Troy Polamalu wig, including DE Brett Keisel who first used the wig to accentuate his beard. He was then asked how to spell “Polamalu,” and after messing up went on to say “T-R-O-Y.”
Ben Roethlisberger plans to just enjoy his time leading up the game because “you never know when it’ll be your last.” One thing that struck me during Big Ben’s time in front of the cameras is that he didn’t back down from any questions and he also didn’t take a lot of time trying to formulate a good answer. He’s been through a lot over the past year but, as he said, now isn’t the time to reflect because “it’s about this game.”
Unfortunately, the video on NFL.com for Roethlisberger’s counterpart, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, only showed the two questions by NFLNetwork’s Deion Sanders. Despite the brevity of the video, it was long enough to tell me that Rodgers is looking forward first and foremost to the game and that he and Brett Favre have not been in communication about the game, that fact coming from a single “no” given by Rodgers to Sanders’s question.
Troy Polamalu, who was chosen as this year’s Defensive POY by the Associated Press, also had his time in front of the camera. He’s always appeared very quiet in front of the cameras when it’s not one of his Head & Shoulders ads. He was still quiet today, but he did give a little insight into his mind, specifically when he’s going in to make a hit on an opposing player. He said that there are a lot of factors but that the first thing that he thinks of is that it’ll hurt but that he’s doing it to support his family and he doesn’t “want to let his brothers down.”
Another player I had hoped to get something interesting from was James Harrison, the Steelers linebacker who has constantly been in the news around the league for being so heavily fined throughout the season. Unfortunately, as with many other players, there wasn’t a whole lot to comment on, other than his look at the end of the video after saying, “we are not trying to hit anyone hard. We don’t want to get fined.”
Though most of the players didn’t have a lot to say that I found to be so interesting that I had to comment on it, I was sure to check out the Coaches interviews.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin:
This is the second time in four years that the Steelers, under Mike Tomlin, are in the Super Bowl. They won in their previous appearance against the Arizona Cardinals. Tomlin credited a lot of his team’s success this year to the players’ ability to make plays and not care who gets the credit. He also responded to a question from Deion Sanders about Center Maurkice Pouncey, saying that he “is not going to rule that young man out.” He said that everything Pouncey has done this year leads him to believe that Maurkice will be on that field if at all possible.
Packers HC Mike McCarthy:
In his first appearance in the Super Bowl as a head coach, McCarthy has a lot to be excited about. This is a Packers team that has had to deal with a lot of key players being listed on IR over the course of the season. No matter what happen this Sunday, they have a great shot at getting back to this point in the near future.
In the mean time, his focus is on this weekend. He said, about midway through his video, that in his previous five years the team has lacked a certain level of leadership. He mentioned not only QB Aaron Rodgers, but also CB Charles Woodson, as leaders that he feels have been cornerstones of the team’s success up to this point.
Most of the other players’ videos on NFL.com were full of clichés or just weren’t all that interesting and so aren’t worth my dragging on this already fairly long post.
For anything else, as always just check NFL.com, they have a lot more than I have time to post without losing interest from you. One thing that you may or may not be interested in was a video with Chad Ochocinco, which doesn’t really belong in this post but gives some insight into the Cincinnati Bengals organization. If you are interested, here is the link:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-super-bowl/09000d5d81e0b1d1/Ochocinco-at-XLV?module=HP_video
I’ll be back tomorrow with some more Super Bowl week updates.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Week 1 of Super Bowl Week
After the Conference Championships we have to wait an entire fortnight for Super Bowl Sunday to come around. In a league like the NFL, a lot can happen in that time. Here’s a recap of the first week of preparation for Super Bowl XLV.
Adios Ochocinco:
Chad Ochocinco is [soon to be] no more, as he announced early in the week that he will change his name back to Chad Johnson.
There is a lot of uncertainty about the Wide Receiver’s future in Cincinnati, and the league for that matter. He has always been very outspoken, often in a fashion others don’t like, which could make it difficult for him to sign if the Bengals choose to let him go.
Goodell to Cut Own Salary:
With time running out on talks between the Labor Union, the Players’ Association and everyone else involved, Goodell is apparently very serious that he wants the new Collective Bargaining Agreement to be done on time. If progress is made, it has been announced that the deadline could be pushed back, as it was in 2006.
In the mean time, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that he will cut his own salary, which is about $10 Million annually, to $1 for this year if the new CBA isn’t done in time for the 2011 regular season.
Brian Reed’s Body Recovered:
Earlier this week a body was recovered from the Mississippi River that was believed to be the body of Brian Reed, brother of Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed. Reed’s brother had gone missing after reportedly jumping off a bride and into the Mississippi when approached by a police officer. That was during the week leading into Baltimore’s Divisional Round matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The body was found on Wednesday and the autopsy was performed Thursday. The autopsy confirmed a preliminary report that the body was, indeed, Brian Reed.
Fisher Out in Tennessee:
Jeff Fisher, who has been with the Titans organization for more than 16 years, will not return as their coach for the 2011 season. He was there for their move from Houston, through the name change from Oilers to Titans, and for their Super Bowl run, where they lost to the St. Louis Rams the year they made the name change.
It has not yet been determined who will take Fisher’s place. But, despite being a couple seasons removed from their last winning season, his replacement will have big shoes to fill.
Vikings Still Hoping for New Stadium:
The Minnesota Vikings want an outdoor stadium. The city doesn’t want to give it to them, which was causing irritations within the organization since their MLB counterpart, the Minnesota Twins, was moved from the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome to outdoor Target Field, with the 2010 baseball season being its inaugural season.
There were brief talks of moving the franchise. Though no specific locations were named, it was believed that Los Angeles was the implied location, since there is already talk of building a stadium there to attract an NFL franchise to relocate.
This week, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that a former Army ammunitions site in the Twin Cities is now being considered for a new outdoor stadium for the Vikings. Nothing has been announced by team officials or governing officials in Minnesota as of yet.
Hostage Blackberry:
In other news from Minnesota, Vikings WR Bernard Barrian was reportedly reunited with his Blackberry, which he had lost in Las Vegas back in October. A couple found it and were charging Barrian $30,000 for it’s return, with the alternative being that it would be sold to the “highest bidder.”
After Barrian sued the couple for his phone’s return, the Blackberry was reportedly returned to him.
Tweeting Packers:
A lot is on the line on February 6, but the Packers appear to be falling apart at the seams. There are multiple storylines for this one so I won’t delve into the details. You can check nfl.com for those.
Earlier in the week it was about Green Bay players on IR not being in the team photo for the Super Bowl. Mike McCarthy wasn’t happy with how it was handled, but pushed the photo op back so that those players will be able to be in the picture when they join up with the active players near the end of next week.
Most recently it, was a comment made by Packers QB Aaron Rodgers that received a tweet by teammate Nick Barnett, who has been on IR since week 4 with a wrist injury.
That is my list what I felt were the most important, or funny, stories within the NFL this past week. The Senior Bowl just ended about an hour or so ago, with the South winning 24-10. Any other news can be found on nfl.com.
Adios Ochocinco:
Chad Ochocinco is [soon to be] no more, as he announced early in the week that he will change his name back to Chad Johnson.
There is a lot of uncertainty about the Wide Receiver’s future in Cincinnati, and the league for that matter. He has always been very outspoken, often in a fashion others don’t like, which could make it difficult for him to sign if the Bengals choose to let him go.
Goodell to Cut Own Salary:
With time running out on talks between the Labor Union, the Players’ Association and everyone else involved, Goodell is apparently very serious that he wants the new Collective Bargaining Agreement to be done on time. If progress is made, it has been announced that the deadline could be pushed back, as it was in 2006.
In the mean time, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that he will cut his own salary, which is about $10 Million annually, to $1 for this year if the new CBA isn’t done in time for the 2011 regular season.
Brian Reed’s Body Recovered:
Earlier this week a body was recovered from the Mississippi River that was believed to be the body of Brian Reed, brother of Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed. Reed’s brother had gone missing after reportedly jumping off a bride and into the Mississippi when approached by a police officer. That was during the week leading into Baltimore’s Divisional Round matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The body was found on Wednesday and the autopsy was performed Thursday. The autopsy confirmed a preliminary report that the body was, indeed, Brian Reed.
Fisher Out in Tennessee:
Jeff Fisher, who has been with the Titans organization for more than 16 years, will not return as their coach for the 2011 season. He was there for their move from Houston, through the name change from Oilers to Titans, and for their Super Bowl run, where they lost to the St. Louis Rams the year they made the name change.
It has not yet been determined who will take Fisher’s place. But, despite being a couple seasons removed from their last winning season, his replacement will have big shoes to fill.
Vikings Still Hoping for New Stadium:
The Minnesota Vikings want an outdoor stadium. The city doesn’t want to give it to them, which was causing irritations within the organization since their MLB counterpart, the Minnesota Twins, was moved from the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome to outdoor Target Field, with the 2010 baseball season being its inaugural season.
There were brief talks of moving the franchise. Though no specific locations were named, it was believed that Los Angeles was the implied location, since there is already talk of building a stadium there to attract an NFL franchise to relocate.
This week, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that a former Army ammunitions site in the Twin Cities is now being considered for a new outdoor stadium for the Vikings. Nothing has been announced by team officials or governing officials in Minnesota as of yet.
Hostage Blackberry:
In other news from Minnesota, Vikings WR Bernard Barrian was reportedly reunited with his Blackberry, which he had lost in Las Vegas back in October. A couple found it and were charging Barrian $30,000 for it’s return, with the alternative being that it would be sold to the “highest bidder.”
After Barrian sued the couple for his phone’s return, the Blackberry was reportedly returned to him.
Tweeting Packers:
A lot is on the line on February 6, but the Packers appear to be falling apart at the seams. There are multiple storylines for this one so I won’t delve into the details. You can check nfl.com for those.
Earlier in the week it was about Green Bay players on IR not being in the team photo for the Super Bowl. Mike McCarthy wasn’t happy with how it was handled, but pushed the photo op back so that those players will be able to be in the picture when they join up with the active players near the end of next week.
Most recently it, was a comment made by Packers QB Aaron Rodgers that received a tweet by teammate Nick Barnett, who has been on IR since week 4 with a wrist injury.
That is my list what I felt were the most important, or funny, stories within the NFL this past week. The Senior Bowl just ended about an hour or so ago, with the South winning 24-10. Any other news can be found on nfl.com.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Super Bowl XLV, an Early Preview
The stage is set for what many NFL analysts over the past week called "the most intriguing matchup" for Feb. 6. The Green Bay Packers, who's legendary coach has his name on the winning team's trophy, who won the first two Super Bowls, who have so much history before and after the creation of this game, will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have now clinched an eighth Super Bowl birth, tied for the most with the team who's stadium hosts this year's game.
Green Bay won their game despite Aaron Rodgers not looking very comfortable for the latter part of the game. Their defense was able to get the job done, despite a late rally by a Caleb Hanie led Chicago Bears team. BJ Raji had the play to see with an interception turned touchdown rumble, almost broken up by the man who threw the pick.
Final Score:
Green Bay - 21
Chicago - 14
The Steelers used a lot of clock on their first drive, then, behind some strong running by Rashard Mendenhall, put up serious points, jumping to a 24-0 lead before a Nick Fold field goal put the Jets on the board seconds before half time. The Jets came out firing in the second half, but a sluggish "hurry-up" offense left no time on the clock, and once the Steelers were able to get the Jets to burn their time outs, it took three kneel downs to make the win official.
Final Score:
New York - 19
Pittsburgh - 24
I will be posting throughout the week. I have recaps of all the games so far, labeled "Postseason Rewinds" to take you back through each round of the postseason that has taken us to the final two teams. I will post two a day from Monday through Friday before a brief Pro Bowl look and then the Super Bowl previews. Keep checking back for those, as well as for my unofficial and official Super Bowl picks (official comes from Madden 11, unofficial is my gut/analytical feeling.
Super Bowl Sunday
February 6, 2011
6:30pm on FOX
Pittsburgh Steelers
Green Bay Packers (home team based on odd-numbered Super Bowl)
Green Bay won their game despite Aaron Rodgers not looking very comfortable for the latter part of the game. Their defense was able to get the job done, despite a late rally by a Caleb Hanie led Chicago Bears team. BJ Raji had the play to see with an interception turned touchdown rumble, almost broken up by the man who threw the pick.
Final Score:
Green Bay - 21
Chicago - 14
The Steelers used a lot of clock on their first drive, then, behind some strong running by Rashard Mendenhall, put up serious points, jumping to a 24-0 lead before a Nick Fold field goal put the Jets on the board seconds before half time. The Jets came out firing in the second half, but a sluggish "hurry-up" offense left no time on the clock, and once the Steelers were able to get the Jets to burn their time outs, it took three kneel downs to make the win official.
Final Score:
New York - 19
Pittsburgh - 24
I will be posting throughout the week. I have recaps of all the games so far, labeled "Postseason Rewinds" to take you back through each round of the postseason that has taken us to the final two teams. I will post two a day from Monday through Friday before a brief Pro Bowl look and then the Super Bowl previews. Keep checking back for those, as well as for my unofficial and official Super Bowl picks (official comes from Madden 11, unofficial is my gut/analytical feeling.
Super Bowl Sunday
February 6, 2011
6:30pm on FOX
Pittsburgh Steelers
Green Bay Packers (home team based on odd-numbered Super Bowl)
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