And of course, I don't mean the sexual violating, worse than murder mentality that this Aqua Teen Hunger Force reference implies. Just the,"We're going to do what we want and nobody is going to stop us," part. If James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley can get to Aaron Rodgers early and rattle him, it will mean very good things for the Steelers. If Troy Polamalu can fly around the field like a puppy on amphetamines, disrupting the Packers receivers and keeping Rodgers out of his comfort zone, then the blueprint for beating the Packers will have been laid.
Many people are predicting a shootout, similar to the Steelers' 37-36 win over the Packers last December. I don't think that will be the case. That game didn't have a single turnover. The last Super Bowl without a single turnover was Super Bowl XXXIV between the Rams and the Titans. And while no team wins a Super Bowl without a decent defense, I think it's definitely fair to say that neither defense in that game measures up to either the Steelers or Packers defense. I'd be surprised if both sides didn't commit turnovers tomorrow. As good as Rodgers has been for the Packers this year, he hasn't been flawless. He's thrown at least one interception in nine of his starts, which is half of them (he didn't play one of the games, due to a concussion). Forcing a pick from him would seem to be a key for the Steelers, as he threw one or more in all of his starts that the Packers lost, save one. He didn't throw any against the Eagles or Falcons in the playoffs, but he did toss two against the Bears. All these did was keep the game closer than it should have been, with some kid off the street (or so it seemed) playing quarterback for Chicago for most of the game.
As for Pittsburgh, Roethelisberger is prone to turnovers as well, mostly because his philosophy on the field (as well as off of it) seems to be "Go big or go home." They don't call him Big Ben just for kicks. He'll air the ball out a few times, especially to wide receiver Mike Wallace, whose blazing speed will cause issues for the Packers. Charles Woodson is one of the top cornerbacks in the league, but Wallace is just too quick to be shut down. The Packers best shot will be to get to Roethelisberger before he can get rid of the ball. Clay Matthews, who finished second in defensive player of the year voting to Polamalu, will have this task on his shoulders. If he can get penetration and get a few sacks, it will be a big boost for Green Bay, especially if he can get a strip sack or two out of it. Roethelisberger is hard to bring down which is great when he escapes and makes a big play, but it also makes him prone to fumbles while he's trying to allude tacklers.
The key in this matchup for me, is experience. The Steelers have it and the Packers, for the most part, don't. Nearly every player on the Steelers has a Super Bowl ring, many of them have two. Roethelisberger's quarterbacking isn't pretty, but he gets the job done. And I expect him to get it done again on Super Sunday, along with the help of his defense. I expect the Steelers to stop the Packers' running game and turn them one dimensional, as Green Bay has lacked a good running game for much of the season and the Steelers have the best rushing defense in the league. Also, with no cheerleaders for either team, maybe the Steelers could use an extra mascot in addition to Steely McBeam. I have my suggestions, as he is the right colors...
My pick : Steelers 24 Packers 20
MVP: Mike Wallace
Gatorade dump: Orange (people actually bet on this)
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