Last Sunday's Super Bowl was the most enjoyable title game that I have watched in years and not just because the team that I wanted to win did so,which gave me an all time high of two in a row of winning teams doing so.More because it was well played,but had enough mistakes by both teams to keep it close and never reach decided status until it truly was decided,the game was fun to watch.
Here are some of my thoughts on the games...
Case for Green Bay to have won going away?
A drop for both James Jones and Jordy Nelson on patterns that saw them have a clear path to the end zone kept the Steelers close as the Packers would score on neither drive that could have seen 14 points to the Green Bay side.
Click those two up and this game isn't as close (or as fun to watch).
Case for Pittsburgh to have won?
Their case to have overwhelmed Green Bay comes down to the Rasheed Mendenhall fumble to start the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh was slamming the ball right at the Pack down just four points and moving the ball down the field inside the Packers forty.
With all the momentum and the Green Bay offense having little offense in the second half to that point,the Mendenhall fumble swung things back to the Green Bay side and just eight plays later,Aaron Rodgers hit Greg Jennings with what proved to be the game winner.
Pittsburgh scores on that drive,I wager we would have seen a different winner...
I had told Ryan earlier in the week that I thought this was a pickem game and didn't feel strongly about a winner,but that I did think of all the NFC teams,Green Bay was the one that the Steelers didn't want any part of for two reasons.
Both played key parts in the win in my opinion.
The first is the Packer passing game,which is not built around one receiver and by having several threats that play allowed the one Pittsburgh weakness to be preyed upon-the secondary and their coverage skills.
The Steelers corners and safeties were exposed by their lack of man to man coverage and that played a huge role in the Packer win.
The other difference?
Aaron Rodgers wasn't going to be intimidated by Dick LeBeau's vaunted zone blitz scheme out of the 3-4 because he sees in every day in practice from Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers,who runs a VERY similar defense to that of the Steelers.
The Steelers often run over teams that aren't used to seeing the elaborate blitz schemes and formations by the brilliant LeBeau,but on this day they could not do their usual harm because the Packers were the one team that looked at the Pittsburgh defense as an routine defense.
Do not underrate that fact.
Look at it this way-How often do you see teams score on Pittsburgh as much as they did and could have been more with some better handed pass catchers...
Give both teams credit for deserving to be there and both got a little luck,which everyone needs.
Both teams managed to dodge the one team in their conference that matched up best with them.Green Bay dodged New Orleans when Atlanta won their final game to make the Falcons the top seed and not the Saints.
I don't think Green Bay beats the Saints in the Superdome.
Pittsburgh got around New England when the Jets upset the Pats.
New England would have done to the Steeler defense what Green Bay did and the game would have been on the road.
There are always teams that match up with you better than others and part of getting to the big game sometimes is avoiding the one team that has your Kryptonite.....
Both teams have solid chances to return next season.
Green Bay should be even better with all of their players out with injuries returning most notably star in the making Jermichael Finley at tight end and running back Ryan Grant.
Pittsburgh will always have a shot as long as Dick LeBeau is running their defense and Ben Rothlisberger is under center.
I am not a fan of either of these players,but the game showed why of the two eventual Hall of Fame safeties from the same division,if I was playing a pickup game,I would draft Baltimore's Ed Reed over Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu.
Polamalu is a great hitter and tackler,but he has coverage issues at times as was shown on two Packers touchdowns with Polamalu unable to get to the ball...
Reed isnt quite the hitter of Polamalu,but he is a big play maker and needs to be accounted for on every play.
All too often,the biggest mistake opponents make against Baltimore is figuring that "Murderin" Ray Lewis is the player that needs to be accounted for,when the truth is that they have picked the wrong player.
Both are great and headed for the Hall of Fame,but if pressed to choose,I'll take Reed.
Underrated loss for the Steelers was losing Emmanuel Sanders in the first half.
Most of the attention was given to the Packers losing Charles Woodson and deservedly so.
Sanders had a huge playoff run and losing him meant the pressure went solely on Mike Wallace for any pass longer than ten yards.
The aging Hines Ward just isn't that type of player anymore and the Sanders loss changed the game plan for Pittsburgh.
If Sanders isn't lost,the loss of Charles Woodson would have been more glaring for the Packers....
Bullpen Notes
Two quick notes from the bullpen.
Looks like Keith Olbermann's future will be announced today as he is rumored to be headed to Current TV which is run and partially owned by Al Gore.
The struggling network could use a big name and they have one in Olbermann.
The problem for KO is Current isn't exactly available everywhere and it will take time to get their status improved with cable companies.
I have it on DirectTV,but I don't even have it on my channel chart because when I tried Current,it didn't impress me.
With the signing of Olbermann,I suppose it gets upgraded with me...
Finally,a link to Battlin' Bob,who in typical hilarious form goes after the Steeler haters on Facebook.
No,none of his quotes are from me, folks,but the Battler' goes after them with both hams flying without abandon.
Note for language,but funny stuff.....
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