Green Bay Packers 31-25 Pittsburgh Steelers
The Green Bay Packers took the Vince Lombardi trophy back to Wisconsin after triumphing over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
The Packers won their first championship for fourteen years after a hard-fought battle at Cowboys Stadium, Texas.
Two first half passing touchdowns for Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, complemented by a defensive score, had given them a comfortable halftime lead, and they withheld a second-half rally to secure their fourth NFL championship.
Pittsburgh at one stage trailed by eighteen points, and despite their second-half recovery, they had left themselves too great a margin to overcome.
The game began relatively slowly, and, after the teams traded early punts, the Packers got on the board first when Rodgers connected with wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who clung on to fall into the end zone for a 29-yard score.
The lead doubled moments later when a wayward throw from Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was returned 37 yards for a touchdown by safety Nick Collins, who could barely believe his luck as the throw fell into his hands.
Pittsburgh cut the deficit to eleven points at the beginning of the second quarter with a short Shane Suisham field goal, but the offence once again cost the team as, on their next possession, Roethlisberger threw his second interception of the half. Green Bay’s Jared Bush, under intense pressure from Pittsburgh wide receiver Mike Wallace, expertly held on to Roethlisberger’s attempted pass.
The resulting field position led to a 21-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to his veteran receiver Greg Jennings. Pittsburgh, sensing the importance of reducing the deficit before the Black Eyed Peas-led half time show, drove quickly downfield. Roethlisberger tossed a short touchdown pass to Hines Ward with 39 seconds before the interval, but the task facing the six-time champions – an eleven-point deficit – remained great.
It was, however, a rejuvenated Pittsburgh that emerged from the locker room for the second half. Green Bay were held by some determined Steelers defence on the opening possession of the period and – assisted by a dubious facemask penalty on the Packers – Pittsburgh was able to drive downfield. Running back Rashard Mendenhall capped the drive by powering over for an eight-yard score, reducing the Packers’ lead to four points.
The pattern continued on the following Green Bay drives, with Rodgers unable to find a way past Pittsburgh’s intimidating secondary. Forced to punt on all four of their third-quarter drives, the Steelers appeared to be very much in the ascendancy. The very first play of the fourth quarter apparently shifted the momentum right back to the NFC champions, however.
The powerful Mendenhall, who had an excellent game otherwise, fumbled following a crunching hit by the Packers’ inspirational Clay Matthews. For the third time in the game Pittsburgh paid the penalty for a turnover by giving up a touchdown following the takeaway, with the Packers marching downfield and Jennings’ second score restoring his team’s double-digit lead.
Still, though, the Steelers refused to give in. Roethlisberger threw a touchdown to Wallace before Antwaan Randle El scampered in for the two-point conversion, and with less than eight minutes to go, Pittsburgh was just three points in arrears. But the Packers padded out their win with a short Mason Crosby field goal, and they repelled one final Pittsburgh drive to crown a glorious night for Mike McCarthy’s men.
