Capping one of the greatest postseasons for any quarterback, Rodgers led the Pack to their first NFL championship in 14 years, 31-25 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for their legendary coach who won the first two Super Bowls is coming home to "Titletown".
Rodgers, the game's MVP, thrilled all Cheesehead fans with a spectacular six-game string that should finally erase the bitterness of the Brett Favre separation in Green Bay. After sitting for three long years before Favre left in 2008, Rodgers is now equal with Favre in Super Bowl wins, and he extended the Packers' record of NFL titles to 13, nine before the Super Bowl era.
"You can stop it now," veteran receiver Donald Driver said. "Aaron's proved that he's one of the best, if not the best, quarterback in this game today."
The Packs managed to overcome key injuries, building a 21-3 lead, then hung on to become only the second No. 6 seed to win the championship.
Rodgers threw for 304 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson, who had nine catches for 140 yards to make up for three big drops. Rodgers found Jennings for 21- and 8-yard scores.
"We've been a team that's overcome adversity all year," Jennings said, who noted injuries to Charles Woodson and Driver. "Our head captain goes down, emotional in the locker room. Our No. 1 receiver goes down, more emotions are going, flying in the locker room. But we find a way to bottle it up and exert it all out here on the field."
Few teams have been as resourceful as the Packs, who couldn't wait to touch the trophy honoring their greatest coach - and their title. Several of them kissed it as Cowboys great Roger Staubach, walked through a line of green and gold, and up to the massive stage on the 50-yard line with the silver prize that is headed back to the NFL's smallest city.
"That is where it belongs," linebacker A.J. Hawk said. "As long as the Packers have lived, it's going to be great to bring that back."
Rodgers took the Packers to two late-season victories just to make the playoffs as a wild card. Then he guided them to wins at Philadelphia, Atlanta and archrival Chicago before his biggest achievement - against a Pittsburgh team ranked second in defense.
They barely survived a sensational rally by the Steelers, who still own the most Super Bowl rings - six in eight tries. But Pittsburgh failed to get its third championship in six years, despite several valiant efforts by Big Ben. Roethlisberger's season began with a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. It ended with Roethlisberger standing on the sideline, his head down, hands on his hips, feeling something he never experienced: defeat in a Super Bowl.
Not even a decidedly black-and-gold crowd, with Terrible Towels swirling throughout the $1.2 billion stadium, could make a difference for the mistake-prone Steelers, who had three turnovers to none for Green Bay. Their two biggest defensive stars - Defensive Player of the Year safety Troy Polamalu and outside linebacker James Harrison - were virtually invisible. The offense didn't seem to miss outstanding rookie center Maurkice Pouncey, who was out with an ankle injury.
The biggest plays were left to Rodgers, Nick Collins with a 37-yard interception return for a TD, Jennings, Nelson, and the rest of the guys in green and gold. In the end, they gave coach Mike McCarthy his first Super Bowl victory against the team he rooted for while growing up in Pittsburgh.
McCarthy was so certain of victory he fitted the players for championship rings on Saturday night - a move sure to go down in Super Bowl lore.
"That was just a vote of confidence for us," Woodson said. "Get fitted for your ring. I don't know when we'll get them, but it'll fit."
Woodson saw the Steelers, who rallied from a 21-7 halftime hole against Baltimore three weeks ago, show the same resilience. A 37-yard catch and run by Antwaan Randle El sparked a quick 77-yard drive. Hines Ward had 39 yards on three catches during the series, including an 8-yard TD when he completely fooled Jarrett Bush.
A quick defensive stop and a 50-yard drive to Rashard Mendenhall's 8-yard touchdown run made it 21-17. But with coach Mike Tomlin's team driving for perhaps its first lead of the game, Mendenhall fumbled on the Green Bay 33 from a hit by Clay Matthews - one of the few plays the All-Pro linebacker made. The Packers recovered, and Rodgers hit Jennings for 8 yards and the winning points.
Pittsburgh's last score was on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace and a pitchout by Roethlisberger to Randle El for a 2-point conversion, making it 28-25 with 7:34 left.
Mason Crosby added a 23-yard field goal for the Packers and the Steelers had no more comebacks in them like the one Roethlisberger staged to win the Super Bowl two years ago. He missed on his last three passes in the final moments.
Rodgers hit Nelson in stride with a long pass on Green Bay's first series, but the wideout let it slide through his hands. The Pack had discovered something, though, and went back to that play for the first touchdown. Nelson beat William Gay and held on for a 7-0 lead; the Packers have scored first in all five Super Bowl appearances.
Just 24 seconds later, they were ahead by 14. Throwing from his end zone, Roethlisberger's arm was hit by backup nose tackle Howard Green. The ball fluttered to the Pittsburgh 37, where Collins settled under it, then scooted down the right sideline and dived into the end zone for the 13th interception return for a score. Teams doing so are now 11-0 in Super Bowls.
Needing to get busy or get buried, Pittsburgh put together a 13-play drive to Shaun Suisham's 33-yard field goal. Then, after moving well again, Mike Wallace's pass was stolen from his hands by Bush at the Pittsburgh 46.
Rodgers coolly completed passes to Jennings and Nelson, James Starks ran for 12 yards as Polamalu whiffed on a tackle, then Jennings reached high and slightly behind to snag a 21-yarder over Polamalu for a 21-3 edge.
This is looking like a start of new legacy for the Green Bay Packers....
No comments:
Post a Comment