The Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in close and action-packed Super Bowl XLV by a score of 31 to 25. The game started out on a strange note when Christina Aguilera sang the wrong lines during the national anthem while the players, coaches and fans stood around looking at each other in disbelief.
The Packers looked to be starting out strong when Aaron Rodgers threw long bomb to Jordy Nelson that went right through his hands and was dropped. This would be the first of many dropped passes by the Packers receivers throughout the game. The Steelers had the same problem on the following drive when Heath Miller dropped the pass from Ben Roethlesberger to keep the drive alive and so the Steelers were forced to punt as well.
On the next series Aaron Rodgers escaped a sack and completed a pass to Brandon Jackson to keep the drive alive. Rodgers then completed a 29 yard pass to Jordy Nelson for the game’s first touchdown. This turned out to be a nine play 80 yard drive.
On the next series Big Ben was hit by Howard Green as he threw a pass near the Steelers goal line which was picked off by Nick Collins near the 40 yard line who then ran the ball all the way back on a magnificent run and dive into the end zone. This put the Packers up 14 to nothing in just two snaps of the ball with over 3 minutes left in the first quarter. Adding insult to injury the Steelers lost Flozell Adams who was injured on the play.
In the second quarter Roethlisberger completed a pass to Emmanuel Sanders down near the 20 yard line, but Sanders was injured on the play and would not return to the game. This setup a field goal by Shaun Suisham making it a 14 to 3 point game in favor of the Packers. During the following series the Packers wide receiver Donald Driver injured his ankle and he would not return to the game.
During the next series Roethlesberger was picked off again by Jarrett Bush. The Packers responded to the turnover with another touchdown when Aaron Rodgers completed to Greg Jennings with a 21 yard strike at the goal line. Jennings managed to hang onto the ball even though he was drilled by Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, making it a 21 to 3 point game.
Roethlesberger then connected with Antwaan Randle El on a 37 yard pass play with just over 2 minutes left to go in the half. Roethlesberger then attempted 40 yard pass to Mike Wallace which was incomplete but resulted in the Packer’s Charles Woodson breaking his collarbone when he hit the ground. This would result in yet another starter for the Packers having to leave the game due to injury.
Roethlesberger then completed a pass to Hines Ward inside the 10 yard line. He then hit Hines Ward in the corner of the end zone for an 8 yard touchdown pass with 40 seconds left in the half making it a 21 to 10 point game in favor of the Packers.
In the third quarter Aaron Rodgers threw a pass to James Jones which appeared as though it would be a touchdown, but the ball was dropped by Jones. Rashard Mendenhall then ran a 17 yard gain for the Steelers after the change of possession. On the next play Isaac Redman bounced off the left and ran the ball down to the 10 yard line. On the next play Rashard Mendenhall ran up the middle for an 8 yard touchdown making it a 21 to 17 point game, still in favor of the Green Bay Packers.
The following to series lead to offensive stalls by both the Packers and the Steelers when both Rogers and Roethlesberger were both sacked. The Steelers then attempted a 52 yard field goal but Shaun Suisham missed wide left of the goal post. Two possessions later, Rogers threw a pass to Brett Swain which turned out to be yet another dropped pass by the Packers receivers.
The first play of the fourth quarter resulted in Mendenhall getting hit by Clay Matthews causing a fumble which was picked up by Desmond Bishop. This would be the third turnover for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the game.
After the fumble, Rogers threw over the middle to Jordy Nelson who dropped another pass. The Packers came back to Jordy Nelson who then caught the pass over the middle taking it down to the 2 yard line. Two plays later Rodgers hit Greg Jennings in the corner of the end zone for Jennings second touchdown making it a 28 to 17 point game. Jennings was able to get open when Troy Polamalu jumped the route thinking Jennings was going to go to the inside. This would make 21 points scored by the Packers off of Steelers turnovers.
On the following drive Roethlesberger hit Mike Wallace on the right side then Hines Ward over the middle taking the ball down to the Packers 25 yard line. On the next play Roethlesberger completed a pass to Mike Wallace for 25 yard touchdown making it a 28 to 23 point game. Instead of kicking the extra point the Steelers faked a run up the middle and ran an option pitch out to Antwaan Randle El who ran off the left side to score the two-point conversion, making it a 28 to 25 point game. This brought the Steelers to within one field goal of possibly tying the game.
On the next series Rodgers completed a huge pass play to Greg Jennings over the middle for 31 yards on the crucial third and 10 down to keep the drive alive. Rodgers then hit James Jones with a pass completion down to the 8 yard line. The Packers had to settle for a field goal giving them a six point lead at 31 to 25, but this would put the ball back in the hands of Ben Roethlesberger and the Steelers with just over 2 minutes left to go in the game.
This brought back memories of what Roethlesberger did to the Arizona Cardinals just two Super Bowls a go when he hit Santonio Holmes for the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds of the game. That would not be the case in this Super Bowl when Roethlesberger threw an incomplete pass to Mike Wallace on fourth and five giving the ball back to the Packers with 49 seconds left in the game.
The Packers then went on to run out the clock to win Super Bowl XLV and the Steelers would not bring home their seventh Super Bowl trophy! Thus the Vince Lombardi trophy would return home to the Green Bay Packers for the first time in 14 years. Aaron Rodgers was named the MVP of Super Bowl XLV and will no longer live under the shadow of Brett Favre. This marks the fourth Super Bowl win for the Green Bay Packers in the history of their franchise.
