Sports Then and Now

Aaron Rodgers proved that the Super Bowl stage wasn't too much for him to handle.

It was billed as a classic matchup between two of the most storied franchises in the NFL and Super Bowl XLV did not disappoint. The Green Bay Packers started strong and then held on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25. The victory is the fourth Super Bowl win for the Packers and their 13th overall NFL title.

Early on it looked like the Packers might have an easy day at the office as they scored twice in a 24 second period in the first quarter and led 21-3 with less than a minute remaining in the first half.

However, the Pittsburgh Steelers have too much pride and experience to go quietly into the night and they drove down the field late in the first half and suddenly changed the momentum when Ben Roethlisberger hit Hines Ward for an eight yard touchdown with 39 seconds remaining before intermission.

The Steelers kept it going early in the second half as they scored less than five minutes into the second half to cut the margin to four points at 21-17.

It looked like Pittsburgh might take the lead as they were driving down the field before a hit by Clay Matthews knocked the ball from running back Rashard Mendenhall and was recovered by the Packers.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers then quickly took advantage as the Packers went 55 yards in just eight plays culminating with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Greg Jennings. Read the rest of this entry →

All eyes will be on Ben Roethlisberger during Super Bowl XLV.

The quarterback is the heartbeat of any team. All possessions go through him, and he makes the decisions on the field, albeit with the advice of his coaches. Win the Super Bowl, and the QB is a good bet to be named MVP (Most Valuable Player). Lose, and the same guy often takes a large shame of the blame.

Benjamin Todd ‘Ben’ Roethlisberger, nicknamed Big Ben, is the man tasked with leading the underdog Pittsburgh Steelers to victory against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. At 6 foot 5 and 241 pounds, Roethlisberger is certainly not small. He will however need to be at his best in what the Super Bowl odds suggest should be a really tight game.

Fortunately for Pittsburgh fans, being at his best is what Ben does, well, best, at least most of the time. He has a 63% pass completion percentage and averages 8 yards per completion, which puts him near the top of the field. In layman’s terms, he is super-efficient. When he picks out a man, he usually finds him, for a significant gain. Read the rest of this entry →