Super Bowl will be old school: Packers vs. Steelers
You've got to like a football game when one of the game's biggest stars is a nose tackle. B.J. Raji's interception and touchdown return was the difference for Green Bay.
In an era of dizzying X-and-O game plans, climate-controlled stadiums and pyrotechnic halftime shows, what could be better than this?
Packers vs. Steelers. Two franchises that conjure images of bruised bodies and blue toes. Two franchises that are like running, banging, grunting history books, one born in 1919, the other in 1933.
One franchise is owned by the Rooney family, the other by 111,968 stockholders. Together, they’ve combined for 18 league championships, 44 Hall of Famers and two fan bases that unofficially hold all records for beer consumption.
Cue the grainy film and the voice of John Facenda. Green Bay and Pittsburgh will play in the Super Bowl in two weeks. The only unfortunate thing is it will take place in Dallas at Jerry Jones’ $1.3 billion Football Stadium and Go-Go Club, which has a retractable roof and a thermostat and a blur of martini bars.
Some frozen field in North Dakota, wood bleachers and a line of kegs would be more appropriate.
The Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 21-14 for the NFC championship. The Steelers, after a late-game mini-meltdown, held on to beat the New York Jets 24-19 for the AFC title. Although these are two of the most successful franchises in NFL history, it will be the first time they’ll meet for the league championship.
You may not think of this Green Bay team as a “Green Bay” team. The Packers are led by a strong-armed quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who went to Cal-Berkeley.
But they were led Sunday by their defense. Green Bay’s two biggest plays of the day: Rodgers’ tackle of Chicago’s Brian Urlacher at midfield following a third-quarter interception, which probably saved a touchdown; a fourth-quarter interception by the nose tackle B.J. Raji, whose 337-pounds of thundering blubber shook the earth with a fourth-quarter interception and 18-yard return for a touchdown that made it 21-7.
The Steelers' defense held the Jets to 70 yards rushing, including only 16 yards on nine carries by LaDainian Tomlinson.
One year after the first Super Bowl between two dome stadium teams — New Orleans vs. Indianapolis – this year’s finale will be played between two outdoor teams that have dealt with the elements. Outdoor teams from cold-weather cities generally have overcome more adversity than indoor teams.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank wants an outdoor stadium. Who knows – maybe rain and chill would toughen his team up for future Januarys. Couldn’t hurt. Imagine if the Falcons last week were even as tough as Chicago was Sunday.
The Bears trailed Green Bay 14-0 early in the second quarter and looked on the verge of being blown out. But their defense held the Packers’ offense scoreless the rest of the game – six punts, two interceptions – and mounted an improbable rally behind Caleb Hanie, an undrafted, third-string quarterback out of Colorado State. Hanie came into the game after Jay Cutler injured his knee and backup Todd Collins flopped. He wasn’t always accurate but he showed what we already knew – the NFL postseason is less about finesse than it is survival. He led two Chicago touchdown drives but threw a pick-six to Raji, which turned out to be the difference.
If Falcons’ fans are looking for a small measure of solace, there’s this: The last three times they have been in the playoffs, they’ve lost to teams that reached the Super Bowl: Green Bay last week, Arizona in the conference semifinals in 2008 and Philadelphia in the NFC title game in 2004.
Rodgers’ dominance at the outset looked similar to last week’s 48-21 game in the Georgia Dome. On Green Bay’s opening drive, he completed all four of his passes for 76 yards and finished it off with a one-yard touchdown run. But he went only 13 for 26 for 168 yards with two interceptions the rest of the game. The Packers intercepted Hanie and Cutler three times and held Chicago to one third-down conversion. They won with defense.
Offense got the Packers to the playoffs. But defense got them to the Super Bowl. Defense always has been the engine that drives the Steelers.
It should be perfect old-school theater.
By Jeff Schultz
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Previous posts:
– Atlanta Spirit lied to us about Thrashers? Go figure
– NCAA has lost sight of mission, needs to end ‘oversigning’
– Part I: A word about ‘oversigning’ (and revisiting Saban’s dance)
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165 comments Add your comment
headley lamar
January 24th, 2011
8:46 am
Pretty boring Super Bowl
Doubt ill watch.
Same teams that are always there
Yawn.
gabugman
January 24th, 2011
8:47 am
CHC, they all did. Most of the passes were dink and dunk. A few 20 yards or less seam passes. Rodgers looked like MR, several weak 5 and out passes that looked tentative and landed in the dirt. Conservative play calling at its best. Only Martz seemed willing to gamble and that wasn’t until late with the game on the line.
RedandBlack
January 24th, 2011
8:52 am
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the Super Bowl!! Here we go Steelers, here we go!! Go Dogs!!
wardenerd
January 24th, 2011
8:52 am
in the banner picture. Is that guy way in the back White?
PreyDawg
January 24th, 2011
8:53 am
I am not the least bit happy about this. I like historical stuff like this normally but not this year. I have been a Falcon since 1976. This year was the first year I tasted it the way we all did in 1980. Even 1998 snuck up on me. This time I expected a good team and I got one. So that made loosing to the Pack the way we did all the more bitter. I wont enjoy football again until Atlanta hosts the NFC Championship game. All sport, including the 2011 regular season (if there is one) is just a means to an end for me as a fan. The bar has been raised.
Wright
January 24th, 2011
8:53 am
If Blank wants an outdoor stadium please build it in an open space either north of Atl or south. And have plenty of space for tailgating. The dome is one of the most sterile environments ever.
Ben
January 24th, 2011
8:55 am
Yeah, I take no solace in that fun fact Jeff.
BLECH.
ASHCAN.
January 24th, 2011
8:59 am
Noooooo illiniDawg,the falcons and matt ryan deserve to get trashed don’t matter who the packers beat afterwards.Remember,most of atlanta fans and probably you too had already crowned the falcons superbowl caliber and champs.So no excuses! yall the ones who hyped ryan up to be something he’s not(elite).
Gatorman
January 24th, 2011
9:00 am
With all the gnashing of teeth after the Falcons lost as if they played a team they should have beaten (just because of their record), now looks like two years ago when the hottest team in the NFC goes to the super bowl. Twice now they have not lost another team, they lost to the team going to the super bowl. It’s sometimes hard to swallow, but when you play a better team, it makes you look bad when you lose. Who thought the Cardinals were going to the super bowl only to lose to the Steelers when leading with a minute to go (a last minute drive cost them the championship). This time they lose to the Packers and who’s to say they won’t win the super bowl to. Fate is a horrible mistress, and Atlanta is seeing that there are two parts of the season, first getting to the playoffs, second be on a win streak that will carry you to the title game (like 1998). This is a learning process, so maybe next year the Falcons will be on a streak.
JSS
January 24th, 2011
9:08 am
When did this (blog) become about building a stadium? Geez!
JeanE
January 24th, 2011
9:26 am
Yet another SuperBowl where I won’t give a cr*p about which team wins. Cutler is exactly what I always thought he was whether he’s with Denver or Chicago: a whiny, gutless jerk with physical skills but the personality and leadership of Jeff George. I’d cut him loose if I were the Bears. Yeah, the Falcons lost to a very tough team, it’s true. If we’d only played the Seahawks or the Bears, I think we could’ve beaten either of those teams! Oh well. I’m glad Tony G is coming back. Now Finn needs to resign, too and we need a smart draft!
rollo lawson
January 24th, 2011
9:26 am
Memo to Blank, Dimitroff, and Smith: PLAYING AGGRESSIVE, SMASH-MOUTH DEFENSE WILL GET YOU TO THE SUPER BOWL (SEE ABOVE PARTICIPANTS)!! NOT THAT “BEND DON’T BREAK” MESS WE RUN!!
E-6
January 24th, 2011
9:27 am
Would have been great theater if the third string kid could have pulled it off for the Bears. Little surprised the Pack is a 2.5 choice. May have to do with the Steelers offensive line taking yet another hit – this time losing an All Pro center.
D Man
January 24th, 2011
9:28 am
Bring on the Pro Bowl. I don’t care to watch the superbowl with these same old teams.
D Man
January 24th, 2011
9:30 am
Wright – ditto… But north of Atlanta…
E-6
January 24th, 2011
9:32 am
Same old teams? The Packers haven’t been to the Super Bowl in 13 years.
D Man
January 24th, 2011
9:36 am
I’m sick of these “old school” teams going to and winning the superbowl. How is it that the steelers, cowboys, packers, giants, seem to keep going back time and time again? Seems like the refs keep that hankie in their pocket for these old school teams when they make the playoffs. I’m mostly hating because my Falcons are at home AGAIN… AAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHhHH!!!!
headley lamar
January 24th, 2011
9:39 am
Same old teams? The Packers haven’t been to the Super Bowl in 13 years.
Yeah but the Packers are one of the NFL darlings.
The NFL got the matchup it wanted.
joe
January 24th, 2011
9:40 am
Here we go Steelers, here we go…Super 7.
D Man
January 24th, 2011
9:42 am
I didn’t watch the games yesterday and Im not going to watch the superbowl. I have more important things to do like filling my bird feeder and planting tomato seeds for this summers garden. Old school teams don’t excite me anymore. Especially little Ben who should be in jail right now for attacking that young lady last year.
rollo lawson
January 24th, 2011
9:46 am
Things the Falcons need to do to make it to the Super Bowl:
1. find a compliment/speed back to Turner
2. Draft/acquire a deep threat (Maryland WR)
3. Hope and Pray Peria Jerry is the answer next to Babineaux.
4. Find Patrick Kerney’s replacement opposite Abraham (Been looking for 4 years now)
5. Take more shots down the field and take the shackles off this offense;
6.
Drifter
January 24th, 2011
9:48 am
D Man, thanks for reminding me to start my tomato plants…I knew there had to be something better I could be doing. It’s hard to pull for the Steelers and Ben, but a 6-loss Packers team winning a championship would be bad too…particularly when they got there because a 338 NT intercepted a third string QB and was able to run it back for a TD.
D Man
January 24th, 2011
9:49 am
“What could be better than this?” falcons vs any team…
rollo lawson
January 24th, 2011
9:52 am
6. To Matt Ryan: Stop relying on your TE so much;
7. Draft a CB early;
8. Lose the Falcon Filter;
9. draft a free safety to compete with Decoud
10. Draft more defensive players from SEC schools
11. Put away the “annointing oil” as it relates to Matty Ice until we actually when something of significance (like a playoff game).
12. Tell Van Gorder and Mularkey they are coaching for their jobs next year.
TommyJack
January 24th, 2011
9:52 am
This games should be played in a blizzard. Jerry’s house too antiseptic.
D Man
January 24th, 2011
9:56 am
Ya know, I just can’t understand why all of these packer and steeler fans are on a Atlanta blog. They must live here. If they do, they should be Falcon fans. Being anything else is like living in the USA and pulling for Germany to Win WWII. It just isn’t American…
GPMAN
January 24th, 2011
9:56 am
Has anyone ever noticed the linebackers on the good teams are much bigger than ours? Has anyone noticed that Michael Turner runs like TJ Duckett?
justafan
January 24th, 2011
9:57 am
agree with rollo@9:46..
Pulling for Ben is like pulling for the Devil…he was guility of rape and because of who he is …he got off. Thats our great law system for you..$$$ talks and Ben walks. Hope GB wins by 50……….
Go Falcons 2012!
RedandBlack
January 24th, 2011
10:18 am
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to the Super Bowl!! Here we go Steelers, here go!! Go Dogs! Go Hines Ward!!
headley lamar
January 24th, 2011
10:21 am
Pulling for Ben is like pulling for the Devil…he was guility of rape and because of who he is …he got off.
Agree with that. He is a scumbag. Of course we are going to get two weeks of ” he was misunderstood blah blah blah “
NFL
January 24th, 2011
10:28 am
Bart Starr……………………………………….
JSS
January 24th, 2011
10:31 am
“Duckett and Turner” in the same line, now there’s something you don’t see every day! Differences? Sure, there are… Turner has actually thrown a block in his life. Moreover, Turner would have topped 2,000 yards in that old geezer’s Alex Gibbs run scheme. 3) Everybody, my dog, the puppy next door, and football fans in Canada know that Turner’s going to get the ball! You want to be a “smash mouth” football team, then get the “real” personnel to pull it off! Tyson Clabo, Todd McClure, and Sam Baker are not going to get it done!
Bears Fan
January 24th, 2011
10:40 am
This is for all Packer Fans:
.…….…..:´¯/)
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cheesehead
January 24th, 2011
10:45 am
That’s pretty funny BF
GPG!
Finally
January 24th, 2011
10:49 am
Packers against Eagles – 5 point win, came down to last 40 seconds
Packers against Falcons – 27 point win, over before 4th quarter even starts
Packers against Bears – 7 point win, Bears with the ball playing to tie in regulation, comes down to last 34 seconds
One of these wins is not like the other ones
One of these wins just doesnt belong
One of these wins is not like the other ones
Can you tell me which one by the time I finish my song?
Bears Fan
January 24th, 2011
10:52 am
cheesehead
Yeah, I’m more upset with how Cutler played. It’s sad when your third string qb comes in and does more than your overpaid starting qb does. Congrats to you guys because they obviously wanted it more.
JSS
January 24th, 2011
10:59 am
See, now that’s a fan! No cursing, just one digit! They still lost, but you know where he/she stands on the food chain!
Conservative HC
January 24th, 2011
11:02 am
Um Finally, could it be the 27 point win over the Falcons?
DJ Sniper
January 24th, 2011
11:07 am
Since I’m still a bit bitter about losing to the Packers, I’ll be pulling for the Steelers in SB 45.
Let’s hope the Falcons coaching staff looks back at our last game and gets it through their heads that they have to be more aggressive on both sides of the ball if we want to get to this point next season.
Lastly, Arthur Blank needs to nix the idea of an outdoor stadium. I know people will go on and on about how football is an outdoor sport, but not everybody likes the idea of watching a football game in freezing weather. I know we don’t get winter weather the same as cities up north, but it can get pretty cold here, and on days like that, I like the idea of being in a dome watching the game.
The Emperor's New Clothes
January 24th, 2011
11:13 am
Fair-weather fans say, “We need a domed stadium, or we won’t ever get to host a Super Bowl.”
Who cares whether we host a Super Bowl or not? Even if we do, you and I aren’t getting tickets.
Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York and New England never host Super Bowls. They just play in them.
stendek
January 24th, 2011
11:14 am
Green Bay Packers get shot at Pittsburgh Steelers which should have been rematch for Falcons Jeff. Oh well. Birds did it to themselves. Want to know difference between an elite QB and an elite QB wannabe? Aaron Rodgers threw an interception but prevented defender from taking pick to house. Very possibly saved game for Packers. Pick Six Ryan tossed up interception then stepped aside to allow free access to end zone. Guess which team won that game? One with G on helmet. Not talking about Georgia either! Falcon road to Super Bowl was paved. Should not have detoured down that side road. Expect Packers to win it all. Deserve it! Will certainly be cheering them on. Hear Lightning got TD plus extra point against Thrashers too. Huh? Sorry. Wrong sport.
STENDEK
PackerVol
January 24th, 2011
11:24 am
Just an FYI for all the Dawgs and brother SEC fans:
Core of the GB O-line is anchored by two (2) Vols and seems there are 5 Vols playing in the Pro Bowl.LSU comes in second with two (2) former Bayou Kittens.
OK, so maybe I’m living in yesteryear(s) but at least the SEC endures at the provberbial “next level” and there will be 3 Dawgs (Harrison,Ward & Wynn) in Dallas as the Acme Packers grill the Pittsburghers at the Cowpokes New Palace. How fitting….
All hail the SEC…..LOL !!! The South doesn’t have to rise again, we never abdicated the pigskin throne.
bryant
January 24th, 2011
11:26 am
Mr.Blank wants an outdoor stadium. One question will Mr. Blank have a nice climate controlled suite. Of course he will and will only come outside at the end of winning games for his photo op.
JSS
January 24th, 2011
11:28 am
SMDH at the injection of stupid College conference talk into this blog… Wait, hey didn’t the SEC produce Jay Cutler? Never mind…
Bears Fan
January 24th, 2011
11:32 am
“Wait, hey didn’t the SEC produce Jay Cutler? ”
Vandy isn’t exactly a great college football school. Just sayin..
Bears Fan
January 24th, 2011
11:33 am
PackerVol
UGA rents their G logo from the Packers.
PackerVol
January 24th, 2011
11:50 am
Make that Eight (yes,
Vols and Dawgs on the rosters of the Super Bowl elite Packers and Steelers. Maybe GA and TN get some kind of residual ….. appears either way we both win. Certainly can’t hurt recruiting . After all, TN had the good sense to procure our new HC from GA’s vintage bloodlines.
Joe Tess Fish House
January 24th, 2011
11:55 am
I told U the Falcons wood not make it!
PackerVol
January 24th, 2011
11:59 am
10:40 am
Must be a frustrated Falcon with terminal digititis.
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Freddie's Falcon
January 24th, 2011
12:02 pm
DJ Shockley is a better option than Matt Ryan.