I'll provide the first Sup*r Bowl Preview, in the hopes that the other LSF authors will throw their preview hats into the ring as well.
Well, it's finally time. As soon as we get the Pro Bowl out of the way, it's time for Sup*r Bowl XLV. For some reason, though, I just don't feel very hyped up about it. All I keep hearing is how amazing this game is going to be. The two most storied franchises in NFL history going head to head at the NFL's newest gem of a stadium. It couldn't get any better! The only problems are a) I hate the Steelers, and b) I couldn't really care less about the Packers. There is absolutely nothing that interests me in this one. When the Steelers played the Cards, at least I could pull for the NFC West underdogs. When the Pats make it, at least I can pull for whoever is playing them. But I don't hate the Steelers like I hate the Pats (I think I hate Steeler fans more than the actual team) and Green Bay just isn't very interesting to me. It's a Sup*r Bowl that everyone can't wait to watch, and I'm just looking forward to the snacks and (yes, I'll make the cliché comment here) the commercials.
Despite that, as a respected (by my legion of fan, singular on purpose) long suffering blogger, I feel compelled to at least take a guess at what will happen.
First, we'll examine the Packers. At 10-6, the main steam media seems to be gushing over Rodgers and company. Did you know he has the best QB rating in a dome, on Sundays, since 2008, not counting odd numbered years? Thanks ESPN! But, can we just look at these losses (and some of the wins) to see just how "good" Green Bay was/is? A 20-17 loss to the Bears early on seems fine, but how about the 16-13 OT loss to the Redskins? Aaron Rodgers got the ball to start the extra session and got picked. Washington finished 6-10. The very next week, they lost 23-20 to Miami in OT. They only got to OT against the Dolphins by getting a lucky QB sneak for a TD with 13 seconds left on fourth and goal. The Dolphins finished 7-9. They lost to Atlanta by 3 and New England by 4, both of which are fine, but how about their 7-3 loss to Detroit? In that game, the Lions knocked Rodgers out early, giving him his second concussion of the season, and the Packers were worthless without him. Detroit finished 6-10. But how about the wins? Those were quality, right? Well, sure! They beat the Eagles by 7, crushed the Bills, destroyed Dallas, embarrassed Minnesota, San Francisco, and the Giants. When they played a quality team like the Jets, however, they won 9-0 (no TDs). In their win against the Lions, they prevailed by 2 mesely points. Both times they beat Chicago, regular season and playoffs, they won by 7, and their most recent win surely wasn't super impressive.
So, is all the "amazing and talented offense" talk warranted? Maybe, but they don't seem like the NFL's best team throughout the season. They more look like a middle of the road, average squad, who barely squeezed past Philly in the opening round, caught lightning in a bottle in a surprising win over Atlanta, and then barely won in a poor effort against Chicago in the NFC Championship Game. Now that they've made it to the Sup*r Bowl, it's pretty predictable that the main stream media are annointing Aaron Rodgers as the NFL's best QB, and the Packers as the class of the League. I may be wrong, but it just doesn't seem true. That will become especially apparent if Rodgers gets knocked out of the "big game."
Meanwhile, I'm left wondering how the 12-4 Steelers are the underdog in this one. Has Vegas really got this thing backwards? Or, am I just an idiot? Show me a bad Steelers loss. There isn't one. Their four slip ups were against Baltimore by 3, New Orleans by 10, New England by 13, and the Jets by 5. Pittsburgh took care of all the games they were "supposed to win," unlike Green Bay, and even avenged the regular season losses to the Ravens and Jets by beating them in the playoffs en route to the Sup*r Bowl. They beat Atlanta in the first week of the season, and walked out of the season with two straight blowout wins over the horribles from Carolina and Cleveland. I mean, look, I hate these guys. I hate their fans (most of whom have no actual connection to Pittsburgh and just started liking them in 2005), I hate their QB (a moronic hick who thinks it's okay to assault women...but always finds a way to win!), and I hate their town (only fans from cold weather cities are real fans...shut up). But, with all that being said, I like their chances in Sup*r Bowl XLV.
The line: Packers -1.5
My call: Take the Steelers, even if the line shifts back the other way, because they'll win by at least 10.
Now, if I can just convince my wife to make that sweet artichoke heart dip...
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
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