Packers Beat Steelers 31-25 to Win Super Bowl
- Posted on February 6, 2011 at 9:49pm by
Meredith Jessup
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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Aaron Rodgers has turned the Green Bay Packers into Super Bowl champions once again.
Rodgers threw three touchdown passes and Nick Collins returned an interception for another score, leading the Packers to a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
This was Green Bay’s fourth Super Bowl title. The Packers won the first two Super Bowls with Vince Lombardi coaching Bart Starr, and captured another with Brett Favre in January 1997.
The Steelers trailed 21-3 before halftime. Ben Roethlisberger got them within 28-25 midway through the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass and a nifty 2-point conversion. The Packers answered with a field goal, giving Roethlisberger one last chance.
Needing to go 87 yards in 1:59 with one timeout left, Roethlisberger couldn’t make it across midfield.
As the Packers ran out the clock, fans chanted, “Go Pack Go!” Rodgers — who was named the game’s MVP — wound up with the ball, bouncing up and down. He hugged Clay Matthews Jr. near midfield as confetti shot out of cannons and silver streamers dropped.
“This is a great day to be great, baby,” Jennings said.
“We’ve been a team that’s overcome adversity all year,” he added. “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.”
This was only the second time Pittsburgh lost a Super Bowl. The Steelers still have the most wins with six, and are tied for the most appearances with eight.
The crowd at Cowboys Stadium was 91,060 paying attendees, or 103,219 counting “credentialed attendees.” It fell short of the record.
Rodgers was named MVP.
Green Bay led 21-17 after three quarters, but the Packers were without cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Sam Shields and receiver Donald Driver.
The Steelers had the momentum, the experience and the crowd — tens of thousands of fans twirling “Terrible Towels” and making things tough for Rodgers to bark out signals at times.
But on the first play of the fourth quarter, with Pittsburgh possibly driving for a go-ahead touchdown, Rashard Mendenhall fumbled on a hit by Clay Matthews Jr. The Packers took over at their own 45.
Jennings caught his second TD pass of the game to give the Packers a 28-17 lead with 11:57 to play — their third touchdown following a takeaway.
The Packers’ final points came on a 23-yard field goal by mason Crosby with 2:07 left.
Christina Aguilera got the game off to a rocky start by flubbing a line in the national anthem. The Steelers didn’t do much better at the outset.
Green Bay jumped ahead 14-0 with touchdowns on consecutive plays: a 29-yard touchdown catch by Jordy Nelson, then Collins’ interception, which featured a weaving return, a dive into the end zone and hip-swiveling dance toward the Pittsburgh sideline by B.J. Raji, the Packers’ jumbo-sized nose tackle.
Rodgers stretched the lead to 21-3 by drilling a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jennings. The ball whistled past safety Ryan Clark, with Jennings making a tough catch look easy just before getting popped by Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. That drive also was set up by an interception, a pickoff at midfield by Jarrett Bush.
Roethlisberger’s miserable first half turned a little better at the end.
Taking over deep in his own territory after Jennings’ touchdown, he threw a 37-yard completion to Antwaan Randle El. That started a seven-play, 77-yard drive that ended with an 8-yard touchdown catch to former Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward.
Also on that drive, Woodson hurt his collarbone diving for a pass. He spent the second half in street clothes, with his left arm in a sling, appearing quite uncomfortable. Driver was out with an ankle injury, and Shields hurt a shoulder.
With two defensive backs out at the half, everyone expected the Steelers to come out throwing in the third quarter. Nope. They gained all 50 yards on their opening drive on the ground, with Mendenhall bowling in from the 8 for the touchdown. He jumped up and flung the ball into the stands with a two-handed basketball chest pass.
The first Super Bowl held at $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium came following a week of ice and snow that caused all sorts of problems. Hopes for an uneventful gameday were ruined when several sections of temporary seats — holding about 1,250 people — were deemed unsafe.
Celebs were everywhere: from former President George W. Bush to baseball slugger Alex Rodriguez, who was seen having popcorn shoveled into his mouth by actress Cameron Diaz. Hollywood stars John Travolta, Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Mark Harmon, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas were in attendance, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson was seated near new Cowboys coach Jason Garrett; on Garrett’s other side was Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher.
Football stars were sprinkled around, too. The newest Hall of Fame class, chosen Saturday, took part in the pregame coin toss, with Deion Sanders handling the flip.
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emertz8413
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 7:40amWe here in Cincinnati are thrilled with the outcome!!!!
Report Post »Peraslax
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 11:08amWoh there, not all of us in Cincinnati are thrilled with the outcome. I was rooting for the Steelers because I’m a big fan of Dick Le Buew. I was never happy with the way the Bengles treated him. Gave him the head coach job with flat out crappy players and no authority to make an important decision. Then scape goated him when once again the Bengles had a losing season. I believe it was their tenth or eleventh straight since the death of Paul Brown. I was also rooting for the Steelers for Scot and Liz’s sake.
Report Post »Gabby Johnson
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 7:05amKarma catches up to “Therapist Ben”.
Report Post »Uncle Sambo
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 6:52amI am glad Green Bay had to only wait fourteen years this time around. Beer, Bratwursts and the Green Bay Packers. Does anything say America better than that?
Did anyone hear about all the rioting and looting going on in Green Bay after the Packer Victory? I think that is the real story here. There is a great need in America for Liberal Vision to highlight and contrast the difference of victory rituals of fans living in the enlightened blue and the boorish red markets.
Report Post »Club_Crackers
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 6:42amGO Pack GO
Report Post »SilentReader
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 3:29amYay Packers!
Report Post »RBL1989
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 2:55amI knew Green Bay would win, my favorite football team won another Super Bowl and just two days after my birthday. this is one of the best Birthday weekends I have had in years.
Report Post »Club_Crackers
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 12:46amPackers beat the Steelers with practiced skill and training. Packers were 10-6 and 6th seeded because critical players were temporarily injured during their losses.
Report Post »ReaganConservative83
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 1:28amClub,
You got that right!
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 12:34amNope. Sorry. The Steelers beat the Steelers. Turn-overs and penalties beat the Steelers.
Report Post »Barry@Occidental1980
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 12:27amFavre strangely quiet.
Report Post »Ken
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 12:13amThe Green Bay Packers – America’s Team!!!
Report Post »cnsrvtvj
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 12:31amYes they are Ken!
Report Post »Club_Crackers
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 11:58pmGoogle Pittsburgh news and Green Bay/Milwaukee news.
Report Post »It would seem people in the midwest have more class than the Eastern part of the country.
Matt
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 11:27pmMy family still makes cheese in Wisconsin. My second favorite cheese is worn on the heads of the die-hards. Sheboygan County Packer fans are the absolute best!
Report Post »ReaganConservative83
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 11:00pmGreat Job Green Bay on winning Super Bowl 45 and your 13th and NFL best National Championship. It was a great game, one of the best I have ever seen. Special mention to Greg Jennings WMU fellow alum, still as usual a GREAT GREAT Wide Receiver!! Congrats to Aaron for getting out of the shadow of Favre finally. Again Congrats to Green Bay Packers!!!
Report Post »pudssweetie
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:59pmWhat a great game and the Packers are bringing Vince back home where he belongs. So happy to be a Wisconsinite and a Packer fan!!!!
Report Post »cnsrvtvj
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 12:18amMe too, well said. Go Pack Go!
Report Post »WIMomof5
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 12:47amAbsolutely!
Report Post »Go Pack Go!
scout n ambush
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:50pmobama was betting on the steelers and jinxed them.I should have known the steelers were in trouble when i saw the 700 club talking to the packers QB rodgers and some of his teammates about their faith.
Report Post »MrButcher
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:54pmthe 700 club???
barf!!!
Report Post »scout n ambush
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 11:12pmHey i know Pat Robertson says some stupid crap some times but i like some of the news stories on there .I said something stupid once and it almost resulted in marriage .So i can’t judge him to hard.
Report Post »MrButcher
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 11:32pmgood point.
stupidity is a Natural Right.
touche.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:45pmGrrrrr…Steelers couldn’t pass the catsup…3 turnovers leading to 3 TDs…
Life goes on…Glad I did not bet on it…
Report Post »MrButcher
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:44pmHow did Michael Vick do at the Puppy Bowl??
Report Post »scout n ambush
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 11:00pmWasn‘t enough blood for his taste he could have put gun powder in their puppy bowl’s .
Report Post »TerryJ70
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:41pmHow does a company go from desperately in need of a bailout and then two years later spend millions of dollars on TV ads in the super bowl. I think they are laughing at us.
Report Post »MrButcher
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:46pmDrive the 2011 300…
Report Post »(i have)
great damn Car.
RedHarley
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 7:16amObambi allowed Chevrolet to spend those millions of taxpayer dollars to be a major sponsor of the Super Bowl for 2 reasons:
1. To pimp his pride and joy, the Volt
2. If the Steelers won, Dan Rooney would have been up on stage again holding the Lombardi, and the first words out of his mouth would have been “I would like to thank President Barack Obama……” (again)
Report Post »neverending
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:38pmHIP HIP HOORAY!! Way to go Rodgers. One of the very best super bowl games I have ever seen.
Report Post »FlatFoot
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:34pmRapistberger loses!
Hallelujah!!
Report Post »Cemoto78
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:34pmWorld Champion Green Bay Packers
Report Post »cnsrvtvj
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 12:16amYes they are! Go Pack Go!
Report Post »Carl1
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:33pmWtg green bay!!!!!!
Report Post »Rearden Steel
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:33pmPerhaps more important than the win are the two reasons China might as well fuel up their jets to take us over.
1. The halftime show.
2. The fact that Chevy is now offering facebook access through On-Star so people can check and update statuses while driving.
I thought my generation (mid-20′s) was bad enough, but facebook and constant texting have pretty much sped-up the downfall. And now you can do it while navigating traffic in your new Chevy!
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 11:01pmWho is John Galt?
Report Post »royrescue
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 6:52amhttp://www.atlasshrugged.com John is a Great American,just like you and me! GOD Please, Bless America!! AMEN!! go! pack! go!
Report Post »TruthTalker
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:33pmSad day.
Report Post »FED-UP-AND-READY-TO-TAKE-ACTION
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:31pmGo Packers……………….
Report Post »Xcori8r
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:33pmThank you Green Bay, you kept Obama away.
Report Post »cnsrvtvj
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:37pmYou said it Fed, what a great game. I almost had a stroke; I guess that study was right after all. The Steelers played a great game, but the Packers ruled the day.
http://www.donsmithshow.com – see the Reagan tribute video
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:45pmGreat game, too bad the Steelers came up short, but kudos to the Pack. Did it all to spite the fact they had so many players out with injury. You just can’t ask for a better game.
Report Post »GONESURFING
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:51pmIt was a great game, the Steelers lost it by turnovers.
Report Post »GeauxAlready
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:58pm.
Report Post »Great Game except for Crustina Aguhoribile. Was it me or was her Butt HUGE that pasty goth look does not work for her. Looked more like a white zombie……..
Hobbs57
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 11:27pmGlad that California Born, Berkley attending quarter back Aaron Rodgers and GreenBay won as the liberal media jumped on the ban wagon to support him, otherwise, I would have had to read a million articles making excuses of how the game was rigged. I was wondering why I was seeing all this odd support for Green Bay from people who I know really don‘t care about sport’s, heck, even an article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette how the NFL demonstrates the perfect Socialist system… Give me a break..Then I googled Aaron Rodgers and seen he was born in California and was the star quarterback at Berkley, and it all came clear…
Report Post »Obviously I am a Pittsburgh fan..lol I have a feeling Troy was doing one of his fasting sessions leading up to this game because his facial expressions seemed as if he was on another planet. They just didn’t have it.
Showtime
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 1:06amI’m delighted that there was something to ENJOY today for you “guys.” The Lord knows we needed a break! Winner made no difference to me, though. I’m just glad there was a great game for you to watch.
Report Post »RedHarley
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 6:33amThe most important thing about this win is that we didn’t have to listen to that idiot Dan Rooney thanking President Obama like he did the last time the Steelers won.
Report Post »Chasvs391
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 7:50amThe Pack is Back!
Report Post »