National Football League

Super Bowl XLV predictions

Published Feb. 5, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Super Bowl XLV (FOX pregame at 2 p.m. ET, kickoff at 6:29) figures to be a classic.

FOXSPORTS.COM WRITERS	WINNER	SCORE	REASON FOR VICTORY
Mark Kriegel		23-20	Experience counts here. A victory for old school football, as Rashard Mendendhall rushes for more 100 yards and the Steelers rough up Aaron Rodgers. Goodell hands the MVP trophy James Harrison, who hocks it, NCAA-style, to pay for next year’s fines.
Jason Whitlock		28-24	I picked the Steelers at the beginning of the season. I like Big Ben in Big Games. I like Troy Polamalu in Big and Small games. I like James Harrison when he's angry. I like Mike Tomlin. Period.
Nancy Gay		28-24	Part of me wants to pick the Steelers, because they're the more experienced team on this Super Bowl stage and that would seem to give them a huge edge. But I also think the hot team in the playoffs stays that way, and that is the Packers. They've won six in a row to get here. Ultimately Green Bay's opportunistic defense will make a huge play when it counts to win a close game.
Alex Marvez		27-23	This is the game where Pittsburgh's offensive line finally gets exposed, especially with Doug Legursky forced to start at center in place of the injured Maurkice Pouncey. Offensively, Green Bay has the depth at wide receiver to exploit Pittsburgh's shaky cornerbacks. Look for the Packers to successfully utilize a quick passing game a la New England -- a team that always gives the Steelers fits -- to give Aaron Rodger his first Super Bowl ring.
John Czarnecki		28-24	Super Bowl XLV is a football lover’s dream; two great defenses and two great young quarterbacks. If it was an alley fight, the Steelers win hands down. But Green Bay’s finesse and wide-receiver speed will be too much for Pittsburgh’s brawn. It’s imperative that Aaron Rodgers doesn’t get dinged early.
Adam Schein		24-20	I predicted the Packers would win the Super Bowl in the preseason and I'm not backing down now. Aaron Rodgers is your game MVP. Charles Woodson makes game changing plays. Mike McCarthy, Ted Thompson, and Mark Murphy will get the justified place in Packers history.
Adam Caplan		27-24	This game figures to feature two teams that are pretty evenly matched up on both sides of the ball. The one discernible strength from both teams is in the backend of the defense. The Green Bay secondary has better depth than Pittsburgh's, and that's where the Packers can gain an advantage. Look for Green Bay to make a few big plays down the field and they will win.
Peter Schrager		31-27	With the exception of the '99 "Greatest Show on Turf" St. Louis Rams, I can't imagine a unit better suited for the Cowboys Stadium fast track than this Packers offense. Aaron Rodgers' vision, accuracy and ability to make something out of nothing with his feet when the pocket collapses will only be maximized on this lightning fast field. The major advantage that the Steelers have over their opponents — the league’s most dominant rush defense — might not even play much of a role on Sunday, as the Packers rarely rely on the run game. This one won't be the same shootout we saw in Pittsburgh last year, when the Steelers edged the Packers 37-36, but it could be just as exciting down the stretch. After finding a way to stop Ben Roethlisberger on a last minute drive, the Packers will bring their fourth Lombardi Trophy home to Green Bay.
Todd Behrendt		24-21	Aaron Rodgers and his speedy quartet of wideouts are tough under normal circumstances. But when you put them on the Cowboys Stadium turf and give them a less-than-100 percent Troy Polamalu? That's a Super Bowl champion team for you. Ben Roethlisberger will keep the game close, but look for Big Ben's big-game experience to be negated a little bit by the absence of Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey in front of him.
Steve Bien-Aime		17-14	A lot has been made about the explosiveness of the Packers' offense, but it is prone to huge scoring droughts. The Steelers' defense will hit Aaron Rodgers enough to slow the Packers down, allowing Ben Roethlisberger to lead Pittsburgh down for a late field goal to win the game and give Big Ben his first Super Bowl MVP.

ADVERTISEMENT

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League

NEXT STORY

Next Story Image: NFL Draft picks, grades and analysis: Bears land pair of A's for top-10 duo

NFL Draft picks, grades and analysis: Bears land pair of A's for top-10 duo