Green and gold or yellow and black Superbowl XLV? Although the Pittsburgh Steelers have won the most Super Bowls in NFL history, come next Sunday the storied Green Bay Packers will be a 2 ½ point favorite in Dallas. Odds makers say Aaron Rodgers’ ability to score (he’s scored a rushing touchdown in each of his last two playoff games) give the Packers a slight edge.
With so much being made of Pittsburgh’s stellar defense, many will forget how powerful Green Bay’s offense can be. Yes, Rodgers is a beast when it comes to fantasy points, but fantasy points don’t always translate into wins for the actual game. Many will argue that a stellar offensive fantasy player can actually be a hindrance to his team. But not Rodgers, in fact, the combination of Rodgers and Starks (the rookie running back who’s averaging 87.7 YPG in the playoffs) give the Steelers a lot to contend with.
The edge goes to Pittsburgh here. Although Green Bay has only allowed a measly 12.9 PPG, Pittsburgh is allowing less than 100 YPG. If Pittsburgh can stick to that, the Packers will have a hard time winning on the ground and will force Rodgers to play at his very best, something the Packers don’t want to test.
In the end, odds makers are banking on the success Green Bay has seen on the road since October. They’ve rarely faltered and when they have it’s been because of injuries. If the Packers can stay injury free, focus on their deadly combination of Rodgers and Starks, they should be able to come away with a championship and bring the Lambardi Trophy back to Green Bay. After all, they’ve already won once in Dallas this year, and quite handedly at that (they beat Dallas 45-7 on November 7).
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