Green Bay -3 vs. Pittsburgh
This is what we have all been waiting for. All of the hype and anticipation is just about over. Two of the most storied franchises in the history of the NFL are about to meet in Super Bowl XLV. To the surprise of many Green Bay enters the game as a 3 point favorite. The Packers have staved off five consecutive weeks of possible elimination. While Pittsburgh has been playing your typical Steeler football. These teams match up very tightly. This one is bound to come down to the final seconds.
Green Bay enters the Super Bowl on one hell of a streak. For five consecutive weeks, they have won a must-win game. Can they do it once again? Aaron Rodgers will be running into his toughest test to date. He will need to spread the ball around the field and throw for large chunks of yardage to join Brett Favre and Bart Starr in Packer lore. Rodgers needs to have an MVP-type game for the Packers to win. He is eager to break out of Favre's shadow once and for all and deliver another title to Titletown. He didn't play all that well in the NFC Championship and is trying to redeem himself. He has the chance to build his own legacy on Sunday. Rodgers will also need a strong showing from his D. Green Bay's D has continued to improve all year and has become one of the league's best. Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson are the heart and soul, and are very capable of leading the Pack to victory.
This isn't the Steelers first rodeo. They have been here before and strut in with yet another dominant defense. Their defense, combined with a proven winner in Ben Roethlisberger makes Pittsburgh as formidable as ever. They are on the verge of joining the 70s Steel Curtain as another dynasty in Steelers history. Pittsburgh is in search of their third title in six years. Big Ben can join all-time greats Terry Bradsaw, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, and Tom Brady as the only QBs ever to win 3 Super Bowls. This game doesn't fall on Ben's shoulders though. Pittsburgh will need their secondary to step up and guard against a lethal Green Bay passing game. Offensively, they will need to get solid play from a patchwork O-Line and control the clock with Rashard Mendenall.
There are plenty of reasons to pick either one of these teams. Ultimately, Green Bay may be more talented. But Pittsburgh has been here before and that counts for plenty. They have proven time and again that they have the mental fortitude to win on this type of stage. I have picked against Pittsburgh too many times to do it again. Green Bay is an up and coming team and will have to be reckoned with for years to come. The Steelers win this time around though. Give Pittsburgh their 3rd title in 6 years.
Prediction - Pittsburgh 24 Green Bay 16
Ringer's Playoff Record
ATS: 6-4
SU: 5-5
Friday, February 4, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Super Bowl XLV - Coaching
Green Bay - Mike McCarthy, Joe Philbin, Dom Capers
Pittsburgh - Mike Tomlin, Bruce Arians, Dick LeBeau
There are currently five active coaches in the NFL that have won a Super Bowl. Mike Tomlin is one of them. Mike McCarthy is not. In just his fourth season at the helm for the Steelers, Mike Tomlin is appearing in his second Super Bowl at the young age of 38. McCarthy is not an old man himself. He will be making his first Super Bowl appearance at age 47. Both of these men have made the most of their first head coaching gigs in the NFL. Tomlin is looking to become the youngest coach in NFL history to win two Super Bowls. McCarthy looks to join Packer coaching greats Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to lead this franchise to the promise land.
Mike McCarthy is in his fifth season as Head Coach for the Green Bay Packers. He has brought a fantastic offensive mind that has helped mold Aaron Rodgers and this young offense into one of the league's best. Since McCarthy took over the reigns in Green Bay, the Packers are one of only two teams to finish in the top ten in offense each of the last five years. McCarthy generally calls the plays but is aided by another great offensive mind in Joe Philbin. On the defensive side, Green Bay is lead by one of the best coaches around In Dom Capers. Capers gained notoriety in the 90s for incorporating a zone-blitzing scheme while head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Since he took over as Defensive Coordinator, the Packers have blossomed into a dominant force on that side of the ball as well. This coaching staff will mix things up on both sides and look to keep the Steelers off balance.
For Pittsburgh, they just continue to make the right call when choosing head coaches. Mike Tomlin is the third coach the franchise has had in the last 41 years. He has followed in the foot steps of the legendary Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher just fine. He is in the midst of building quite a legacy himself. Tomlin brings a ferocious attitude to the table that his team feeds into. He has great assistants too. Bruce Arians controls the offense. He has changed the philosophy in the last couple years. While the Steelers are still capable of running the ball and relying on their defense to win games, their offense can win games too. They are more explosive and pass-happy than ever. Defensively, you could not ask for a better Coordinator than Dick LeBeau. LeBeau is possibly the greatest Defensive Coordinator ever. He has been a staple in Pittsburgh and one of the primary reasons that the Steelers D is one of the best every year.
The Steelers have the undoubted advantage in this category. They have all been here before. They know how to approach this game. McCarthy will have his troops ready, but you can't go against the experience of Pittsburgh's coaching staff. As weird as it is to use "experience" with a 38-year-old, it is true. Tomlin and his coaches will prepare their team just as they did two short seasons ago.
Advantage - Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh - Mike Tomlin, Bruce Arians, Dick LeBeau
There are currently five active coaches in the NFL that have won a Super Bowl. Mike Tomlin is one of them. Mike McCarthy is not. In just his fourth season at the helm for the Steelers, Mike Tomlin is appearing in his second Super Bowl at the young age of 38. McCarthy is not an old man himself. He will be making his first Super Bowl appearance at age 47. Both of these men have made the most of their first head coaching gigs in the NFL. Tomlin is looking to become the youngest coach in NFL history to win two Super Bowls. McCarthy looks to join Packer coaching greats Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to lead this franchise to the promise land.
Mike McCarthy is in his fifth season as Head Coach for the Green Bay Packers. He has brought a fantastic offensive mind that has helped mold Aaron Rodgers and this young offense into one of the league's best. Since McCarthy took over the reigns in Green Bay, the Packers are one of only two teams to finish in the top ten in offense each of the last five years. McCarthy generally calls the plays but is aided by another great offensive mind in Joe Philbin. On the defensive side, Green Bay is lead by one of the best coaches around In Dom Capers. Capers gained notoriety in the 90s for incorporating a zone-blitzing scheme while head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Since he took over as Defensive Coordinator, the Packers have blossomed into a dominant force on that side of the ball as well. This coaching staff will mix things up on both sides and look to keep the Steelers off balance.
For Pittsburgh, they just continue to make the right call when choosing head coaches. Mike Tomlin is the third coach the franchise has had in the last 41 years. He has followed in the foot steps of the legendary Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher just fine. He is in the midst of building quite a legacy himself. Tomlin brings a ferocious attitude to the table that his team feeds into. He has great assistants too. Bruce Arians controls the offense. He has changed the philosophy in the last couple years. While the Steelers are still capable of running the ball and relying on their defense to win games, their offense can win games too. They are more explosive and pass-happy than ever. Defensively, you could not ask for a better Coordinator than Dick LeBeau. LeBeau is possibly the greatest Defensive Coordinator ever. He has been a staple in Pittsburgh and one of the primary reasons that the Steelers D is one of the best every year.
The Steelers have the undoubted advantage in this category. They have all been here before. They know how to approach this game. McCarthy will have his troops ready, but you can't go against the experience of Pittsburgh's coaching staff. As weird as it is to use "experience" with a 38-year-old, it is true. Tomlin and his coaches will prepare their team just as they did two short seasons ago.
Advantage - Pittsburgh
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Super Bowl XLV - Special Teams
Green Bay - Mason Crosby, Tim Masthay, Sam Shields, Tramon Williams
Pittsburgh - Shaun Suisham, Jeremy Kapinos, Antonio Brown
Special Teams is a very important aspect in every game. Particularly close games. As we have taken a look at each position, it appears that this game is headed towards being close. Which means that special teams should play a role in the outcome. Super Bowl XLV could be decided by field position. And what dictates field position more than special teams?
The downfall of the Packers could be a poor return game and poor kick coverage. Green Bay ranked 26th in kick return average and 22nd in punt return average. They ranked 13th in kickoff coverage and 24th in punt coverage. In only one area did they finish in the top half of the league. However, when your punter is as masterful as Tim Masthay was in the NFC Championship, you don't need coverage. Masthay did not allow Devin Hester a chance to beat them as he pinned Chicago inside their own 20 on five of his eight punts. The Steelers return game is not nearly as lethal, but the Packers could use a similar performance from their punter this week. If the game does come down to a field goal, Mason Crosby has a booming leg. His accuracy was a bit off this year, missing 6 field goals, but Mike McCarthy has plenty of confidence in him to kick under pressure.
Pittsburgh's special teams are not amazing either. They were 13th in kick return average and dead last in punt return average. In coverage, the Steelers ranked 5th against kickoff returns and 18th against punt returns. These aren't the same players that were expected to lead the charge at the beginning of the season. After cutting Jeff Reed in midseason, Pittsburgh signed journeymen Shaun Suisham. Despite being wildly erratic throughout his career, Suisham made 14 of 15 field goal attempts during the regular season. He has never kicked under playoff pressure and missed one against Baltimore int he Divisional round. Punter Jeremy Kapinos is 7 yards worse in net punting than Daniel Sepulveda was when healthy. Antonio Brown has injected some life into the return game, but he doesn't strike too much fear into opponents.
It could be a special teams lapse that sways this game one way or another. Neither one of these teams are tremendous in this aspect of the game. This is yet another position that Green Bay and Pittsburgh are very evenly matched. I will give Green Bay a slight edge. I don't expect either team to come up with huge returns. I trust the combination of Mason Crosby and Tim Masthay more than that of Shaun Suisham and Jeremy Kapinos.
Advantage - Green Bay
Pittsburgh - Shaun Suisham, Jeremy Kapinos, Antonio Brown
Special Teams is a very important aspect in every game. Particularly close games. As we have taken a look at each position, it appears that this game is headed towards being close. Which means that special teams should play a role in the outcome. Super Bowl XLV could be decided by field position. And what dictates field position more than special teams?
The downfall of the Packers could be a poor return game and poor kick coverage. Green Bay ranked 26th in kick return average and 22nd in punt return average. They ranked 13th in kickoff coverage and 24th in punt coverage. In only one area did they finish in the top half of the league. However, when your punter is as masterful as Tim Masthay was in the NFC Championship, you don't need coverage. Masthay did not allow Devin Hester a chance to beat them as he pinned Chicago inside their own 20 on five of his eight punts. The Steelers return game is not nearly as lethal, but the Packers could use a similar performance from their punter this week. If the game does come down to a field goal, Mason Crosby has a booming leg. His accuracy was a bit off this year, missing 6 field goals, but Mike McCarthy has plenty of confidence in him to kick under pressure.
Pittsburgh's special teams are not amazing either. They were 13th in kick return average and dead last in punt return average. In coverage, the Steelers ranked 5th against kickoff returns and 18th against punt returns. These aren't the same players that were expected to lead the charge at the beginning of the season. After cutting Jeff Reed in midseason, Pittsburgh signed journeymen Shaun Suisham. Despite being wildly erratic throughout his career, Suisham made 14 of 15 field goal attempts during the regular season. He has never kicked under playoff pressure and missed one against Baltimore int he Divisional round. Punter Jeremy Kapinos is 7 yards worse in net punting than Daniel Sepulveda was when healthy. Antonio Brown has injected some life into the return game, but he doesn't strike too much fear into opponents.
It could be a special teams lapse that sways this game one way or another. Neither one of these teams are tremendous in this aspect of the game. This is yet another position that Green Bay and Pittsburgh are very evenly matched. I will give Green Bay a slight edge. I don't expect either team to come up with huge returns. I trust the combination of Mason Crosby and Tim Masthay more than that of Shaun Suisham and Jeremy Kapinos.
Advantage - Green Bay
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Super Bowl XLV - Secondary
Green Bay - Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Nick Collins, C. Peprah
Pittsburgh - Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, William Gay, Ryan Clark, Troy Polamalu
The last two NFL Defensive Players of the Year reside in the Green Bay and Pittsburgh secondaries respectively. Traditionally this award tends to go to linebackers and defensive ends, but Troy Polamalu and Charles Woodson have been two of the best defensive players in the league for years, regardless of position. These men make everyone around them better. They can cover large portions of the field and are also strong in the running game as well as coming off the edge in blitz packages. As great as the QBs in this game are, they will be looking to avoid Polamalu and Woodson.
Green Bay's secondary makes it very difficult to throw the ball. They cover the entire field well. They have two shut down corners in Woodson and Tramon Williams, and safeties Nick Collins and Charlie Peprah are very effective pass defenders as well. This unit leaves virtually no passing lanes for opposing QBs to throw. This will make life more difficult for Ben Roethlisberger than he is accustomed to. Woodson does it all for Green Bay. He can play any type of coverage and is not afraid to come up and stick a running back or come on a nickle blitz. Tramon Williams can get physical at the line with speedy Mike Wallace and has the speed himself to keep up with him should Wallace get off the line. This secondary is one of the primary reasons that the Pack is back in the Super Bowl.
Troy Polamalu is what makes Pittsburgh's entire defense click, especially the secondary. The evidence is in their 6-7 record without Polamalu over the last two seasons. They are 15-4 with him. The players lining up with him in the secondary feel that they don't get the respect they deserve. Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, and Ryan Clark have all been here before. All of them contributed on the 2008 Super Bowl championship team. Taylor can certainly hold his own, but McFadden has been susceptible to allowing too many completions. Ryan Clark is a perfect compliment to Polamalu, and can lay the hammer when the opportunity presents itself. Polamalu's teammates should get to prove their worth this Sunday. Green Bay will probably look to spread the Steelers out and attack any one on one options Aaron Rodgers may get.
It is very difficult to go against the newly crowned NFL Defensive Player of the Year in this matchup, but remember Charles Woodson won this award last season. I think that Polamalu is without a doubt the single most disruptive player in the NFL. But the rest of the Steelers secondary is not as strong as Green Bay's. The Packers secondary blankets receivers. Roethlisberger will have to thread the needle repeatedly to move the ball through the air. As long as Rodgers can avoid Polamalu, he should be able to find some openings elsewhere. As a group Green Bay's secondary gets the nod here.
Advantage - Green Bay
Pittsburgh - Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, William Gay, Ryan Clark, Troy Polamalu
The last two NFL Defensive Players of the Year reside in the Green Bay and Pittsburgh secondaries respectively. Traditionally this award tends to go to linebackers and defensive ends, but Troy Polamalu and Charles Woodson have been two of the best defensive players in the league for years, regardless of position. These men make everyone around them better. They can cover large portions of the field and are also strong in the running game as well as coming off the edge in blitz packages. As great as the QBs in this game are, they will be looking to avoid Polamalu and Woodson.
Green Bay's secondary makes it very difficult to throw the ball. They cover the entire field well. They have two shut down corners in Woodson and Tramon Williams, and safeties Nick Collins and Charlie Peprah are very effective pass defenders as well. This unit leaves virtually no passing lanes for opposing QBs to throw. This will make life more difficult for Ben Roethlisberger than he is accustomed to. Woodson does it all for Green Bay. He can play any type of coverage and is not afraid to come up and stick a running back or come on a nickle blitz. Tramon Williams can get physical at the line with speedy Mike Wallace and has the speed himself to keep up with him should Wallace get off the line. This secondary is one of the primary reasons that the Pack is back in the Super Bowl.
Troy Polamalu is what makes Pittsburgh's entire defense click, especially the secondary. The evidence is in their 6-7 record without Polamalu over the last two seasons. They are 15-4 with him. The players lining up with him in the secondary feel that they don't get the respect they deserve. Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, and Ryan Clark have all been here before. All of them contributed on the 2008 Super Bowl championship team. Taylor can certainly hold his own, but McFadden has been susceptible to allowing too many completions. Ryan Clark is a perfect compliment to Polamalu, and can lay the hammer when the opportunity presents itself. Polamalu's teammates should get to prove their worth this Sunday. Green Bay will probably look to spread the Steelers out and attack any one on one options Aaron Rodgers may get.
It is very difficult to go against the newly crowned NFL Defensive Player of the Year in this matchup, but remember Charles Woodson won this award last season. I think that Polamalu is without a doubt the single most disruptive player in the NFL. But the rest of the Steelers secondary is not as strong as Green Bay's. The Packers secondary blankets receivers. Roethlisberger will have to thread the needle repeatedly to move the ball through the air. As long as Rodgers can avoid Polamalu, he should be able to find some openings elsewhere. As a group Green Bay's secondary gets the nod here.
Advantage - Green Bay
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