Ok, time for a pick here.
I'm really surprised that the Packers have been 2.5-point favorites throughout the entire two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. I do think they are better than their 10-6 regular-season record indicates. They should've beaten the Lions, when Rodgers went out with a concussion, and presumably would've if he had been able to stay in the game. They also lost to Washington earlier in the season, but definitely weren't playing their best football then.
The Steelers, however, are hardened veterans of the Super Bowl and the No. 2 seed in the AFC. QB Ben Roethlisberger is a two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback. I'm not really sure why the Steelers aren't 2-3 point favorites. They have the better run game and probably the better defense--but the Packers are certainly not far behind.
The only reason I would consider giving the Packers an edge is because Aaron Rodgers has looked like one of the top 4 or 5 QBs in the NFL the past two seasons. But he didn't play well against the Bears--17 of 30 with no TDs and two INTs. Of course, you could say Big Ben didn't play well against the Jets--also true (10 of 19 with no TDs and two INTs).
But Roethlisberger has proven to be a big-time QB--he already has two rings and always seems to make the plays he needs to make at the most crucial points in a game, even when his stats say he didn't have a good game. The Steelers overall are just the more complete team I think. The Packers will give them a run for their money, but at the end of the day, I don't think, right now, I can pick against Mike Tomlin and this current crop of Steelers.
That said, as a Cowboys fan, I will be rooting for Green Bay. I don't really like either team, but I'd rather see the Packers win a fourth title than the Steelers win a seventh, which would put them two ahead of the Cowboys' five. Plus, the Steelers and Cowboys have a bit of an historic rivalry. And who wants to see the Steelers keep winning titles? It gets boring. And for all the talk about how Bill Belichek's Patriots have dominated the past decade, I think the Steelers would officially pass them for most dominant NFL team currently. Another title would mean three in six years for Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, even though the Patriots have remained relevant, and had their 16-0 perfect regular season in 2007-08, they haven't won a Super Bowl since Jan. 2005 (over the Eagles), a year before Pittsburgh won its first of two the past five years.
Now, I have picked the Steelers, I just need a score. The other day on SportsCenter, I saw a segment about how the Madden video game has picked seven out of eight Super Bowl winners correctly via simulation. The only one it missed was the Patriots-Giants game when the Pats were 18-0. And who honestly thought New York would win that one anyway? Well, the video game picked Pittsburgh to beat Green Bay 24-20 this time. The segment also said that not only has the video game picked the winner correctly almost every time, but the score or margin of victory is usually quite accurate as well. I think 24-20 is a bit too high but the margin is close to being right.
I'm going to say 20-17 Steelers.
Enjoy Super Bowl Sunday everyone!
I'm really surprised that the Packers have been 2.5-point favorites throughout the entire two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. I do think they are better than their 10-6 regular-season record indicates. They should've beaten the Lions, when Rodgers went out with a concussion, and presumably would've if he had been able to stay in the game. They also lost to Washington earlier in the season, but definitely weren't playing their best football then.
The Steelers, however, are hardened veterans of the Super Bowl and the No. 2 seed in the AFC. QB Ben Roethlisberger is a two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback. I'm not really sure why the Steelers aren't 2-3 point favorites. They have the better run game and probably the better defense--but the Packers are certainly not far behind.
The only reason I would consider giving the Packers an edge is because Aaron Rodgers has looked like one of the top 4 or 5 QBs in the NFL the past two seasons. But he didn't play well against the Bears--17 of 30 with no TDs and two INTs. Of course, you could say Big Ben didn't play well against the Jets--also true (10 of 19 with no TDs and two INTs).
But Roethlisberger has proven to be a big-time QB--he already has two rings and always seems to make the plays he needs to make at the most crucial points in a game, even when his stats say he didn't have a good game. The Steelers overall are just the more complete team I think. The Packers will give them a run for their money, but at the end of the day, I don't think, right now, I can pick against Mike Tomlin and this current crop of Steelers.
That said, as a Cowboys fan, I will be rooting for Green Bay. I don't really like either team, but I'd rather see the Packers win a fourth title than the Steelers win a seventh, which would put them two ahead of the Cowboys' five. Plus, the Steelers and Cowboys have a bit of an historic rivalry. And who wants to see the Steelers keep winning titles? It gets boring. And for all the talk about how Bill Belichek's Patriots have dominated the past decade, I think the Steelers would officially pass them for most dominant NFL team currently. Another title would mean three in six years for Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, even though the Patriots have remained relevant, and had their 16-0 perfect regular season in 2007-08, they haven't won a Super Bowl since Jan. 2005 (over the Eagles), a year before Pittsburgh won its first of two the past five years.
Now, I have picked the Steelers, I just need a score. The other day on SportsCenter, I saw a segment about how the Madden video game has picked seven out of eight Super Bowl winners correctly via simulation. The only one it missed was the Patriots-Giants game when the Pats were 18-0. And who honestly thought New York would win that one anyway? Well, the video game picked Pittsburgh to beat Green Bay 24-20 this time. The segment also said that not only has the video game picked the winner correctly almost every time, but the score or margin of victory is usually quite accurate as well. I think 24-20 is a bit too high but the margin is close to being right.
I'm going to say 20-17 Steelers.
Enjoy Super Bowl Sunday everyone!
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