Superbowl Prediction

Well, Superbowl Sunday is fast approaching. This year, there will be no Purple and Gold players running around the stadium. Instead, the rival Packers of Green Bay will play the Pittsburgh Steelers. While I don't really care that much about who wins or loses, I'll post some quick thoughts on the game in general.

I've been saying since about week 5 that I thought Pittsburgh was the best team in the NFL. I maintained that thought the entire way through, even into the playoffs. I'm not going to go back on that now. I really think they are overall the best team. It is very hard to pick against the Packers right now as well. They have won 3 straight road playoff games, against some very good football teams. They went into Philadelphia, which was probably their toughest game, and scraped out a win, then they dominated the NFC leading Atlanta Falcons, and finished off their run with a solid win against their arch rival Chicago Bears last weekend. Pittsburgh doesn't have as impressive of a resume. They narrowly escaped Baltimore at home, then beat the Jets at home, but not before letting the Jets climb out of a 24 point deficit to make it very interesting.

The Superbowl will be played in Dallas, a site that I think benefits the Packers. Why you might ask? Simply put, the weather will be perfect. It this game somehow got played in a rain, snow, or cold weather situation, I think it would favor the Packers. And yes, I understand the Packers play at "the frozen tundra". Pittsburgh is a mean, fine tuned football team, that probably prefers to play in terrible weather than ideal conditions. If the game turns into pound the run, stop the run, the Steelers welcome it. The Packers have an exceptional offense, but it goes through Rodgers, and it is hard to pass in bad or cold weather. Look at what Green Bay did in the dome at Atlanta.....

So lets get to the actual pick. I'm taking the Steelers. I think it will be a very close game, most likely won on a field goal in the closing seconds. I'll say 31 to 28 Pittsburgh. Again, it is basically because of experience, and the perfect football machine that is the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are run exceptionally from the ground up. I think they have one of the best coaches in the league in Tomlin, and they have a lot of players who have been there before. They will be ready to roll, and they will come to play. If the Packers can overcome the shock factor of playing in a Superbowl right out the gate, which I think they will, they will keep it close. Rodgers is a hell of a quarterback, as much as I don't like him. He will get a ring someday, but I don't think this is his year.