The Steelers never led in this game as they kept making huge mistakes on offense while their defense couldn’t stop the Packers offense!  Ben Roethlisberger had another sub par Super Bowl making that 2 out of 3 for him in his career.  He completed 25 of 40 passes for 263 yards with 2 TD passes and 2 INTs (one of his INTs was returned 37 yards for a TD by Packers’ safety Nick Collins).  He also carried the ball 4 times for 31 yards (7.8 ypc) tonight.  Rashard Mendenhall led the way on the ground for the Steelers in this game with 63 yards rushing on 14 carries (4.5 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also lost a key fumble in the second half which the Packers wound up eventually scoring on.  Isaac Redman (2 carries for 19 yards) and Mewelde Moore (3 carries for 13 yards) also helped out for the Steelers on the ground tonight.  WRs Mike Wallace (9 rec, 89 yards, TD) and Hines Ward (7 rec, 78 yards, TD) led the way in the passing game for the Steelers tonight.  The Steelers finished up with 126 yards rushing on 23 carries (5.5 ypc) and they completed 25 of 40 passes for 261 yards.

Safety Ryan Clark (8 tackles) and CBs Ike Taylor (5 tackles) & Bryant McFadden (4 tackles) led a very, very poor effort by the Steelers’ defense.  They couldn’t get to Aaron Rodgers who carved up their secondary.  The Packers finished up with 50 yards rushing on 13 carries (3.8 ypc) and they also completed 24 of 39 passes for 288 yards!  The Steelers’ season ended with a thud in Dallas as they were beaten by a better team.

The Steelers come into the Super Bowl feeling pretty good about themselves.  They have just knocked off both the Ravens & Jets in the playoffs.  But those games were at Heinz Field and this Sunday they will be playing nowhere near there.  In fact, the people of Dallas don’t like them very much.  And unlike the last two times they were in the Super Bowl (vs. the Cardinals & Seahawks), the opposing team will have at least as many fans at the game and maybe more.  Also, the Packers are way better than any team that this version of the Steelers has had to deal with in the Super Bowl.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers probably don’t want to get into a shootout with the Packers this Sunday.  They will probably try to run Rashard Mendenhall against the front seven of the Packers and he is going to have a hard time, especially if Doug Legursky is starting at center over Maurkice Pouncey.  I don’t think Ben Roethlisberger is going to have time to look deep down the field as I think the Packers are going to be in his face all day long.  In the last meeting between these teams, Roethlisberger threw for 503 yards and 3 TD passes but that was a regular season game and means nothing now as both teams have changed a few players on both sides of the football.  I do think that Heath Miller could have a big game and maybe Mendenhall too in the passing game.  Part of the reason though is because of the elite group of corners that the Packers have.  Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams and Sam Shields are better than the corners of the Jets that Roethlisberger struggled against a couple weeks ago in the AFC Championship Game.  Don’t be surprised to see Antwaan Randle El toss a pass in this game.

When the Packers have the ball:  The Steelers are going to have to get after Aaron Rodgers from the first play.  They can play against the run on the way to the QB.  The Steelers need to get to Rodgers because if he has time to throw the ball, he’s going to torch the Steelers’ secondary.  The Packers will likely spread the field with 4 WRs (Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones & Jordy Nelson) and they are all good ones.  If the Packers soften the Steelers up then they will unleash rookie RB James Starks on them with the field spread out.  I still think the Steelers will be able to handle Starks.  But they might have trouble when Aaron Rodgers takes off.

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 31, STEELERS 20

The Pittsburgh Steelers have only had 3 head coaches in the last 41 years which is simply amazing to me!  This run started way back in 1969 when Chuck Noll took over as head coach.  He coached the Steelers until 1991.  Noll had a regular season record of 193-148-1 (56.6%) but he was 16-8 (66.7%) in the post season.  Noll led the Steelers to Super Bowl wins in 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979 which got him elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.  In 1992, the Steelers hired Bill Cowher to replace Chuck Noll.  Cowher was the head coach of the Steelers for 15 years (1992-2006).  He compiled a 149-90-1 (62.3%) record during the regular season and he was 12-9 (57.1%) during the post season.  He led the Steelers to a Super Bowl win over the Seahawks in 2005 but he also lost a Super Bowl to the Cowboys in 1995.  Mike Tomlin replaced Bill Cowher in 2007 and he’s off to a super fast start in his career.  The Steelers are 43-21 (67.2%) under Tomlin during the regular season and they are 5-1 (83.3%) during the post season.  The Steelers won the 2008 Super Bowl over the Arizona Cardinals and they will try to win another one under Tomlin this Sunday.  The Rooney’s are outstanding at picking head coaches and that can not be debated.

29-year old strong safety Troy Polamalu has been named the A.P. NFL Defensive Player of the Year.  He played in 14 games for the Steelers this year and he had 63 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 11 passes defensed, 7 interceptions (101 return yards, TD), 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.  The Steelers need him to step up in the Super Bowl though as he hasn’t done much in the playoffs so far as he has 7 tackles in 2 games.   Polamalu has now played in 107 games in his 8 years with the Steelers and he has 516 tackles, 81 passes defensed, 8 sacks, 8 forced fumbles and 27 interceptions (one returned for a TD).  Polamalu is likely on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he retires.

21-year old rookie center Maurkice Pouncey has a fracture in his ankle and he’s not likely to play in the Super Bowl.  This could really hurt the Steelers this weekend.  Pouncey made it to the Pro Bowl as a rookie as he started all 16 games for the Steelers and the first two playoff games.  Replacing Pouncey will be 24-year old Doug Legursky.  Legursky played in 16 games (4 starts) for the Steelers this year.  He has played in 24 games (4 starts) in his first two years in the NFL.  The Steelers need Legursky to step up because he’s going to be lined up against the mammoth 6’2″, 337 pound B.J. Raji who is one of the best NTs in the NFL.  If Raji is getting into the backfield a lot in this game, the Steelers are in deep trouble.  They need Legursky to step up this Sunday.

32-year old outside linebacker James Harrison is going to be a HUGE key for the Steelers’ D this weekend in Dallas.  The Steelers can’t win this game unless they are getting good pressure on Aaron Rodgers and Harrison is the key to that.  He has 14 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 3 sacks and 1 pass defensed in his first two playoff games.  With the Packers likely to spread out with a lot of 4 WR sets, it’s imperative that the Steelers get to Rodgers fast because if he has time to throw the ball, he’s going to have success.  James Harrison finished third in the voting for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award behind Troy Polamalu and Clay Matthews.  Harrison played in 16 games for the Steelers during the regular season and he had 100 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks, 5 passes defensed, 2 interceptions, 6 forced  fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.  If Harrison didn’t get fined so much I think he would have been the Defensive Player of the Year, in my opinion.