Packers To Cut Nick Barnett

The Packers are going to cut LB Nick Barnett this week, which shouldn't come to much of a surprise as it will save Green Bay about $6.9 million in cap space. Barnett was only able to play in a handful of games last year, but he should be scooped up quickly as he is only 30 years old and is only a year removed from having 105 tackles, and 4 sacks.

The Packers should be fine as they made it just fine without him for most of last year, and still have a nice core of Matthews, Hawk, Bishop, and Zombo as their LBs.

Aaron Rodgers Is The Next Puff Daddy

(I wonder if Aaron Rodgers has seen this picture)
When Aaron Rodgers isn't getting bummed by Bob and Smack he is keeping himself busy this strike ridden off-season by creating a record label called Suspended Sunrise Recordings.

He's working with a band called The Make that has roots in Chico. They shot their first-ever video Sunday at a bowling alley in Paradise.

I tried to find a youtube song for them, but couldn't so I don't know if they are any good. However, I really hope this work, because I would love to see a Superbowl winning qb (and a white guy), be awesome at something off the field too. Especially since it always seems like every athlete who tried to make a transition into music fail.

Fuck the Whole Pick By Pick, The Draft Is Tomorrow

DP's Picks:
24. NO: Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois
25. Sea: Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State
26. Balt: Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
27. Atl: Bruce Carter, OLB, UNC
28. NE: Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
29. Chi: Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pitt
30. NYJ: Phil Taylor, NT, Baylor
31. Pitt: Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida
32. GB: Marcus Cannon, OL, TCU

BMack's Picks:
24. NO: Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona
Fills the need at DE for the Saints, and adds a good pass rusher to a team that really needs one.

25. Sea: Jake Locker, QB, Washington
I like Mallet a lot, but with all the questions surrounding being a booze bag and what not I think Seattle takes a pass. I also like Locker a lot and if Seattle can bring back Matt Hasselbeck for one more year I think he could be real good.

26. Balt: Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
Ravens need to improve thier defensive backfield, and Smith could end up being the 2nd best CB in this draft.

27. Atl: Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
Was projected to be a top 15 pick last year, but dropped in this years rankings (nerve damage/5 less sack then 2010), could be a steal this late in the first round.

28. NE: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
Dude is huge (6-foot-8 319 pounds), and the Patriots could be very thin on the OL depending on what happens with the CBA/free agency.

29. Chi: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
The Bears have to find a way to protect Cutler, this is a good start,

30. NYJ: Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State
Big, strong pass rusher is exactly what the Jets need, but what makes him special is he is great against the run.

31. Pitt: Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor
Not a sexy pick, but lets be honest the Steelers have to find a way to protect Big Ben.

32. GB: Justin Houston, LB, Georgia
Gives the Packers another OLB pass rushing option other then just Matthews. Houston is also versitle, and could eventually be a DE, another need for the Packers.

Johnny Jolly Arrested Again

"According to police in Houston, the defensive end (Johnny Jolly) was arrested Friday morning after police officers found 600 grams of codeine in his car during a traffic stop. The substance is the main ingredient in a narcotic known as purple drank, and the charge is similar to the one that ultimately got Jolly suspended for the 2010 season (ESPN)."

This all but ends Jolly's career in the NFL. It is really too bad he a force when he plays, and the Packers were actually looking forward to having him back next season, especially with Cullen Jenkins almost definitely leaving. I just don't see Goodell letting him back into the NFL anytime soon, even when he gets out of jail.

Jolly is only 28 years old, but he has basically ruined his life/career already.

I Love Donald Driver, But It's Time To Go

One of my favorite players in the NFL is Donald Driver. It is really hard not to like him. He has played forever, and somehow has always found a way to be productive, but his talents are on the decline. He just turned in his worst year since 2001, and now him sticking around is forcing more important players out the door...

"In a column for the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Mike Vandermause believes it's likely that James Jones has probably played his last game for the Green Bay Packers, that landing with a team where he'd have a chance to start makes sense."

James Jones loves the Packers, but he is not happy having to sit behind Driver anymore...

"My main thing going through all this is, do I want to be a starter in the National Football League? No question. Do I feel like I'm a starter? No question," Jones confirmed to reporters Monday night, per Jason Wilde of 540 ESPN Radio (Milwaukee). "I know we've got something great here. I mean, this team could win some championships for the next couple years. But at the same time, I do want to be a starter. I don't know if that's ever going to happen here with Donald [Driver] playing until he's 40 (ESPN)."

Driver is now 36 years old. He had a bunch of injuries last year, and I am sorry but this is near the end of the road. Meanwhile Jones is just 26 years old and has progressed each of the past 3 years. He did have some big drops in the playoffs, but this guy has the skill set to be a real force for a long time.

I love you Driver, I really do, but it's time to call it a career and what a better way to go out then the Super Bowl you just won?

The only other way is if the Packers can convince Driver to take his rightful place as a #3 or #4 option, and convince Jones that it will stay that way.

Packers Release AJ Hawk (2 UPDATES)

He sucked until last year and was due 10 million dollars this upcoming year. Hawk was drafted fifth overall in 2006 out of Ohio State, had 111 tackles in 2010 after finishing with less than 90 tackles in each of the previous two seasons.

My gut tells me is that they we re sign him to keep their linebacking core together. But if they happened to miss out on him and he was overpaid by some other franchise, he will be easily replaceable. Nothing the defending champs should lose sleep over.


***UPDATE***

"A.J. Hawk's agent says he and the Packers are close to a deal that will bring the linebacker back to Green Bay one day after the team released him (ESPN)."

For the right price this is good news considering he led the team in tackles last year.


***UPDATE 2***

The Packers have resigned A.J. Hawk to a 5 year deal. There is no word on how much he will be getting from the Packers.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #10 Clay Matthews

CLAY MATTHEWS - Linebacker, Green Bay Packers

Top 10! We've reached the cream of the crop of the Under 25 list. So far the list of talent has been tremendous, but it is about to get a lot better, starting with this guy - Clay Matthews III.

Matthews has quickly become one of the best defensive players in the NFL, and has to be in the conversation for the best linebacker in the league. He gets after the passer with a tenacity that few possess, and is all over the field from sideline to sideline making plays every time you turn around.

Interestingly enough, not many figured that Matthews would end up where he is, despite the fact that he has some great NFL bloodlines. His father, Clay Jr., who was a linebacker for Cleveland and Atlanta played the 3rd most games in NFL history, and his uncle Bruce is a Hall of Fame offensive lineman who played in 14 Pro-Bowls. And his grandfather also played 4 years in the NFL. Young Clay Matthews, however, was very much a late bloomer. In fact, his father didn't even start him in HS because he didn't think his son was good enough until his senior year. His recruiting status out of high school is described by him as, "not applicable" and he chose to attend USC with the hope of waling on to the football squad under Pete Carroll, which he did.

At USC he was a red shirt freshman in his first season. Following that year he was a reserve linebacker, and was finally given full scholarship status for his redshirt sophomore year. He played reserve linebacker that season and also in his junior year. As a senior in 2008, though, he played a lot more and recorded 4.5 sacks. He was still out-shined by teammates and future NFLers Brian Cushing and Ray Maualuga.

Matthews was selected 26th overall by the Green Bay Packers with a pick acquired from the New England Patriots (god damn it!). Matthews took to the NFL with a little chip on his shoulder, eager to prove that he wasn't just Clay Jr's son and Bruce's nephew, but that he should have his own place in the family football legacy. As a rookie in 2009 he set a franchise rookie record with 10 sacks. He also became the first Packer rookie to make a pro-bowl since 1978, as he replaced James Briggs on the roster.

2010 got even better for Matthews as he was again named to the Pro-Bowl, although this time he didn't have to replace anyone. He finished the year 4th in the NFL in sacks with 13.5 and was runner-up to Troy Polamalu for Defensive Player of the Year. Matthews also led his defense to a Super Bowl victory over Polamalu's Steelers. In the early part of the 4th quarter Matthews forced a Rashard Mendenhall fumble as Pittsburgh was driving down the field, protecting the Green Bay lead and helping secure the victory.

(A painful memory for DP no doubt)

Not only is Clay Matthews a great player from an individual stand point, but he has the hardware to back up his talents. He is also, in my opinion, one of the very best interviews in the league - well spoken and interesting to listen to. He seems pretty marketable, having already presented a Grammy award. I think we'll see a lot more of Clay Matthews in the near future. A champion already in his very young career, Matthews and Green Bay fans (like BMack) are hoping there are many more championship seasons on the horizon. At just 24 Clay Matthews III looks like he is well on his way to putting his own stamp on the Matthews legacy and Green Bay fans can certainly get excited about that.

Packers Give Mike McCarthy Extension

"According to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Super Bowl XLV winning coach will soon sign a deal worth $5 million a season to remain in Green Bay through 2015. This would make McCarthy one of the 10 highest paid coaches in the NFL (CBS Sports)."

Hard to argue with after winning the Super Bowl, but I'll admit I am not a big fan of his. I feel like he is prone to a lot of mistakes, and seems to have a serious problem with clock management. Saying that, you can't argue with it. This coach had to deal with a ton of injuries and still was able to get this team into the playoffs, and then on to the Super Bowl. The Packers have a young core with guys like Matthews, Rodgers, Raji, Jennings, Tramon Williams, ect, so he will have every opportunity to keep his success going.

Settling A Bet

Bet was if the Packers win DP had to put this picture up on the site for the day, if the Steelers won SMack had to send over 2 large pizzas.

Enjoy.

Titans Looking At Matt Flynn?

There are rumors going around today that the Titans would like to make a move to get Packers' backup QB Matt Flynn. A lot of these rumors are started for two reasons. First, Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt has a long-standing relationship with Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson according to ESPN. The second is because Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements is a "strong candidate" for the vacant offensive coordinator position with the Titans.

I guess in a lot of ways it makes sense. My dad (SMack) said that right after the Packers barely lost to the Patriots near the end of the regular season that Flynn would get a starting job somewhere by the start of next year. I didn't doubt it all that much, because of how poor a lot of QB situations are (Vikings, Cardinals, Dolphins, Titans, Bengals, ect). So, I do think it is more then likely that Flynn will be moved somewhere this offseason, but then again after all the concussion problems Rodgers had this year the Packers might be better off keeping this kid around.

Some Super Bowl perspective on Super Bowl XLV

The way the Packers won the Super Bowl XLV is how you draw it up, right? Pretty much every important player on the Packers except Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett was drafted or acquired as an undrafted free agent. You really need to give Ted Thompson credit for shrewd drafting both in terms of starters and backups. Not since the 2003-2004 Patriots has there been such a deep team that is so good at filling in for injured starters. Oh yeah, and he saw that he hit the goldmine in Aaron Rodgers (the same guy who completed 23 consecutive passes at one point in 2004 and yet was drafted 24th overall in 2005) and stood up to Mr. Wrangler.

In addition to being happy for a good team that stuck to their guns in the face of what’s-his-name, hopefully the Super Bowl gave me some perspective to some Patriots fans who were devastated by the Jets loss. I’m painfully aware that the Pats blew a golden chance to win a fourth Super Bowl with home field, but the playoffs are a crap shoot. All you can do is put yourself in the best position possible to win. In a quarterback league, the Pats had the MVP who had 36 touchdown passes and a defense that was playing better by the week in the second half of the season. It all meant nothing because the Jets were better than the Pats that day. Same thing goes for the Steelers, who were supposedly built for the playoffs and a championship.

It is REALLY hard to win Super Bowls in this era and after watching the events of last night, I appreciate the Pats winning three of four to an even greater degree. The year-to-year differences between teams so stark that winning consecutive titles seems less possible by the day.

This Packers defense, which held together despite losing its leader, isn’t much difference personnel-wise than the unit that gave up 51 points to the Cardinals in last year’s playoff game. Many fans compared these Steelers to the 2008 version that won the Super Bowl in dramatic fashion but are leaving out the fact that they went 9-7 last year. My point? While it’s a natural reaction to be disappointed when your team doesn’t win the big one, it’s damn-near impossible to cruise to a Super Bowl title anymore. So much luck is involved that you need to appreciate when your team succeeds and understand that parity is what drives the NFL. As I said yesterday, even when you’re NFL royalty like the Steelers, nothing is guaranteed.

A few other things:

* I would like to talk to those analysts who tried to make the point that if Ben Roethlisberger won, his 3-0 Super Bowl record would be more impressive than Tom Brady’s 3-1 mark. Just as I questioned why Joe Montana’s 4-0 record is so hallowed, I don’t understand this logic at all. Are they trying to say it’s better to lose in conference championship game than the Super Bowl? Isn’t the point to give your team a chance at the title? Someone please help me here.

* Does anyone else find it disturbing that there is such a disparity between the respective NFL and MLB Halls of Fame? How is it that Cooperstown has become the Hall of Very Good by allowing Phil Rizzuto and Bert Blyleven into its doors while Chris Carter and Curtis Martin can’t make it to Canton? Look, I understand that baseball has been around much longer and there’s a different voting system because of different value placed on players. But there is still something wrong with both voting processes. Let’s use Bill Simmons’ pantheon levels for all sports and be done with it.

* You proved me right in one sense, Rashard Mendenhall. Your fumble helped seal the game for the Packers and made it clear that he can’t be counted on as an elite running back consistently in the playoffs.

Hey Aaron Rodgers Where You Headin'?

What A Game

You just knew going in that this was going to be a great Super Bowl. Two teams that are so evenly matched, with so much history, there was just no way this was going to be a blowout. To be honest at half time I was shitting myself. Even though Pittsburgh was down 11 they had all the momentum after that last scoring drive before the half. On top of that the Packers were losing one player after another. Woodson broke his collar bone, Driver was out (maybe forever), and even Sam Shields went down. With the way the Steelers were starting to be able to throw the ball I thought the loss of 2 out of their 2 3 CBs would be the end of them.

Even on top of all the injuries the game just didn't feel right for the Packers. How many times did they drop an easy pass? How many times did they end up a yard short? Honestly, it just didn't feel like a game the Packers were going to come up with.

Yet, looking in hindsight maybe it was meant to be. Favre's final sendoff was this year, and he gets to watch a QB that has already broke out of his shadow. I mean he has as many rings as Favre, and already has been a better QB, as you could see in this game it was Rodgers lack of mistakes that brought the game home. No picks usually leads to a win, and that is something Favre never seemed to learn.

On top of that you had the Lombardi special come out on HBO. My father and I getting to go to Green Bay, and even losing a friend who was a die hard Packers fan. Maybe it was just meant to be...

Still, there was 2 mins left with 1 timeout, Steelers only down 6, and Roethlisberger was on the field. Haven't we seen this before?

He hit a couple passes, but in the end just came up short. It happens, and he gave them a shot, but this year it was just the Packers year.

No Parades for Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude (noun): enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others (German)

As a Patriots fan, it's nice to see the Steelers lose. Apart from Mike Tomlin, there's really not much to like about that team. By the way, had Pittsburgh won, I would have written how Mike Tomlin doesn't get nearly enough credit as he deserves. Probably because he's not as secretive as Bill Belichick, not as preachy as Tony Dungy, and not as loudmouthed as Rex Ryan. The guy just coaches a football team and does a damn good job at it.

As a Patriots fan, and as someone who dislikes the Steelers, and who has an intense animosity (coupled with respect) toward Ben Roethlisberger, I'm relieved this morning. But I'm not happy. I'm not from Wisconsin. My team got bounced, early, again. So I recommend to my fellow Patriot fans not to smile so smugly today. Because for the last two seasons, we've enjoyed watching NFC teams doing our dirty work, and eliminating our rivals.

I do think that this game thoroughly exemplified what the NFL is truly about these days. There were about 10 quality teams in the League this year. And there wasn't much on paper that separated them from each other. Green Bay lost 6 games this year. They lost to the Falcons once, then beat them. The Patriots lost to the Jets, then beat them, then lost. The Steelers lost to the Jets, then beat them.

These games really do come down to execution on a few key plays. Last night, Pittsburgh's turnovers pretty much cost them the game. But there were also potential big plays that never materialized. Green Bay muffed an early punt, but fell on the ball. The entire shape of the game changes if that one play changes.

It's a League of execution. So while Patriot fans shouldn't be jumping for joy for a parade in Wisconsin, they also shouldn't be moping about. Our team in Foxborough, though imperfect, has sufficient talent to be among those 8 to 12 good NFL teams. They just need to execute. It's simple to say, difficult to do.

-The Commodore

Pat O's Super Bowl XLV preview

OK. I admit it. I flip-flopped about this Packers-Steelers Super Bowl in a way that would make Glenn Ordway proud this week.

Up until Wednesday, I thought there was no way the Steelers lose Super Bowl XLV. Perhaps it’s their recent legacy that led me to that conclusion. Similar to how many people had visions of Tom Brady’s previous February heroics going into the Giants-Patriots Super Bowl in 2007 (beyond the 18-0 record), I just kept thinking about how the Steelers are the team with the hardware of late.

The problem with that logic, as I’ve learned as a Pats fan who’s been punched in face repeatedly since 2005, is that the Steelers winning two Super Bowls since 2005 has nothing to do with what happens tonight. After giving it more thought, I like the Packers more and more in this game for a few, somewhat obvious, reasons:

* Even with Maurkice Pouncey in there, the Steelers were going to have problems with Cullen Jenkins and B.J. Raji. Pouncey’s injury makes things even tougher for the Steelers’ line.

* This has been said over and over, but the Packers’ ability to spread opponents out like the Patriots did to the Steelers this year bodes well for them. I’m not saying it translates to Aaron Rodgers throwing for 400 yards, but it will certainly make their unimpressive running game less of a factor.

* As great as Ben Roethlisberger is when outside of the pocket, he does have the propensity to fumble with 28 over the past three years. I’d be shocked if the Packers don’t send Charles Woodson (7 sacks the past three years) on a corner blitz at least once or twice. If you’re wondering why I said earlier that past performance has no bearing on today’s game, yet I’m referencing stats from three years ago, it’s because individual trends are the ones to keep an eye on.

Key to the game: Rashard Mendenhall. If he runs hard between tackles like he did against the Jets, I don't see the Steelers losing this game. The problem is that he hasn't shown great consistency against the top defenses. How he plays will help determine how long Rodgers is on the field for and how the Packer secondary approaches coverage for Mike Wallace.

The Packers and Steelers are evenly matched in terms of coaching and key injuries. The Steelers are missing Pouncey and Aaron Smith while the Packers are missing (among others) Jermichael Finley and Ryan Grant. Warren Sapp made the point on Inside the NFL yesterday that we haven’t seen a bad Super Bowl in a long time. For once, I agreed with that overrated dumpster. That trend will continue this year and it’ll be a great game.

Even though I suck at predictions, I’m going with Green Bay 31-28. Rodgers pulls a Roethlisberger and drives down the field for a game-winning touchdown late. I look forward to Pearce losing something for once.

SUPERBOWL!!

Pittsburgh and the greatest QB in the league and has ever lived... BEN ROETHLISBERGER


Vs

Packers and a lot of questionable gay sex with Aaron Rodgers and the Mack Family

Dueling Couches Super Bowl Show

With the big game only a couple days away DP and I stepped up our games and did our podcast from an actual radio studio, so the audio should be a lot better.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Thanks to our man Scott Beer for hooking up the the studio.

Now it's time for all of you to put your 2 cents in about the game. I want to hear some predictions from all of you in the comments section.

Superbowl Preview

Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

After two long weeks (and one awful pro bowl) Superbowl weekend has finally arrived. The Pittsburgh Steelers, representing the AFC will take on the Green Bay Packers out of the NFC. The big game will be hosted by Jerry Jones at his vivacious new(ish) stadium, “The Palace in Dallas” (even though it’s in Arlington, still sounds flashy). Nobody needs a history lesson here, but it should be noted that these two franchises are rich with prestige and Superbowl fortitude. Outside of that, nobody really cares how good the Packers were in the 60’s or how dominant the Steelers were in the 70’s… It’s irrelevant.

What is relevant, the two Superbowls won by Pittsburgh in 2005 and 2008. Whether or not you like Pittsburgh, they are on the verge of another dynasty. Say what you will about Ben Roethlisberger, but if he wins this one, that makes three… before he turns 30. He certainly isn’t the pretty boy with rooms filled with indvidual accolades, but there’s no debate that he knows how to win in the post season. Roethlisberger’s 10-2 playoff record is second percentage wise only to the great Bart Starr, who ironically played for the Packers. The last thing Green Bay wants is to have that percentage broken against them. Unfortunately, Ben is at his best when the other person doesn’t want him to succeed (zing). Only guys named, Aikman, Bradshaw, Brady, and Montana have three and there’s little argument that each one of those guys will be enshrined in Canton (if they haven’t been already). The majority of Pittsburgh’s roster carried over from their last title run, giving them a certain familiarity with the whole process. An advantage they hold over their Green Bay counterpart. But hey, if Henry Rowengartner can lead the Cubs to a pennant as an 11-year old, anything can happen.

Speaking of laser-rocket arms, Green Bay quarterback, Aaron Rodgers has quickly gone from Brett Favre’s understudy to an elite NFL passer. No need to bring up his statistics for the third time in this playoff run, but you should know, this guy can put the ball anywhere. That includes the hands of opposing players. We’re all aware that Green Bay’s A-rod is a heck of a player and has brought his game to another level this winter. However, he is not perfect. Against the stout Bears defense, Rodgers was picked twice and did not record a passing touchdown. In fact, the best play he made all day was tripping up linebacker, Brian Urlacher, after a disastrous red zone interception. Had Urlacher not stumbled like Peter Griffin leaving the Drunken Clam, I would most likely be writing a Bears vs. Steelers preview. While Big Ben is trying to build upon his legacy, Rodgers is still trying to carve out his on niche amongst the Green Bay legends.

For the first time since the early 80’s the two defenses that allow the fewest points will be squaring off on Super Sunday. I’ve watched Merril Hoge spit and stutter his way through debating which team has the better defense for 10 days, and frankly he’s starting to sound like farmer Fran from the Waterboy. Why ESPN continues to put him and Lou Holtz on TV will forever baffle me. Anyways, the Defenses… Four out of the top seven defensive players in the league will be active on Sunday and their names are sure to be called by Joe Buck, Al Michaels, Bob Costas, or whatever blow hard is broadcasting the game.

The four I’m referring to are, Troy Polamalu (2010 Defensive Player of the Year), James Harrison (2008 Defensive POY), Charles Woodson (2009 Defensive POY), and Clay Matthews (robbed of 2010 Defensive POY).

At any rate, these four guys are labeled as game changers. What makes the defensive backs (Woodson and Polamalu) so dangerous is their ability to wreak havoc in both the pass and run game. Some argue that Woodson is at his best when he get in the backfield and disrupt screen passes and runs to the outside, on top of that, he’s a shutdown corner. Polamalu is without a question at his best when he is rushing the quarterback or blowing up plays before they even start, but he’s also a ball hawk and usually finds a way to jump a passing lane. Not to mention Polamalu looks like something out of Genghis Khan’s Mongol empire. It doesn’t matter which time period this guy lived in, he would have been born a fierce warrior. Instead of a spear and a shield he’s given pads and a helmet, fair trade. Clay Matthews is arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL. His innate ability to get to the quarterback has gotten him serious notoriety amongst NFL players and coaches. The challenge for Matthews will be bringing down the toughest quarterback in the league in Big Ben. James Harrison is the last person in the world I would want to owe money to. After watching his rigorous workout on ESPN this week, I am convinced he could beat up Brock Lesnar after going 12 rounds with Ivan Drago. His 100-yard pick-6 in Superbowl XLIII was the biggest play of the game, up until Santonio Holmes bailed out Roethlisberger to seal the deal. With two evenly matched defensive units, it will boil down to whoever can get the big stop or the big turnover when their respective offense has gone stagnant.

The Steelers may have an advantage in running back, Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall isn’t quite underrated… but he’s certainly undervalued. What could hinder Mendenhall’s success is the status of rookie center, Maurkice Pouncey. If Pouncey can suit and play, how effective can he be three days out of a hard cast? And If he doesn’t that leaves the Steelers awfully thin on lineman (no pun intended). In their two most recent Superbowl victories, Pittsburgh has always been aided by an excellent running back. In 2005 they had Jerome Bettis, and in 2008 they had Willie Parker. Pittsburgh has to establish Mendenhall early, if the Steelers rely on Roethlisberger’s arm to win them a title they will be in worse shape Joaquin Phoenix’s acting career.

The key for the Packers will be spreading out the Pittsburgh defense. In order to neutralize pressure brought on by Lamarr Woodley and company, Rodgers will have to make quick decisions and spot the mismatch before somebody like Polamalu or Harrison does. The best way counter Pittsburgh’s rush is to put as many receiving options on the field as possible. Opening up the offense and putting four wide receivers and forcing linebackers to cover slot receivers is the best way for Green Bay to move the ball. When the Packers use their spread formation Rodgers has more weapons at his disposal than James Bond. Receivers Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Donald Driver are going to get plenty of looks considering Green Bay’s rush offense is not worth mentioning.

This game is going to come down to two things. Quarterback play and defense. Essentially the quarterback that plays better will win. I know that this sounds simple and is not always the case, but when Rodgers gets hot, it is curtains for the opposing team. The same can be said for Big Ben, if he is going to shed defenders, extend the play, and find guys open down the field the Steelers will win. Defensively, as I’ve said in each breakdown for these two teams, whichever team can force the crucial turnover is going to end up on top. Green Bay has done it all post season long. But Pittsburgh has been known to do it on the championship level.

This promises to be nothing short of a classic between two great franchises. Hopefully I don’t miss any of the second half because of my refusal to watch the Black Eyed Peas perform for a second. The only way to ruin a good Superbowl is listening to Fergie’s voice. Anyways, both teams are very resilient and capable of coming back from deficits, and I see this one being close from start to finish.

Green Bay 28 Pittsbrugh 24

Nothing Not Funny Here

Ben and Aaron

I hate phrases like "changing of the guard" to talk about the evolving environments of a sport. Although Tom Brady and Peyton Manning took early exits from the postseason, and neither has won a title since George W. Bush was President, it's hard to eliminate them from the elite, uppermost echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL.

However, I think it's time we allow more names to populate that short list. It's no longer just Brady and Manning, then everyone else. I think it's Brady, Manning, Roethlisberger, and maybe even Rodgers.

What are the arguments against Roethlisberger's inclusion? His lack of eye-popping numbers? The help of a good running game and an excellent defense? But weren't those the precise arguments used against Tom Brady about 10 years ago? And since when has a QB won a Super Bowl by themselves? Ask John Elway and Terrell Davis, or Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. Better yet, ask Dan Marino and nobody else.

In this pass-happy NFL, Roethlisberger's numbers don't dazzle. Even if you extrapolated his 12 game performance into 16 games, he'd have thrown 23 TDs (tied for 13th with Garrard, Cutler, and Fitzpatrick), although with only 7 INTs. He would have been among League leaders for yards thrown, and his QB Rating was 5th at 97.0. So the numbers don't fizzle, either.

Those are good numbers. Even the TD number is good considering what sane coach would throw the ball on 3rd and goal at the 1 when Rashard Mendenhall is in the backfield? The whole "supporting cast" argument can go both ways.

Then there's his ability to win. He just does it. He makes plays when plays are needed. Apart from his experiences with the mid 2000s Patriots, he's beaten all comers in big games. He's won two Super Bowls, 3 AFC titles, and 10 playoff games. And he hasn't been a passenger along for the ride in those games, either.

So no matter what happens a week from Sunday, I think Roethlisberger has cemented a spot in that top tier of QB.

Then there's Rodgers. And unless he throws for 500 yards and 6 TDs, he might have to show us a bit more in years to come before being included in the Manning-Brady-Roethlisberger discussion. I don't get to see him often, being in the NFC. But I've yet to be thoroughly impressed with him as a player. So much so that even after a bad game, or a bad year, I'd be sure that he'd recover.

His numbers are gleaming, and his postseason performances have been admirable. A ring would go a long way to solidify himself at the top of the food chain. He certainly has the potential to reach such heights, but there needs to be more results over a slightly longer stretch of time.

So I'd say it's now a three horse race for the top spot among NFL QBs. They all have strengths, they all have slight weaknesses that can be used in an argument against them. Their biggest achievements have all come with assistance. And each of them plays the position in a different way, within different systems, that have all been successful.

But there's something about these three guys that transcends stats, and wins, and rings. There's an aura of strength around them. Opponents respect them, even fear them, in a way above and different from other QBs. I think that says a great deal more than passer ratings or playoff records.

-The Commodore