Super Bowl XLV a microcosm of Packers season

Rub your eyes and pinch yourself, I am going to speak the praises of the Green Bay Packers and for good reason. They started the season with one group of guys and essentially had to work with another group of guys to bring it all together and make a run when they needed to to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Think about it. They score two touchdowns in 24 seconds (Jack Bauer would be proud), making us all think they were going to roll to an easy win. And heck, even at 21-3 in the second quarter, I figured the rout was on.
They were doing everything right, getting pressure on Ben Roethlisberger and making him make throws that he didn't make. The interception return for a touchdown came on a play were Ben's arm was hit, leaving the ball to float like a punt.
Ben had another interception in the game and throughout just didn't look himself. Having led a game-winning drive against the Cardinals just two years ago in the Super Bowl, you almost figured he was going to deliver the same magic, again, but never came through. His three straight incompletions to end the game showed how erratic he was.
Then, things got interesting in the second half. Just like the Packers season when, in Week 6, that team was 3-3 and didn't look like they'd be able to live up to all the "Super" expectations put on the team at the start of the season.
Even as Aaron Rodgers looked pedestrian in the third quarter, the Packers defense came up and slowed things down enough to keep the Packers in the game. The offense needed it too, as James Jones and Jordy Nelson at times looked like they couldn't catch anything and had no business being on the field.
To me, they were the single biggest reason the Steelers were even in the game. There was easily one touchdown in there and a couple others, that, if caught, could lead to more points.
Either way, Rodgers had tons of time to throw all game, which is a tribute to his offensive line. I cannot remember Troy Polamalu even being a factory in the game really, which is a tribute to that front and to Rodgers for not making the silly throw with him in coverage.
Then, of course is the Packers defense. it gave up 398 yards, putting the Steelers on a short list of Super Bowl teams to outgain an opponent and lose. But Clay Matthews, who missed out on Defensive Player of the Year by two first-place votes, made the big play forcing a Rashard Mendenhal fumble on the Packers 33 yard line, the Steelers third turnover of the game, which slammed the door and got the Packers the momentum back. You have to think if they keep going with that drive, the Steelers kick the Packers even farther back on their heels, take the lead and seem to ride on to victory. Matthews knew it was his time to make a play and he did it. That's what a big-time player does.
I can do nothing more than bid the Packers congrats on the victory. Oh, and, if you read the blog Friday, you saw my score prediction of 33-28. Well, it was 31-25, so I was pretty close.

Alright, now to the other big part of yesterday: the commercials. They were not as good as in past years, but a couple stuck with me.
My man, Eminem, was in two of them, which were pretty good. This Brisk one:


This Chrysler one was my fave though. Here's the extended cut...


My fave of the day, though, had to be the Volkswagon Passat commercial. This is why I like VW.


Oh, and how can I forget this one, from the NFL itself.


Now for the Nussie Hunter portion of the broadcast on the Super Bowl Sunday recap edition of the blog. One inparticular stood out to me, featuring Kim Kardashian.


But, she is not our Nussie Hunter feature of the day. For that, we go to Jaime Edmondson. We have to pay tribute to the Super Bowl Champs, no? To be fair, she pays tribute to every NFL team, here, but hey.

The winner of Super Bowl XLV will be...

Super Bowl weekend is finally here. As much as the Bears fan in me still aches at the thought of the Packers playing in the big game, it is still the Super Bowl and the biggest game of the year. That means it gets my full attention as a sports nerd, enthusiast and writer. All week I have been biding my time and reading up on the specifics of the game to come to a conclusion on who I will take. So here we go with my full Super Bowl XLV preview.


Let's start with the Packers. Yes, I'm a Bears fan, but I live in Wisconsin and end up reading up and watching most everything on them throughout the season. There is a story on ESPN.com Insider section (HEAD TO SUPER BOWL CENTRAL) talking about their six losses this season. The keys to the Packers losing is simple, they've given up sacks, lost the turnover battle and failed in the defensive secondary.
On the offensive side, the Packers have protected Aaron Rodgers (above) much better over the last month. A lot of that gets hidden with his escape ability, but still, sacks have not been prevalent during this five-game winning streak.
Rodgers has relied on his feet a lot more during that span. While that has helped him, it is also what got him hurt in what was one of his worst games of the season, the 7-3 loss to the Lions which saw Matt Flynn come in. He has been smarter after the concussion that followed, but the key for this game will be his ability to run and get down. The Steelers have a few head hunters who love to hit and would love to lay the smack down on the Packers QB. That jumps out to me as one of the keys to this game. If Rodgers can use his feet to get a few yards and a couple first downs to keep key drives alive, the Packers will be in good shape.
He has fixed the turnover thing, as well, but has not played the Steelers defense during that time. He did, however, play the Bears defense and threw a pair of interceptions in the NFC championship game. With many believing the Packers will try to spread the Steelers out and go with four or five receivers, he has to be smart with the ball against one of the best defenses in the NFL.
That leads me into a couple of the key matchups the Packers position players must win.  The first of which is going to be the head games that will take place between Rodgers and Troy Polamalu. Troy will be lined up all over the field and it will test Rodgers' ability to call him out and the Packers O-line ability to pick him up if he comes on a blitz.
Also, when the Packers go with four or five wideouts, they will have to survive going across the middle. If they can win that area of the field, they should be able to march the ball up and down the field.


On the Steelers side, Ben Roethlisberger can also run. The difference is that he is a big guy at 260 pounds and it hard to bring down. He is not just a threat to run and any attacks on his ability as a quarterback are just from people who do not like him in the first place. The guy threw for 500 yards in the meeting against the Packers last season and can do that again. Will he in this game? I doubt it, but he has the ability to lead a team with his arm. There is a good story in Sports Illustrated this week about what he went through during his four-week suspension at the start of the season and I can kind of feel for the guy. If he wins this game, it is going to be big for him. Dare I say, this could be the one that helps land him in the Hall of Fame if the Steelers win. Before you question that, remember Terry Bradshaw had the Steel Curtain in the 70s to help him lead the Steelers to four titles and he is in the Hall, so don't laugh at that too fast.
Back to this game, Big Ben is going to have a similar head game that Rodgers will with Polamalu with Charles Woodson. Woodson is by trade a cornerback, but likes to cover the slot receiver when the Packers are in nickel and comes on a blitz. That could be a key and he will have to be accounted for.
I wouldn't make as big of a deal of the Steelers being without their rookie center Charles Pouncey in this game as many will. They have had two weeks to prepare for this game and as I have picked up throughout the week, things have been simplified and should be OK for the Steelers line. The Packers will still want to send rushers through the middle though and is the best way to attack Big Ben.
Another key matchup to keep an eye on is Mike Wallace. He caught the game winner in the Steelers 37-36 win over the Packers last season and while he has been quiet during the playoffs, has the speed to attack this Packers secondary and go off for a big game.
On the other side of that coin is Heath Miller. There might not be a better target in the red zone not named Tony Gonzalez. While Clay Matthews is a great rusher, I'm not sure how good he is in coverage and Miller is great at getting open for Ben to find.

I'm going to make you wait for the picks. Take in the rap songs made for both teams.
First, the "visiting" Steelers: "Black and Yellow" by Wiz Kalifa


For the "home" Packers it's "Green and Yellow" by Lil Wayne


THE PICK: Had to tease you a bit. Here we go. With all of what was said above, I have a hard time thinking the Packers don't have what it takes to win this game on all front. Aside from special teams, they have everything covered.
If they can start strong and not be start struck, they'll be fine. That said, I don't see them winning this game by four points or less. It's just their track record. Either way, this will be a great one to watch and enjoy.
So, with my grandpa on my mind, I know he'll be happy to know I'm picking his Packers to win this one in a shootout, 33-28.

The Super Bowl isn't the only big game being played this weekend. Sunday during halftime of the game in Dallas, the Lingerie Football League will be holding Lingerie Bowl VII. The game keep rising in popularity. I'm pretty sure, though, it's not for the great football being played, as you can see on Coed Magazine and below...

Was Polamalu right choice for NFL DPOY?

There was a lot of outcry, at least in these parts, about Troy Polamalu (yes it's spelled right) winning the AP's Defensive Player of the Year earlier this week. To be fair in this discussion there was no clear player that jumped off the page. Sure Packers fans all though Clay Matthews should have won the award running way, but that was not an open-and-shut case like they thought.
Matthews, like Polamalu missed time during the season. Both are however, the glue that hold their respective unit together. I'll admit I was a little shocked Polamalu shot to the top of the list for the DPOY over Matthews. But let's be real here, this award is voted on by 50 members of the AP not the Football Writers Association of America so there could be some discrepancy and issues with this.
To be fair, I actually thought Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher would be high than fourth or fifth, but they were both right there. Maybe it was my fandom that though this was close.
Polamalu is great and does impact games, but I'm not sure he was better than Matthews this season. Maybe in past seasons, but not this one. He did make a couple more plays that directly effected the outcome of games and tipped things in the Steelers favor. Matthews, while great, did not have many plays where you can say turned the game late in the Packers favor. I may be wrong on this, so let me know, but I can't remember any ideas off the top of my head.


So now the question become which of the two; Polamalu and Matthews is more of a factor Sunday? My answer is Matthews and here's why. I see guys like Lamar Woodley and James Harrison being more of a factor with Aaron Rodgers for the Steelers Sunday than Troy. The biggest key for the Steelers is going to be keeping Aaron Rodgers in the pocket or at least containing him where he won't run away from guys on the outside. Harrison says he's going head hunting, which is nothing new for him, but with him I wouldn't be surprised if he gets caught trying to lay a hit and Rodgers runs right past him.
On the Packers side of the defense, I see Matthews having more of an impact on getting to Ben Roethlisberger. Both teams blitz, but I see the linebackers for the Packers being more part of that with Matthews and A.J. Hawk likely being a big force in not only getting to Big Ben, but stopping the Steelers running game.
Does this mean Polamalu doesn't deserve DPOY? No. It just means in this matchup, he is going to be doing other things and won't have as big of a factor than Matthews.

I've hit a couple points the last two days leading up to the Super Bowl, but tomorrow is the big day where I will break down the game closer and make my pick for the game. If you have yours be sure to comment below or shoot us an E-mail.

Next up is some news on this blog. I am proud to announce this site which has seen 170 posts (including this one) will now be in conjunction with WiscoSportsTalk.com. Be sure to check out the site. I will still be covering all sports here, but will share some content and write some original content for them during the Brewers season as their Brewers beat reporter. It's a great opportunity for me to broaden the audience here and get a chance to do what I love covering a team I love. Should be fun.


Now to the Nussie Hunter portion of the broadcast. I'd like to introduce you to Kate Upton, an Australian model who is in a Guess ad campaign you can see here, and is also seen in some bikinis you can see here, and sample below. She is said to be the next big thing. So check her out!

Time to hunker down on Super Bowl XLV matchups

Super Bowl media day was Tuesday and while the day itself is full of crazies, yahoos and in the case of Ines Sans, hot crazies, hot yahoos.
There is absolutely nothing anyone who follows football takes from Media Day any more, but it is the kick start to Super Bowl week. Both teams had practice today and we can start getting into the meat of breaking down the game as it nears closer.
I'm not going to get too specific just yet as I have a bit of research to do on how the Steelers will handle some things, but I do have one thing of note to talk about.
No, it's not that Clay Matthews has great hair. I actually hate long hair on guys, but something more football related.
It is actually the debate on whether Ben Roethlisberger is a good quarterback or not. I was reading some things on my friend's Facebook pages that pretty much said he was worthless. While yes, off the field, he is not the best of guys, those who are on his team turn to him for leadership and he delivers. Yes, he has a great defense around him, but you can't ignore the fact that in big games he wins. You can go all the way back to his time in college at Miami of Ohio to see him winning big games. When he got to the NFL he has done nothing but win the game. He could have faltered under the pressure, but he has shined.
Some called him a game manager. Yes, he's not real flashy. And for a 260-pound quarterback he doesn't try to be. But when he's called upon to lead a big drive, you can't ignore what he has done. Just look at the great throw to Santonio Holmes to beat the Cardinals a couple years back. You couldn't have asked for better placement of that ball and Ben put it there.
Yes, Aaron Rodgers is becoming one of the best in the league, but you cannot ignore what Ben has done on the field. He wins games. The Steelers don't win games in spite of him, they win games because of him and the defense.


I didn't get time for a Brewers On Deck post to recap my day with the Brewers (Check the photos here) but again, there was controversy. Last year it was on Corey Hart taking the Brewers to an arbitration hearing and this year it is Rickie Weeks giving the Brewers a deadline for his multi-year contract.
After reading Gord Ash's comments on Tom Haudricourt's JS Brewers blog, it is being downplayed because that is the deadline the team had anyhow, but it is a bit significant. The way things sound they are so far apart it looks rather certain a deal won't get done, as Weeks submitted a number over $7 million for his arby hearing and the Brewers had one over $4.5 million.
The only difference from last year's deal with Corey Hart is that Weeks is coming off his best year as a pro and seems to deserve the money. I remember thinking Corey was dumb for taking it to a trial, but he ended up winning and then having a career year on top of it. Weeks seems set to go down the same path with his free agency looming.
If I were the Brewers, I'd swallow a little pride and get this deal done NOW. They cannot afford to lose him to free agency having just traded the prospect at the position away to bring in pitching. Rickie needs to be in the core of this team and deserves the payday.

Now to the Nussie Hunter portion of the broadcast of today's show. AskMen.com released it's list of 99 Most Desirable women Tuesday with Blake Lively being now at the top spot. I was unsure of the decision, but after checking up on her a bit closer, it may be a good call for a up and coming star. Here's some samples on top of the one below.

Forte, not Cutler Bears most valuable weapon

Note: Before I get started today, I just wanted to say thanks and Happy New Year to all the loyal "Followers" of The Way. I have made it a resolution to make this more of a priority to write in the New Year. To think I made 100 posts during the first sixth months, but just 55 over the last year and it showed I have slipped. Well, it's time to get back at it. So here goes edition No. 1. Hope you enjoy it!


I know all of my Packers fans friends are gloating today because their team knocked off the Bears Sunday at Lambeau Field. For a game that meant nothing, I thought the Bears played well enough to have a chance to win at the end, which they did. What do I take from it? Well, that was a bit hard to come to, but after a little thought I finally did. If a team can take away the special teams edge the Bears usually get with Devin Hester either returning the ball or forcing bad punts and big turnovers, the offense has a hard time going 80 yards consistently. But whose offense doesn't? I'm not worried about that.
Yes, most of the offensive attention goes to Jay Cutler, but with the production of the pictured above, Matt Forte, the Bears have a guy that for the first time since some player named Walter Payton to run for 1,000 yards and have 500 receiving yards. And to think he did most of that with just about half a season to work after Mike Martz didn't utilize him fully at the start of the season. He said so himself after Sunday night's game to the Chicago Tribune, "If we had run it a little earlier we may have 1,500 or 1,600 yards." He's not looking back and I'm pretty sure the offense not going to Forte more in Sunday's game was a way to not give too much away going into playoffs. He and Chester Taylor are the keys to the offense and are the balance needed from keeping Jay Cutler from going catatonic and throwing balls to the guys in the wrong colored jerseys.
Those back-to-back 20+ yard runs were great and we should have seen more from him. We can't let this go to waste.
And talk all you will about the defense giving up yards, the fact is, they don't give up points. So don't worry!


The playoffs and the road to Super Bowl 45 is set. Can you see any one team in the NFC having a bigger advantage over another team? I don't. I can see the Bears winning two games and going to Dallas and at the same time, I can see them laying an egg on my birthday and ending the season. That's how close I think this NFC field is. That's including the Seahawks who are 11-point home dogs to the defending champion Saints.
The Packers go on the road to Philly and I am leaning towards giving the Packers the edge. Both teams are completely different than what they were in Week 1 of the season with the edge when it comes to shutting down Mike Vick and that offense. If they can keep DeShaun Jackson from going nuts on them on both offense and on kick returns like they did Devin Hester Sunday, they have a shot. But the one thing the Eagles have to do is keep Aaron Rodgers from getting into any kind of rhythm and the complete lack of a running game will make this a nightmare for the Packers.
In the other NFC game, the Saints are the big favorite, but I wouldn't count them out. I like their secondary against Drew Brees to at least give the Seahawks a chance to do some damage and keep it close. If they do that, all it takes is one big play when it matters and things go their way. That said, I think the Saints can find a way to win this game because of the speed they have in Reggie Bush underneath. It's one thing to confuse a rookie in Sam Bradford, but to keep Drew Brees guessing, that takes something special.
Does the AFC picture even matter? A little, sure, but does anyone stand a shot against the Patriots? I'll have my full Wildcard Weekend preview later this week.

OK folks, time to get on to the Nussie Hunter portion of today's broadcast. There is news today one of our favorites here at Wilber's Way, Mila Kunis, is now single. And she was dating Macaulay Culkin of all people? Well, they have parted ways and has put him as the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter all day since news broke. We need to change that and get the attention back on her. So here you go with a great shot below and this link to more great photos of the best thing to come out of That '70s Show.