NFL Playoffs 2012: Pittsburgh Steelers Will Win Super Bowl XLVI

Despite being a Wild Card team in this seasons NFL Playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers will prove once again that they rule the NFL post season when they claim Super Bowl XLVI this February.

While many remember who won the Super Bowl the year before, it's the team that lost that's often forgotten.

The Green Bay Packers won the big game this past season, but they didn't exactly run away with it.

The Packers led the entire game, but the Steelers were constantly right there with them. They even had a chance to take the game in the closing minutes, but they failed to do so.

The Steelers came back strong this season, only losing four games—all of which were to playoff teams. They lost two games to their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, while dropping a game a piece to the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans (with Matt Schaub in the lineup).

While it is true that the Steelers would likely have to go through the Baltimore Ravens in either the divisional round or conference championship, it's tough to beat the same team three times in one season.

The Steelers put up a much better game against the Ravens in their second matchup, as they only lost by three in comparison to the 35-7 routing they got back in Week 1.

However, the Steelers will first have to get to the Ravens by getting through the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium.

Tim Tebow and the Broncos are hosting this game, but their 8-8 record doesn't compare to the Steelers' 12-4 mark.

Also, the Broncos rely heavily on their running game, averaging 164.5 yards per game. While the they do have the best run offense in the NFL, the Steelers represent the best defense in the league—allowing only 271.8 yards per game.

They should be able to stop the Broncos with ease, especially since the Broncos have struggled mightily in the passing attack against teams that have been able to shut down the opposing quarterback. 

The Kansas City Chiefs held Tebow under 70 yards in both games, and there is no denying how much better the Steelers are in stopping the pass. They were the best team in the NFL this past season in yards allowed through the air, holding opposing passers to only 171.9 yards per game.

The Steelers ability to stop the pass will be their main threat in capturing a title this season.

Their road to the Super Bowl is against teams that have offenses heavily focused on the pass. Teams like the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints represent two of the best passing attacks in the league, but neither team has dealt with a pass defense like the Steelers.

The Steelers will be without running back Rashard Mendenhall throughout the playoffs, as he tore his ACL in their Week 17 game against the Cleveland Browns.

That game was a tough squeeze for the Steelers, but the playoffs are an entirely different environment for this team. Since 2004, the Steelers are 9-2 in the NFL playoffs. They went to the Super Bowl three times over that span, two of which they won.

The Steelers will prove that experience pays off, and once again they will be standing on top of the NFL at season's end.