Super Bowl Predictions 2011: Who Will Win?

This is the question that almost all football fans are asking themselves as we head into the week before the Super Bowl.

Can the Green Bay Packers continue to keep pressing forward, defeating teams with a good offense and a fearsome defense? Or will they hit a brick wall against the Steelers and allow Pittsburgh to earn yet another championship win and cement themselves as the best team in NFL history?

The meeting of these two teams is historic. The Packers are the just the second sixth seed in NFL playoff history to make it to the Super Bowl, while the Steelers are attempting to win their seventh Super Bowl and become one of the most dominant franchises in NFL history.

These two teams are also part of the NFL’s “old guard” as they are two of the older franchises in the NFL and two of the winningest franchises in NFL history. These two teams remind us of such greats as Chuck Noll and Mean Joe Green for the Steelers and Vince Lombardi and Brett Favre for the Packers. 

This is a very good matchup when you look at the history of these two teams and that should make it worthwhile for those interested in the nostalgia that this game brings.

But when it all comes down to it, most people are concerned with who will win the game rather than the history and circumstances that brought them to this moment.  Both of these teams belong in this game, that is for sure, and both bring a lot to the table.

The Steelers have one of the toughest defenses in the NFL and the Packers haven’t faced a defense like theirs all season. The defense has playmakers at each and every level and these playmakers are some of the best defenders in the NFL.

With guys like linebacker James Harrison and safety Troy Polamalu on that side of the ball, the Packers' offense is going to have its work cut out for them. Can they overcome this challenge and win the game?

The Packers' offense is good; it is very productive but they have struggled running the ball at times this season. If the Steelers are able to shut down the Packers' passing attack, then Green Bay could really struggle.

Getting a good pass rush on Rodgers will be the key for Pittsburgh and if they can put him on the ground and keep him from completing a lot of balls down the field, then they should win this game.

The Packers' defense has been a good one this year and has excelled at putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. With the Steelers' offensive line banged up (and quite possibly missing Maurkice Pouncey), the Packers have a shot at getting to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and creating some havoc in the backfield for Pittsburgh.

But the Steelers' offensive attack is not one-dimensional. 

Their rushing attack, led by Rashard Mendenhall, is one of the better running games in the NFL and if the Steelers can get something going there, the Packers' defense may not be able to stop them. Pittsburgh could control the ball and the clock, not allowing the Packers to have enough time to possess the ball and score.

Success on defense will allow the Steelers to win this game. They have the better unit and should be able to stop the Packers and control the game. It might be a low scoring game due to the fact that these two teams both have great defenses, but with all the weapons and experience that they have, the Steelers should come out on top.