Super Bowl XLV Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10 Potential MVPs
Just two games remain before the NFL season comes to a close.
Both the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl will be entertaining, but only the latter truly matters. In the 45th edition of professional football's biggest game, the surging Green Bay Packers will clash with the hard-nosed Pittsburgh Steelers for all the marbles in Dallas, Texas.
Each team has won some difficult games to make their way to the big one, but all that matters now is the 60 minutes of game time that will be played out on February 6, 2011.
Every player on each of the two teams will be hoping to make as big an impact as possible, but only one will go home with the honor of being named Super Bowl XLV's MVP.
Read on for the 10 players that have a shot at winning the coveted Pete Rozelle Trophy.
Aaron Rodgers
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Aaron Rodgers has been an absolute star for the Green Bay Packers throughout the 2010-2011 NFL season.
Rodgers completed 312 of his 475 passes in the regular season for 3,922 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. That all added up to give him a Passer Score of 43.22. In the playoffs, Rodgers got even better.
Through the NFC Championship, Rodgers has found his intended receiver 66 times in 93 attempts. Those completions have gone for 790 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions, good for a Passer Score of 58.27.
Rodgers is the heart and soul of the Green Bay offense and has the potential to light up the scoreboard against any given defense.
If Green Bay wins the game, Rodgers will most likely be the MVP.
Greg Jennings
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Over the course of the regular season, Greg Jennings burned the coverage time after time en route to 76 receptions for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Wild Card round slowed Jennings, who only caught one pass for eight yards in the win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
But over the last two weeks, No. 85 has caught fire. Jennings has yet to catch a touchdown in the postseason, but he has had 101 yards and 130 yards on eight catches apiece in the last two games.
If Aaron Rodgers has a big day, Jennings is going to be a huge beneficiary. He could easily catch a few scores and then anything could happen.
James Starks
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James Starks played in only three of the Green Bay Packers 16 regular season games and failed to make much of an impact in any of his appearances.
The playoffs saw a much different story emerge as Starks appears to have taken the lead in the Packers weak backfield.
Starks' true breakout performance came in the Wild Card matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles when he carried the pigskin 23 times for 123 yards.
The rookie from Buffalo, picked in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, scored his first career touchdown in the conference championship game against the Chicago Bears.
Now he'll look for his success to carry over into the Super Bowl. Ever since Ryan Grant went down, the Packers one true weakness has been the lack of a running threat.
Starks could very well change that.
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Tramon Williams
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Charles Woodson could have easily fit into this spot, but Tramon Williams' performance has vaulted the latter over the former as the top member of the Green Bay secondary.
The former Louisiana Tech walk-on has three interceptions in just three postseason games so far this season. Two of them came against Matt Ryan, one of the league's better quarterbacks.
Over the regular season, he had another six, so this is no fluke.
If anyone is going to give Ben Roethlisberger trouble, it would be Tramon Williams.
A.J. Hawk
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A.J. Hawk has been a tackling machine for the Green Bay Packers all year. Maybe it's the long hair that gives him super powers.
Hawk is listed as probable with a knee injury, but he will undoubtedly play in the big game.
Over the course of the season, Hawk recorded 111 tackles, then added another 11 in the first three games of the playoffs.
He'll have to match that in just this one game to have a shot at the MVP award, but that is a definite possibility.
Ben Roethlisberger
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Despite missing four games at the beginning of the year due to a suspension, Ben Roethlisberger still put together quite a season.
He completed 240 of his 389 passes for 3,200 yards, 17 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
Big Ben hasn't been as effective in postseason play, statistically at least, but the two wins he's led his team to are all that matters.
Roethlisberger has earned a reputation as a great player when the spotlight is on, and the Super Bowl has the biggest spotlight of any sporting event in the United States.
Rashard Mendenhall
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Opening up the passing lanes for Ben Roethlisberger will be the running attack of the Pittsburgh Steelers, led by this third-year back out of Illinois.
Mendenhall quietly ran for 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns during the regular season, then improved his game for the postseason.
Although he only gained 46 yards against a tough Ravens defense, he did find the end zone twice.
In the AFC Championship, he ran for 121 yards and another touchdown.
A repeat performance could happen.
Hines Ward
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Heath Miller or Mike Wallace could easily supplant the former Georgia Bulldog on this list, but Hines Ward remains the go-to guy when it matters.
Ward caught 59 passes for 755 yards and five scores during the regular season, but during postseason play, he's only hauled in five receptions for 39 yards and a lone touchdown.
The 34-year-old has been the Super Bowl MVP once before and rumor has it he could choose to retire if the Steelers win.
What better way to go out than with another MVP award?
Troy Polamalu
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Troy Polamalu is the heart and soul of the Steelers defense. When he's in the game, the unit is much more effective than when he's not.
So often you can see the long, flowing mane streaming behind him from out of his helmet as he sprints across the field like a honing missile until he brutally punishes the opposing ballcarrier.
Wherever he is on the field, that area is pretty much off limits for the other team's quarterback.
Polamalu may very well be the best defensive player in the entire league, which makes him an easy choice for this list.
James Harrison
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From contemplating retirement to playing in the Super Bowl, such is the life of Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison.
He is perhaps the most physical linebacker in the NFL and exemplifies the hard-nosed spirit of the Steelers defense. Dick LeBeau must love having him on his squad.
Harrison recorded 100 tackles, 10.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and two interceptions during the regular season and then added another 14 tackles in his two postseason appearances.
A few forced fumbles and sacks and you could be looking at a very intimidating MVP.
The Pick: Ben Roethlisberger
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I've learned not to bet against Big Ben in the big games.
Roethlisberger shines when the spotlight is firmly affixed upon him, and no spotlight shines brighter than the one provided by the Super Bowl.
Throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns is not out of the question for this man.
At the end of the day, I expect for the Steelers to be crowned champions and Roethlisberger to be the best of the bunch.
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