Super Bowl 2011: 10 Bold Predictions for Super Bowl XLV In Dallas

The Super Bowl is only nine days away, and the time can't pass by soon enough. Green Bay appears to be a team of destiny by winning three straight playoff road games, but the Pittsburgh Steelers are an awfully high final mountain to climb.

As usual, there are storylines aplenty going into next week's big game in Dallas. I won't try to break down every one of those storylines, because there are to many to count. I will give you 10 predictions regarding this upcoming Super Bowl, including my pick for who will be holding the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the night.

These upcoming slides detail 10 things that you should look out for when watching the Super Bowl clash between Green Bay and Pittsburgh. Check them out, and feel free to let me know what you think by leaving a comment in the comments section.

1. The Steelers Will Defend the Pass Better Than They Did Against the Jets

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 23: Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers hits Jerricho Cotchery #89 of the New York Jets during the 2011 AFC Championship game at Heinz Field on January 23, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers won 24-19. (Photo

Pittsburgh sent Rex Ryan and the Jets packing last Sunday, but it wasn’t because of their ability to slow down Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. Sanchez threw for 233 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions in the AFC Championship game. Mark finished with a quarterback rating of 102.2, which more than doubled Big Ben’s QB rating of 35.5.

The Steelers will face another “pass happy” offense when Aaron Rodgers takes the field on Super Bowl Sunday. I expect the Super Bowl veteran Steelers to play much better against the pass during the Super Bowl, though.

Pittsburgh will obviously be playing inspired football on Super Bowl Sunday, but I look for them to correct some of the mistakes they made in trying to slow down Sanchez in the AFC title game. Rodgers will of course get his yards, but look for the Steelers defense to be more disruptive in Dallas then they were in Pittsburgh.

2. Tramon Williams Will Pick off Big Ben

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ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 15: Tramon Williams ##8 of the Green Bay Packers returns an interception 70-yards for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons during their 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Georgia Dome on January 15, 2011 in

The fourth year veteran out of Louisiana Tech has had huge amounts of success this season and now throughout the playoffs. Williams' coming out party came in the divisional round against Atlanta, were Tramon intercepted Matt Ryan twice and took one of the interceptions back to the endzone for a touchdown.  While Williams didn’t have an interception against Chicago on Sunday, he came dangerously close on more than one occasion.

The eight interceptions that Tramon has recorded throughout the course of his 2010-2011 campaign are no fluke, and I look for him to get one more pick on the game’s biggest stage this coming Sunday. Many people already know who Tramon Williams is right now, but a big performance on Super Bowl Sunday would truly make him a household name.

3. The Packers and Steelers Great Fan Bases Will Rock Cowboys Stadium

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 23: Pittsburgh Steelers fans wave terrible towels during their 2011 AFC Championship game against the New York Jets at Heinz Field on January 23, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Fans from all different NFL franchises across the league will make the claim that they have one of the best fan bases in the NFL. Not many NFL teams can say that they have more than 78,000 people on their season ticket waiting list or that the majority of their fans hoard yellow towels which they diligently bring to the stadium for every home game.

No, the Steelers and Packers fans are truly different than the average NFL fans, and their uniqueness is what makes them coming together for the Super Bowl so special. Surely none of the powers that be in Dallas lost an ounce of sleep worrying if Green Bay Packer fans would make the journey from Wisconsin to Texas. Likewise, there was also no doubt that Steeler Nation would make their presence felt for the Big Game, just like they did in 2005 and 2009.

The fact that these two storied fan bases are converging on the league’s most palatial stadium for the Super Bowl will make the atmosphere that much better.

4. Rookie James Starks Will Perform Well on the Massive Super Bowl Stage

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 23: James Starks #44 of the Green Bay Packers runs the ball against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field on January 23, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The rookie running back from Buffalo has become the most unlikely source of offensive firepower for the Green Bay Packers. James Starks was chosen by Green Bay in the sixth round of last year’s NFL Draft and didn’t get his first NFL carry until week 13 against San Francisco.

With all that being said, Starks will be the focal point of the Packers rushing attack as Green Bay tries to run against Pittsburgh’s vaunted rushing defense. Starks has carried 70 times during the postseason for 263 yards and one touchdown. The rookie won’t get shaken by the big stage; in fact, his youth might lighten the moment a little bit in comparison to a tenured veteran who has never played on Super Bowl Sunday.

Pittsburgh’s defense will be imposing, but remember that he is coming off playing against a Chicago Bears defense that is pretty good in their own right, so he has some experience rushing against a stingy defense.

5. Pittsburgh Will Lean on Their Running Game Early

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 23: Rashard Mendenhall #34 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs the ball against the New York Jets during the 2011 AFC Championship game at Heinz Field on January 23, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers won 24-19. (Photo b

This isn’t as much of a bold prediction as it is a Pittsburgh philosophical mindset that needs to be mentioned. Don’t expect the Steelers to come out throwing long bombs to Mike Wallace and Hines Ward. No, instead look for Pittsburgh to begin the game by leaning on running back Rashard Mendenhall and their offensive line to gain “tough” yards.

If there is any passing, expect Ben to throw short to intermediate routes as he feels out cornerbacks Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson. The Steelers will operate offensively more like a prize fighter feeling out the other boxer in the first round, while the Packers might be more brash with their approach. Only after Pittsburgh establishes themselves offensively will they try to open up the playbook with longer routes to speedster Mike Wallace.

6. Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl Experience Will Pay Dividends

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Steelers head coach Bill Cowher holds the Vince Lombardi trophy after the Steelers won Super Bowl XL between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on February 5, 2006. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

There are so many extra facets to the Super Bowl that separate this game from any regular season or playoff game that is played. For one thing, teams have to adjust to having a two week layoff between the conference championship game and the Super Bowl. Then, when the teams arrive in Dallas, there will be many other events that they will attend such as media day that make preparing for the game different.

Pittsburgh Head Coach Mike Tomlin has already coached in and won a Super Bowl, and Steeler mainstays such as Troy Polamalu and Ben Roethlisberger each have two Super Bowl victories to their names. This experience in knowing their routine and knowing how to navigate all the side obstacles will favor Pittsburgh as they prepare for the Super Bowl.

Green Bay, meanwhile, doesn’t have the Super Bowl experience on their coaching staff or with their players that Pittsburgh touts, and no matter how much they down play it this inexperience, it will be an extra hurdle that the Packers will have to deal with.

7. Aaron Rodgers Will Look for Wide Receiver Greg Jennings Early and Often

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ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 15: Greg Jenning #85 of the Green Bay Packers makes a reception against the Atlanta Falcons during their 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Georgia Dome on January 15, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Image

Greg Jennings is clearly quarterback Aaron Rodgers' favorite target as evidenced by his 76 receptions this season. The next closest receiver, James Jones, only has 50 grabs.

Jennings, out of Western Michigan, averages 16.6 yards per catch and can stretch the field vertically and run the shorter routes as well. I think Green Bay will come out passing in the Super Bowl, and Jennings will definitely be one of the first receivers that Rodgers targets. In a game like the Super Bowl, I think that you try to do what is familiar to you early, on and Greg Jennings is definitely familiar to Aaron Rodgers.

I’m not saying that Rodgers will immediately throw 50+ yard bombs in Jennings direction, but I do think the receiver will get some looks right away.

8. The Steelers Will Have a Trick Play Tucked in Their Back

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 23: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on against the New York Jets during the 2011 AFC Championship game at Heinz Field on January 23, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

At the risk of sounding much older than I actually am, I will cite some history and go back to 2005 when Antwaan Randel El threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward to propel the Steelers to Super Bowl victory against the Seattle Seahawks.

The former Indiana Hoosier quarterback has played sparingly this year at wide receiver and hasn’t been in the midst of any trickery thus far during the playoffs. Still, Randel El has been used in a multitude of ways during his NFL career and on offense, and while at 31, he is no longer a rookie anymore, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mike Tomlin have a situation stowed away for him.

9. The Black Eyed Peas Will Perform Their Halftime Show Without Any Controversy

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JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 10: Taboo and Fergie of the Black eyed peas performs a song during the kick-off celebration concert for the 2010 FIFA World Cup at the Orlando Stadium on June 10, 2010 in Soweto, South Africa. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/

The Black Eyed Peas are the most current and mainstream of a halftime act that we have gotten since Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson’s breast during halftime of Super Bowl 38 between the Panthers and Patriots. Since then, we have been treated to the safe sounds of classic aging talents such as Paul McCartney, The Who, Prince and U2. The Black Eyed Peas are the edgiest group that has graced the halftime show since Janet’s wardrobe malfunction.

While some might privately be hoping to catch a wardrobe malfunction involving Fergie, I’m going to predict that the halftime show will happen without any unexpected deviations from the script. No, MTV still hasn’t been invited back to choreograph and set up the halftime show, and I don’t expect the NFL to call the network in the foreseeable future, either.

10. The Packers Will Emerge Victorious from Super Bowl XLV

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 23: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers looks to pass against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field on January 23, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Packers first slowed down Mike Vick and the Eagles, then they knocked off the top seeded Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome and finally, they knocked out Jay Cutler on their way to knocking Chicago out of the playoffs. The fact that they have won all three of their games on the road and have had an average margin of victory of 16.33 points per game throughout the playoffs leads me to believe in Green Bay.

I know that it’s always risky to pick against the Steelers, especially considering how dominant they have been and that they have won two of the last five Lombardi Trophies. I think Green Bay is firing on all cylinders right now though, and I look for them to pull out a squeaker in the fourth quarter.