NFL Fact or Fiction: Packers & Steelers Will Meet for Rematch in Super Bowl XLVI

The Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers are currently 7-0, and undoubtedly, the best team in football. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team who have been solid all season long and currently holds a 5-2 record. 

The two teams boast a balance on offense, defense and have great quarterback play when it counts the most. Their coaches have their teams playing at a high level and are set to take their teams back to the Super Bowl. 

So will these two teams make it for a rematch in this years Super Bowl? I will take a look at the reason why these teams have a chance for the rematch.

Health

Last year, the Packers lost Ryan Grant and Jermichael Finley for the season, but it did not stop this team in accomplishing what it wanted. This year, they are relatively healthy and look better with all their offensive weapons back.

The Steelers have been without their anchor on defense with James Harrison having missed all the games so far this season. This team has also had a lot of players miss games due to injuries from Casey Hampton, Aaron Smith (out for the season) and many others. This team will need their players to get healthy when the playoffs roll around to get back to the Super Bowl. 

They must keep their quarterbacks healthy and make sure that players come back from injuries when the playoffs roll around.

Age

Aaron Rodgers (27) and Ben Roethlisberger (29) are still young and in their primes to lead their teams to many more Super Bowls. Their top teammates are respectively young on both sides of the ball. 

Clay Matthews, BJ Raji, Jermichael Finley and Greg Jennings are all still young and have continued to get better. The same can be said for the Steelers who have Rashard Mendenhall, Heath Miller, Mike Wallace and LaMarr Woodley. 

There is a great balance between veterans and young players on both teams. Charles Woodson, Donald Driver, James Farrior and James Harrison are all playing at an elite level, but they are entering the twilight of their careers. These organizations know this and continue to draft players to eventually take over for these players.

Stocking up on young and talented players are what will help these two teams continue to compete for many more Super Bowls. The Packers' running backs and receivers are in their 20s as well as their defensive studs. The Steelers seem to retool and reload their teams every year to compete for Super Bowls.

These two teams are young and explosive at the right positions which can only help them this season.

Explosive Receivers

Aaron Rodgers quite possibly has the best receiving corps in the league. Greg Jenning, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson and every other receiver on this team is really scary. Did I mention that they have one of the best tight ends in the league in Jermichael Finley.

Rodgers did not have his talented tight end last year because of injury so with Finley’s addition only puts this team on another path to a Super Bowl. How is it possible to guard any of these receivers when the Packers go into a spread offense? It really isn’t fair.  

The Steelers have a receiving corps who nobody is talking about. Mike Wallace could possibly be the most quiet No. 1 receiver in the league. He has solid size, great hands and speed to blow past anyone. Wallace was the reason why Santonio Holmes was so expendable.

Pittsburgh also has an above-average tight end in Heath Miller who is a solid blocker but an even better red-zone threat. Rashard Mendenhall has great hands and is capable lining up as a receiver which most teams do not have the luxury to do. This team also has the reliable Hines Ward who always seems to make a play when it counts the most.  

Each team have receiving corps that are better then what most teams have in the league. They do whatever it takes to win and will definitely help these teams in making it back to the Super Bowl.

Solid Running Game

Last year's playoff run for the Packers came with a pleasant surprise as running back James Starks looked unstoppable. He continued to gain a lot of yards on the ground and set up plays for Aaron Rodgers and the passing game.  

This year, the Packers have a healthy Ryan Grant back to give the Packers a two-headed rushing attack on the ground. This team is definitely a pass-oriented team, but the luxury of having a solid ground game will be key to take this team back for a repeat. 

The Steeler's identity have always been to play great defense and to pound the ball. That idea will continue all season long as the Steelers have a great between the tackles running back in Rashard Mendenhall. As the offensive line gets healthier and better this season, look for the Steelers to keep giving Mendenhall the ball.

Quarterbacks

It is no surprise that Aaron Rodgers has been carving up the opposing teams defenses this season. He is understanding the other team's defensive schemes more this season and looks like the best quarterback in the league. 

The 27-year-old is continuing to learn and get better which is scary because he is already so good.  He has the ability to make any throw on the field or make plays with his legs. He is undoubtably the most difficult quarterback to play against in the league because he does everything so well. With one Super Bowl to his name, he will look to add some more to his legacy and be the best quarterback ever to play for the Packers. 

Ben Roethlisberger, on the other hand, is a quarterback who doesn’t wow people with his stats or with precision passing. What set him apart is his improvisation when a play is broken and his will to bring his team back when they are down.

He has the intangibles to win games and will have many more opportunities to take his teams to the Super Bowl because he is still only 29 years old. Ben has two Super Bowls already, and one more trophy would solidify his name in the Hall of Fame.

The hopes for a rematch in the Super Bowl will rely heavily on how Rodgers and Roethlisberger perform.

Defense

Both teams play a 3-4 defense with great pass-rushers and ball hawks. Quarterbacks have to be aware of where Troy Polamalu and Charles Woodson are at on every play. These two players have the capability to change the momentum of games with one play. Every Super Bowl champion has these type of players on their rosters, and the Packers and Steelers might have the best.  

The Packers have a player who can clog the middle in BJ Raji and a pass-rusher in Clay Matthews who wreaks havoc on the quarterbacks on every play. Matthews has been quiet early on this season but will eventually get it rolling during playoff time.

This is a defense that is solid but is not at the level of the Steelers. They make plays when the team needs it most, and it doesn’t hurt to have an explosive offense to cover up any deficiencies or mistakes. 

The Steelers currently have the best defense in football, and they have been doing it without linebacker James Harrison and defensive tackle Casey Hampton. The Steelers defense do a great job in covering what they are trying to do on defense and confusing the quarterback.

The 3-4 scheme works perfectly to the strengths of each player on this team. I think that this defense can be unstoppable once all their players get healthy. This defense alone can bring them back to the Super Bowl.

Coaching

Coach Mike McCarthy has this team firing at all cylinders, and it is really scary. He knows exactly what his team is capable of and knows what buttons to push at the right time. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers is a defensive genius who loves to call numerous blitzes in a game. These two masterminds have a Super Bowl under their belts and look ready for another one. 

The Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin only expects excellence from his team. He is an old school type of coach that wants his team to play smash mouth defense and run the ball. The man is intense and knows how to get the best out of his players.

Tomlin is begging for a rematch.

Leadership and Experience

The two teams probably have the most leadership out of any team in the league. Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger have three Super Bowls combined, but what set these two apart from the rest of the players in the league is their leadership. Their teammates respect them so much because of how they carry themselves on the field. Each player can orchestrate a comeback and never buckles under pressure.  

The Packers also have great leaders on both sides of the ball starting with Charles Woodson who is the leader of this defense. He is the consummate leader and leads by example. It seems as though Woodson is getting better as he ages. Donald Driver has been on the Packers for a long time and receives a lot of respect from his teammates including Rodgers. 

The Steelers get their leadership from James Harrison and Troy Polamalu on defense. Polamalu leads by his extraordinary plays while Harrison leads with his intensity and drive similar to the Raven’s Ray Lewis.  The Steelers also have Hines Ward on offense who is a consistent and gritty player. You can always expect Hines Ward to save “Big Ben” when he is in trouble in the pocket.

The Packers and Steelers have so much leadership and experience that can propel them pass any team that lacks it. You can always expect someone on these teams to bring the level of play up when needed.

These two teams are so complete, well-coached and too talented to not get back to the Super Bowl. A rematch is inevitable for the Packers and Steelers.