The Packers Return to the Super Bowl

This is one of greatest Super Bowls to ever be played. Both teams have a rich history of winning championships. The Green Bay Packers have an NFL best 12 world championships (including 3 Super Bowls), while the Steelers have an NFL best 6 Super Bowl wins. There has never been a Super Bowl with this much history in it. No matter the outcome it will be an "instant classic."

It will be a very hard game for both teams but I believe that the Packers will come away with their 13th world championship. To be successful against the "steel curtain" defense of the Steelers will not be an easy task. I am tired of hearing everyone in the media say that Green Bay needs to spread the field and use their 5 wide receiver set. I think if the media is smart enough to figure this out, then so is Dick LeBeau. Green Bay just needs to play smart and aggressive.

The first thing that Green Bay needs to do is to win the field position battle. This is important because both teams have very good defenses and the team with the shorter field will have a huge advantage. I think this will be a game that is decided by 1 or 2 field goals. Obviously, it is easier to go 40 yards and kick a field goal than it is to go 60 yards. Field position will be a huge factor in deciding the winner.

The Packers will also need to keep the pressure on Ben Roethlisberger. Even though he is very hard to take down, it is much harder to find the open receiver with a linebacker hanging on to your back. If the Green Bay pass rush can consistently get in Roethlisberger's face I think he will be more likely to try to force the ball out, which will give the Packer secondary a chance to make a play on the ball. Green Bay has been thriving off turnovers during their historic playoff run and if they can continue to do this, I think the Packers will have a chance to win.

Another key factor for the Packers in this game is for them to just stay calm and execute their game plan. I know that Mike McCarthy can put a perfect game plan together when he is given 2 weeks to do so. Dom Capers (the Packers' defensive coordinator) can do the same thing. With these two master minds having two weeks to plan for one game, there is trouble for the opposing team, no matter who it is. With that being said, it is up to the players to keep their cool and just play football the best they can for one game.

Is this the game that will put Aaron Rodgers in the same class as Bart Starr and Brett Favre? Will Clay Matthews finally win a ring for his family name? Will the Packers finally be able to put all the Brett Favre talk behind them for good? Will this be the start of a new dynasty for the Packers rich history? Or will the 2010 Green Bay Packers just be the forgotten team that lost the Super Bowl?

Only time will tell. For me, I hope this is only the first of many rings for Aaron Rodgers. I have been a Packer fan for 10 years and I have never been happier to be a Packer fan than I have this year. No matter the outcome of the Super Bowl, this is by far the best team I have seen in Green Bay and I am proud to call myself a Packer fan.

My prediction: Packers 31 Steelers 27

New Defensive Coaching Updates in Philly

This past week I've been covering the defensive shakeup in Philadelphia, and it's been a busy week for a team that's out of the playoffs. Defensive coordinators have been moving all around the league this week, but none have yet come to Philly. The Eagles have wasted little time hiring a replacement for their recently fired defensive line coach Rory Segrest. Jim Washburn, the defensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans, is the Birds' newest acquisition in this tumultuous offseason. The new coach promises to bring some much needed invigoration to the defensive line which may have been lacking in intensity this past season.

The Eagles were reported to have talked to Dean Pees, of the Baltimore Ravens, however Ravens head coach John Harbaugh stated that Pees has not been interviewing in Philadelphia.

With many defensive coordinator-candidates quickly being spoken for, and Jim Mora taking the year off from coaching, it seems to be coming down to candidates Bill Davis and Dick Jauron, though last night respected Eagles writer Les Bowen issued this cryptic tweet:




This has helped keep up the talk of a possible interview with the Jets' current defensive coordinator (and Philly native), Mike Pettine. While Pettine has denied the rumors of an interview when the Jets end their postseason, he has made some interesting remarks about wanting the head coaching job for his hometown team. With Andy Reid's contract up in 2013, you can bet these statements will be examined and dissected for a possible regime change.


If both the rumor and Pettine's denial are true, there is still a plethora of talent in the postseason coaching staffs. Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau would be an incredible addition to the coaching staff, despite rumors of his possible retirement. Bringing LeBeau in would also cement the rumor of the Eagles moving to a 3-4 defense. John Mitchell, the Steelers' defensive line coach would also be an ideal, but extremely unlikely candidate. A more likely name coming from the postseason is Packers defensive line coach Mike Trgovac. His name has been brought up as a good possibility to replace the ousted Sean McDermott, and it would not be his first go-around in Philly. Trgovac was Ray Rhodes' defensive line coach during Rhodes' entire tenure during the '90s. The other big names in the postseason are the Bears' Rod Marinelli, of the 2008 Detroit Lions head coaching fame (they went 0-16 that year), and the Packers' Dom Capers, though reports say he's staying put.

Although the Eagles still don't have a defensive coordinator, the fact that they were able to snatch up Washburn and the idea of courting a postseason defensive coach leaves many fans feeling hopeful, if not wary. We'll be following the developments and hope to bring you an updated situation Saturday night.

Update: Another unofficial name to toss into the hat would be the recently fired Chuck Cecil, former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator. And you thought it couldn't get any crazier.

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