Super Bowl XLV: Ranking The Eight Possible Super Bowl Outcomes including Packers over Steelers
Through the playoffs I have provided articles ranking the possible Super Bowl matchups, but today I will take another approach on this subject.
Instead of ranking the top four Super Bowl matchups, I will rank the most likely Super Bowl outcomes, but if I were to rank them it would be:
1. Steelers vs. Packers
2. Steelers vs. Bears
3. Jets vs. Packers
4. Jets vs. Bears
The bottom line is that regardless of who is in the Super Bowl it will be a great matchup featuring two of these four teams. And I don’t find it necessary to write an entire article ranking these four games.
What I did for this piece is rank the potential Super Bowl outcomes in regards to who I see winning the actual game.
Unlike my last piece, this isn’t a ranking of the games or even outcomes that we want to see. This is my personal opinion on how I see the results of these four potential games.
Mark Sanchez and the Jets, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, or Jay Cutler of the Bears will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Dallas on February 6.
Each matchup will take up two slides because each game can have two results. In the first slide, I will explain what to look for in this matchup, but in the second slide I will explain why the team will win that game.
So who has the best chance of doing that?
8. Chicago Bears over New York Jets
A matchup featuring Jay Cutler and Mark Sanchez would be the least compelling Super Bowl matchup that there is, mainly because every other matchup would feature Ben Roethlisberger or Aaron Rodgers.
These two teams both have dominating defenses and in the Super Bowl, with two weeks to prepare for the other teams’ offense, the defenses will do nothing but dominate.
It would be absolutely great television seeing Rex Ryan at his press conferences for the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, but the Steelers would provide a much better brand of football in Dallas.
The Bears are a very quiet team and the media hasn’t given them the respect that a team hosting the NFC Championship deserves. But the Green Bay Packers are just the hottest team in the NFL right now.
I love a great defensive battle, but I hate to see struggling offenses, which is what I think you will see in this matchup.
The reason why this result is at the bottom of the list is because I think the Packers and Steelers will both win, and I think the Jets would beat the Bears.
7. New York Jets over Chicago Bears
The New York Jets will win this matchup because of their arrogant attitude.
I would hate to have Rex Ryan as my head coach, he is cocky, he hasn’t won anything, he is arrogant, but man is he great television and boy does he have confidence in his team.
But this year he has a right to this confidence. His team has already beaten two Super Bowl winning quarterbacks and are attempting to beat a third one in Ben Roethlisberger.
The Jets are a better football team than the Bears, but Chicago still has a solid team. The Jets just have more playoff experience than the Chicago Bears in the last couple years reaching the AFC Championship game in two straight years.
Both teams have solid defenses, but I give the slight edge to the Jets offense over the Bears’ which is why I think the Jets will win this game.
The reason these two results are at the bottom of this list is because I just don’t see either of these teams winning. But then again, who picked the Seahawks or Jets to win against the Saints and Patriots respectively.
This is the playoffs, and anything can happen, but I just don’t see this happening. But if it did, I expect Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
6. New York Jets over Green Bay Packers
There is a better chance the Jets beat the Steelers than the Bears beating the Packers which is why this result is at number six.
Again, this is the playoffs and anything can happen, but I just don’t see the Jets being able to compete with the Packers.
But then again, what do I know?
This game would feature two of the better young quarter backs in the game in Aaron Rodgers and Mark Sanchez, as well as two great defenses.
In order for the Jets to win their defense would have to do something that is very hard to do, and that is cool down Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers offense.
If you don’t think this is hard, ask the Philadelphia Eagles and especially the Atlanta Falcons.
At the end of the day, I don’t really see this matchup happening, but continue to read on why I think the Packers would beat the Jets.
Hint: It starts with the quarterbacks.
5. Chicago Bears over Pittsburgh Steelers
The more I look at it, is that this Super Bowl will feature some great defenses. And I am a huge fan of great defensive games as much as I am a fan of explosive offensive battles.
I don’t think there could be a bigger difference between the number two seeds in this years’ NFL Playoffs and it starts with the quarterbacks.
Jay Cutler, has one playoff win and has only played in one playoff game since high school. Ben Roethlisberger has won two Super Bowl trophies.
But that is just one of the differences between these two teams, but it’s not why I think the Steelers would win.
Like all of these Super Bowl matchups, a dominating defense is what will get these teams to Dallas. It is the reason they are playing on Championship Sunday and it will be the reason why a team hoists the Lombardi trophy.
If this matchup did happen, I just don’t see the Bears winning, and continue on for why I think Big Ben will win his third Super Bowl if this matchup comes to fruition.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers over Chicago Bears
The Steelers will win this game because they are a better team. The coaching, quarterback, and defense of the Steelers is better than the Chicago Bears.
Ben Roethlisberger already has won two Super Bowls, which is one more than playoff wins by Jay Cutler.
Sure the Bears could win, but I just think the Steelers are just a better team. You really never know what you’re going to get with Jay Cutler at all.
He could play lights out, or he could make you turn your television off very quickly. But chances are in the Super Bowl I would hope that he comes out to play.
But regardless if he does, I just don’t see him playing well enough to beat Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
They are better coached, they have more talent, and at the end of the day, I would rather have the ball in Big Ben’s hands than Jay Cutlers’.
But that’s just me.
3. Green Bay Packers over New York Jets
The Packers would win this game, and I don’t think it would even be close. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are just a better team than the Jets.
But the Jets have shown that they can back up their word, and make any game they play in close.
With Clay Matthews and the Packers defense having two weeks to prepare for Mark Sanchez and the Jets offense they should be able to shut it down.
Aaron Rodgers is playing like the best quarterback in the NFL right now after having one of the greatest divisional round performance of all time. 31-36, 366 yards, and 4 combined touchdowns is all you need to know.
If the Packers can continue to have any type of running game at all they will hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Big D on February 6.
Regardless, if the Packers play the Jets, I like Green Bay’s chances regardless.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers over Green Bay Packers
This is the best Super Bowl matchup possible which is why it takes up the top two spots on this list. This matchup features the best two quarterbacks left in the 2011 NFL playoffs.
No offense to Jay Cutler and Mark Sanchez, but Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers are just better quarterbacks, and I don’t think you can argue that.
This would be a hell of a game between two of the best teams in the NFL.
The Packers would not be in this position because they are the hottest team in the NFL, that is a media creation.
The Packers would be in this matchup because they are the best team in the NFC. Being that team is the reason why they are hot, they do not win games because they are a hot team.
Those are two different things, one is real, the other is a media creation.
The Steelers could very well win this game and win their third Super Bowl in six years, but I just don’t think they are going to beat this Green Bay Packers team because…
1. Green Bay Packers over Pittburgh Steelers
…the Packers are the best team left in the 2011 NFL Playoffs.
The Packers are my favorite, along with a host of others, to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Dallas. But I, along with a host of others, said the same thing in previous weeks about the New England Patriots.
So what do we know? Nothing.
In this matchup between two young quarterbacks I see Aaron Rodgers winning his first Super Bowl while denying Ben Roethlisberger his third trophy.
But like I have said before, this game really could go either way, but I just think the Packers will win a trophy that is named after their former coach, Vince Lombardi.
The Steelers have a phenomenal rushing defense, and the Packers don’t have much of a rushing attack, which would cause Aaron Rodgers to win the game through the air. And Aaron Rodgers has shown that he is a quarterback that has the ability to do this.
Aaron Rodgers will be able to succeed and I think the Packers defense will rise to the occasion and shut down this Steelers offense.
One thing is for sure, this Super Bowl matchup would be a hell of a game. This isn’t just true for this matchup, but for all of these matchups period.
There will be great story lines for every possible Super Bowl team, and I cannot wait for February 6 to see who wins the Super Bowl.
Recap: What Do You Think?
Again, here are my predictions for the four possible Super Bowl matchups.
Green Bay Packers over Pittsburgh Steelers
Green Bay Packers over New York Jets
New York Jets over Chicago Bears
Pittsburgh Steelers over Chicago Bears
What do you think?
Am I right or wrong about my predictions of these games?
Is the ranking of these matchups off or right on?
I have expressed my opinion, let me kno