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Gerry Dulac's Super Bowl XLV Forecast
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Steelers (14-4) vs. Green Bay Packers (13-6)
6:30 p.m., Cowboys Stadium •
Let me start by saying the Packers were my preseason pick to get to the Super Bowl, though I did have them beating the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLV.
They have shown in the NFC playoffs, easily beating the Falcons and Bears on the road, that they are clearly the best from their conference. But, no matter how well they play defense or how well Aaron Rodgers can throw the deep ball, this is new territory for nearly all of their players.
Conversely, the Steelers have 17 players on their 53-man roster who have won two Super Bowl rings and are very comfortable playing on a stage of this magnitude.
After all they have had to overcome this season, including the loss of their quarterback and the trade of their best wide receiver, it is incomprehensible to think that something will go wrong now.
Put together the second half of the Baltimore game and the first half of the AFC title game against the Jets and you have 60 minutes of a flawless, dominant, firing-on-all-cylinders performance in which the Steelers outscored their opponent, 48-3.
It won't be that big against the Packers, but it will be convincing.
Prediction: Steelers, 34-23.
First Published February 6, 2011 12:00 am
