The Green Bay Packers fulfilled what seemed to be their destiny by triumphing over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, 31-25.

The game saw Green Bay almost fully relinquish an 18-point first-half lead.  However, turnovers and some key plays from the offense enabled them to maintain their advantage over the battle-tested Steelers.

Here’s what allowed the Packers to win their second NFL championship:

Turnovers - The Steelers were uncharacteristically sloppy in the biggest game of the season.  Ben Roethlisberger threw two interceptions in the game’s first 30 minutes, with one of them being returned by Nick Collins for a touchdown.  The other interception was converted into a touchdown courtesy of a James Starks rush and three completed Aaron Rodgers passes (including a 21-yarder to Greg Jennings for the score.

Two first-half interceptions from Big Ben put his team in a hole.

In true Pittsburgh fashion, Roethlisberger and company fought back, pulling with four (21-17).  On the first play from scrimmage in the final quarter, Clay Matthews placed his helmet squarely on the football that was in Rashard Mendenhall’s arms, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the defense.  Four passes from Rodgers helped Green Bay take advantage of this opportunity and put another touchdown on the board.

In total, the Packers scored 21 points after Steeler turnovers.  That’s too many gifts in any game, much less the Super Bowl.

Greg Jennings – Jennings, Green Bay’s leading receiver during the regular season, contributed well to his team’s Super Bowl victory.  The Western Michigan alum had 4 catches for 64 yards and two touchdowns.  He undoubtedly made some big plays that were sorely needed, including a huge 31-yard gain on a 3rd and long. 

But perhaps the most meaningful thing Jennings did was absorb the attention of the Steeler defense.  This led to multiple chances for Jordy Nelson, who certainly made a name for himself in tonight’s game.  Nelson ended with 9 catches for 140 yards, but at one point he probably had as many drops as receptions.  Jennings’ consistency as a big play threat on a weekly basis did as much to keep this team afloat as did Rodgers’ ability.

Defensive Fortitude - Week after week, we’ve witnessed different members of the Packers secondary step up and make game-winning plays.  Tramont Williams against the Eagles.  Sam Shields against the Bears.  Tonight?  It was Nick Collins instantly transforming an errant Roethlisberger pass into six points.

In a game that saw injuries to Collins and Charles Woodson, the Packers’ ability to overcome obstacles was tested.  Green Bay was able to do enough to keep Pittsburgh at bay, and walk away on top in the end.

Aaron Rodgers – There were two things that stood out about Rodgers today – his mental toughness and his trust. 

Greg Jennings' presence gave Jordy Nelson a lot of opportunities tonight.

Mentally, Rodgers had to endure a roller-coaster of a game.  The Green Bay quarterback was riding high in the first half, as his team comfortably accumulated 21 points.  Rodgers was then blanketed in the third quarter, as the Pack were held scoreless by a Steeler team that was gaining momentum.  But he maintained his focus and came through when his team needed him most in the fourth quarter.

And, Rodgers exhibited some extreme trust in his teammates – particularly Jordy Nelson.  Time and time again, Nelson was open and Rodgers placed the ball right on the money.  But Nelson had his share of drops, and the number was certainly high enough to make the average quarterback pause before tossing the ball his way again.  However, Rodgers proved to be the consummate leader and stuck to his game plan – delivering the football to the open receiver (still was Nelson) in a timely fashion.  The result was that Nelson didn’t let him down in the game’s key possessions, and made some grabs that ultimately sealed the deal.

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