Packers Win Super Bowl XLV, 31-25

The Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in Super Bowl XLV on Sunday night at Cowboys Stadium, the franchise’s fourth Super Bowl title and 13^th world championship.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was named the MVP and played superbly. He completed 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns and was not intercepted.

The Packers turned three Steelers turnovers into three touchdowns throughout the course of the game and never gave up the lead, despite multiple comeback attempts by Pittsburgh and a spate of injuries that knocked receiver Donald Driver and cornerback Charles Woodson out of the game late in the second quarter.

A 29-yard TD to receiver Jordy Nelson, a 37-yard interception return for a score by Nick Collins, and a 21-yard dart to receiver Greg Jennings in a tight window staked the Packers to a 21-3 lead in the second quarter. The third TD was set up by an interception near midfield by backup cornerback Jarrett Bush.

The Steelers rallied to get within 21-17 on a TD pass to Hines Ward just before halftime and a TD run by Rashard Mendenhall in the third quarter. Pittsburgh was close to scoring range again in the fourth quarter when Mendenhall fumbled, however, on a hit from linebacker Clay Matthews. Linebacker Desmond Bishop recovered and the Packers extended the advantage again on Jennings’ second TD catch of the game, from 8 yards out, to make it 28-17.

Pittsburgh battled back with a 25-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace and added a 2-point conversion to make it 28-25 midway through the fourth.

The Packers answered with a long drive for a field goal, the key play coming on a 31-yard pass to Jennings on third-and-10 from Green Bay territory that got the Packers across midfield. The ensuing field goal made it 31-25 with 2:07 left, and the defense needed to make one more stop.

It did, as Roethlisberger threw incomplete to Wallace on fourth-and-5 in the final minute, sealing the win.

Nelson finished with nine catches for 140 yards for the Packers, career highs in both categories. James Starks added 11 rushes for 52 yards.

Roethlisberger was 25 of 40 for 263 yards and two TDs but threw two interceptions. Wallace had nin catches for 89 yards and Ward had seven grabs for 78 yards.