Super Bowl XLV: First Half Recap!

It's a great time to be a Packer fan. As you know, DDS headquarters is currently in New York City. So, naturally, I just had to make the pilgrimage back home to my native Milwaukee, Wisconsin to behold this rare spectacle with my family and friends. What a good decision that turned out to be. As you can imagine, the kind of euphoria associated with winning the Super Bowl, combined with the kind of euphoria associated with drinking my weight in Miller High Life, has left a few fuzzy spots in my recollection of Super Sunday - but intoxication notwithstanding, here is a Super Bowl XLV recap - to the best of my ability. Because Super Sunday requires a degree of thoroughness previously untapped by the Daily Dope Sheet, this recap will be divided into separate 1st and 2nd half installments.



The game started much the same as a few other notable victories this season. After winning the coin toss, Green Bay elected to defer, giving Pittsburgh the option to receive the opening kickoff. As has been the case all season, Coach McCarthy's steadfast trust in the defense, and confidence that the offense would get it done no matter when they got the ball, proved not to be misguided. After trading a few punts, and with under 5 minutes remaining in the opening quarter, QB Aaron Rodgers broke the stalemate by delivering a 29 yard strike to 3rd tier receiver Jordy Nelson for the touchdown. Game on.

On the ensuing kickoff, Pittsburgh found themselves pinned at their own 14-yard line after an illegal block was called on Steelers safety Ryan Mundy, and enforced as half the distance to the goal. What happened next was pure magic. Well-journeyed defenseman Howard Green, signed literally out of his car by the Packers at midseason, found himself in position to penetrate the offensive line. Green's massive arm swiped at Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger in mid-pass, and caused a duck. The ball quacked through the air like a punt, and was intercepted by safety Nick Collins, who found a way to juke and jive 37 yards for the pick six. Just like that, the Packers led Super Bowl XLV 14-0.

The Steelers then countered with a 7-minute, 13 play drive, to score 3 on a 33-yard field goal by kicker Shaun Suisham. The score was now 14-3.

The Packers had been plagued by injuries all season, and Super Sunday was no exception. Halfway though the second quarter, Packer fans could only watch in dismay as receiver Donald Driver, cornerback Charles Woodson, and cornerback Sam Shields, all watched from the sideline. With Woodson and Shields out, the deep pass was now left to be defended by youngster Jarrett Bush. The backup cornerback and special teams monster may be a little wet behind the ears, but he certainly grew up quickly under the bright lights of Jerry's World in North Texas. As Big Ben was poised to penetrate Packer territory, Bush stepped in the way of a dart intended for speedy Steeler wideout Mike Wallace, making a crunch-time interception, further deflating the now back-peddling AFC champs.

With just half the field to go, Green Bay made scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl look easy. Pass to Jennings, pass to Nelson, 12 quick yards from the tailback Starks, and pay dirt with a 21 yard laser to Greg Jennings for the score. After just 4 plays, the Packers went up 21-3 with 2:24 left in the first half.

Of course, it wouldn't be a 2 minutes drill without at least the possibility of some magic from Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger. A 7-play, 77 yard drive was piloted by Big Ben, and was capped off by an 8-yard TD pass to veteran receiver Hines Ward. Green Bay's defense went into the half with the stinging reminder that relaxing coverage against Ben Roethlisberger in a clutch moment is a serious no-no. After two quarters, the score was 21-10 in favor of Green Bay.


The "Bridgestone Super Bowl XLV Halftime show," or as I continually referred to it, the "Bridgestone Super Bowl XLV Smoke Break," continued the tradition of annually lowering the quality of halftime entertainment at the Super Bowl. The featured act was the Black Eyed Peas, an abomination to all that is holy. Not even Slash's sweet licks could save Fergie's talentless, monotone version of "Sweet Child O' Mine." I'm sure Guns 'N' Roses frontman Axl Rose was dialing a lawyer within seconds of the opening guitar riff. What total garbage.

Stay tuned for the 2nd half recap!