:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/1861969/GYI0063339240.jpg)
The Green Bay Packers are your Super Bowl XLV champions. Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that Green Bay never trailed.
The Packers opened things up with a 21-3 lead and looked as though they may turn the 45th Super Bowl into a blowout. Pittsburgh battled back, though, getting a comeback attempt started with a late first half touchdown. They then scored the third quarter's only points with a Rashard Mendenhall TD run, cutting the lead to just four points.
In the fourth quarter, Greg Jennings caught his second touchdown pass of the night to extend the lead to 11 once again, but the Steelers quickly responded with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace. The ensuing two-point conversion attempt was also good, meaning the Packers' lead was down to only three points.
On the very next drive, the Packers went down the field and came up just short of a touchdown that would have almost certainly clinched the game. Instead they had to settle for a field goal, giving Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers a chance to win the game with a touchdown.
That touchdown never came, as the Steelers couldn't convert a fourth down attempt. Green Bay got the ball back and took a knee, sealing their fourth Super Bowl title.
The MVP of Super Bowl XLV ended up being Aaron Rodgers. Interestingly, one could argue he has already eclipsed Brett Favre when it comes to big-time games. Favre won one Super Bowl title during his career, but he wasn't the MVP during that game (Desmond Howard was). Rodgers already has a Super Bowl title and a Super Bowl MVP award, and he is only 27.
All in all, this was a pretty good game, and it's nice to say that the Detroit Lions beat the Super Bowl champions. The last time that happened was in 1999 when the St. Louis Rams lost to Detroit before going on to win the Super Bowl. This past season, the Lions shut down the Packers, holding them to only three points and knocking Aaron Rodgers out of the game. Obviously one game only means so much, but to me the way the Lions played against Green Bay is a sign of things to come, and if they can do that to the eventual Super Bowl champs, I have a good feeling about what is in store for Detroit in 2011.