Green Bay Packers: Top five most nail-biting games in past 10 years
By Roger Muñoz
1. Packers vs. Steelers (Super Bowl XLV)
Let’s end on a positive note.
The Packers road to Super Bowl XLV wasn’t a smooth ride. In fact, it the complete opposite. From early in the season, the Packers dealt with injury after injury. From losing their starting running back (Ryan Grant) to losing their starting tight end (Jermichael Finely), the Packers couldn’t catch a break.
As for the big game, the Packers jumped to an early 21-3 lead. Rodgers tossed touchdown passes to Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings. Even the defense pitched in, Nick Collins picked off Ben Roethlisberger for a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown.
It seemed as if the Packers were in for an easy victory, but then things changed. Right before half, the Packers’ injury woes came back to haunt them as veteran leaders Charles Woodson and Donald Driver both went out with injuries. And the Steelers would capitalize.
Before halftime, Roethlisberger connected with Hines Ward for an 8-yard touchdown pass to cut the Packers lead to 21-10. In the third quarter, the Steelers continued to cut into the Packers lead, with the rushing attack of Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman. Mendenhall’s 8-yard touchdown run made it 21-17.
After a dominant first half, the Packers’ offense was nonexistent in the third quarter, and in dire need of a spark. The spark came in the form of linebacker’s coach Kevin Greene and Clay Matthews.
Greene famously told Matthews during a timeout ‘It is time!’
And Matthews would deliver. At the start of the fourth quarter with the Steelers at the Packers’ 33-yard line, Matthews would strip Mendenhall of the football and Desmond Bishop would recover. It was the shift in momentum the Packers needed, Rodgers would find Jennings for an 8-yard touchdown pass that made it 28-17 with 11:57 left in the game.
But the Steelers still had some fight left in them. Roethlisberger would engineer a 7 play, 66-yard drive that was capped off with Roethlisberger’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace, followed by an Atwaan Randle El run for a two-point conversion that made it 28-25 with 7:34 left in the game.
After a Packers field goal, Roethlisberger and the offense had a 1:59 to drive down the field to score a touchdown and win the game. This type of situation was nothing new to Roethlisberger, as Arizona Cardinals fans can attest to. Would the Packers be the latest victims to be burned by Roethlisberger in the Super Bowl?
Next: Top 30 moments in Green Bay Packers history
Fortunately for Packer nation, Roethlisberger wasn’t able to muster any magic this time around. And once again, the Vince Lombardi Trophy was coming home to Green Bay.