The Packers and Steelers will face off Sunday to decide Super Bowl XLV. And there are lots of Super Bowl Picks to be made. Both teams have two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL behind center. One is a two-time Super Bowl champion and the other holds the all-time highest quarterback rating in playoff history. This begs the question: If you had to win one game, which quarterback would you choose?
Before you resume your Super Bowl betting, take a minute to consider the debate between The Sports Bank.net senior editors Justin Mertes-Mistretta and Nick Grays.
Nick Grays: If you’re following the Super Bowl odds, than perhaps Aaron Rodgers is the QB you want in Super Bowl XLV because he’s the hottest in all of the NFL right now. Don’t get me wrong as Rodgers is not the best in all of the NFL, but he is surely better than Ben Roethlisberger.
Where to start?
Let’s start with the beginning of the season for the Steelers. Not only did Roethlisberger not play because of a suspension handed down by the league, the Steelers won three of the four he missed. I won’t focus on the suspension because this is not an issue of character, but playing the game. Two of those three wins without Big Ben were against the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Bucs, two of the NFL’s best in 2010-11.
Justin Mertes-Mistretta: Big Ben is the pick here. I agree that Aaron Rodgers is more important for his team, because he is the heart and soul of that offense. The Steelers, on the other hand, can win with their run game and defense alone, evident of the first four weeks. However, that is not a knock on Big Ben; it’s more a testament to how good the Steelers are.
If we were debating who’s the MVP for their team, Rodgers would win hands down. In this debate – who I would rather have if I had to win ONE game – the deciding factor for me is the big-game experience of Big Ben. The man has won two Super Bowls and is as clutch as they come. Rodgers is playing at an elite level, but he doesn’t have the game-winning drives in big games on his resume like Ben does.
NG: I’ll agree that Big Ben is clutch, but Rodgers is still the man because of what he did all year long during the regular season. The Packers were never down by more than seven points and lost six games by four points or less, so I think he knows what it’s like to play under pressure. Even though he ended up on the wrong end of some of those close games, it gave him the opportunity to learn what he needed to change in order to be a better clutch performer.
One thing that Rodgers does not do is lose games. You will be hard-pressed to find a game and say the Packers lost because of Rodgers performance, so it’s not that Rodgers needs to play out of his mind because with the top-rated defenses, I’m not sure either guy will. All Rodgers needs to do is be his self and make accurate and smart decisions.
I’m not sure you can say the same about Roethlisberger. Just look at the AFC Championship as an example. Roethlisberger kept the Jets in the game by throwing two interceptions and proved to be a liability in a game the Steelers should have won easily. In his two Super Bowl wins, he saw two defenses who weren’t even close to the kind of defense the Packers have. Roethlisberger has to be great on Sunday in order to open up the running game for Mendenhall.
Basically, I think the chance that Aaron Rodgers will be alright or good is better than Ben Roethlisberger being great if that makes any sense.
JMM: What you’re forgetting about Roethlisberger’s performance in the AFC Championship is the fact that, even though he threw two picks, he made clutch throws at the end of the game and found a way to win the game in the end. It will never be pretty with Ben, but when it is all said and done he will make the throws that need to be made. This is what separates Big Ben and Rodgers right now. Rodgers will look flashier and get the stats, but if all I need is one win, I’m more confident with Ben under center.
I’m not a cynic. I’m not here to dispute the fact that Rodgers is playing at an elite level. He’s one of the best QBs in the NFL. I have no doubt in my mind that he can lead his team to victory in a big game with two minutes to go. With the way he’s played in the playoffs, Sunday may be that big game. The point isn’t whether I think he can do it, because he can and will at some point. The fact is that Big Ben has already proven he can and has the experience that you just can’t bet against.
Who would you rather have behind center in Super Bowl XLV? Let us know by commenting below.
Justin Mertes-Mistretta is a senior editor for the Sports Bank.net mainly covering the NFL, NBA playoffs, college basketball (Ohio State), and fantasy football. Follow him on twitter at MertesMist_tsb or become a fan of his blog here.
Nick Grays is a senior editor at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Brewers. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best.