Paul Higham runs the rule over the two Super Bowl quarterbacks.
The battle of Super Bowl XLV could well come down to which quarterback comes out on top, both of them have a point to prove but who will be leaving with the Vince Lombardi Trophy?
Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers are two of the best around, and in my humble opinion they should be Pro Bowl regulars with their different yet equally effective skill set.
Californian Rodgers is the more flashy of the two, who can pile up the yardage and throw TDs by the bucket load, but he can also make plays with his feet and he has stepped in when Green Bay struggled with injuries to become their second best rusher during the season.
Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers are two of the best around, and in my humble opinion they should be Pro Bowl regulars with their different yet equally effective skill set.
Californian Rodgers is the more flashy of the two, who can pile up the yardage and throw TDs by the bucket load, but he can also make plays with his feet and he has stepped in when Green Bay struggled with injuries to become their second best rusher during the season.
Big Ben is unorthodox, does not always have a statistical dream but he has two Super Bowl rings and could make it three come Sunday - he can prove almost impossible to put down and can extend the play and find that crucial completion just when it's needed - plus he knows how to win the big games.
Rodgers needs a win to step out of Brett Favre's shadow, while Roethlisberger has had off-field issues that he needs to get over to complete his redemption. After spending time in and around Dallas amongst fans, experts and officials, here's my rundown on the two triggermen, and for those who like a wager I'll look at the odds Sky Bet have on the two performers.
Influence
Both men are a huge influence on their teams and it would be no surprise to see whoever wins being crowned Super Bowl MVP - Rodgers is 11/8 to scoop the award while Roethlisberger is 11/4, which is no surprise considering Rodgers' form in the play-offs particularly, while Roethlisberger's rating in the win over Baltimore was a mere 35.
The last time the two teams met, just 13 months ago, Pittsburgh won a 37-36 thriller with Roethlisberger throwing a last-second TD. Although both teams now have great defences, I wouldn't be surprised if they got into a shootout again making the 10/11 on over 44 points an attractive proposition.
Roethlisberger had an amazing 503 yards passing and three TDs in their last meeting, but that is not the norm for Big Ben and Rodgers is more likely to rack up the yardage totals in this big game - he had 722 yards more during the season although Roethlisberger did miss four games.
Both men can move - Roethlisberger can hang onto the ball too long at times before finding that clutch pass, but in the red zone Rodgers has more purpose and had four rushing scores in the season and scored in the play-offs so take the 5/2 on him scoring a rushing score on Sunday.
With both men happy running the ball as well as throwing, they could both get into the end zone, but Rodgers is favoured (21/5) to do so more than Roethlisberger (13/2).
Just one sack separated the two during the season, and while they are good at moving out of the pocket they are both facing tough defences who like to get after the quarterback, so this is a tough one to call, but with the Steelers knowing they have to hit Rodgers to stop him there is no surprise he is 7/10 favourite to hit the deck more than his opposite number.
Touchdowns
As mentioned, Rodgers stepped up to the rushing mark with Green Bay struggling badly to run the ball, scampering for 365 yards during the season and although James Starks has provided another option I wouldn't be surprised to see Rodgers get the 22 yards needed to bring home the bacon at 10/11.
I'll say right now I love Aaron Rodgers, he's my fantasy team quarterback and I still think his Pro Bowl snub was a disgrace, and with Pittsburgh coming all out to get him, many experts here believe he can light up the secondary (10/11 on 270.5 yards), which is beatable despite their reputation.
Roethlisberger loves these big games, I'm still not a fan of the way he holds the ball so long whilst trying to find a play, sometimes it's better to get rid of the ball rather than trying to be the hero.
Saying that, he often is the hero, and has two Super Bowl rings to prove it! 4/1 on him scoring a TD could be a nice little earner, and if Green Bay's talented secondary are handling the wideouts he could sneak in at 25/1 to score the first TD of the game.
We'll find out Sunday, but I just fancy Rodgers, on a flat track in Dallas and in the domed conditions he openly says he loves, to come out on top and lead the 5/7 favourite Packers to overcome the 6/5 Steelers. It's always a brave man who bets against Pittsburgh in a big game, but after surviving this Dallas chill thus far, I am feeling a little brave!
Rodgers needs a win to step out of Brett Favre's shadow, while Roethlisberger has had off-field issues that he needs to get over to complete his redemption. After spending time in and around Dallas amongst fans, experts and officials, here's my rundown on the two triggermen, and for those who like a wager I'll look at the odds Sky Bet have on the two performers.
Influence
Both men are a huge influence on their teams and it would be no surprise to see whoever wins being crowned Super Bowl MVP - Rodgers is 11/8 to scoop the award while Roethlisberger is 11/4, which is no surprise considering Rodgers' form in the play-offs particularly, while Roethlisberger's rating in the win over Baltimore was a mere 35.
The last time the two teams met, just 13 months ago, Pittsburgh won a 37-36 thriller with Roethlisberger throwing a last-second TD. Although both teams now have great defences, I wouldn't be surprised if they got into a shootout again making the 10/11 on over 44 points an attractive proposition.
Roethlisberger had an amazing 503 yards passing and three TDs in their last meeting, but that is not the norm for Big Ben and Rodgers is more likely to rack up the yardage totals in this big game - he had 722 yards more during the season although Roethlisberger did miss four games.
Both men can move - Roethlisberger can hang onto the ball too long at times before finding that clutch pass, but in the red zone Rodgers has more purpose and had four rushing scores in the season and scored in the play-offs so take the 5/2 on him scoring a rushing score on Sunday.
With both men happy running the ball as well as throwing, they could both get into the end zone, but Rodgers is favoured (21/5) to do so more than Roethlisberger (13/2).
Just one sack separated the two during the season, and while they are good at moving out of the pocket they are both facing tough defences who like to get after the quarterback, so this is a tough one to call, but with the Steelers knowing they have to hit Rodgers to stop him there is no surprise he is 7/10 favourite to hit the deck more than his opposite number.
Touchdowns
As mentioned, Rodgers stepped up to the rushing mark with Green Bay struggling badly to run the ball, scampering for 365 yards during the season and although James Starks has provided another option I wouldn't be surprised to see Rodgers get the 22 yards needed to bring home the bacon at 10/11.
I'll say right now I love Aaron Rodgers, he's my fantasy team quarterback and I still think his Pro Bowl snub was a disgrace, and with Pittsburgh coming all out to get him, many experts here believe he can light up the secondary (10/11 on 270.5 yards), which is beatable despite their reputation.
Roethlisberger loves these big games, I'm still not a fan of the way he holds the ball so long whilst trying to find a play, sometimes it's better to get rid of the ball rather than trying to be the hero.
Saying that, he often is the hero, and has two Super Bowl rings to prove it! 4/1 on him scoring a TD could be a nice little earner, and if Green Bay's talented secondary are handling the wideouts he could sneak in at 25/1 to score the first TD of the game.
We'll find out Sunday, but I just fancy Rodgers, on a flat track in Dallas and in the domed conditions he openly says he loves, to come out on top and lead the 5/7 favourite Packers to overcome the 6/5 Steelers. It's always a brave man who bets against Pittsburgh in a big game, but after surviving this Dallas chill thus far, I am feeling a little brave!
Post a Comment