Final Pre-Super Bowl Thoughts

I've come to the conclusion that I don't blog very often. I don't have a very good excuse for it, but I'd have to go with my schedule being the excuse I'm going to rationalize. I get up each morning sometime between 10 and 11, usually get some sort of workout in during the early afternoon hours, cook some food before and after my workout, and get a little bit of actual work done before I head to work again at seven-ish. That, combined with excellent daytime television, leaves me little time to blog. But since this week is extra Super and I've heard everybody give their take on what is going to happen, I'll break down what is really going to happen, in 140 characters or less.

Green Bay able to run, our defense makes 2 big plays, Rodgers to Driver for dagger. Woodson gets MVP. Packers 27, Steelers 17.

I'm being completely rational and have thought this through. I think the Packers are younger but more consistent, and have the playmakers to win the game when it counts. And I'm going to list the five main reasons below, which in my mind, have been the best parts of this packers season.

1) Aaron Rodgers: Like I do every April, I watched the NFL draft where Rodgers fell to 24th, and I was very pleased when we selected him in 2005. It was a position where we could draft the best available talent, I'd say we made the right pick. And the way things have shaken out in the past three years, it's clear Ted Thompson went with the right guy too. I was pleased when we drafted him, happy when we chose him over Favre, I'm ecstatic about the way he's playing now, and I'm jubilant that he's our quarterback of the future. His accuracy, composure, swagger and ability to slice up defenses are incredible. It's a quarterback's league, and we certainly have one of the best.

2) Clay Matthews: He's our Claymaker, and he's made the Packers that much more formidable on the defensive side of the ball. He's got the hair, the guns and the motor to be an effective pass rusher, and his personality easily makes him a fan favorite in Wisconsin.

3) No-names: We seem to have players popping up that were either late-round draft picks, cast offs, street free agents or bums off the street that are making gigantic contributions for our team on both sides of the ball. Tim Masthay has been huge, which is saying a ton for a punter: he was an undrafted free agent who was previously cut by the Colts. Erik Walden is on his fourth team in three years, and he's been crucial as a linebacker to complement CMIII. Howard Green has been a valuable component on the defensive line, James Starks has been critical in our backfield and by this point we're all familiar with what Sam Shields did for Green Bay in Chicago.

4) Players making a jump: One of the main reasons the Packers have made the jump from good to great is there have been a number of players who have taken the individual jump from serviceable to key component. Jordy Nelson and James Jones have made our receiving corp formidable from one through four, BJ Raji has exploded onto the scene this postseason and Tramon Williams was deserving of (or at least to be considered for) the Pro Bowl.

5) Every game was good: This season, the Packers have played 19 games. We've won 13 of of them, which is nice. Of the six losses, four were by three points each and the other two were each by four points. We've also not trailed by more than seven points at any point this season. That's pretty good. What that does mean is that the heart attack tally in the state of Wisconsin probably rose even higher than it normally is. But the Packers are quite good that they really only beat themselves, which is encouraging knowing that heading into the Super Bowl, the Packers can certainly win if they play their game.