Aaron Rodgers has two things Brett Favre never had: A Super Bowl MVP award and the coveted championship "title belt."
As experts break down the Packers 31-25 win over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV they could point to many different factors but in the end, the player the Packers have been leaning on all year, Aaron Rodgers, came through with an MVP-worthy performance,.
As much as Rodgers led the way during the regular season, in Super Bowl XLV, the Packers needed him more than ever.
Lose 15 players over the course of the year to season-ending injuries?
No worries, the Packers still have Rodgers.
Lose vital members of the team like Charles Woodson and Donald Driver to injuries in the Super Bowl?
Whatever -- the Packers still have Rodgers.
The Packers receivers pick the biggest game of the year to start dropping passes?
It doesn't really matter because the Packers had the man who was far and away the best quarterback in Super Bowl XLV, Aaron Rodgers.
In the biggest game of his life, Rodgers threw for 304 yards, three touchdowns and had a quarterback rating of 111.5. If his receivers hadn't dropped so many passes, his numbers would have even been more impressive.
Knowing that the Steelers defence would make it extremely difficult to establish any kind of a running game, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy turned towards one man to lead the way on offence.
"We put this game on his shoulders from an offensive game plan stand point and he delivered," McCarthy said of his star QB,
The thing Rodgers was most proud of was during the game was the way everyone stepped up in place of the injured starters.
"That's the story of our season, a lot of high character guys who stepped up and played huge roles for us and now we're sitting here Super Bowl champs," the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player explained.
Like anyone that faces the Packers, the Steelers knew that getting to Rodgers was the only way to stop Green Bay's offence but the Packers line held strong.
"As long as we blocked them out, they got LaMarr (Woodley) and James (Harrison) off the edge, those guys as good as they come. We felt if we could block, we could take some shots down the field." Rodgers said.
While Woodley and Harrison combined for two sacks, Rodgers had the time he needed to take those shots down the field to receivers Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson.
The offensive line appreciated the love from Rodgers, but to them, the success of the Packers offence all starts with their quarterback
"He's the definition of a professional. The way he dealt with the whole (Brett) Favre thing coming in. The guy has got high character he's a great guy and a great leader," guard Josh Sitton said.
In a game where Ben Roethlisberger threw two costly interceptions, Rodgers played mistake-free football.
Where Roethlisberger had another less-than-stellar game in the Super Bowl, Rodgers added to his already impressive playoff resume.
When he was on the podium receiving his MVP award, a teammate slung a wrestling championship belt over his shoulders. It was something Rodgers was thinking about going into the big game.
"That was my idea; it was a special little tribute there, a big night and a big win," he explained.
Even better than the wrestling belt, Rodgers will now be able to carry around the NFL's ultimate championship belt, the one with the Vince Lombardi Trophy on it.
Back in the 1960's, the Packers coached by Vince Lombardi won so many championships that people began to refer to Green Bay as Titletown, USA. Rodgers was a little emotional when talked about what it means to win a Super Bowl playing for a team like the Packers and living in a city like Green Bay.
"It is named the Lombardi Trophy for a reason, because we play and live in Titletown. We have the best fans and an organization that believes in us."
With the victory over the Steelers, Rodgers has won exactly as many Super Bowls as the legend he was drafted to replace.
However, Rodgers has two things Favre never had: a Super Bowl MVP award and the coveted championship "title belt."
