The Pittsburgh Steelers will win their record seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy, defeating the Green Bay Packers 24-20 in Super Bowl XLV, according to the annual EA SPORTS Super Bowl Simulation powered by Madden NFL 11.
Down 13-17 going into the fourth quarter, Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers hit James Jones in the end zone to put the Pack up by three points with nine minutes left in the game. The defence for both teams kept the score tight throughout most of the fourth quarter, with neither willing to budge. After the two minute warning, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hit Mike Wallace on a slant, and the wide receiver’s world-class speed helped outrace the Packers defence for a 36 yard touchdown pass; giving Pittsburgh the lead with 1:20 left on the clock. With no timeouts, Rodgers led Green Bay into Pittsburgh territory as the nail-biting contest drew to a close. In a last second desperation attempt, Rodgers targeted receiver Jordy Nelson, but Steelers safety, Ryan Clark, picked off the pass, clinching Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl XLV victory. Pittsburgh wide receiver Mike Wallace was named Super Bowl MVP with five catches for 111 total yards and a touchdown.
Box Score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | TOTAL | |
| Steelers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Packers | 0 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
1stQuarter
· 12:37 PIT FG S. Suisham missed 41 Yd
· 7:58 PIT INT T. Polamalu, Intercepts ball on own 43
· 2:55 PIT TD R. Mendenhall, 2 Yd run (Suisham kick)
2nd Quarter
· 12:41 PIT FG S. Suisham, 32 Yd FG
· 8:46 GB FG M. Crosby missed 44 Yd FG
· 1:29 GB INT A.J. Hawk, Intercepts ball on Pittsburgh 39
· 0:26 GB TD G. Jennings, 12 Yd pass from A. Rodgers (M. Crosby kick)
3rd Quarter
· 8:59 PIT TD H. Ward, 17 Yd pass from B. Roethlisberger (Suisham kick)
· 5:10 GB FG M. Crosby, 49 Yd FG
· 1:16 GB FG M. Crosby, 38 Yd FG
4th Quarter
· 9:00 GB TD J. Jones, 9 Yd pass from A. Rodgers (M. Crosby kick)
· 1:20 PIT TD M. Wallace, 36 Yd pass from B. Roethlisberger (Suisham kick)
· 0:20 PIT INT R. Clark, Intercepts ball on own 20
Earlier this season, Madden NFL 11 simulated the entire NFL season and correctly predicted the Green Bay Packers as the NFC Champion. The Super Bowl XLV simulation was conducted utilizing artificial intelligence powered by real-life data from each team to determine player ratings, and includes variances, such as injuries, to predict the outcome. Six out of the last seven Super Bowl champions have been accurately predicted by Madden NFL.
Tune in to ESPN3.com on Thursday, February 3rd at 9:00 pm EST to watch the live broadcast of Madden Bowl XVII
