In a year when “Lombardi” is a hit on Broadway, it is altogether fitting that the trophy that bears his name is headed back home.
No rewrite was needed for this script, and all the actors played their parts to near-perfection last night as the Packers made history and added to their own rich history.
They jumped ahead early in Super Bowl XLV and led the entire way. But in exhausting fashion, they had to hang on for dear life after their 21-3 lead was repeatedly cut into by the determined Steelers, who kept coming and coming but came up short.

In the end, the Packers made one final defensive stand for a 31-25 victory at Cowboys Stadium.
“The Vince Lombardi Trophy is finally going back home,” coach Mike McCarthy said.
These Packers (14-6) already were the first No. 6 seed in the NFC to ever make it into a Super Bowl, and they’re bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay for the first time in 14 years.
This firmly stamps Aaron Rodgers — the game’s MVP — as a preeminent quarterback, as he’s brought the title back to Titletown as many times as fabled Brett Favre did in all his years as the leader of the Pack.
This is the first championship for McCarthy, who joins Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as Super Bowl winning coaches in Green Bay, meaning there could be a McCarthy Avenue in the vicinity of Lambeau Field in the future.
Rodgers (24 of 39, 304 yards, three TDs) delivered a knockout in his duel with Ben Roethlisberger, vastly outplaying the two-time Super Bowl winner despite having little running game to lean on.
“Unbelievable night,” Rodgers said. “Great group of men. Big win. Just a fun night.”
But it was not an easy night, as at times the Packers seemed to be embroiled in a road game, with swirling gold Terrible Towels waved by the majority of the 103,219 inside the cavernous stadium as the Steelers (14-5) cut an 18-point deficit to 21-17 to steal momentum away.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Rashard Mendenhall — who had just two fumbles all season — lost the ball when linebacker Clay Matthews delivered a blow and Desmond Bishop recovered on the Green Bay 45.
Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson cutting across the field for 38 yards and finished the drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings, with safety Troy Polamalu jumping the seam route and leaving the corner route wide open for Jennings. That made it 28-17 and gave the Packers 21 points off Steelers turnovers. The Packers did not commit any turnovers.
Back came the Steelers, with Roethlisberger hitting Mike Wallace on a 25-yard scoring pass with 7:34 left to cut the Green Bay lead to 28-23. The Steelers went for two and got it to make it 28-25 when Roethlisberger, on an option, pitched to Antwaan Randle El.
Once again, the Packers needed to subdue the comeback. They took over on their 25 with 7:29 remaining and got a huge third-and-9 pass from Rodgers to Jennings for 31 yards to set up Mason Crosby’s 33-yard field goal with 2:07 to go — but that didn’t close the deal just yet.
Roethlisberger got the ball on his 13 with 1:59 left to work with, trailing by six. Two years ago, he orchestrated a stirring last-minute comeback drive to beat the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.
This time, he came up short when his fourth-down pass to Wallace fell incomplete with 49 seconds left, as cornerback Tramon Williams leaped with Wallace and broke up the play.
“Shocked,” receiver Hines Ward said.
After two victories, it was the first Super Bowl loss for Roethlisberger, who sat out the first four games this season serving a suspension after he was accused of sexual assault. He threw two first-half interceptions to put the Steelers in an early and costly hole.
“In the first half I felt like I let a lot of people down,” Roethlisberger said.
The Packers scored the game’s first 14 points, in a 24-second span in the first quarter on a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson, followed by a 37-yard interception return by safety Nick Collins after Roethlisberger, hit by nose tackle Howard Green, came up way short on a pass intended for Wallace.
That allowed Collins to come over and easily pick the ball out of the air for an interception that he took to the house.
“It’s a childhood dream coming true,” Collins said.
Rodgers’ 21-yard laser to Jennings made it 21-3 with 2:24 left in the second quarter, but Roethlisberger was able to put a scoring pass into the hands of Ward to cut the Packers lead to 21-10 with just 39 seconds left before halftime. The Packers were able to hold on despite losing Charles Woodson and Donald Driver to injuries.
“Well, it’s named the Lombardi Trophy for a reason,” Rodgers said, “because we play and live in Titletown.”

In a year when “Lombardi” is a hit on Broadway, it is altogether fitting that the trophy that bears his name is headed back home.
No rewrite was needed for this script, and all the actors played their parts to near-perfection last night as the Packers made history and added to their own rich history.
They jumped ahead early in Super Bowl XLV and led the entire way. But in exhausting fashion, they had to hang on for dear life after their 21-3 lead was repeatedly cut into by the determined Steelers, who kept coming and coming but came up short.

In the end, the Packers made one final defensive stand for a 31-25 victory at Cowboys Stadium.
“The Vince Lombardi Trophy is finally going back home,” coach Mike McCarthy said.
These Packers (14-6) already were the first No. 6 seed in the NFC to ever make it into a Super Bowl, and they’re bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay for the first time in 14 years.
This firmly stamps Aaron Rodgers — the game’s MVP — as a preeminent quarterback, as he’s brought the title back to Titletown as many times as fabled Brett Favre did in all his years as the leader of the Pack.
This is the first championship for McCarthy, who joins Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as Super Bowl winning coaches in Green Bay, meaning there could be a McCarthy Avenue in the vicinity of Lambeau Field in the future.
Rodgers (24 of 39, 304 yards, three TDs) delivered a knockout in his duel with Ben Roethlisberger, vastly outplaying the two-time Super Bowl winner despite having little running game to lean on.
“Unbelievable night,” Rodgers said. “Great group of men. Big win. Just a fun night.”
But it was not an easy night, as at times the Packers seemed to be embroiled in a road game, with swirling gold Terrible Towels waved by the majority of the 103,219 inside the cavernous stadium as the Steelers (14-5) cut an 18-point deficit to 21-17 to steal momentum away.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Rashard Mendenhall — who had just two fumbles all season — lost the ball when linebacker Clay Matthews delivered a blow and Desmond Bishop recovered on the Green Bay 45.
Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson cutting across the field for 38 yards and finished the drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings, with safety Troy Polamalu jumping the seam route and leaving the corner route wide open for Jennings. That made it 28-17 and gave the Packers 21 points off Steelers turnovers. The Packers did not commit any turnovers.
Back came the Steelers, with Roethlisberger hitting Mike Wallace on a 25-yard scoring pass with 7:34 left to cut the Green Bay lead to 28-23. The Steelers went for two and got it to make it 28-25 when Roethlisberger, on an option, pitched to Antwaan Randle El.
Once again, the Packers needed to subdue the comeback. They took over on their 25 with 7:29 remaining and got a huge third-and-9 pass from Rodgers to Jennings for 31 yards to set up Mason Crosby’s 33-yard field goal with 2:07 to go — but that didn’t close the deal just yet.
Roethlisberger got the ball on his 13 with 1:59 left to work with, trailing by six. Two years ago, he orchestrated a stirring last-minute comeback drive to beat the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.
This time, he came up short when his fourth-down pass to Wallace fell incomplete with 49 seconds left, as cornerback Tramon Williams leaped with Wallace and broke up the play.
“Shocked,” receiver Hines Ward said.
After two victories, it was the first Super Bowl loss for Roethlisberger, who sat out the first four games this season serving a suspension after he was accused of sexual assault. He threw two first-half interceptions to put the Steelers in an early and costly hole.
“In the first half I felt like I let a lot of people down,” Roethlisberger said.
The Packers scored the game’s first 14 points, in a 24-second span in the first quarter on a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson, followed by a 37-yard interception return by safety Nick Collins after Roethlisberger, hit by nose tackle Howard Green, came up way short on a pass intended for Wallace.
That allowed Collins to come over and easily pick the ball out of the air for an interception that he took to the house.
“It’s a childhood dream coming true,” Collins said.
Rodgers’ 21-yard laser to Jennings made it 21-3 with 2:24 left in the second quarter, but Roethlisberger was able to put a scoring pass into the hands of Ward to cut the Packers lead to 21-10 with just 39 seconds left before halftime. The Packers were able to hold on despite losing Charles Woodson and Donald Driver to injuries.
“Well, it’s named the Lombardi Trophy for a reason,” Rodgers said, “because we play and live in Titletown.”

The most casual football fan knows the rewards of being Vince Lombardi. This new documentary shows the price.

"Lombardi" chronicles how long and hard this kid from Brooklyn had to fight before he even got the chance to show that he was one of the best coaches ever.

He graduated from Fordham in 1937. After drifting for a couple of years, he took a job coaching the football team and also teaching chemistry, physics and Latin at St. Cecilia's High School in Englewood, N.J.

He discovered he was a good teacher and an even better coach. So he made the moves he was supposed to make, working as an assistant under the legendary Red Blake at Army, then as an assistant with the New York Giants in the 1950s.

But no one offered him a top job, in part because, as it's phrased here, "his last name ended in a vowel."

So he was 46 before the Green Bay Packers, a faltering team in a small, cold town, finally offered him control of his own professional football team.

By then, he was ready. He was also, for once, lucky. While the Packers had gone 1-10-1 the previous season, they had exceptional talent that just needed to be harnessed and channeled.

Vince Lombardi was marvelously equipped to do that.

He almost won a championship in his second year. The third year, he did. And the fourth. He stayed at Green Bay for nine years and won five championships, a record no pro football coach is likely to match in the modern age of parity.

His blueprint wasn't complicated. He focused on simple plays that worked, like the now-famous "Green Bay Power Sweep," and he drilled the team relentlessly in its execution.

He also outworked everyone on the team, basically spending six months a year immersed in game plans, game film and general game obsession.

The reward was victory. The cost was that his wife, Marie, became an alcoholic; his son, Vincent Jr., drifted away; and his own health deteriorated.

He quit coaching the Packers after the 1968 Super Bowl because he was exhausted. Two years later, unable to live without a team to coach, he left to take over the Washington Redskins.

A year later, he was dead from a cancer that might have been treated had he not refused to see a doctor. But that was his style: If you have enough will and determination, the enemy can't beat you.

"Lombardi" points out that for all his victories, he had a humbler private side. A daily church attendee, he became an altar boy as an adult.

But it was the indomitable coach who got the accolades when he died, and this documentary suggests that Vince Lombardi, the meat packer's son from Brooklyn, earned every superlative.

He also paid full price.

The most casual football fan knows the rewards of being Vince Lombardi. This new documentary shows the price.

"Lombardi" chronicles how long and hard this kid from Brooklyn had to fight before he even got the chance to show that he was one of the best coaches ever.

He graduated from Fordham in 1937. After drifting for a couple of years, he took a job coaching the football team and also teaching chemistry, physics and Latin at St. Cecilia's High School in Englewood, N.J.

He discovered he was a good teacher and an even better coach. So he made the moves he was supposed to make, working as an assistant under the legendary Red Blake at Army, then as an assistant with the New York Giants in the 1950s.

But no one offered him a top job, in part because, as it's phrased here, "his last name ended in a vowel."

So he was 46 before the Green Bay Packers, a faltering team in a small, cold town, finally offered him control of his own professional football team.

By then, he was ready. He was also, for once, lucky. While the Packers had gone 1-10-1 the previous season, they had exceptional talent that just needed to be harnessed and channeled.

Vince Lombardi was marvelously equipped to do that.

He almost won a championship in his second year. The third year, he did. And the fourth. He stayed at Green Bay for nine years and won five championships, a record no pro football coach is likely to match in the modern age of parity.

His blueprint wasn't complicated. He focused on simple plays that worked, like the now-famous "Green Bay Power Sweep," and he drilled the team relentlessly in its execution.

He also outworked everyone on the team, basically spending six months a year immersed in game plans, game film and general game obsession.

The reward was victory. The cost was that his wife, Marie, became an alcoholic; his son, Vincent Jr., drifted away; and his own health deteriorated.

He quit coaching the Packers after the 1968 Super Bowl because he was exhausted. Two years later, unable to live without a team to coach, he left to take over the Washington Redskins.

A year later, he was dead from a cancer that might have been treated had he not refused to see a doctor. But that was his style: If you have enough will and determination, the enemy can't beat you.

"Lombardi" points out that for all his victories, he had a humbler private side. A daily church attendee, he became an altar boy as an adult.

But it was the indomitable coach who got the accolades when he died, and this documentary suggests that Vince Lombardi, the meat packer's son from Brooklyn, earned every superlative.

He also paid full price.