Aaron Rodgers is quickly becoming one of the league's most deadly postseason quarterbacks, posting an average QB rating of 109.0 in his four career playoff games. But he will be facing a unique opponent Sunday in the form of NFL Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu, a strong safety who finished tied for second in the league with seven interceptions this season despite missing two games.
What makes Polamalu so dangerous is his ability to be everywhere on the field at once. He can set up at the line of scrimmage and make a play 30 yards deep, or he can look like he is dropping into zone and seconds later be in a quarterback's face.
Rodgers cannot let Polamalu take away an entire side of the field from him. Early in the game, Rodgers needs to stand up to the Pittsburgh blitz and take his shots downfield in order to force the Steelers back into coverage. If he can get a deep ball to Jennings — who averages 16.6 yards per catch — over the top of Polamalu early in the game, he may be able to open up the field more by forcing Polamalu deeper.
On the other hand, if Polamalu is able to take Jennings out of the game, it could be a long day for Rodgers. Even though he struggled two Sundays ago in Chicago, totaling only 244 yards passing and two picks, he still managed to find Jennings for big plays. Without him, Rodgers will be forced to look for shorter routes, allowing the Steelers defense to jam the Packers' receivers at the line and blitz Rodgers all day.
When these two teams met up last season, Rodgers was in total control of the game, torching a Steelers defense that was without Polamalu for 383 yards and three touchdowns. This Sunday, Polamalu will be back running the show. He will be the one dictating where on the field it is safe to go with the ball, and it is up to Rodgers to figure that out quickly enough. If Rodgers can solve the Polamalu puzzle, the Packers should lift their fourth Lombardi trophy.
