ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Super Bowl might be the most-hyped sporting event on earth every year, with an entire week always spent analyzing every aspect of the matchup to death.
How would the Steelers react in terms of personnel groupings when the Packers went to multiple receivers? How was Green Bay going to be able to deal with the Steelers running game?
Aaron Rodgers vs. Dick LeBeau. Dom Capers vs. Ben Roethlisberger. The people who get paid to talk about the game pick apart every matchup, they try to predict unsung heroes, they speak in definitive tones about how the game is going to unfold.
But sometimes, it's not very complicated. Sometimes, it comes down to one of the most fundamental aspects of the sport.
Teams that turn the ball over in big games rarely win them, and teams that turn the ball over three times in big games – without compensating with some takeaways of their own – typically have no chance.
The Steelers failed in their bid for a seventh Lombardi Trophy tonight against the Green Bay Packers at Cowboys Stadium, and the reasons, the culprits, the strategy employed, that led to the 31-25 final will be debated for a long time.
But really, it was simple. Two Ben Roethlisberger interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, plus a Rashard Mendenhall fumble that ended what looked to be a promising offensive possession in the second half, are what prevented the Steelers from winning Super Bowl XLV.
For those looking for answers as to why the Packers won and for why the Steelers lost, it's actually pretty simple, and the answer to both questions is the same.
Turnovers.
