In the 2011 Super Bowl, the Packers and Steelers will both be faced with the tasks of bringing down elusive quarterbacks. For his part, Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers has assembled a “lowlight” video starring Steelers opponents in their failed attempts to bring down Ben Roethlisberger:
“I’m sure it could have lasted longer,” [Packers linebacker Desmond] Bishop said of the video. "A lot of guys are going for his pump-fakes or not wrapping up fully when they have him.
“It’s just a mental or a subliminal note that when you get your opportunity to get him, you got to hit, you got to wrap up and bring all your technique and all your weight with you, because he’s definitely a big guy to bring down.”
A video of teams failing to tackle Roethlisberger would probably be a very long one – it’s amazing how much time he creates for himself. At the same time, he sometimes seems to hold on to the ball for an eternity, and is very vulnerable to sacks when he does.
Roethlisberger’s amazing pump-faking ability can help him spring receivers and buy time, but the Packers’ Charles Woodson says he has a counter-strategy:
“You can’t just go full speed and reckless,” Woodson said. “You’ve got to come with some sort of controlled aggression, once you get to the quarterback. … And when you get your hands on him, you can’t let go. He’s got to go down.”