ARLINGTON, TEXAS (AP) - The Green Bay Packers have jumped out to a 14-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl by scoring twice in 24 seconds.
Aaron Rodgers threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson with 3:44 left in the first quarter. The Packers then kicked off and the Steelers started at their own 7 after a holding penalty on the return.
On the first snap after that, Ben Roethlisberger was under pressure when he threw. The ball floated and Nick Collins intercepted it and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown.
The Steelers had punted on their first two drives
On their offensive scoring drive, the Packers went 80 yards on nine plays. The touchdown came on Rodgers’ perfectly placed pass to Nelson, who had defender William Gay running with him down the right sideline near the end zone.
The championship game Sunday put the focus back on the field after a long, cold week in North Texas that included two wintry storms with snow and ice. There were no weather woes inside $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium, and it wasn’t bad outside either on game day.
Deion Sanders, one of seven former players elected to the Hall of Fame this weekend, tossed the coin. The Packers won the toss, and deferred their choice to the start of the second half.
The 45th Super Bowl, the NFL’s signature event, pitted two of its storied franchises and capped a season that saw the league reach new heights of popularity despite a string of off-field incidents and that potential lockout with the current CBA expiring next month.
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