For a few plays, it looked like the jitters would get to California Golden Bears great and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Super Bowl XLV against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although Rodgers did find Donald Driver on 3rd and 9 on a deep slant route for 24 yards, his other three passes on the drive to Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson (Nelson twice) were incomplete, and his first drive went 1 for 4.
That was about it for Rodgers's struggles. From that point on he was dominant, completing 23 of his next 35 passes; it arguably could have been 27 to 28 completions if Nelson and James Jones had hung onto a few more passes. He showcased his accuracy in almost every facet of the game. He could drop balls down the sideline with pinpoint precision, or zip the ball down the middle of the field at electric speed. Rodgers's first touchdown throw of the game to Nelson was an example of the former, and his first touchdown throw to Jennings leaned toward the latter. Rodgers did a yeoman's job of placing the ball right where it needed to be, and that was critical on innumerable third down conversions in the fourth quarter.
It's really hard to say Rodgers could've done much more given the number of times Steelers pass rushers got to him in the pocket and knocked him down or hurried up his throw. Although the Packer offensive line is much improved, it'd be hard for even the strongest of offensive lines to stifle the pass rush of Pittsburgh. That Rodgers managed to overcome that and still deliver ten crucial points in the fourth made all the difference.