Super Bowl XLV

Packers claim fourth Super Bowl, 13th league title in Arlington thriller.

Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2010 season. The Packers defeated the Steelers 31–25, winning their fourth Super Bowl and an NFL-record thirteenth league championship. It was their first since Super Bowl XXXI in 1997. The game was played on February 6, 2011, at Cowboys Stadium (now AT&T Stadium) in Arlington, Texas, the first and as of 2026, only time the Super Bowl was played in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

Quick Facts

Date: February 6, 2011
Location: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
Final score: Green Bay 31, Pittsburgh 25
Championship number: 4th for Green Bay Packers

Lore & Background

Unlike most other Super Bowls, this game featured two title-abundant franchises: coming into the game, the Packers held the most NFL championships with 12 (9 league championships prior to the Super Bowl era and 3 Super Bowl championships), while the Steelers held the most Super Bowl championships with 6. The Packers entered their fifth Super Bowl in team history, and became the first 6-seed team in the NFC to compete in the Super Bowl, after posting a 10–6 regular season record. The Steelers finished the regular season with a 12–4 record, and advanced to an, at the time, league record-tying 8th Super Bowl appearance.

Reader's Guide

Super Bowl XLV was initially dominated by the Packers, jumping to a 21–3 lead before the Steelers cut it to 21–10 just before halftime. Then after the teams exchanged touchdowns, the Steelers cut their deficit to 28–25 midway through the fourth quarter with wide receiver Mike Wallace's 25-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and a two-point conversion. The Packers answered with Mason Crosby's 23-yard field goal with 2:07 remaining, and then prevented the Steelers from scoring on their final drive of the game. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was named Super Bowl MVP, completing 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Did You Know?

The broadcast of Super Bowl XLV on Fox averaged about 111 million viewers, breaking the record for the most-watched program in American television history.
The game's attendance was 103,219, just short of the Super Bowl record 103,985 set in Super Bowl XIV at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
The Super Bowl XLV halftime show featured the American hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas, with additional performances by Usher and Slash.
This is the last time either team has advanced to the Super Bowl, despite appearing in a combined five conference championships since then.