By Nate J. Boulware
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There will be blood – the kind of blood that only four quarters of Super Bowl-caliber football can shed – and the turf at Cowboys Stadium will be soaked in Packers green and yellow.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to add Super Bowl XLV to the achievements the franchise has racked up over nearly eight decades, including six Super Bowl victories, two of which were won in the last six years. Led by veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Head Coach Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh is looking forward to adding a seventh Lombardi Trophy to their résumé.

Pittsburgh’s defensive unit will undoubtedly play a major role in their quest for NFL greatness on Sunday in Arlington, TX – the site of Super Bowl XLV. Known affectionately by fans as “Blitzburgh,” the Pittsburgh Steelers trademark 3-4 zone blitz configured by defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is not to be taken lightly.

Leading the defensive push is hard-hitting strong safety Troy Polamalu. Amidst his many endorsement deals, Troy Polamalu remains the most down-to-earth, fundamentally sound defensive player in the NFL. With Polamalu’s ability to penetrate offensive lines, as well as provide reliable backfield coverage, Pittsburgh will definitely call upon the ferocious tenacity of one of their favorite son’s this weekend.

Despite having one of the best defenses in the league, Pittsburgh cannot rely solely on that fact to secure a win Sunday. The two essential components to the Steelers offensive are QB Ben Roethlisberger and RB Rashard Mendenhall. Roethlisberger’s role as game manager is paramount, as well as his ability to connect passes with his wide receivers, especially Antwaan Randle El, Emmanuel Sanders, and former Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward. Mendenhall’s relentless, pounding running-game will also continue to keep Packers defensive coaching staff on their toes, and Green Bay players on his heels.

In the interest of fairness the Green Bay Packers are a solid team with a lineup that boasts such notable personalities as QB Aaron Rogers and OLB Clayton Matthews. Unfortunately for the Packers the modern-day “Steel Curtain” is impregnable. So much so that former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle and NFL hall of famer “Mean” Joe Greene would have to tip his hat to them.

Across the country Steeler Nation will be ready. Black and gold jerseys on their backs, a “terrible towel” in their hands, and a grin on their faces that signal a warning to all Green Bay Packers — Once the Steel Curtain closes, there’s no getting out alive.