They may have had some early butterflies as Super Bowl 2011 got underway at Cowboys Stadium, but the Green Bay Packers have looked better offensively and have an early 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Mistakes from Tramon Williams and Jordy Nelson early in the game could have been very costly for the Packers. Williams fumbled the game's first punt and Nelson allowed a deep pass from Aaron Rodgers to go right through his fingertips.
But the Pittsburgh Steelers failed to capitalize, and although they moved the ball effectively on the ground, they have not yet found their way onto the scoreboard. Meanwhile, it didn't take long for Nelson to make up for his earlier mistake. He caught a perfect 29-yard pass on a third down for the Packers to score the first touchdown of the game.
On the very next play from scrimmage, Green Bay was able to extend its lead. Packers defensive lineman Howard Green beat Steelers guard Chris Kemoeatu to limit Ben Roethlisberger's ability to complete his throwing motion. The ball failed to reach Roethlisberger's intended deep target Mike Wallace, and instead went straight into the arms of safety Nick Collins. Collins evaded every tackler in front of him on the return and leaped into the end zone to give the Packers a somewhat surprising 14-0 lead.