The top two defenses in the NFL will be present and accounted for at Super Bowl XLV, with the Steelers (No. 1) and the Packers (No. 2) representing the two hardest teams to score against this season.
But those credentials could be mitigated by a surplus of talent on offense, plus two dynamic quarterbacks, to turn the game into a scoring shootout.
“Without question they both are outstanding on defense … but they both have tremendous ability on the offensive side as well,” Jimmy Johnson, the Fox analyst and two-time Super Bowl winning coach of the Cowboys, said yesterday on a conference call. “I think having two weeks to prepare for these defensive schemes, there’ll be plenty of points scored.”
In other words, it sems safe to bet the “over.”
“When you’re facing two defensive teams that are as talented as they are, if this had been a one-week period of time I think the defenses could have had an edge,” Johnson said. “But … having two weeks to prepare for a lot of the zone blitzes and different blitz schemes, I think these offensive teams could have an edge.”
Terry Bradshaw, one of Johnson’s partners on “Fox NFL Sunday,” agrees. The four-time Super Bowl winner with the Steelers clearly sees the game from a quarterback’s point of view, and where others might see defensive might, he sees opportunity.
“In this Super Bowl you will see probably teams take more chances, try to strike quicker,” Bradshaw said. “I expect big plays to be there. Great defenses like to get after you. You might be 4-for-12 but maybe for 90 yards and two scores. Aggressive-style defenses tend to get burned with big plays.”
The quality of the quarterbacks in this game make Johnson and Bradshaw confident points won’t be at a premium. Points were aplenty the last time these teams met, a 37-36 Steelers victory late in the 2009 season.
“With [Aaron] Rodgers, his quickness and his scrambling ability really shows itself when he gets in the spread set,” Johnson said. “He’s able to get rid of the football, avoid the rush. With [Ben] Roethlisberger, he is such a physical presence when the rush gets to him he is very difficult to get on the ground.”
Bradshaw said he and Johnson were on the sideline in Chicago last week as Rodgers led the Packers to a touchdown on the first drive of the NFC Championship.
“We just kept on looking at one another,” Bradshaw recalled, “going … ‘God, how does he throw that ball in this cold weather?’ I have never seen anything like it in my whole life.”
The outcome?
“I think this will be a very close game,” Bradshaw said. “Whoever has this ball at the end … you’re saying, ‘Golly, don’t move, this guy’s dangerous. This guy can win this game or will win this game.’ ”
paul.schwartz@nypost.com