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NFC West blogger Mike Sando says Aaron Rodgers is the lasting image from Super Bowl XLV.

The Super Bowl champion Packers hosted a celebration at Lambeau Field with their fans on Tuesday.

Thousands of Packers fans cheered the team Monday on its return to Green Bay as Super Bowl champions. Schools dismissed early Monday and people took off work so they could see the team as it traveled from Austin Straubel International Airport to Lambeau Field along a route that included Lombardi Avenue.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Green Bay Packers players reported to their team meeting Saturday evening prepared for some final words before turning in for their last night preceding Super Bowl XLV. They got a speech from Dr. Kevin Elko, a motivational guru, and then a surprise.

Coach Mike McCarthy had each player and coach fitted for a Super Bowl championship ring, a highly unusual move in a sport full of superstition and "one day at a time" mentality. It was the culmination of a late-season dose of Pittsburgh-style bravado McCarthy brought to the Packers over the past two months.

"No disrespect to the [Pittsburgh] Steelers," McCarthy said after the Packers' 31-25 victory in Super Bowl XLV. "We respect their football team. We respect the way they play. They're a good tough physical football team. But we fully expected to win this game. This is our time. We talked about it the first day we watched film [two weeks ago]. You could see the confidence building during the week."

Only two Packers players had appeared in a Super Bowl game prior to Sunday, so not everyone realized McCarthy was putting the cart before the proverbial horse.

"So that's pretty unusual, huh?" linebacker A.J. Hawk said. "Well, I liked it. It made things real for us."

According to center Scott Wells, the ploy fit McCarthy's week-long theme.

"We're a confident bunch and we knew we had a tough challenge," Wells said. "But the message all week has been about us. It wasn't about them. We knew if we played our game well, we would win this game."

Some players spent longer than others, imagining what it would be like to slip on the ring.

"It was the night before the game," linebacker Desmond Bishop said. "And we could see that it was right there. Everything we wanted was right there in our hands, literally and figuratively."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- One look at the X-ray was all it took. Charles Woodson turned away and sobbed. The fracture in his left collarbone was clear as day. His season was done at halftime of Super Bowl XLV.

Woodson emerged this season as the Green Bay Packers' spiritual leader, and so through his tears he felt compelled to address his teammates before the third quarter began. He stood up and began to speak.

"I just asked the guys to understand how much I wanted it," Woodson said.

"That's all he could get out," linebacker Desmond Bishop said. "He was all choked up, and there was just something about it that motivated all of us."

After a season of navigating injuries by the dozen, the Packers plowed through their biggest challenge yet in taking a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. They held off a Steelers offense that seemed set to capitalize on injuries to both Woodson and nickel back Sam Shields. Meanwhile, their offense survived the loss of receiver Donald Driver, an injury that sidetracked their plan to spread the Steelers' defense with their four- and five-receiver sets.

"We have a lot of practice at this type of situation," coach Mike McCarthy said. "And it definitely paid off. No one blinked. ... It was like a heavyweight fight. They had delivered a bunch of blows to us, and we had cut them. Good fighters and good boxers, they keep pounding away at the cut. We knew they would come after us.

"Sometimes it's not as clean as you want, but at the end of the day we're Super Bowl champions."

Indeed, the Packers made a habit of moving past seemingly debilitating injuries all season, beginning with the loss of tailback Ryan Grant in Week 1 and continuing until they had 15 players on injured reserve. Seven of the 22 players who started Sunday night were reserves when the season began. But this was the Super Bowl, and these were the Steelers -- the same team that lit them up for 503 passing yards against a similarly undermanned defense in 2009. You would be excused if you were having flashbacks to that game Sunday night. I know I was.

At the 2-minute warning of the first half, Shields departed with a shoulder injury. On the next play, Woodson broke the collarbone while diving for a pass deep down the left sideline. Suddenly, the Packers were using reserves Pat Lee at cornerback and Jarrett Bush in the nickel.

The Steelers didn't miss a beat, moving to a four-receiver set and driving 60 yards in four plays. They targeted Bush on Hines Ward's 8-yard touchdown reception, pulling within 21-10 at halftime, and you wondered how the Packers could stop them. On their opening drive of the third quarter, the Steelers needed only five plays to cut the deficit to 21-17.

Meanwhile, the Packers offense was struggling to find a rhythm after Driver's departure in the second quarter. They had jumped to leads of 14-0 and 21-3 thanks to a strategy we spent much of last week discussing; by spreading out the Steelers' defense, they were mitigating the effectiveness of outside linebackers Lamar Woodley and James Harrison.

According to receiver Greg Jennings, Driver offered his own words of encouragement after learning his fate at halftime. Two, to be exact.

"Just win."

All season, I've tried to bring you schematic explanations for what happened on the field during a game. But I don't have any for this evening. I don't think defensive coordinator Dom Capers made any dramatic adjustments while playing without Woodson and Shields for most of the second half. And McCarthy certainly stayed with his spread offense in the second half, even as his wide receivers finished with six drops.

On this night, the players who remained simply found a way to the endgame. They just won. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a 118.0 passer rating after Woodson's departure, but cornerback Tramon Williams tipped away a fourth-down pass with 49 seconds remaining to seal the game. The Packers offense managed only 10 points after Driver's injury, but they played the entire game without a turnover and receiver Jordy Nelson filled the gaps with nine receptions for 140 yards.

"That's who we are," Bishop said. "And it's who we've been all season. If you're the next man up, you're expected to find your helmet and find a way."

Said Jennings: "This team had a certain dynamic that a lot of teams don't have. What separated us from the other 31 teams are the unity and the will to overcome adversity."

If I had to attribute that will to anything, I would put it on McCarthy's increasing bravado as the season continued on. McCarthy is a tough-talking Pittsburgh native behind closed doors, but publicly he has always tended to keep his comments even-keeled.

But beginning in Week 16, when the Packers started a six-game winning streak that culminated Sunday night, McCarthy began insisting they were a "championship-caliber team." McCarthy turned up the heat late last week, saying that Sunday "will be our night," and saved his best shot of adrenaline for Saturday night.

During a team meeting, McCarthy had players and coaches fitted for Super Bowl rings. It's a highly unusual move that served to enhance the Packers' confidence.

"Absolutely I did," McCarthy said. "No disrespect to the Steelers. We respect their football team. We respect the way they play. They're a good tough physical football team. But we fully expected to win this game. This is our time. We talked about it the first day we watched film [two weeks ago]. You could see the confidence building during the week."

Only a team fully convinced of its destiny and place in history could have persevered in such circumstances. By all rights, the healthier and more-experienced Steelers should have plowed to victory in this game. Simply put, the Packers willed themselves to their perch atop the NFL.

It was enough to make a grown man cry, which is exactly what Woodson seemed ready to do again as he spoken to reporters after the game.

"Just an unbelievable journey for this team," he said, finally. "Driver goes down, I go down, and just like all season, somebody stepped in and somebody stepped it up. I let all my emotions out at halftime. It broke me down. It was tough.

"But I'm champ. Nothing else matters."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Hitting a few quick topics from Green Bay's 31-25 victory in Super Bowl XLV:

What it means: The Green Bay Packers won their fourth Super Bowl championship in five tries. It was their 13th world championship, dating back to 1929. Much as they did during the regular season, the Packers overcame a series of rapid-fire injuries to hold off a Pittsburgh Steelers team that roared back from a 21-3 second-quarter deficit.

RodgersWatch: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't have the game of his life, but he did throw for 304 yard and three touchdowns. Most important, he was at his best on the Packers' final drive of the game. The Packers consumed 5 minutes and 19 seconds after the Steelers had pulled within 28-25, capping with a 23-yard field goal from Mason Crosby. Rodgers completed 5 of 6 passes on the drive, including a 31-yard strike to receiver Greg Jennings on third-and-10. I'm sure the Packers would have preferred a touchdown on that drive, but Rodgers more than did his part in a winning effort.

InjuryWatch I: The Packers lost two of their top three defensive backs on consecutive plays near the end of the second quarter, creating a situation that seemed reminiscent of their undermanned performance against the Steelers in 2009. In that game, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 503 yards against a Packers defense that was forced to reach to the bottom of its depth chart. Sunday, nickel back Sam Shields injured his shoulder and cornerback Charles Woodson injured his collarbone. Although Shields returned briefly in the second half, the Packers played a significant chunk of the game with Pat Lee at cornerback and Jarrett Bush as their nickel back. The Packers were on the ropes for a while thereafter, giving up touchdowns on successive drives to allow the Steelers to move from a 21-3 deficit to 21-17.

InjuryWatch II: The Packers opened the game with an obvious intent to spread out the Steelers' defense with their four- and five-receivers set packages. It worked splendidly as the Packers took a 14-0 lead, but Donald Driver's ankle injury in the second quarter reduced the Packers' advantage considerably. Packers receivers unofficially dropped six passes as everyone but Jennings moved up a rung on the depth chart. Jennings caught two touchdown passes and Jordy Nelson caught one among his nine overall catches. But No. 5 receiver Brett Swain struggled when used as the No. 4 receiver.

What's next: An offseason of labor uncertainty for the entire NFL. Hope you enjoyed what you saw Sunday night. It's not clear when we'll see something like that again.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Green Bay Packers have taken a 21-10 lead into halftime here at Cowboys Stadium. Most of our discussion is taking place over in our Super Bowl Countdown Live, but it's worth noting here on the blog that the Packers finished the half with four starting players receiving treatment in the locker room.

Receiver Donald Driver (ankle), cornerback Charles Woodson (shoulder/arm) and cornerback Sam Shields (shoulder) were all injured in the second quarter. Safety Nick Collins headed to the locker room early for an IV of fluids.

Woodson is out for the game. X-rays on Driver's ankle were negative, and he and Shields are questionable to return.

The Packers finished the half with Pat Lee playing in Woodson's place and Jarrett Bush serving as the nickel. The Steelers attacked both players on their final drive of the half, culminating when Bush lost track of receiver Hines Ward on an 8-yard touchdown reception.

Remember, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 503 yards against the Packers last season against a similarly undermanned Packers defense. Back to Super Bowl Countdown Live.

IRVING, Texas -- Just quickly jumping over from our Super Bowl Live chat to let you know that Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver has gone to the locker room to have his ankle X-rayed.

The injury occurred on a third-down reception midway through the second quarter. His injury could impact the Packers' clear game plan to spread out the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense with four- and five-receivers.

We'll keep you updated.

Join our ESPN.com NFL experts as they break down the biggest game of the season: Super Bowl XLV between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers.

Contribute your thoughts and questions beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET. See you there.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- For those interested in such things, we’ve had two significant hiccups here at Cowboys Stadium as kickoff approaches for Super Bowl XLV.

First, the NFL closed four of the 10 entrance points into the stadium because of lingering ice on the roof of the stadium. Friday, six people were injured by ice falling onto the sidewalk outside of the structure.

Second, the NFL just confirmed in a statement that some sections of the temporary seats erected inside Cowboys Stadium "have not been fully completed." The league said that most fans will be accommodated somewhere in the building by kickoff, but indicated that some will not. Those fans will receive a refund triple the cost of face value of the seat.

Local organizers are trying to break the Super Bowl record for attendance by exceeding 105,000. Maybe they were a bit too greedy. Can you imagine arriving at the stadium and finding out that your seat doesn’t exist?

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Green Bay Packers won't have linebacker Erik Walden for Super Bowl XLV.

Walden (ankle) was among eight game-day deactivations the Packers just announced. Rookie Frank Zombo, who has missed most of the past two months because of a knee injury, will reclaim his starting job.

There was one mild surprise on the Packers' inactive list: Fullback Quinn Johnson, who has been part of the Packers' jumbo wishbone formation on the goal line, won't play. Johnson has been the Packers' primary fullback for a while, but I imagine fullback Korey Hall would take his place if necessary. Here is the rest of the list:

• Quarterback Graham Harrell
• Running back Dimitri Nance
• Cornerback Brandon Underwood
• Cornerback Josh Gordy
• Offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith
• Center/guard Nick McDonald

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Ever wonder what an NFL coach says to his players in the hours before the Super Bowl? Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy had a succinct message Sunday morning, according to ESPN's Ed Werder. It revolved around the theme of "One."

As in: One team. One goal. One game. One trophy. One name on it. One place where it needs to be returned.

Indeed, McCarthy has spoken often about bringing the Lombardi Trophy home; the Packers won the first two Super Bowls and the trophy was renamed in honor of coach Vince Lombardi shortly after his death in 1970.

On Saturday, McCarthy continued his brash public stance on the Packers' chances to win this game. He told Werder: "We feel this game is about us. If we play up to our standard or above it, we will be successful, and I have full confidence we will be taking the trophy home.''

We're under the three hour mark!

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Greetings from inside Cowboys Stadium, where I hear there will be an event of some sort in a few hours.

(A link to my view, for those who aren’t already jealous.)

We have some fun news already for Green Bay Packers fans, courtesy of ESPN’s Adam Schefter: Packers defensive end Jarius Wynn and his wife, Martavia, welcomed a baby boy Sunday morning in a Dallas-Fort Worth hospital. Wynn got a chance to visit mother and son, named Jarius Jessereel Wynn Jr.

Wynn has seen limited action in two playoff games but was inactive for the NFC Championship Game. It’s not yet clear whether he will be in uniform for Super Bowl XLV. Game-day roster decisions are due at 5 p.m. ET.

Kenny Mayne goes back to Mike McCarthy’s hometown of Greenfield, Pa., to find out who the locals will be cheering for.

FORTH WORTH, Texas -- It’s here!

We’ve made it!

The hype is (mostly) over!

The players are ready!

The coaches are set!

It’s time for us to goooooooooooooooooooo!

Yes, the day for Super Bowl XLV has finally arrived. In a little more than seven hours, we'll have our 6:29 p.m. ET kickoff between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers.

As you probably know by now, the Packers were scheduled to hear motivational speaker Dr. Kevin Elko during their team meeting Saturday night. They were scheduled for another meeting Sunday morning and the team bus convoy will leave at 3 p.m. ET for Cowboys Stadium.

Let’s hit a few programming notes before I myself start the trek from the ESPN compound here in Fort Worth. As we’ve done throughout the postseason, I’ll check in with blog posts periodically in the hours before the game. Sunday, we’ll be monitoring whether Packers linebacker Erik Walden (ankle) shows enough in pregame warm-ups to merit a uniform for the game, or if he’ll be deactivated. Rookie Frank Zombo has practiced with the first team all week at the position.

When the game starts, I’ll be jumping into our “Super Bowl Countdown Live” chat for the duration. The module will appear on the blog a few hours before kickoff. Then, we’ll have the usual postgame reaction.

Hang on to your hats.

It’s almost time to do this thing.