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Shutdown Corner - NFL

Shutdown Corner

Sun Feb 06 08:52pm EST

Charles Woodson out of Super Bowl XLV with broken collarbone

By Doug Farrar

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Charles Woodson(notes), the Green Bay Packers' ultra-versatile and game-changing defensive back, broke his collarbone late in the second quarter. It was a huge loss for a Green Bay defense that started to sag a bit when Woodson was joined by Sam Shields(notes) and Nick Collins(notes) in the locker room late in the second half, though Shields and Collins are expected to return.

But the loss of Woodson is huge. He's a great slot defender who's been playing a pseudo-safety position for the Packers over the last couple of years. He had more regular-season pass pressures than Troy Polamalu(notes), and since he went out of the game the Steelers -- who hadn't scored a touchdown before Woodson was hurt -- did so on their next two drives.

The bitter irony for the Packers and their fans is that the 34-year-old Woodson didn't miss a game this season. Now, the Steelers will try to overcome the biggest deficit in Super Bowl history (the previous record was 10 points; and Pittsburgh was down 21-3 at one point) to win what has become a far more challenging and competitive game.

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