JerseySTEEL
02-01-2009, 10:50 PM
Steelers earn sixth Super Bowl victory in thriller over Cardinals
Santonio Holmes, Super Bowl XLIII MVP, pulled down the game-winner with with 35 seconds left.
TAMPA, Fla. -- Their Steel Curtain shredded, Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense ended a Super Bowl of incredible swings with a final-minute touchdown for a historic victory.
Santonio Holmes made a brilliant 6-yard catch deep in the right corner of the end zone with 35 seconds remaining Sunday night, lifting the Steelers to a record-setting sixth Super Bowl win, 27-23 over the Arizona Cardinals.
It was one of the most thrilling finishes to the NFL title game, certainly equaling last year's upset by the New York Giants that ended with Plaxico Burress' TD catch -- with 35 seconds left, too.
The Steelers (15-4), winning their second Super Bowl in the last four seasons, led 20-7 in the fourth quarter, only to see Kurt Warner and the Cardinals stage a remarkable rally to go in front 23-20 with 2:37 remaining.
Warner hit Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald in stride for a 64-yard touchdown with 2:37 left. Already owning a slew of postseason receiving marks this year, Fitzgerald sped down the middle of the field, watching himself outrun the Steelers on the huge video screen.
But Fitzgerald could only watch from the sideline as Roethlisberger engineered a 78-yard drive to win Super Bowl XLIII in what resembled Heinz Field South. With waves of twirling Terrible Towels turning Raymond James Stadium into a black-and-gold tableau -- Steelers fans supporting their beloved team, the economy be damned -- Pittsburgh's offense rescued the title.
Holmes was selected the game's MVP.
"Great players step up in big-time games to make plays," Holmes said. "I kind of lost a little composure, you know, but I knew our defense would give us a chance to make it back."
The stunning swings overshadowed James Harrison's Super Bowl-record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown to end the first half. That looked like the signature play until the final quarter, when both teams shook off apparent knockout punches to throw haymakers of their own.
Big Ben and Holmes struck the last blow, and when Warner fumbled the ball away in the final seconds, the Cardinals' dream of winning their first NFL title since 1947 were gone.
"I said it's now or never. I told the guys all the film study you put in doesn't matter unless you do it now," Roethlisberger said. "I'm really proud of the way they responded."
The Cardinals (12-8-1), playing in their first Super Bowl ever and first championship game of any kind since 1948, lost their composure after Harrison's heroics. They had three penalties to keep Pittsburgh's 79-yard, third-quarter drive going, a 16-play march that ended with Jeff Reed's 21-yard field goal for a 20-7 lead.
And Arizona couldn't get Fitzgerald free until very late. But did he get free.
Fitzgerald, who already had set a postseason record for receiving yards and had five touchdowns in the playoffs, was a nonentity until an 87-yard, fourth-quarter drive he capped with a leaping 1-yard touchdown catch over Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. Fitzgerald made four receptions on that series on which Warner hit all eight passes for all the yards.
And then Fitzgerald struck swiftly for the 64-yard TD catch that put Arizona within minutes of a remarkable victory.
But a victory that didn't happen because the Steelers are as resilient as they come.
Pittsburgh looked like the offensive juggernaut to open the game, smoothly driving 71 yards in eight plays. But the 72nd yard that would have given the Steelers a touchdown never came.
It seemingly had when Roethlisberger's short run was ruled a touchdown. However, Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt challenged, and the score was overturned, leaving Tomlin his first difficult decision.
He took the points, Reed's 18-yard field goal, the shortest in a Super Bowl since 1976.
After forcing a punt, the Steelers kept the ball the remainder of the first quarter -- 11:28 in all, outgaining Arizona 140-13, getting seven first downs to one for the Cardinals. As Warner and the usually potent Cardinals' offense watched, frustrated, from the sideline, Pittsburgh plowed it in on Gary Russell's 1-yard touchdown run to make the score 10-0.
When the Cardinals finally got the ball back, they suddenly put the Steelers off-balance with short passes -- and one huge play.
Warner had enough time to shine the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year trophy he received just before kickoff, then hit Anquan Boldin streaking from left to right. Boldin was upended at the Pittsburgh 1, and Warner's lob to Ben Patrick got the Cardinals on the board. It was the tight end's first touchdown this season.
Arizona's defense then emulated the Steel Curtain with a big play. Bryan Robinson tipped Roethlisberger's pass high into the air, and Karlos Dansby corralled it at the Pittsburgh 34. The Cardinals got to the 1, then, perhaps jealous, the Steelers' D asserted itself -- magnificently.
Harrison, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, stepped in front of Boldin at the goal line, picked off Warner's throw and began a journey down the right sideline to the longest play in Super Bowl history.
Harrison ran past or through most of the Cardinals, nearly stepped out of bounds at one point, and was dragged down by Fitzgerald as he fell to the goal line. The play was reviewed as several Cardinals knelt on one knee, exhausted from the chase and disheartened by the result.
The previous longest play in Super Bowl history was Desmond Howard's 99-yard kickoff return for the Green Bay Packers in 1997.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
Santonio Holmes, Super Bowl XLIII MVP, pulled down the game-winner with with 35 seconds left.
TAMPA, Fla. -- Their Steel Curtain shredded, Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense ended a Super Bowl of incredible swings with a final-minute touchdown for a historic victory.
Santonio Holmes made a brilliant 6-yard catch deep in the right corner of the end zone with 35 seconds remaining Sunday night, lifting the Steelers to a record-setting sixth Super Bowl win, 27-23 over the Arizona Cardinals.
It was one of the most thrilling finishes to the NFL title game, certainly equaling last year's upset by the New York Giants that ended with Plaxico Burress' TD catch -- with 35 seconds left, too.
The Steelers (15-4), winning their second Super Bowl in the last four seasons, led 20-7 in the fourth quarter, only to see Kurt Warner and the Cardinals stage a remarkable rally to go in front 23-20 with 2:37 remaining.
Warner hit Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald in stride for a 64-yard touchdown with 2:37 left. Already owning a slew of postseason receiving marks this year, Fitzgerald sped down the middle of the field, watching himself outrun the Steelers on the huge video screen.
But Fitzgerald could only watch from the sideline as Roethlisberger engineered a 78-yard drive to win Super Bowl XLIII in what resembled Heinz Field South. With waves of twirling Terrible Towels turning Raymond James Stadium into a black-and-gold tableau -- Steelers fans supporting their beloved team, the economy be damned -- Pittsburgh's offense rescued the title.
Holmes was selected the game's MVP.
"Great players step up in big-time games to make plays," Holmes said. "I kind of lost a little composure, you know, but I knew our defense would give us a chance to make it back."
The stunning swings overshadowed James Harrison's Super Bowl-record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown to end the first half. That looked like the signature play until the final quarter, when both teams shook off apparent knockout punches to throw haymakers of their own.
Big Ben and Holmes struck the last blow, and when Warner fumbled the ball away in the final seconds, the Cardinals' dream of winning their first NFL title since 1947 were gone.
"I said it's now or never. I told the guys all the film study you put in doesn't matter unless you do it now," Roethlisberger said. "I'm really proud of the way they responded."
The Cardinals (12-8-1), playing in their first Super Bowl ever and first championship game of any kind since 1948, lost their composure after Harrison's heroics. They had three penalties to keep Pittsburgh's 79-yard, third-quarter drive going, a 16-play march that ended with Jeff Reed's 21-yard field goal for a 20-7 lead.
And Arizona couldn't get Fitzgerald free until very late. But did he get free.
Fitzgerald, who already had set a postseason record for receiving yards and had five touchdowns in the playoffs, was a nonentity until an 87-yard, fourth-quarter drive he capped with a leaping 1-yard touchdown catch over Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. Fitzgerald made four receptions on that series on which Warner hit all eight passes for all the yards.
And then Fitzgerald struck swiftly for the 64-yard TD catch that put Arizona within minutes of a remarkable victory.
But a victory that didn't happen because the Steelers are as resilient as they come.
Pittsburgh looked like the offensive juggernaut to open the game, smoothly driving 71 yards in eight plays. But the 72nd yard that would have given the Steelers a touchdown never came.
It seemingly had when Roethlisberger's short run was ruled a touchdown. However, Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt challenged, and the score was overturned, leaving Tomlin his first difficult decision.
He took the points, Reed's 18-yard field goal, the shortest in a Super Bowl since 1976.
After forcing a punt, the Steelers kept the ball the remainder of the first quarter -- 11:28 in all, outgaining Arizona 140-13, getting seven first downs to one for the Cardinals. As Warner and the usually potent Cardinals' offense watched, frustrated, from the sideline, Pittsburgh plowed it in on Gary Russell's 1-yard touchdown run to make the score 10-0.
When the Cardinals finally got the ball back, they suddenly put the Steelers off-balance with short passes -- and one huge play.
Warner had enough time to shine the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year trophy he received just before kickoff, then hit Anquan Boldin streaking from left to right. Boldin was upended at the Pittsburgh 1, and Warner's lob to Ben Patrick got the Cardinals on the board. It was the tight end's first touchdown this season.
Arizona's defense then emulated the Steel Curtain with a big play. Bryan Robinson tipped Roethlisberger's pass high into the air, and Karlos Dansby corralled it at the Pittsburgh 34. The Cardinals got to the 1, then, perhaps jealous, the Steelers' D asserted itself -- magnificently.
Harrison, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, stepped in front of Boldin at the goal line, picked off Warner's throw and began a journey down the right sideline to the longest play in Super Bowl history.
Harrison ran past or through most of the Cardinals, nearly stepped out of bounds at one point, and was dragged down by Fitzgerald as he fell to the goal line. The play was reviewed as several Cardinals knelt on one knee, exhausted from the chase and disheartened by the result.
The previous longest play in Super Bowl history was Desmond Howard's 99-yard kickoff return for the Green Bay Packers in 1997.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press