Ranking the Super Bowls, #4: Super Bowl XLIII

(photo credit: pinterest.com)

On Feb. 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Florida, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII. 

The Steelers had finished the regular season with a 12-4 record to win the AFC North division. They defeated the San Diego Chargers 35-24 in the Division Round, and the Baltimore Ravens 23-14 in the AFC Conference Championship to reach the Super Bowl. Linebacker James Harrison earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, anchoring a unit that lead the league in yards allowed and points allowed. 

The Cardinals finished the regular season 9-7 to win the NFC West division. In the playoffs, Arizona defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 30-24, in the Wild Card round, the Carolina Panthers, 33-13, in the Divisional Round, and the Philadelphia Eagles, 32-25, in the NFC Championship to advance to the Super Bowl. 

The only points of the first quarter came on a field goal by Steelers' kicker Jeff Reed on the opening drive, after two long completions from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to Hines Ward and Heath Miller. Pittsburgh extended their lead to 10 when running back Gary Russell scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown on the second play of the second quarter. On a later possession, Arizona used a 45-yard connection between quarterback Kurt Warner and receiver Anquan Boldin to get to the Steelers one yard line, where Warner found tight end Ben Patrick to cut the lead to 10-7. 

With 18 seconds left in the first half, Warner attempted a pass into the end zone intended for Boldin. The ball was tipped, then intercepted on the goal line by Harrison. What took place thereafter goes down as one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history. Harrison avoided the sideline and numerous Cardinals (sprinting forward, cutting back) on his way to diving across the plane as tons expire for a 17-7 Steelers halftime lead. 

In the third quarter, the only scoring was again a Jeff Reed field goal. Down 20-7, Arizona started their comeback. First, an eight-play, 87-yard drive that ended with Warner finding Larry Fitzgerald for a touchdown to cut the lead to 20-14 with 7:33 remaining. After a holding penalty by the Steelers in the end zone awarded the Cardinals a safety and two points, Fitzgerald took another Warner pass 64 yards for a touchdown and their first lead of the game; 23-20 with just over two minutes left. 

Pittsburgh drove the ball all the way to the Cardinals six-yard line, and with 34 seconds left, Roethlisberger hit Santonio Holmes in the back corner of the end zone to take the (final) lead, 27-23. A sack-fumble of Warner with 15 seconds left effectively ended the Cardinals' chances and the game.

Holmes earned Super Bowl MVP honors by hauling in nine receptions for 131 yards and the touchdown. The victory was the sixth Super Bowl championship for the Pittsburgh franchise, which still stands as the league record for most Super Bowl wins.