Pittsburgh 27 Arizona 23
By: Bobby Holt
Tampa Bay–The Pittsburgh Steelers have won Super Bowl XLIII in a thrilling game that featured two last minute scoring drives and potentially the start of a new football dynasty. The Steelers have won two Super Bowls in the last three years and do not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
The game started off strangely when Arizona elected to kick after they won the opening coin toss. A decision that could have played a major role in their demise. The Steelers who received the kick, took the ball down the field in a nine play 5:15 minute drive that led to a Jeff Reed field goal. This drive seemed to set the pace of the game and showed the Cardinals’ inability to slow down Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers.
Arizona’s first possession was a five play lackluster drive that resulted in a punt. For such a high powered offense, it seemed that Troy Polamalu and company were ready to stifle anything Kurt Warner threw at them. After the punt, Pittsburgh continued their dominating ways and marched down the field on an eleven play drive that ended in a Gary Russell one yard touchdown run. The score was 10-0 and the outlook was bleak for Arizona unless they could bolster a scoring drive of their own.
At the start of the second quarter, Kurt Warner turned to Edgerrin James. The duo connected on three passes that totaled twenty-six yards. Arizona drove down to the Steelers one yard line where Warner, who stumbled out of the snap, lobbed the ball to tight end Ben Patrick who recorded the Cardinals first touchdown of the game.
With two minutes remaining in the half, Arizona’s Karlos Dansby became the seventh different Cardinal to intercept a pass in the post-season, when he picked off Big Ben giving his team great field position and a chance to go ahead right before halftime. Warner and company drove down to the Pittsburgh five yard line and with little time left, a touchdown seemed imminent. That was until, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison intercepted Warner and took the ball 100 yards, in the longest play in NFL Super Bowl History, to score right as time expired. Instead of going into half-time tied or ahead, Arizona now trailed 17-7 and had a lot to think about during the break.
The start of the third quarter remained the same for the Cardinals who sputtered on their opening drive and had to punt after an eight play possession. The following Steelers’ drive was all Willie Parker, who was given the ball seven times which help set up another Pittsburgh field goal.
With only a quarter remaining, the Cardinals trailed 20-7 and time was running out on their Super Bowl dreams. Until this point, Larry Fitzgerald was limited to one catch for twelve yards and seemed overwhelmed by the double coverage of Polamalu and Ike Taylor. However, Fitzgerald was determined to make an impact and that he certainly did. On the next drive he had four catches for thirty-one yards and a touchdown.
The next few drives were uneventful, all resulting in punts. With 2:58 remaining in the game, the Steelers were pinned inside their own one yard by a beautiful Ben Graham punt. On third down the Cardinals blitzed everyone they had which resulted in a Steelers holding penalty, which by rule, a hold that occurs inside the end zone results in a safety. The score was now 20-16 with 2:37 left in the game.
Arizona received the ball on their own thirty-six yard line and made short work of the task at hand. It only took the Cardinals two plays before Warner threaded the ball perfectly to Fitzgerald for sixty-four yards, who beat two defenders on his way to score his second touchdown of the game.
After the game Cardinals coach, Ken Whisenhunt was asked about the play and his thoughts.
He replied “We scored too early and left too much time on the clock.”
Ben took his team, with 2:30 remaining, on a nine play seventy-eight yard drive to win Super Bowl XLIII. His pass to Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes was a
“Pump three time and get open”
route, Roethlisberger later said jokingly. Holmes hauled in the perfect throw and tapped his feet in the corner of end-zone to give the Steelers the 27-23 lead with little time remaining.
In a season that contained much criticism about the NFL officiating, the second to last play of the Super Bowl cemented the idea that something needed to be done. Warner dropped back and appeared to throw an incomplete pass (was ruled a fumble on the field) and was recovered by the Steelers. Of course, in such a big game, you would expect an official review. However, there was nothing. It was a very poor job by the NFL review crew to not take a closer look at a play that should have been ruled an incomplete pass and would have given the Cardinals one last opportunity to attempt an unbelievable comeback. At the end of the night the Steelers were the best team and deserve all the credit in winning their sixth Super Bowl title.
Stats:
Arizona Cardinals:
Kurt Warner: 31-43, 377 yards 3 TDs 1 INT.
Edgerrin James: 9 rushes, 33 yards.
Larry Fitzgerald: 7 rec, 127 yards, 2 TDs.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Ben Roethlisberger: 21-30, 256 yards 1TD 1 INT.
Willie Parker: 19 rushes 53 yards.
Santonio Holmes: 9 rec, 131 yards 1TD.
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Dennis S 