Ben Roethlisberger celebrates on the field. Photo: REUTERS
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Santonio Holmes caught a seven-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining to give Pittsburgh a 27-23 victory over Arizona in Super Bowl 43 for a record sixth NFL title.
Holmes's dramatic catch, tapping down his toes in the back right corner of the end zone as he hauled in a Ben Roethlisberger pass, allowed the favoured Steelers to escape a stunning Arizona rally after squandering a 20-7 lead. Pittsburgh's unprecedented crown came after previous Super Bowl titles in 1975, 1976, 1979 and 1980 as well as 2006 and moved the Steelers past five-time champions San Francisco and Dallas.
The Cardinals, who won their only National Football League crown in 1947, failed to end a 61-year title drought that remains the second-longest in American sport, trailing only the 100-year wait of baseball's Chicago Cubs.
Holmes, who finished with nine catches for 131 yards and hauled in four on the final game-winning drive, was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the second quarter to give the Steelers a 17-7 half-time lead on what was the longest play in Super Bowl history.
But after Jeff Reed's 21-yard field goal boosted Pittsburgh's lead, Arizona attempted the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history by scoring the next 16 points to seize the lead. Larry Fitzgerald made two impressive touchdown catches off Kurt Warner passes to lift the Cardinals back from the brink, baffling the NFL's top-ranked defence. Fitzgerald leaped over Pittsburgh defender Ike Taylor for a one-yard touchdown grab with 7:33 remaining to pull the Cardinals within 20-14.
Arizona trimmed the deficit again on a two-point safety when Pittsburgh centre Justin Hartwig was whistled for a holding penalty in the Steeler end zone, also forcing them to punt the ball to Arizona. Moments later, Fitzgerald cut to his left, pulled in a pass from Warner at midfield and outraced the Steeler defence to the end zone for a 64-yard touchdown that gave Arizona a 23-20 edge with 2:37 remaining.
That set the stage for Holmes's heroics on the last Pittsburgh march, but Warner was not done trying to rescue the Cardinals, driving them to the Steelers' 44-yard line with 15 seconds remaining.
Warner was pressured by the NFL's top-ranked defence and LaMarr Woodley knocked the ball from Warner's grasp. Pittsburgh's Brett Keisel fell on the fumble to give the Steelers the ball and the victory.
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