Steelers Win Super Bowl XLIII, 27-23
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - The Pittsburgh Steelers are Super Bowl champions for a record sixth time after beating upset-minded Arizona 27-23 in what arguably was the most exciting Super Bowl ever. Ben Roethlisberger (RAWTH'-lis-bur-gur) hit Santonio Holmes with a 6-yard TD pass in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left to give the Steelers a heart-stopping win over the Cardinals in Super Bowl 43. The Cardinals had erased a 20-7 Steelers lead with 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter before Holmes made his winning catch. Holmes caught nine passes for 131 yards. An electrifying 100-yard interception return by linebacker James Harrison at the end of the first half helped the Steelers take a 17-7 halftime edge. Harrison's play was a momentum-turner. The Cardinals appeared to be heading for a score when Harrison intercepted a Kurt Warner pass at the goal line. Harrison then sprinted 100 yards, eluding several tacklers along the way, as time expired at the end of the half in the longest play in Super Bowl history. Roethlisberger completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards and the winning touchdown. The teams combined to score 23 points in the fourth quarter. Cardinals QB Kurt Warner completed 31 of 43 passes for 377 yards. He threw three TD passes, including a 64-yard TD to Larry Fitzgerald with 2:37 left. That gave the Cardinals a 23-20 lead before Big Ben rallied the Steelers one final time. The Steelers are 6-and-1 in Super Bowls, with one more Super Bowl victory than Dallas. The Cardinals were making their first Super Bowl appearance.
COURTESY: ASSOCIATED PRESS
