Super Bowl XLIII — 2008 Season
February 1, 2009 · Tampa, FL (Raymond James Stadium)
Super Bowl XLIII result: PSPittsburgh Steelers def. ACArizona Cardinals, 27-23, February 1, 2009, at Tampa, FL (Raymond James Stadium).
Result
| Team | Result | |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | PSPittsburgh Steelers | 27-23 |
| Runner-up | ACArizona Cardinals |
Super Bowl MVP
Santonio Holmes, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Starting lineups
Starting offense
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Arizona Cardinals |
|---|---|
| Ben Roethlisberger (QB) | Kurt Warner (QB) |
| Willie Parker (RB) | Edgerrin James (RB) |
| Carey Davis (FB) | Larry Fitzgerald (WR) |
| Hines Ward (WR) | Anquan Boldin (WR) |
| Santonio Holmes (WR) | Steve Breaston (WR) |
| Heath Miller (TE) | Mike Gandy (LT) |
| Max Starks (LT) | Reggie Wells (LG) |
| Chris Kemoeatu (LG) | Lyle Sendlein (C) |
| Justin Hartwig (C) | Deuce Lutui (RG) |
| Darnell Stapleton (RG) | Levi Brown (RT) |
| Willie Colon (RT) |
Starting defense
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Arizona Cardinals |
|---|---|
| Brett Keisel (DE) | Darnell Dockett (DE) |
| Aaron Smith (DE) | Antonio Smith (DE) |
| Casey Hampton (NT) | Bertrand Berry (OLB) |
| LaMarr Woodley (OLB) | Chike Okeafor (OLB) |
| James Harrison (OLB) | Karlos Dansby (ILB) |
| James Farrior (ILB) | Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (CB) |
| Larry Foote (ILB) | Adrian Wilson (S) |
| Ike Taylor (CB) | |
| Bryant McFadden (CB) | |
| Ryan Clark (S) | |
| Troy Polamalu (S) |
Note: This is the weakest-sourced game in this round: Wikipedia's article carries no "Starting lineups" table for Super Bowl XLIII at all (confirmed absent after repeated fetches). Pittsburgh's defense is well-sourced; Pittsburgh's offensive line and the entire Arizona lineup rely on secondary sourcing and are incomplete here rather than filled in by guesswork - specifically omitted rather than guessed: Arizona's starting NT/DT partner alongside Dockett/Smith, a third Arizona linebacker, both starting cornerbacks' partner and Arizona's starting free safety (one source incorrectly listed Antrel Rolle at CB, discarded here since Rolle had broken his ankle in December 2008 and is widely reported to have missed this postseason), and Arizona's starting tight end (sources conflict between Leonard Pope and Ben Patrick).
Box score
Passing
| Team | Player | Comp/Att | Yds | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Ben Roethlisberger | 21/30 | 256 | 1 | 1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | Kurt Warner | 31/43 | 377 | 3 | 1 |
Rushing
| Team | Player | Car | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Willie Parker | 19 | 53 | 0 |
| Arizona Cardinals | Edgerrin James | 9 | 33 | 0 |
Receiving
| Team | Player | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Santonio Holmes | 9 | 131 | 1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Heath Miller | 5 | 57 | 0 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Hines Ward | 2 | 43 | 0 |
| Arizona Cardinals | Larry Fitzgerald | 7 | 127 | 2 |
| Arizona Cardinals | Anquan Boldin | 8 | 84 | 0 |
| Arizona Cardinals | Steve Breaston | 6 | 71 | 0 |
Game context
Super Bowl XLIII between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals delivered one of the most eventful fourth quarters in championship game history, anchored by two plays that stand among the greatest in Super Bowl lore. Pittsburgh controlled the first half, building a 17-7 lead capped by an extraordinary defensive play: with 18 seconds left before halftime, Steelers linebacker James Harrison intercepted a Kurt Warner pass intended for the end zone and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the half, still the longest play in Super Bowl history and a backbreaking swing that pushed Pittsburgh's lead to 17-7 instead of a potential Arizona score. The Cardinals, in the first Super Bowl appearance of the Arizona-era franchise, refused to fold. Warner and star receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who was in the midst of one of the greatest postseason stretches by any receiver in NFL history, rallied Arizona in the fourth quarter. Fitzgerald's 64-yard touchdown catch-and-run gave the Cardinals a stunning 23-20 lead with under three minutes remaining, the first time Arizona had led all game. It appeared Arizona might complete the franchise's first championship since relocating from Chicago and St. Louis decades earlier. But Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 78 yards in six plays, finding Santonio Holmes on a 6-yard fade route in the back corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left — Holmes toe-tapping both feet in bounds on a diving, tip-toe catch that is regularly ranked among the best game-winning grabs in Super Bowl history. Holmes finished with nine catches for 131 yards and the decisive score, earning MVP honors, and Arizona's final desperation drive ended when James Harrison and the Steelers' pass rush closed it out. The 27-23 final gave Pittsburgh its record sixth Lombardi Trophy, extending the Steelers' status (alongside the Cowboys and later matched by others) as one of the most decorated franchises in NFL history, and made head coach Mike Tomlin, at 36, the youngest head coach ever to win a Super Bowl. Roethlisberger, at 26, became the youngest quarterback to win two Super Bowls. For Arizona and coach Ken Whisenhunt, the near-miss remains the high-water mark of the franchise's Super Bowl era; the Cardinals have not returned to the championship game since. Harrison's pick-six and Holmes's catch are both frequently cited among the handful of iconic individual plays that define the Super Bowl's modern history, and the game — played before 70,774 fans at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa — is remembered as one of the most thrilling and cleanly executed championship finishes of the 2000s.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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