Super Bowl XLIII

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Lore & Background

With this victory, the Steelers became the first team to win six Super Bowl championships. The win was also the Steelers' second Super Bowl victory in four years, after winning Super Bowl XL at the end of the 2005 season. The Cardinals entered the game seeking their first NFL title since 1947, the longest championship drought in the league. The club became an unexpected winner during the regular season, compiling a 9–7 record, and earning a spot in the playoffs with the aid of head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers' offensive coordinator in Super Bowl XL, and the re-emergence of quarterback Kurt Warner, who was the Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXXIV with his former team, the St. Louis Rams.

In Their Own Story

The game saw the Steelers jump to a 17–7 halftime lead, aided by linebacker James Harrison's Super Bowl-record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. Trailing 20–7 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Cardinals mounted an incredible comeback, scoring 16 consecutive points. This rally included a safety that led to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald's 64-yard touchdown reception, giving Arizona their first lead with 2:37 remaining. However, the Steelers marched 78 yards down the field. With just 35 seconds left, wide receiver Santonio Holmes caught a 6-yard game-winning touchdown pass. Holmes finished with nine catches for 131 yards and was named Super Bowl MVP, becoming only the sixth wide receiver to win the award.

Reader's Guide

The Steelers jumped to a 17–7 halftime lead, aided by linebacker James Harrison's Super Bowl–record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. Trailing 20–7 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Cardinals scored 16 consecutive points, including a safety that led to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald's 64-yard touchdown reception, to take their first lead of the game with 2:37 remaining. But the Steelers marched 78 yards to score on wide receiver Santonio Holmes's 6-yard game-winning touchdown catch with 35 seconds left. Holmes, who caught nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, including four receptions for 73 yards on that final game-winning drive, was named Super Bowl MVP. He became the sixth wide receiver to win the award, half of whom at the time were Steelers players (Lynn Swann and Hines Ward).

Did You Know?

• The NBC television network broadcast attracted an average U.S. audience of 98.7 million viewers, making it the most watched Super Bowl in history at that time and the most watched Super Bowl of the 2000s.
• This game was ranked No. 4 on NFL Top 10 on NFL Network for Top 10 Greatest Games of All Time and ranked No. 1 for Top 10 Super Bowls.
• As of 2025, this is the Steelers' most recent Super Bowl championship until they won Super Bowl LV in 2021, and the last title by a Pennsylvania-based NFL team until their cross-state rival Philadelphia Eagles won Super
• It was also the last time a Phoenix-based team reached the championship round of the four major North American sports leagues until the Phoenix Suns made the NBA Finals in 2021.
• This was the last game to feature famed commentator John Madden, who retired two months after the game.