Today, I bring you something a little off the beaten path for my blog, as I rewatch my very first Super Bowl, Super Bowl 43 between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers, which took place in February of 2009. This was an iconic game for me, filled with legendary plays, and now, after over a decade, it still feels truly special in a way that even more recent NFL games don't. For one, it's the farewell to John Madden in the booth, and with his passing at the end of last year still fresh for many, this is a bittersweet watch in hindsight. It also adds recent relevance due to the (likely) impending retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, as the 26 year old Big Ben went to war in a duel with the aging Kurt Warner, with Roethlisberger securing a major piece of his legacy as a result. I'm so curious to revisit this night with a ton of added football knowledge, and take an opportunity to once again experience a defining 60 minutes of NFL history.
Pittsburgh entered as 7 point favorites and showed why early on, as Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians dialed up a few excellent looks for Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward and Heath Miller, while Pittsburgh's vaunted defense held Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin in check. Arizona, to their credit, hung in there, with the secondary batting away deep balls, and Boldin getting loose for a big gain that set up a short touchdown from Warner to tight end Ben Patrick. On the precipice of halftime, Arizona found themselves only trailing 10-7, driving down to the goalline to take an unlikely lead. Disaster struck, however, in a play that stunned the world, as Steelers pass rusher James Harrison dropped into coverage, with Pittsburgh Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau sniffing out a slant to Fitzgerald. Harrison was in prime position to snag Warner's throw, and then the big man rumbled the length of the field in a wild surge of adrenaline, breaking tackles and weaving through traffic, just staying off the turf at the end to break the plane. Obviously, Harrison's return itself is a heart-pumping escapade and remains as impressive as ever, but it's his decision to keep running that astounds. If he's tackled at anytime in those last 20 yards or so, Pittsburgh exits with absolutely nothing. Harrison gambled on himself, and it paid off in grand fashion.
The second half turns into a receiver duel, as Fitzgerald and Holmes go back and forth in a battle for the ages. Larry's fourth quarter is one for the history books, as he breaks the record for most receiving TDs in a single postseason with two of them in the fourth, the second coming on an awesome scamper as he splits the safeties on a slant and outruns everyone for six. That really feels like a fitting ending, a legend cementing himself as the big-time performer to watch, but on this night, Holmes is just better. He and Ben pick apart the Cardinals zone defense, as Holmes goes over 100 yards on 8 receptions. Arizona attempts to clamp down at the finish, as they do have a stout redzone defense that has held Pittsburgh to multiple field goals earlier on, but Holmes has caught fire. He gets loose on a first and goal play, though he and Roethlisberger fail to convert, but it's the second that counts, and a star is born. Ben threads the needle, firing a dart through a sea of arms, and Holmes climbs the ladder to snag it, completing his career-defining play with a neat toe tap. There are definitely several touchdown catches throughout history that live and die on circumstance, and while this came at the most opportune moment, it's also a masterpiece by Holmes. The leap, the snag, the toe tap- they're all executed to perfection. I do always forget that Arizona had one more possession after Holmes' TD, as it feels like all air has gone out of the team and a solidly pro-Cardinals crowd in Tampa. Fitzgerald makes one more fabulous catch, one last reminder of his greatness before all hope of a title is snuffed out by LaMarr Woodley, who tracks down Warner in a tremendous burst of energy, knocking the ball free before a Hail Mary can be attempted.
All in all, this game was just as good as I remembered, and is certainly worthy of it's legacy among the greatest finales to any NFL season. The Harrison pick six jolted it from good to great, and so many of the plays made by Fitzgerald and Holmes in the final frame were breath-taking. This is absolutely worth a watching if you have a couple hours to spare, if only to appreciate receiving play at the highest level, and to check out Madden's performance in the booth on his farewell.
- Henry
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