Summary
Super Bowl XLIII took place on February 1, 2009, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, before a crowd of 70,774 and a television audience that peaked at approximately 98.7 million viewers — then the most-watched Super Bowl in US history. The Pittsburgh Steelers faced the Arizona Cardinals in a game that swung dramatically in the final minutes. Pittsburgh emerged victorious 27–23, clinching their sixth Lombardi Trophy.
The game’s defining moments came at both ends of the halftime break. With eight seconds left in the second quarter, Steelers linebacker James Harrison intercepted a Kurt Warner pass in the end zone and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown — the longest play in Super Bowl history and a swing of 14 points from what had nearly been a Cardinals score. Harrison’s run gave Pittsburgh a 17–7 halftime lead.
The Cardinals mounted a furious rally in the fourth quarter. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald caught a 64-yard touchdown and later a go-ahead score to put Arizona ahead 23–20 with 2:37 remaining. The Steelers then drove 78 yards in seven plays. With 35 seconds on the clock, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger found wide receiver Santonio Holmes in the back-right corner of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown. Holmes kept both feet in bounds with a toe-drag that stood after review, delivering Pittsburgh the lead for good. Holmes finished with 9 catches for 131 yards, earning Super Bowl MVP honors.
Key Statistics
| Player | Team | Stat Line |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Roethlisberger | Pittsburgh | 21/30, 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Kurt Warner | Arizona | 31/43, 377 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT |
| Santonio Holmes | Pittsburgh | 9 rec, 131 yards, 1 TD (MVP) |
| Larry Fitzgerald | Arizona | 7 rec, 127 yards, 2 TD |
| James Harrison | Pittsburgh | 1 INT returned 100 yards for TD |
Significance
The victory was Pittsburgh’s sixth Super Bowl championship, the most of any franchise in NFL history at that time. It also snapped a 29-year drought: the Steelers’ previous title had come in Super Bowl XIV in January 1980. Head coach Mike Tomlin, in only his second season, became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl, at 36 years old.
For the Arizona Cardinals — a franchise that had spent decades as one of the league’s least successful — reaching the Super Bowl itself was a landmark achievement. The Cardinals had not appeared in a championship game since 1947, and their near-upset of Pittsburgh reshaped national perceptions of the franchise.
The game is widely regarded as one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played, combining record-setting individual performances, multiple lead changes, and a last-minute winning drive. James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return — which surpassed Desmond Howard’s 99-yard kickoff return in Super Bowl XXXI — remained the longest play in Super Bowl history as of 2009. Harrison had already been named the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the 2008 regular season on January 5, 2009, becoming the first undrafted player to win the award, weeks before adding the record-setting return.
Broader Context
Super Bowl XLIII was part of a banner year for professional sports in 2009. Months later, the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2009 NBA Finals, and in November the New York Yankees captured the 2009 World Series. Across multiple American sports, championship narratives centered on franchise legacies, dramatic finishes, and the resilience of storied organizations.
The Steelers’ win also reflected the NFL’s expanding cultural footprint: the 98.7 million viewer figure set a record that would stand until the 2010 Super Bowl.