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Steelers Top Cardinals In 27-23 Thriller For 6th Title

The Associated Press

MVP Santonio Holmes holds the Lombardi Trophy aloft. The Steelers' victory is an NFL record sixth Super Bowl championship.

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 1, 2009

Updated: 02/01/2009 10:43 pm

TAMPA - Pittsburgh staked a powerful claim Sunday as the most dominant franchise of the Super Bowl era, beating the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 as a pro-Steeler crowd roared in approval at Raymond James Stadium.

Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes managed to stay inbounds while catching the game-winning 6-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 35 seconds remaining, capping a 78-yard drive.

Pittsburgh became the first team to boast six Super Bowl wins, breaking a tie with Dallas and San Francisco, but the NFL's No. 1 defense had few answers for Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner in the fourth quarter. Warner threw for 224 of his 377 yards in the final quarter as the Cardinals rallied from a 13-point deficit.

The Cardinals took their only lead, 23-20, when Larry Fitzgerald turned a short slant into a 64-yard touchdown with 2:37 remaining. Fitzgerald had been held to one catch for 12 yards through three quarters but finished with seven receptions for 127 yards and two scores.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards as the Steelers finished 15-4. Mike Tomlin, a former Bucs assistant, won an NFL title in only his second season as a head coach.

"This has been our story all year – Steeler football is going to be for 60 minutes,'' said Tomlin.

Arizona hurt itself with penalties and a huge miscue just before the first half ended. Steelers linebacker James Harrison, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, stepped in front of a pass intended for Anquan Boldin and raced 100 yards down the right sidelines – directly in front of the Cardinals bench. Harrison lunged over the goalline as time expired in the half, capping the longest play in Super Bowl annals.

Holmes caught nine passes for 131 yards, stepping out of the shadow of veteran wide receiver Hines Ward, who was slowed by a knee injury.

"We never doubted ourselves, not for a second,'' said Ward. "Santonio Holmes made a name for himself today. We never gave up. To come back and win it like that is just unbelievable.''

Eighteen years after the Giants edged the Bills at Tampa Stadium, the Bay area served up another thrilling Super Bowl. Pittsburgh fans outnumbered their Arizona counterparts by a significant margin in the crowd of 70,774, waving Terrible Towels in support of a franchise that has won two of the last four Super Bowls

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