The Arizona Cardinals painful Super Bowl experience
By Jim Koch
A heartbreaking last-minute touchdown put an end to the Arizona Cardinals valiant attempt at bringing home a Lombardi Trophy
The Arizona Cardinals came so close. It was a Cinderella story that was just over two and a half minutes from becoming a reality. In the end, the glass slipper just wasn’t a fit for one of the NFL’s least successful franchises.
It was a wicked team from the East, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who ultimately spoiled the Cardinals fairy tale 2008 campaign. Wide receiver Santonio Holmes’ six-yard, game-winning touchdown has been, and forever will be, etched in the nightmares of Arizona fans. The heartbreaking score came with just 35 seconds to play, giving the Steelers a 27-23 victory.
Ironically, the man who called the play that destroyed the Cardinals’ title hopes was none other than Bruce Arians. No one had a crystal ball at the time, but four years later Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator would become the Cards’ head coach. An interesting sidebar from the club’s one and only “Big Game” appearance to date.
Just two minutes before Holmes’ miraculous catch, it seemed as if Arizona’s players could start being fitted for the championship rings. Future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald had broken loose for a 64-yard touchdown to give his squad their first lead of the contest. Game highlights uniquely show the wideout glancing up at the stadium’s giant TV screen to see if any Steelers were gaining on him.
There’s another Pittsburgh player besides Holmes who has probably shown up in the bad dreams of Cardinals fans as well. James Harrison turned an ill-advised Kurt Warner throw into a 100-yard pick-six, right before halftime. The linebacker stepped in front of a pass intended for wide receiver Anquan Boldin, and followed a caravan all the way to pay dirt.
The matchup featured two quarterbacks vying for their second championship ring. Both Warner and the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger had both hoisted the Lombardi Trophy previously. Warner had led the St. Louis Rams to a title in Super Bowl XXXIV, and Roethlisberger had gotten it done for Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL.
A popular Cards’ stalwart performed tremendously that day at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Defensive lineman Darnell Dockett tied a Super Bowl record by recording three quarterback sacks in one title game. The late, great Reggie White accomplished the same feat for the Green Bay Packers, and the Carolina Panthers’ Kony Ealy did it as well.
Next: Arizona Cardinals need salary cap relief
Each and every year, Super Bowl Sunday serves as a reminder of what could’ve been for Arizona and their fans. The fact that the game ranks as one of the greatest Super Bowls is little consolation for those of us who watched the Cardinals lose. Bringing a Lombardi Trophy home to the desert sometime in the near future could help make the pain go away.