Two last-minute comebacks in the last two Super Bowls. How’s that for putting the focus on the action on the field and less on the entertainment side of the game?
Arizona didn’t wilt after getting down, and I didn’t think they would. But, you’ve got to give credit where credit is due, and Pittsburgh turned right around after Kurt Warner rallied the Cardinals from 20-7 down to a late 23-20 lead, and Ben Roethlisberger made a great throw to Santonio Holmes, who made a great catch to give the Steelers their record-breaking sixth Super Bowl win.
Time will tell whether or not falling just short tonight will make a difference in Kurt Warner’s Hall of Fame credentials, but he’s made three more Super Bowls than a lot of us ever will. I imagine he’ll look back on that throw at the end of the second quarter, when the Cardinals were inches away from being up 14-10 at halftime but wound up down 17-7 after James Harrison stepped in front of his throw and took it 100 yards the other way, but he has nothing to be upset at himself over, because he overcame that one mistake and led the Cardinals to the brink of the promised land.
As for Roethlisberger, two Super Bowl titles in his first five seasons is a good start on his resume for Canton. And Holmes, whose catch will certainly be replayed many a time on Youtube, ESPN, and many other places over the next few days, took a big step towards big-time receiver status with his performance, catching nine passes for 131 yards and the game-winning score in the final minute.
In the end, the team who many thought would win did win, but I’m sure the Cardinals earned a lot of new fans tonight, and if Warner decides to come back for another season, they could be on the winning end a year from now.
Speaking of a year from now, it’s never too early to look that far. Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLIII were classics, so Super Bowl XLIV in Miami certainly has a lot to live up to. Buuuuuut, we can wait to talk about that another day, can’t we?
