Super Bowl XLIII was played on Sunday, February 1, 2009. It determined the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. It was held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. NBC Sports televised the game.
The AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals with a score of 27 to 23.ESPN.com: Super Bowl XLIII Box Score 98.7 million people watched the broadcast, making it the most-watched Super Bowl ever.CBSSports.com: Nielsen Backtracks, Says XLIII Most-Watched SB Ever
How They Got Here
After finishing the 2008 season with a 12-4 record, the Pittsburgh Steelers clinched the AFC North and a first-round bye in the playoffs. In the divisional round, the Steelers defeated the San Diego Chargers 35-24.ESPN.com: 2008 Divisional Playoffs - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Diego Chargers In a return of a bitter rivalry, the Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens 24-14 in the AFC Championship Game.ESPN.com: 2008 AFC Championship - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens
Hosting their first playoff game since 1947, the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Atlanta Falcons in the wild card round 30-24, then went on to upset the Carolina Panthers 33-13 in the divisional round.ESPN.com: 2008 Wild Card - Arizona Cardinals vs. Atlanta Falcons ESPN.com: 2008 Divisional Playoffs - Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals In the NFC Championship Game, the Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 32-25, leading early, then coming back after 19-unanswered points by the Eagles for the win.ESPN.com: 2008 NFC Championship - Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Entertainment
In one of her first public appearances since the October 2008 brutal murders of her mother and brother, Jennifer Hudson sang the National Anthem at the game.ESPN.com: Hudson to sing national anthem
The half-time show featured Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. This was the first time Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have appeared at a Super Bowl.NFL.com: Springsteen to Headline Super Bowl XLIII Halftime Show
Game Summary
| Super Bowl XLIII | |||||||
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | PTS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 3 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 27 | ||
| Arizona Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 23 | ||
Scoring Summary
- First Quarter
- 9:53: Pittsburgh Steelers - Jeff Reed 18-yard field goal good
- Second Quarter
- 14:09: Pittsburgh Steelers - Gary Russell one-yard run for a touchdown, PAT by Jeff Reed good
- 8:43: Arizona Cardinals - Kurt Warner one-yard pass to Ben Patrick for a touchdown, PAT by Neil Rackers good
- 0:18: Pittsburgh Steelers - James Harrison 100-yard interception return for a touchdown, PAT by Jeff Reed good
- Third Quarter
- 2:16: Pittsburgh Steelers - Jeff Reed 21-yard field goal good
- Fourth Quarter
- 7:41: Arizona Cardinals - Kurt Warner one-yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald for a touchdown, PAT by Neil Rackers good
- 3:04: Arizona Cardinals - Justin Hartwig penalized in the endzone for an Arizona safety
- 2:47: Arizona Cardinals - Kurt Warner 64-yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald for a touchdown, PAT by Neil Rackers good
- 0:35: Pittsburgh Steelers - Ben Roethlisberger six-yard pass to Santonio Holmes for a touchdown, PAT by Jeff Reed good
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Pittsburgh Steelers 27 - Arizona Cardinals 23
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Date
February 1, 2009
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Location
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
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Television coverage
NBC
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Kickoff
6:28 PM EST
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Halftime entertainment
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
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Announcers
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Cost for a 30-second television ad
$3 million
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Fact:
Fourth time the Super Bowl has been played in Tampa
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Fact:
Featured the first-ever 3D advertisements during a Super Bowl; for the animated film Monsters vs Aliens and a return of the Sobe dancing lizardsYouTube Video: Monsters Vs Aliens (2009) - Super Bowl XLIII 3D Promo AD (Time: 1:02)
