# 2008–09 NFL playoffs
The 2008–09 [NFL playoffs](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfl-playoffs) was the [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league)'s postseason tournament for the 2008 season, culminating in [Super Bowl XLIII](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-xliii), in which the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/super-bowl/) The Steelers (12-4) won a record sixth Super Bowl, while the Cardinals (9-7), a franchise without a title since the 1947 NFL championship, reached the Super Bowl for the first time.[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Champion | Pittsburgh Steelers, 12-4, second-year head coach Mike Tomlin; record sixth Lombardi Trophy[3](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-to-the-wire-steelers-win-super-bowl/) • [4](https://apnews.com/article/6adf95ffbab6f11777be14a9c2bd7e67) |
| Super Bowl XLIII | February 1, 2009, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa; Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23; MVP Santonio Holmes[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/super-bowl/) |
| Winning play | Holmes's 6-yard touchdown catch from Ben Roethlisberger with 35 seconds remaining, capping an eight-play, 78-yard drive[3](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-to-the-wire-steelers-win-super-bowl/) • [5](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/steelers/kzaa97nczbcay7sictby.pdf) |
| Signature defensive play | James Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown at the end of the first half, the longest play in Super Bowl history[5](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/steelers/kzaa97nczbcay7sictby.pdf) |
| Cardinals' run | 9-7 NFC West champions who won all three playoff games as underdogs, including a 32-25 win over Philadelphia for the NFC title[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/) |
| Postseason receiving record | Larry Fitzgerald set the record for postseason receiving yards, with 419 in three games before the final and five touchdowns in the playoffs[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/) • [3](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-to-the-wire-steelers-win-super-bowl/) |
| Betting line | Pittsburgh opened as a 6½-point favorite[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/) |
## Bracket and qualifiers
Twelve teams qualified under the league's tie-breaking procedures, with playoff positioning determined by division titles and wild-card berths.[6](https://www.footballdb.com/standings/index.html?lg=NFL&type=post&yr=2008) The wild-card round was played January 3-4, followed by the divisional round, conference championships, and the [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl).[7](https://www.nfl.com/_amp/nfl-calendar-09000d5d809743be)
## Divisional playoffs
The divisional round, played January 10-11, produced three upsets or near-upsets and one rout. In the AFC, the sixth-seeded [Baltimore Ravens](https://www.edgepedia.org/baltimore-ravens) (11-5) beat the top-seeded [Tennessee Titans](https://www.edgepedia.org/tennessee-titans) (13-3) 13-10 on Saturday, January 10, while the second-seeded Steelers (12-4) held off the [San Diego Chargers](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-diego-chargers) (8-8) 35-24 on Sunday.[8](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2008/by-week/divisional-playoffs) In the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals (9-7) crushed the 12-4 Carolina Panthers 33-13 on Saturday, and the Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1) knocked off the defending champion New York Giants (12-4) 23-11 on Sunday.[8](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2008/by-week/divisional-playoffs)
## Conference championships
**NFC: Cardinals 32, Eagles 25.** Arizona reached its first Super Bowl, and its first championship game of any kind since 1948, by beating Philadelphia 32-25.[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/) The win was the Cardinals' third of the postseason, all as underdogs.[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/)
**AFC: Steelers 23, Ravens 14.** Pittsburgh's defense, statistically the best in the NFL during the regular season and led by Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison and safety [Troy Polamalu](https://www.edgepedia.org/troy-polamalu), carried the Steelers past Baltimore 23-14 for the AFC title.[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/)
## Super Bowl XLIII
Pittsburgh built a 10-0 lead, plowing in on Gary Russell's 1-yard run after [Kurt Warner](https://www.edgepedia.org/kurt-warner) and the Cardinals' offense were held in check early.[3](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-to-the-wire-steelers-win-super-bowl/) Arizona appeared poised to take its first lead as the first half expired, but Harrison intercepted Warner at the goal line and raced 100 yards behind a series of blocks, diving into the end zone with two Cardinals on his back for the longest play in Super Bowl history and a 17-7 halftime lead.[5](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/steelers/kzaa97nczbcay7sictby.pdf) The play was contentious, and it surpassed [Desmond Howard](https://www.edgepedia.org/desmond-howard)'s 99-yard kickoff return in [Super Bowl XXXI](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-xxxi) as the longest play in the game's history.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/feb/02/pittsburgh-steelers-arizona-cardinals-super-bowl)
Arizona rallied in the fourth quarter. Fitzgerald, a nonentity for most of the game until then, capped an 87-yard drive with a leaping 1-yard catch over [Ike Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/ike-taylor), and the Cardinals briefly moved in front.[3](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-to-the-wire-steelers-win-super-bowl/) Trailing by three with 2:30 left, Roethlisberger led an eight-play, 78-yard scoring drive, and Holmes beat three defenders in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown catch with 35 seconds remaining, giving [Pittsburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/pittsburgh) a 27-23 win.[5](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/steelers/kzaa97nczbcay7sictby.pdf) • [3](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-to-the-wire-steelers-win-super-bowl/) Holmes was named the game's MVP.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/super-bowl/)
## Records and storylines
**Fitzgerald's postseason.** In three playoff games before the Super Bowl, Fitzgerald accumulated 419 receiving yards, breaking [Jerry Rice](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-rice)'s postseason record with the final still to play.[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/) He finished the playoffs with the record for postseason receiving yards and five touchdowns, though he was held largely in check until the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.[3](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-to-the-wire-steelers-win-super-bowl/)
**Warner's January.** Quarterback Kurt Warner, a two-time MVP and the Super Bowl MVP with the Rams in 2000, became the first quarterback with three 300-yard passing games in a single postseason; the article's account notes he was considered a possible MVP despite the loss.[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/) • [10](https://www.azcardinals.com/news/cardinals-steelers-seconds-from-a-super-bowl-43-win)
**Pittsburgh's defensive marks.** Linebacker LaMarr Woodley recorded two sacks in each of the Steelers' four postseason games, an NFL record.[5](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/steelers/kzaa97nczbcay7sictby.pdf) The title was the franchise's sixth, the first time any team had won six Super Bowls, after four titles in six years in the 1970s and a fifth three years earlier.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/feb/02/pittsburgh-steelers-arizona-cardinals-super-bowl) • [2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/)
**Coaching connections.** Arizona coach [Ken Whisenhunt](https://www.edgepedia.org/ken-whisenhunt) had served as Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator from 2004 to 2006, including the Super Bowl-winning team, and had been expected to succeed Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh; the job instead went to Mike Tomlin, who won the title in his second season and returned to Tampa, where he began his coaching career.[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/) • [4](https://apnews.com/article/6adf95ffbab6f11777be14a9c2bd7e67) A further historical link: in 1944, because of World War II roster shortages, the Steelers and Cardinals fielded a combined team, Card-Pit, which finished 0-10.[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/)
## Aftermath
The Cardinals finished the season 12-8 including the playoffs, having come within seconds of a championship in their first Super Bowl appearance.[3](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-to-the-wire-steelers-win-super-bowl/) • [10](https://www.azcardinals.com/news/cardinals-steelers-seconds-from-a-super-bowl-43-win) Pittsburgh returned to the Super Bowl two seasons later but lost to the Green Bay Packers.[4](https://apnews.com/article/6adf95ffbab6f11777be14a9c2bd7e67)
## References
1. [Super Bowl History, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/super-bowl/)
2. [Cardinals, Steelers Head To Super Bowl, CBS News (AP), January 18, 2009](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinals-steelers-head-to-super-bowl/)
3. [Down To The Wire: Steelers Win Super Bowl, CBS News (AP), February 1, 2009](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-to-the-wire-steelers-win-super-bowl/)
4. [Former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin joining NBC's pregame show, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/6adf95ffbab6f11777be14a9c2bd7e67)
5. [Steelers in the Postseason, Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/steelers/kzaa97nczbcay7sictby.pdf)
6. [2008 NFL Playoff Standings, The Football Database](https://www.footballdb.com/standings/index.html?lg=NFL&type=post&yr=2008)
7. [NFL Calendar, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/_amp/nfl-calendar-09000d5d809743be)
8. [NFL Divisional Playoffs Schedule 2008, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2008/by-week/divisional-playoffs)
9. [Holmes the hero as Steelers hit Cardinals for six, The Guardian, February 2, 2009](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/feb/02/pittsburgh-steelers-arizona-cardinals-super-bowl)
10. [Cardinals Just Seconds From A Super Bowl Win, AZCardinals.com, February 1, 2009](https://www.azcardinals.com/news/cardinals-steelers-seconds-from-a-super-bowl-43-win)
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