TAMPA, Fla. – As one of the three defenders in the right corner of the end zone, rookie Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie was in a Cover Eight zone defense when the game-winning throw from Ben Roethlisberger whizzed by and somehow landed into the outstretched arms of Santonio Holmes.
“When Ben got to scrambling my eyes were bad and I got taken out of my zone,” the first-year cornerback said.
It was a fateful play and helped the Steelers to the decisive points in their 27-23 come from behind from ahead victory over the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. The Cardinals had victory thrust away from them, overcoming a 20-7 fourth quarter deficit to take a 23-20 lead only to see it stolen away.
“You can’t even describe the feeling of hurt and the pain that you see in the players’ eyes,” Rodgers-Cromartie said.
“I’m disappointed for our team,” said Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh when the Steelers won the 2005 title. “They played very hard in circumstances where nobody believed in them.
“We learned a lot about our team, it’s just unfortunate it had to come out that way.”
As gallant as they were in coming back, the Cardinals were stunned and shocked in defeat.
“There is no consolation prize,” said receiver Anquan Boldin, who led the Cardinals with eight catches. “We came here for one reason, to win a football game, and we didn’t get that accomplished.”
But oh, did they come close.
“To be so close and to have it snatched away, it hurts,” said Larry Fitzgerald, who overcame a slow start to dominate in the fourth quarter and put his club in front with a 64-yard touchdown catch-and-run with 2:37 remaining. “I just feel empty right now. It is like it was all for nothing. Just have to pick up the pieces.”
The Cardinals looked to be broken when they staggered to the finish of the season, stumbling in with a record of 9-7 and not given much of a chance to do much of anything in the postseason. But they surged through the playoffs. They showed their mettle by staging what looked to be a record-setting comeback, but they couldn’t finish the deal.
“We kept fighting, I’m proud of my team,” defensive tackle Darnell Dockett said. “I told my teammates ‘Walk out of here with your head up’ . . . you’re still champs.’ There isn’t anybody in a million years that thought we would get here. We came up short.
“Next year we will make a run for it again.”
