Harrison crushed the Cardinals with the greatest play in Super Bowl history
February 3
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Ron Cook
"It was admirable that Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes so graciously said yesterday that he would have been thrilled to share the Super Bowl XLIII MVP award with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. But it did prompt a question: Where was the love for linebacker James Harrison?
Now there's an MVP if there ever was one.
How can the guy who made the greatest play in Super Bowl history not be the MVP after his team wins?
Harrison's big mistake in the Steelers' surreal 27-23 win against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday night -- before his unconscionable meltdown in the final few minutes, that is -- was that he made the game's most significant play a little too early. His interception and 100-yard runback for a touchdown -- the longest play in Super Bowl history -- happened at the end of the first half. MVP voters have such short memories. Roethlisberger was more fresh in their minds because he was sensational at the end of the game, looking very Elwayesque and calmly leading the Steelers on the winning 78-yard touchdown drive with much of the free world watching. Sure, he could have won the MVP award. Holmes also was huge on the final drive with four catches for 73 yards, including the 6-yard touchdown catch that was one of the prettiest plays you'll ever see.
But the Cardinals would be world champs if not for Harrison's play. Of that, there should be no doubt.
"It swung the momentum big time," Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby lamented afterward. "We had them on the ropes. They were about to go down. I thought they were about to fold, but Harrison came out and made a great play."
The absolute best play in Super Bowl history.
What? You don't believe me? Then take it from Miami Herald brilliant sports columnist Edwin Pope, who is one of the few lucky people on Earth to have been to each of the XLIII Super Bowls and penned in yesterday's newspaper: "This game will forever be remembered for James Harrison because there never has been anything remotely like what he did for shock and impact in more than four decades of Super Bowls."
The Steelers, despite leading 10-7, were in trouble when the Cardinals had a first-and-goal at the Pittsburgh 1 with 18 seconds to go in the second quarter. At best, they looked as if they would go into halftime tied, 10-10, with the Cardinals to get the second-half kickoff. At worst, they were going to be down, 14-10. Who knows what would have happened then?
We'll never know, thanks to Harrison, who saved his most remarkable effort of an NFL Defensive Player of the Year season for that very moment.
Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin lined up to the left of quarterback Kurt Warner with teammate Larry Fitzgerald in the slot. At the snap, Boldin broke quickly inside as Fitzgerald broke out and picked off Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend, who was trying to cover Boldin. Warner, sensing an all-out blitz, never saw Harrison back off the rush and drift slightly to his "
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