Fitzgerald breaks out late, Arizona falls short

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Arizona Cardinals were achingly close. They needed to hang on for just 2 minutes to complete a stunner of a Super Bowl comeback.

It wasn't to be. This miracle of a season would have no perfect ending.

Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald, the pass-and-catch combination that was so spectacular in the playoffs, connected for two touchdowns in less than five minutes against the fierce Pittsburgh defense to give the Cardinals a 23-20 lead Sunday night.

Only 2 minutes, 37 seconds separated Arizona from an incredible Super Bowl upset, a glorious finish to a playoff run nobody had expected from this long-downtrodden franchise. But it was too much time. Santonio Holmes' tiptoe touchdown catch with 35 seconds to play spoiled everything for the Cardinals.

It was a heady ride for a franchise that won its lone championship 61 years ago as the Chicago Cardinals. The team had one postseason victory since then on a journey of ineptitude through St. Louis and on to Arizona.

MARK HUMPHREY ~ Associated PressCardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald runs past Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor for a 64-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter Sunday.

Until the three-game roll to this year's Super Bowl.

But the Cardinals went home ruing the many mistakes that put them behind in the first place.

"It hurts so bad to get this close to being a champion," Fitzgerald said.

Warner completed 31 of 43 passes for 377 yards and three touchdowns with one costly interception. The 31 completions were one shy of New England quarterback Tom Brady's Super Bowl record and tied Buffalo's Jim Kelly for second.

Warner now holds the top three marks for yards passing in a Super Bowl, previously throwing for 414 yards in 2000 against Tennessee and 365 yards against New England in 2002 while with the St. Louis Rams.

Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner reacts after Sunday's loss.

He set an NFL record with 1,147 yards passing in this postseason, and his 11 touchdown passes tied the mark set by Joe Montana in 1989.

"I'm so proud of this football team. I think that's probably one of the reasons it doesn't hurt as much as it could have," Warner said, "because these guys exceeded expectations, they were so fun to play with. I can't say enough about the season that we had."

On Sunday, Fitzgerald caught six passes for 115 yards -- in the fourth quarter -- after just one catch for 12 yards in the first three. He finished with 30 catches for 546 yards in four postseason games, shattering Jerry Rice's NFL record of 409 yards receiving in 1988.

"I just feel empty to be honest with you," Fitzgerald said, "kind of like all for nothing. You've just got to try to pick up the pieces and come back strong next season."

His 64-yard scoring pass from Warner gave Arizona its only lead of the game.

"I knew it wasn't over," Warner said. "I tip my hat to the Steelers. They made some tremendous plays."