Pittsburgh SteelersVERSUSArizona Cardinals

Pittsburgh reached Tampa with the league's best defense and the chance to become the first franchise with six Super Bowl victories. Arizona had never appeared in the championship game, but Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and an offense peaking in January had turned a nine-win season into an unexpected run.

• The Steelers had survived one of the league's hardest schedules and were seeking a second title in four seasons.
• The Cardinals had gone more than six decades without a championship and entered the playoffs with the lowest win total in the NFC field.
• Warner was trying to become the second starting quarterback to win Super Bowls with two franchises, while Fitzgerald had dominated the postseason.

Sources: NFL Super Bowl history · NFL: Steelers 27, Cardinals 23