The Steelers’ last Super Bowl win was 13 years ago in Tampa Bay, Fla. They beat the Arizona Cardinals, 27-23, in Super Bowl XLIII for the franchise’s sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.

It couldn’t have happened without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who retired from the NFL after the Steelers finished their 2021 campaign. The final drive he engineered that night to bring the team back from a 23-20 deficit with just over two minutes remaining is the stuff of Steelers legend.

The Steelers took possession on their 22-yard line with 2 minutes, 30 seconds remaining, moments after a 64-yard Larry Fitzgerald touchdown reception put the Cardinals in front 23-20.

“I remember Ben coming over and telling us, ‘We got this. We got this.’ You just felt a sense of calm and encouragement,” former left tackle Max Starks said as Roethlisberger led the offense on the field.

Starks, now the team’s sideline reporter for the Steelers Radio Network, recently sat with the Trib to relive the drive play by play via video conference.

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1st-and-10, PIT 22 (2:30): Roethlisberger throws a short completion to Mewelde Moore. The play was nullified by a Chris Kemoeatu holding penalty. Steelers lose 10 yards.

Despite the flag, Roethlisberger had a “business as usual” mindset, Starks said.

“He was just saying, ‘OK guys, next play. Let’s cut this distance,’ ” Starks said of Roethlisberger. “Chris can get inside of his own head at times. We were like, ‘Just let it go, man. This is football. Battle the next play.’ ”

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1st-and-20, PIT 12 (2:24): Roethlisberger eludes pressure, escaping to his right, and hits Santonio Holmes for a 14-yard gain.

“Santonio just made himself open. Once Ben scrambles, the wide receiver’s job is to stay with the flow,” Starks said. “Create lanes. Don’t run the same path as your buddy, and don’t run close to your buddy. Create different layers and levels running to the sideline.”

Holmes struggled with that concept the previous year as a rookie, Starks said, but by the end of Year 2, he had a great sense of it.

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2nd-and-6, PIT 26 (2:00): Roethlisberger hurries to get a snap before the two-minute warning. He heaves a ball deep for Nate Washington. It’s broken up by Aaron Francisco.

“It was very rushed,” Starks admitted. “Just trying to make something happen. Nate took a heckuva route down the sideline. But it just came up short.”

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3rd-and-6, PIT 26 (1:56): Roethlisberger steps up against a blitz, pump fakes and throws a completion to Holmes, a contested 13-yard pass off the top of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie’s helmet.

“They are bringing five guys. Made it look like six, with a guy off the edge that went to the line of scrimmage,” Starks explained. “That signals the hot to Santonio to run the curl on the backside, and that’s what Ben ended up hitting him on.”

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1st-and-10, PIT 39 (1:33): The clock is running. Roethlisberger finds Washington underneath on a shallow crossing pattern that gains 11 yards.

“Boom! Two first downs. We’re cooking with grease now,” Starks said.

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1st-and-10, 50 yard-line (1:08): Roethlisberger eludes pressure. Scrambles up the middle. Gains 4 yards. Steelers burn their second timeout.

“I’m anticipating Bertrand Berry trying a wide-arc contain rush, but he came right down my chest. So it’s recovery mode to stay in front of that guy at that moment,” Starks recalled.

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2nd-and-6, ARZ 46 (1:02): Roethlisberger sucks up Rodgers-Cromartie with a pump fake to Moore on the right flank. He hits Holmes instead. Francisco slips in pursuit. Holmes goes for 40 yards.

“When he pumped it, he saw DRC get square on his feet to attack Mewelde. You see Santonio kind of leaking and running a wheel (route). And Francisco falling down was just kind of a nice bonus,” Starks said with a laugh.

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1st-and-goal, ARZ 6 (:48): Roethlisberger pump fakes, then throws to the back left corner of the end zone. Holmes leaps and extends for the pass. He can’t close his hands in time to make the catch. Incomplete.

“You don’t want to be in the path where it can get batted, tipped or anything, so you throw it to where only Santonio can catch it or nothing at all,” Starks said. “Just like he did on the next play.”

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2nd-and-goal, ARZ 6 (:42): “I feel good about most plays,” Starks said. “If we’ve got it protected, Ben will find a guy. And if this play doesn’t work, we’ve still got two shots.”

Roethlisberger sends Hines Ward in short motion from the right side. Pats the ball. Starks recalls being surprised the Cardinals ran a straight rush at them because they had been successful creating pressure with a twist game up front.

Roethlisberger hangs in the pocket as it begins to collapse after roughly four seconds. He releases a pass toward the right corner of the end zone. Holmes extends to catch the ball and toe-taps both feet.

Touchdown.

“The best thing he did was keep his cleats together,” Starks said.

The play is reviewed and upheld. Steelers take a 27-23 lead. They eventually win by that score.

“The first read is probably going to be Heath (Miller). The second option is Nate. He’s leaking but not deep enough,” Starks said. “So that’s not going to get us in the end zone. Ben feels pretty good with the pocket, so now he is going to look for his third and fourth option. And he finds his third option.”

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Starks admits that he may have been the last person in the stadium to see the touchdown.

“It’s not to my side, so I block until I hear cheers or boos,” Starks said. “You knew he was in before I did.”

A replay review of roughly 2 1⁄2 minutes full of pure tension ensued before referee Terry McAulay signaled touchdown.

“The greatest feeling in the world,” Starks said.

Roethlisberger was 5 of 7 for 84 yards and the touchdown on the drive.

The most memorable drive in Steelers history. Roethlisberger’s signature moment of his Hall of Fame career.