(formerly Joe Robbie Stadium).
Following
Super Bowl XXXII, which was played at
Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. The stadium opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium and was known as Jack Murphy Stadium from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 to 2017, the stadiu ...
in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
, Super Bowl XXXIII would mark the last time back-to-back Super Bowls were played outdoors until
Super Bowls XLIII, which was held at
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampa, Florida that opened in 1998 and is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) and the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls college football program. The s ...
in
Tampa
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough Co ...
, and
XLIV, which was played at Pro Player Stadium, now known as
Hard Rock Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I colle ...
.
Denver Broncos
Following the Broncos' victory during
Super Bowl XXXII the previous season, many wondered if 15-year veteran quarterback
John Elway
John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American professional football executive and former quarterback who is the president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL).
Elway played college f ...
would retire after finally winning a Super Bowl. But Elway decided to stay with Denver and see if he could lead them to a second consecutive championship. Under the leadership of head coach
Mike Shanahan, the Broncos stormed to the top of the AFC with a 14–2 regular record in 1998, winning their first 13 games before suffering their first loss to
the New York Giants.
The Broncos' offense, under the leadership of Elway and running back
Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis (born October 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos all-time leading rusher and ...
, had another outstanding regular season, ranking second in the NFL with 501 points and third in total offense with 6,276 yards. Davis had one of the greatest seasons of any running back in NFL history, rushing for 2,008 yards, catching 25 passes for 217 yards, and scoring 23 touchdowns to earn him both the
NFL Most Valuable Player Award and the
NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award The National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award is an annual American football award given by various organizations to the National Football League (NFL) player who is considered the top offensive player during the regular season. Or ...
. Nevertheless, Davis' rushing numbers did not reduce Elway's passing production. The 38-year-old quarterback made the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
for the 3rd year in a row and the 9th time in his career, throwing for 2,806 yards and 22 touchdowns, with only 10 interceptions. A big reason for Elway's passing success was that he had two Pro Bowl wide receivers and a Pro Bowl tight end to throw to. Wide receivers
Ed McCaffrey (64 receptions, 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns) and
Rod Smith Rod, Rodney or Roderick Smith may refer to:
Sports
* Rod Smith (sportscaster), sportscaster with The Sports Network
* Rodney Smith (skateboarder), American skateboarder, co-founder of Zoo York
* Rodney Smith (cricketer) (born 1944), English cricket ...
(86 receptions, 1,222 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 66 rushing yards) provided the team with outstanding deep threats, while tight end
Shannon Sharpe (64 receptions, 786 yards and 10 touchdowns) provided a sure-handed target over the middle. The Broncos also had three Pro Bowlers anchoring their offensive line: center
Tom Nalen, guard
Mark Schlereth, and tackle
Tony Jones. On special teams, running back
Vaughn Hebron returned 46 kickoffs for 1,216 yards and a touchdown, giving him a 26.4 yards per return average.
The Broncos' defense typically did not get as much attention as their offense, but it was still effective, giving up 308 points (8th fewest in the NFL). Up front, the line was anchored by defensive tackles
Maa Tanuvasa and
Trevor Pryce, who each recorded 8.5 sacks. Behind them, Pro Bowl linebacker
Bill Romanowski recorded 55 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions. The secondary was led by Pro Bowler
Steve Atwater
Stephen Dennis Atwater (born October 28, 1966) is an American former professional football player who spent most of his career playing free safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Atwater and Dennis Smith made up a ...
and
Darrien Gordon, who led the team with 4 interceptions, which he returned for 125 yards and a touchdown. Gordon was also a great punt returner, returning 34 punts for 379 yards.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons advanced to their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Like the Broncos, they finished the 1998 regular season with a 14–2 record, including wins in each of their last nine games. Unlike the Broncos, Atlanta's success in 1998 was very surprising to many because they had a 7–9 record in
the previous season and a 3–13 record
the year before that. In fact, the franchise recorded just four non-losing
seasons in the nineteen years prior to 1998, and just two in its previous fifteen.
The Falcons' fortunes began to improve after
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves (January 19, 1944 – January 1, 2022) was an American football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third most for an ...
became their head coach in
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
. During Reeves' first season with Atlanta, they finished the season 6–2, after starting out 1–7, to compile a 7–9 record overall. Reeves was Denver's head coach from
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major off ...
to
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment building in Amsterdam after two of its engines ...
, leading the Elway-led Broncos to Super Bowls
XXI
21 (twenty-one) is the natural number following 20 and preceding 22.
The current century is the 21st century AD, under the Gregorian calendar.
In mathematics
21 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 3 and 7, and a de ...
,
XXII, and
XXIV. However Elway and the Broncos lost all three, including a 55–10 loss to
the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV. Reeves was in constant conflict with his coaching staff and some of his players for the three ensuing seasons. He left Denver in 1993 and spent four seasons as the
head coach of the New York Giants before joining the Falcons.
Pro Bowl quarterback
Chris Chandler
Christopher Chandler or Chris Chandler may refer to:
* Christopher Chandler (businessman), New Zealand businessman
* Christopher Chandler (politician), lawyer and politician
* Christopher N. Chandler, former journalist and political activist
* C ...
led Atlanta's offense extremely well, throwing for 3,154 yards and 25 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions, while also rushing for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns. Backup quarterback
Steve DeBerg (who was Reeves quarterback coach with the Giants in 1995 and '96) had come out of retirement as a player after 5 years and played in place of an injured Chandler in the October 25 game against the
New York Jets. Wide receivers
Tony Martin and
Terance Mathis provided the team with a superb deep threat, each recording over 60 receptions and 1,100 receiving yards, while also combining for 17 touchdowns. Tight end
O.J. Santiago
Otis Jason Santiago (born April 4, 1974) is a Canadian former American football tight end in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns. He also was a member of the Montreal Aloue ...
added 27 receptions for 428 yards and 5 scores. However, the biggest threat on offense was Pro Bowl running back
Jamal Anderson, who rushed for 1,846 yards, caught 27 passes for 319 yards, and scored 16 total touchdowns. Rookie wide receiver
Tim Dwight
Timothy John Dwight Jr. (born July 13, 1975) is a former professional American football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the Univers ...
gave the team a great special teams attack, gaining a total of 1,236 yards and scoring a touchdown on kickoff and punt returns.
The Falcons' defense ranked second in the league for fewest rushing yards allowed (1,203), eighth for fewest total yards allowed (5,009), and fourth for fewest points allowed. Defensive linemen
Lester Archambeau (10 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 5 forced fumbles),
Chuck Smith (8.5 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, 3 forced fumbles) and
Shane Dronett (6.5 sacks, 4 force fumbles) excelled at pressuring quarterbacks and stopping the run. Behind them, Atlanta had two outstanding linebackers, Pro Bowler
Jessie Tuggle (65 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery) and
Cornelius Bennett (69 tackles, 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries). Bennett played with the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...
when they suffered their four consecutive defeats in Super Bowls
XXV
XXV may refer to:
* 25 (number)
25 (twenty-five) is the natural number following 24 and preceding 26.
In mathematics
It is a square number, being 52 = 5 × 5. It is one of two two-digit numbers whose square and higher powers of the n ...
,
XXVI,
XXVII
27 (twenty-seven; Roman numeral XXVII) is the natural number following 26 and preceding 28.
In mathematics
* Twenty-seven is a cube of 3: 3^3=3\times 3\times 3. 27 is also 23 (see tetration). There are exactly 27 straight lines on a smooth c ...
, and
XXVIII; and thus was determined to finally get a championship ring that had eluded him in the past. Atlanta's secondary was led by Pro Bowl cornerback
Ray Buchanan, who recorded 7 interceptions and 102 return yards, and Pro Bowl safety
Eugene Robinson
Eugene Keefe Robinson (born May 28, 1963) is a former American football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, who signed him as an undrafted free age ...
(4 interceptions), who was with the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the th ...
when they appeared in Super Bowls
XXXI and
XXXII.
The season was punctuated by Reeves receiving emergency
coronary bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also known as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG, pronounced "cabbage") is a surgical procedure to treat coronary artery disease (CAD), the buildup of plaques in the arteries of the heart. It can relieve chest pai ...
after Week 14. Doctors said he could have been "within hours of a catastrophic
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...
." Although asked to rest for at least six weeks, Reeves returned to the sidelines for Week 17. Then-defensive coordinator
Rich Brooks substituted for Reeves as head coach in Weeks 15 and 16, and won both games.
The Falcons did not return to the Super Bowl until
2016, when they lost 34–28 in overtime to
the New England Patriots in
Super Bowl LI.
Playoffs
The Broncos demolished
the Miami Dolphins 38–3 and beat
the New York Jets 23–10 in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Falcons were victorious against
the San Francisco 49ers, 20–18 and then upset the heavily favored 15–1
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansio ...
on the road,
30–27 in overtime.
This was the third Super Bowl in history that featured two teams with two losses or less, and second since the advent of the 16-game schedule. Both teams came into the game with 16–2 records after the playoffs. The first was
Super Bowl XII, featuring two 12–2 teams:
the Dallas Cowboys and
the Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquarte ...
. The only Super Bowl featuring a better matchup record-wise was
Super Bowl XIX, when
the San Francisco 49ers had a 17–1 record and
the Miami Dolphins had a 16–2 record.
Super Bowl pregame news
Much of the pregame hype was centered around John Elway confronting his former coach Reeves. Denver head coach Mike Shanahan was hurt and angered by Reeves' pregame assertion that Shanahan and Elway had conspired to have him fired during his stint at Denver. Media coverage also focused on whether or not Elway would retire after the season (which he eventually did).
Elway became the first quarterback to start five Super Bowls; he previously started Super Bowls
XXI
21 (twenty-one) is the natural number following 20 and preceding 22.
The current century is the 21st century AD, under the Gregorian calendar.
In mathematics
21 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 3 and 7, and a de ...
,
XXII,
XXIV, and
XXXII. Broncos defensive lineman
Mike Lodish was making his record sixth appearance in a Super Bowl. He played with Buffalo in all four of their Super Bowl losses (
Super Bowl XXV through
XXVIII) and with Denver's first Super Bowl win the year before.
On the night before the Super Bowl, Falcons
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are two slightly di ...
Eugene Robinson
Eugene Keefe Robinson (born May 28, 1963) is a former American football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, who signed him as an undrafted free age ...
was arrested for solicitation of prostitution. While driving alone in a rented car along a downtown Miami street, he approached a female undercover police officer posing as a prostitute and offered $40 for oral sex. Although he was released from jail and allowed to play the game, he was widely denounced by the press and fans for the incident. Ironically, on the morning of the day Robinson was arrested for the incident, he had received the
Bart Starr Award for his "high moral character."
As the
designated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Falcons chose to wear their regular black home uniforms with silver pants, with the Broncos going for the road white uniforms and pants.
Broadcasting
The game was broadcast in the United States by
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelv ...
and featured the broadcast team of
play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall and
color commentator
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and th ...
John Madden
John Earl Madden (April 10, 1936 – December 28, 2021) was an American football coach and sports commentator in the National Football League (NFL). He served as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, who he led to eight pla ...
.
James Brown hosted all the events with help from his then-fellow ''
Fox NFL Sunday'' cast members
Terry Bradshaw,
Howie Long and
Cris Collinsworth. Actress
Calista Flockhart, then the star of Fox's ''
Ally McBeal'', and heavyweight champion
Evander Holyfield, both big Falcons fans, were in attendance for the game.
Miami became the first Super Bowl host city to have games televised by all four major American broadcast networks.
CBS televised Super Bowls
II and
X (and later
XLI and
XLIV),
NBC televised Super Bowls
III
III or iii may refer to:
Companies
* Information International, Inc., a computer technology company
* Innovative Interfaces, Inc., a library-software company
* 3i, formerly Investors in Industry, a British investment company
Other uses
* Ins ...
,
V,
XIII, and
XXIII, and
ABC televised
Super Bowl XXIX.
After the game, Fox aired the
pilot episode
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other dist ...
of ''
Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ...
'', "
Death Has a Shadow". ''
Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ...
'' would become, at the time, only the fourth series to premiere after the
Super Bowl and then have a very successful, lengthy run afterwards. The three other successful series that premiered after the
Super Bowl were ''
The A-Team'' after
Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion fo ...
, ''
The Wonder Years
''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age comedy/drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from January 31, 1988, until May 12, 1993. The series premiered immediately after ABC's coverage of Supe ...
'' after
Super Bowl XXII, and ''
Homicide: Life on the Street'' after
Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for t ...
. This was followed by ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'' episode "
Sunday, Cruddy Sunday
"Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" is the twelfth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 31, 1999, just after Super Bowl XXXIII and the pr ...
".
With this appearance, the Broncos became the first team to play in Super Bowls televised on all four major broadcast networks in the United States.
CBS televised the Broncos' losses in Super Bowls
XII
XII may refer to:
* 12 (number) or XII in Roman numerals
* 12th century or XII in Roman numerals
* ''XII'' (album), a 2012 album by American country music singer Neal McCoy
* ''XII'' (single), a 2019 single album by K-pop singer Chungha, featuri ...
,
XXI
21 (twenty-one) is the natural number following 20 and preceding 22.
The current century is the 21st century AD, under the Gregorian calendar.
In mathematics
21 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 3 and 7, and a de ...
, and
XXIV (and later their
Super Bowl 50
Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) ...
victory),
ABC their loss in
Super Bowl XXII, and
NBC their win in
Super Bowl XXXII. The
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Stee ...
became the second with their appearance in
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
, the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
the third with their appearance in
Super Bowl XLVI, the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
the fourth with their appearance in
Super Bowl LIV, and the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
the fifth with their appearance in
Super Bowl LVI.
The starting lineups were shown using a virtual television. To television viewers, it appeared as if the end zone opened up and a giant television came up out of the ground. The virtual television displayed video announcing the starting lineups. The virtual television effect was provided by
PVI Virtual Media Services using their
L-VIS virtual graphics system.
Counterprogramming
During halftime,
USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Mad ...
aired a special edition of ''
WWF Sunday Night Heat'' called ''Halftime Heat'' featuring a match between
The Rock and
Mankind
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, an ...
for the
WWF Championship in an Empty Arena Match that took place in Arizona and had been taped five days before. Mankind won the title, just seven days after losing it to The Rock at the
Royal Rumble.
FoxSports.com also ran an online-only Internet halftime show, Webcast live from South Beach Miami, and hosted by then-Fox Sports Net anchorman
Keith Olbermann. This halftime show was sponsored by Victoria's Secret and available exclusively in Windows Media Player. Viewer questions were solicited via the FoxSports.com website.
Entertainment
Pregame ceremonies
The pregame show, narrated by actress
Tori Spelling, depicted the adventure of a Caribbean cruise from its festive departure to its journey to exotic destinations. The show included a performance by
KISS
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
, along with their trademark elaborate costumes and theatrical
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarry ...
.
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industr ...
later sang the
U.S. national anthem
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bo ...
.
To honor the 40th anniversary of the 1958 NFL Championship, also known as "
The Greatest Game Ever Played", the following participants of that game appeared during the
coin toss ceremony:
Raymond Berry,
Lenny Moore,
Jim Parker,
Art Donovan,
Gino Marchetti
Gino John Marchetti (January 2, 1926 – April 29, 2019) was an American professional American football, football player who was a defensive end and Tackle (gridiron football position), offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) ...
,
Frank Gifford,
Roosevelt Brown
Roosevelt "Rosey" Brown Jr. (October 20, 1932 – June 9, 2004) was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants from 1953 to 1965. He previously played c ...
,
Don Maynard
Donald Rogers Maynard (January 25, 1935 – January 10, 2022) was an American professional football wide receiver known for playing for the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). He also played with the New York Giants and St. ...
,
Sam Huff, and
Tom Landry, the defensive coordinator of the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
.
Weeb Ewbank, head coach of the
Baltimore Colts in that game, was also scheduled to appear, but died November 17, 1998.
Halftime show
The halftime show was titled "A Celebration of
Soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '':wikt:soul, soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The ea ...
,
Salsa and
Swing
Swing or swinging may refer to:
Apparatus
* Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth
* Pendulum, an object that swings
* Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus
* Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse
* Swing rid ...
"
and featured
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy,
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, sou ...
, and
Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has bee ...
.
Game summary
First quarter
Falcons wide receiver
Tim Dwight
Timothy John Dwight Jr. (born July 13, 1975) is a former professional American football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the Univers ...
returned the opening kickoff 31 yards to the Atlanta 37-yard line. Aided by a 25-yard pass interference penalty against Broncos defensive back
Steve Atwater
Stephen Dennis Atwater (born October 28, 1966) is an American former professional football player who spent most of his career playing free safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Atwater and Dennis Smith made up a ...
and 31 rushing yards from
Jamal Anderson, the Falcons then drove to the Broncos’ 8-yard line. However, Broncos linebacker
Bill Romanowski sacked quarterback
Chris Chandler
Christopher Chandler or Chris Chandler may refer to:
* Christopher Chandler (businessman), New Zealand businessman
* Christopher Chandler (politician), lawyer and politician
* Christopher N. Chandler, former journalist and political activist
* C ...
for a 7-yard loss on third down, forcing Atlanta to settle for
Morten Andersen's 32-yard field goal to give them a 3–0 lead.
The Broncos then responded with an 80-yard scoring drive. Quarterback
John Elway
John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American professional football executive and former quarterback who is the president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL).
Elway played college f ...
's 41-yard completion to wide receiver
Rod Smith Rod, Rodney or Roderick Smith may refer to:
Sports
* Rod Smith (sportscaster), sportscaster with The Sports Network
* Rodney Smith (skateboarder), American skateboarder, co-founder of Zoo York
* Rodney Smith (cricketer) (born 1944), English cricket ...
and two receptions by tight end
Shannon Sharpe for a total of 26 net yards set up fullback
Howard Griffith's 1-yard touchdown run. Unfortunately for Denver, Sharpe was injured on that drive. He did play the next drive, but was taken out of the game after that. Later in the first quarter, Falcons defensive back
Ronnie Bradford intercepted a pass from Elway (that had bounced off Sharpe) and returned it to the Broncos 35-yard line.
Second quarter
Denver's defense made a great stand in the opening minutes of the second quarter, tackling Anderson for no gain on 3rd down and 1, and then stopping him for a 2-yard loss on 4th down. Broncos running back
Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis (born October 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos all-time leading rusher and ...
then rushed 4 times for 28 yards and
Rod Smith Rod, Rodney or Roderick Smith may refer to:
Sports
* Rod Smith (sportscaster), sportscaster with The Sports Network
* Rodney Smith (skateboarder), American skateboarder, co-founder of Zoo York
* Rodney Smith (cricketer) (born 1944), English cricket ...
caught an 18-yard pass as the Broncos drove 63 yards in 11 plays to score on
Jason Elam's 26-yard field goal to increase their lead to 10–3.
The Falcons then advanced to the Denver 8-yard line on their next drive, but failed to score when Andersen's 26-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right. Immediately after the Broncos got the ball back, Smith broke ahead of Falcons safety
Eugene Robinson
Eugene Keefe Robinson (born May 28, 1963) is a former American football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, who signed him as an undrafted free age ...
, caught a pass from Elway, and took off for an 80-yard touchdown reception, giving Denver a 17–3 lead (the fourth 80+ yard touchdown pass play in Super Bowl history). Television viewers did not see most of that play, as Fox was still airing
a commercial for ''
The Matrix
''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction film, science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in The Matrix (franchise), ''The Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Car ...
'' at the time. Aided by Dwight's 42-yard kickoff return to the 49-yard line, the Falcons responded by driving to Denver's 11-yard line and scored with Andersen's 28-yard field goal to cut Atlanta's deficit to 17–6 going into halftime.
Third quarter
The Broncos opened the second half by driving 74 yards to the Atlanta 20-yard line, but ended up scoring no points after Elam's 38-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right. Chandler responded on the next 2 plays with a 29-yard completion to receiver
Tony Martin and a 12-yard scramble to advance the ball to the Denver 41-yard line. However, linebacker
John Mobley immediately sacked Chandler for a 6-yard loss, while cornerback
Darrius Johnson
Darrius Dashone Johnson (September 17, 1973 – February 25, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL).
The Broncos selected John ...
intercepted Chandler's next pass and returned it 28 yards to the Falcons’ 42-yard line. Denver then drove to the 29-yard line, but Elam missed another field goal attempt, this one from 47 yards.
After the missed field goal, the Falcons drove to the Denver 21-yard line with Anderson's 13-yard run, wide receiver
Terance Mathis' 13-yard catch, and a 15-yard run from Anderson, giving them a chance to cut their deficit to within one touchdown. However, Broncos defensive back
Darrien Gordon intercepted a pass from Chandler and returned it 58 yards to the Atlanta 24-yard line. Two plays later on 3rd and 6, Elway's 15-yard completion to
Ed McCaffrey gave Denver a 1st and goal from the 5-yard line.
Fourth quarter
Griffith took the ball to the end zone from there with two consecutive running plays, the second a 1-yard run to increase Denver's lead to 24–6.
The Falcons reached the Broncos 26-yard line on their ensuing drive, but Gordon intercepted another pass and returned this one 50 yards to the Atlanta 48-yard line. On the next play, Elway completed a short pass to running back
Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis (born October 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos all-time leading rusher and ...
, who turned it into a 39-yard gain. Two plays later, Elway finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, giving the Broncos a 31–6 lead. Elway, who previously ran for scores before in Super Bowls XXI, XXIV, and XXXII, became the second player after
Thurman Thomas to score a touchdown in four different Super Bowls.
Dwight returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to cut Atlanta's deficit to 31–13, but the Broncos recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt. Three plays later, a 25-yard completion from Elway to McCaffrey set up Elam's 37-yard field goal with just over 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter.
The Falcons' offense advanced inside the Denver 30-yard line for the third consecutive time, with Chandler completing 8 of 14 passes for 67 yards and rushing for 6 yards, and finally scored this time on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Chandler to Mathis. Mathis' touchdown made the score 34–19 (Chandler's pass on the two-point conversion attempt was incomplete), but by then there was only 2:04 left in the game. Atlanta failed to recover the onside kick, but got the ball back on their own 30-yard line with 1:34 left after Denver failed to go for it on 4th down. However, Anderson fumbled at the Broncos 33-yard line, and Broncos defensive back
Tyrone Braxton recovered the ball, allowing Denver to run out the clock and win the game. The Broncos' 17 and the Falcons' 13 combined for a Super Bowl record 30 aggregate fourth-quarter points.
The Falcons' offense gained a total of 337 yards, were not penalized once, and drove inside Denver's 30-yard line seven times. Nevertheless, Atlanta's offense scored only 13 points and committed four turnovers. Meanwhile, the Broncos gained a total of 457 yards and scored 34 points.
For the Broncos, Davis rushed for 102 yards and caught 2 passes for 50 yards. Davis' 102 rushing yards in the Super Bowl gave him over 100 rushing yards for the seventh consecutive postseason game (and he was the third player to run for 100 yards in back-to-back Super Bowls, the others being
Larry Csonka in Super Bowls VII and VIII, and
Emmitt Smith in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII). Davis became just the second player to be on a Super Bowl-winning team after being named the
NFL Most Valuable Player and leading the league in rushing.
Emmitt Smith was the first one, but also was named Super Bowl MVP for
Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
during that year.
Marcus Allen is the only other player to win all three of these honors during his career. Allen won the 1985 NFL MVP Award and rushing title while being named
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XVII champion Washington Redskins and the American Football Conferen ...
MVP at the conclusion of the 1983 season. Smith caught 5 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown, an average of 30.4 yards per catch. Gordon recorded 2 interceptions and returned them for a Super Bowl record 108 yards.
For the Falcons, Jamal Anderson rushed for 96 yards and caught 3 passes for 16 yards. Dwight returned 5 kickoffs for 210 yards, the second most in Super Bowl history, and the highest Super Bowl career yards per return average (42.0). Mathis led Atlanta with 7 receptions for 85 yards. Chandler finished the game with 19 out of 35 completions for 219 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted 3 times.
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves (January 19, 1944 – January 1, 2022) was an American football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third most for an ...
became the fourth head coach to lose four Super Bowls, joining
Bud Grant,
Don Shula
Donald Francis Shula (January 4, 1930 – May 4, 2020) was an American football defensive back and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1963 to 1995. The head coach of the Miami Dolphins for most of his c ...
, and
Marv Levy. Reeves lost Super Bowls XXI, XXII, and XXIV while coaching the Broncos.
Box score
Final statistics
Sources
NFL.com Super Bowl XXXIIISuper Bowl XXXIII Play Finder DenSuper Bowl XXXIII Play Finder Atl
Statistical comparison
Individual statistics
Records set
The following records were set in Super Bowl XXXIII, according to the official NFL.com boxscore,
Some records have to meet NFL minimum number of attempts to be recognized.
Starting lineups
Source:[Neft, David S., Cohen, Richard M., and Korch, Rick. ''The Complete History of Professional Football from 1892 to the Present''. 1994 ]
Officials
* Referee: Bernie Kukar #86 first Super Bowl
* Umpire: Jim Daopoulos #75 first Super Bowl
* Head Linesman: Sanford Rivers #121 first Super Bowl
* Line Judge: Ron Baynes #56 second Super Bowl (XXIX)
* Field Judge: Tim Millis #80 second Super Bowl (XXIX)
* Side Judge: Gary Lane #120 second Super Bowl (XXIII)
* Back Judge: Don Hakes #96 third Super Bowl (XVI, XXX)
* Alternate Referee: Gerald Austin
Gerald Austin (born December 4, 1941) is a retired American football official, who worked in the National Football League (NFL) from the 1982 season through the 2007 season. He wore uniform number 34, which is now worn by Clete Blakeman. Austi ...
#34 (side judge for XXIV, referee for XXXI and later XXXV)
* Alternate Umpire: Chad Brown #31 (umpire for XXXV and XLV)
Prior to the start of the 1998 NFL season, the league swapped position titles with the field judge and back judge.
References
External links
Super Bowl official website
*
*
The Sporting News: History of the Super Bowl
(Last accessed December 4, 2005)
* https://www.pro-football-reference.com – Large online database of NFL data and statistics
from ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...
'' (Last accessed September 28, 2005)
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