194-701: Super Bowl XXII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins and American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1987 season . The Redskins defeated the Broncos by the score of 42–10, winning their second Super Bowl. The game was played on January 31, 1988, at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California , which
388-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
582-438: A run-pass option , but Taylor broke through the line and tackled him for a 1-yard loss. Carson stopped fullback Gerald Willhite on the next play for no gain on a run up the middle, and linebacker Carl Banks chased down Winder as he attempted to score on a sweep, tackling him for a 4-yard loss, bringing up 4th-and-goal from the 5. Karlis tried to salvage the drive with a 24-yard field goal, but he missed it wide right, giving him
776-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
970-475: A 14-yard completion to running back Sammy Winder , followed by an 11-yard completion to tight end Orson Mobley , moving the ball to the New York 33-yard line. On the next play Elway called a screen pass for Winder, which he ran for a gain of 9 yards before going out of bounds. Linebacker Harry Carson hit Winder after he stepped out, drawing a penalty for unnecessary roughness. Then an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty
1164-512: A 14–10 lead. From this point forward, the Redskins would go on to dominate the Broncos. After the ensuing kickoff, Denver drove to the Washington 26, aided by running back Sammy Winder 's 25-yard reception and Elway's 21-yard run. But offensive tackle Dave Studdard , blocking defensive end Dexter Manley , went down with a knee injury. After Elway threw an incomplete pass on third down, Karlis missed
1358-539: A 14–2 regular season record and only allowing a combined total of 3 points in their two postseason wins. The game was tight in the first half, with the Broncos holding a 10–9 halftime lead, the narrowest margin in Super Bowl history. The only score in the second quarter, however, was Giants defensive end George Martin 's sack of Elway in the end zone for a safety. This began the Giants’ run of scoring 26 unanswered points through
1552-493: A 17-yard pass to Manuel at the Broncos 45-yard line. Two plays later, the Giants executed a flea flicker play for a 44-yard gain. Simms handed off to Morris, but before he crossed the line of scrimmage, Morris pitched the ball back to Simms. With the ensuing pass, Simms found McConkey, who was wide open at the Broncos 20-yard line. After eluding safety Steve Foley , McConkey was upended by cornerback Mark Haynes just before he reached
1746-501: A 22-yard gain. On the next play, running back Ottis Anderson scored on a 2-yard touchdown run, giving the Giants a 39–13 lead after Allegre missed the extra point wide left. Denver finally scored their second touchdown of the game when Elway found Vance Johnson on a 47-yard bomb later on, which was the 100th recorded Super Bowl touchdown. However, by that point, the game had become so far out of reach that it did not do much good. Elway would eventually be replaced by Gary Kubiak , who took
1940-475: A 23-yard pass from running back Steve Sewell , becoming the first quarterback ever to catch a pass in the Super Bowl (Elway had scored a receiving touchdown during opening day the previous year against the Raiders). Washington managed to halt Denver's drive on the 6, but kicker Rich Karlis kicked a 24-yard field goal to increase the Broncos' lead to 10–0. After yet another Redskins punt, Denver managed to drive to
2134-428: A 31-yard pass to wide receiver Steve Watson , and then a 10-yard pass to Willhite, giving the Broncos a first down at the Giants 21. They moved the ball to the 16, which resulted from a penalty on nose tackle Jim Burt for jumping offsides, but the Giants forced two incompletions. The last of these saw Elway lead Mobley too far on a throw to the end zone and cause him to collide with the goal post. Despite having missed
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#17328527553552328-400: A 43-yard field goal attempt wide left. On the first play of the Redskins' ensuing drive, Williams threw a 16-yard pass to Clark. Then on the next play, Smith took off for a 58-yard touchdown run, with blocking from guard Raleigh McKenzie and offensive tackle Joe Jacoby , increasing their lead to 21–10. Washington's offensive line featuring McKenzie and Jacoby figured greatly in a play known as
2522-459: A 54-yard completion. Elway then moved the Broncos down the field further and after a third down completion to running back Steve Sewell , the third time Denver converted on the drive (Elway found Mobley for a second first down after the Johnson play), they had the ball on the New York 1-yard line with a chance to take a two-score lead. However, the Giants' defense stood their ground. First, Elway tried
2716-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
2910-414: A Super Bowl and NFL postseason record. The telecast of the game on CBS was seen by an estimated 87.2 million viewers. The large national audience saw an early appearance of the now-traditional Gatorade shower , where players dump a cooler full of liquid over a coach's head following a meaningful win. The practice was first started by Giants players in 1985; it began to gain national attention during
3104-477: A Super Bowl at Veterans Stadium , nearly approaching the needed number of votes to secure the game. The city's momentum was disrupted after the NFL owners passed a resolution calling for a future Super Bowl to be held in a Northern city with a domed stadium, affirming the league's interest in another cold weather city hosting the game, while undermining Philadelphia's ongoing effort to have the dome-less Veterans Stadium host
3298-595: A Super Bowl record for longest field goal set by Jan Stenerud of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV . New York responded on their first possession of the game with a 9-play, 78-yard drive. First, quarterback Phil Simms completed a 17-yard pass to wide receiver Lionel Manuel . Then running back Joe Morris ran for 11 yards to the Denver 41-yard line. Despite a holding penalty on New York tight end Mark Bavaro ,
3492-715: A Super Bowl. NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXII to San Diego on May 24, 1984, during their May 23–25, 1984 meetings in Washington, D.C. This was the first of three Super Bowls played at Jack Murphy Stadium (the others being XXXII and XXXVII , both of which occurred after it was renamed Qualcomm Stadium). Fourteen cities were part of the bidding process, which was scheduled to award four Super Bowls ( XXI , XXII, XXIII , and XXIV ). The bidding cities included: Anaheim , Detroit , Houston , Jacksonville , Miami , Minneapolis , New Orleans , Pasadena , Philadelphia , San Francisco , San Diego , Seattle , Tampa , and Phoenix/ Tempe . The Philadelphia host committee assembled what
3686-532: A Super bowl. The balloting for XXI took 13 ballots and over two hours to complete, with Pasadena finally receiving the winning bid. XXII was also voted on, but the voting for XXIII and XXIV was postponed. This was the fourth time that Pasadena hosted the game, and the sixth time it was held in the Greater Los Angeles Area . The Broncos won the AFC West with an 11–5 regular season record, largely through
3880-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
4074-457: A group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in a game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change
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#17328527553554268-475: A job until Redskins coach Joe Gibbs asked him to join the team to be the backup for quarterback Jay Schroeder . Williams played just one game in 1986, and spent most of the 1987 season on the bench. But injuries and inconsistent play from Schroeder made Gibbs promote Williams to starting quarterback. Williams had played extremely well in his five regular season games, passing for 1,156 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Redskins' main receiving threat
4462-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
4656-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
4850-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
5044-496: A modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as the "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton
5238-428: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
5432-583: A player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits, the game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as
5626-454: A powerful offensive line, led by Pro Bowl guard Keith Bishop . The Broncos' defense led the AFC in fewest rushing yards allowed (1,651). The defensive line was anchored by Pro Bowl defensive end Rulon Jones , who recorded 13.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Denver's linebacking corps, led by three-time Pro Bowler Tom Jackson and Karl Mecklenburg , who recorded 9.5 sacks, was viewed as comparable to
5820-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
6014-606: A rather unconventional route to the Super Bowl. He began his career as the first round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1978. After five seasons (including a trip to the NFC championship game in 1979), a contract dispute caused him to leave the team and sit out the entire 1983 season before signing with the Oklahoma Outlaws of the newly formed USFL . When that league folded a few years later, Williams found himself out of
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6208-402: A receiver and Carthon and Rouson lined up in a split back set behind him. Rutledge then took the snap from center and ran a quarterback sneak to the New York 47-yard line for a first down. On the next play, Simms completed a 13-yard pass to Morris, and then followed it up with a 23-yard completion to Rouson. Three plays later, Simms finished the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Bavaro to give
6402-493: A record-breaking 35 points in the second quarter, setting several other Super Bowl records. Williams, who was named the Super Bowl MVP , completed 18 of 29 passes for a Super Bowl record 340 yards and four touchdowns , with one interception . He also became the first player in Super Bowl history to pass for four touchdowns in a single quarter, and four in a half. Williams was the first African American starting quarterback to win
6596-456: A rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over
6790-493: A relative chip shot field goal on his last attempt, Karlis was called upon again to try to extend the Denver lead, this time with a 34-yarder. Despite having made all but one of his attempts inside of 40 yards during the regular season, Karlis once again pulled the kick wide right and the drive ended with no points. Karlis later admitted his two misses in the first half were devastating to the Broncos: "Both times I didn't get my hips all
6984-494: A round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with
7178-401: A sack to end the game, and the Giants were victorious in a 39–20 rout of the Broncos. As the final seconds of the game ticked away, Carson, continuing the recent trend started by the Giants, gave Parcells a Gatorade shower , going as far as to take off his jersey and pads and sneak behind Parcells with a Rose Bowl security team shirt on. Thanks in large part to this particular Gatorade dunking,
7372-428: A safety by completing a 10-yard pass to Jackson from his own end zone. After another punt by the Broncos, Clark delivered a 25-yard run on a reverse to start the Redskins' next possession and end the third quarter. Clark's run was the start of a four-play, 68-yard scoring drive, which also featured three runs by Smith for 43 yards, the last one being a 4-yard touchdown run to bring the game to its final score of 42–10. On
7566-536: A season-opening loss to the Dallas Cowboys , the Giants had not given up more than 20 points in a game until the last game of the season, in a 55–24 win over the Green Bay Packers . The team ranked second in the NFL in fewest points (236) and yards (4,757) allowed. The Giants' defensive leader was Hall of Fame outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor , who led the league with 20.5 sacks during the regular season, won
7760-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
7954-403: A separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble a gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following
Super Bowl XXII - Misplaced Pages Continue
8148-530: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . Super Bowl XXI Super Bowl XXI
8342-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
8536-478: A solid defensive unit, led by outside linebacker Karl Mecklenburg , who recorded 7 sacks and picked off three passes, and defensive back Mike Harden with four interceptions. Defensive end Rulon Jones led the line with 7 sacks. The Broncos finished the strike-shortened 1987 season winning the AFC West with a 10–4–1 record and the number one seed in the AFC playoffs. Dan Reeves was the head coach. The Broncos routed
8730-436: A throw and had to leave the game. Williams was untouched by the Broncos' defense before he dropped the ball while falling to the ground; referee Bob McElwee , however, blew the play dead, costing Denver a fumble recovery, along with a 22-yard fumble return touchdown by defensive end Rulon Jones . Backup quarterback Jay Schroeder was sacked for an 8-yard loss by Broncos linebacker Karl Mecklenburg on his first snap, continuing
8924-416: A touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish
9118-411: A touchdown, while also rushing once for 25 yards. Wilburn recorded two interceptions, while Walton had two sacks. Meanwhile, running back Gene Lang was the Broncos' leading rusher, with only 38 yards on five carries. Elway finished the game with 14 out of 38 pass completions for 257 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. He was also Denver's second-leading rusher with 32 yards on three carries; this
9312-540: A touchdown; and Sanders caught five passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. The Redskins scored 35 points and gained 356 yards in total offense, both Super Bowl records, and scored five touchdowns on 18 total offensive plays. During the regular season, the Broncos had allowed 35 points for the entire game only once—and it was in that game, a 40–10 loss to the Houston Oilers in Week 4, that they fielded replacement players, with
9506-460: Is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with
9700-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
9894-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
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#173285275535510088-563: Is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in the United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However,
10282-467: Is featured in NFL's Greatest Games under the title Land of the Giants and was narrated by John Doremus . The game is notable for the two intended debuts of musical themes that have become syonymous with the network, for differing reasons. CBS opened the game with the theme music, composed by Lloyd Landesman, that would later be used for their college football coverage . CBS also originally planned to debut
10476-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
10670-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
10864-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
11058-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
11252-756: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on the field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league;
11446-555: The Chicago Bears in the 1963 NFL Championship Game . The Giants were led by quarterback Phil Simms , who threw for 3,487 yards and 21 touchdowns (but also 22 interceptions). Simms' main target was tight end Mark Bavaro , who caught 66 passes for 1,001 yards and 4 touchdowns. Although the Giants did not have one great wide receiver, they did have several good ones. Receivers Stacy Robinson , Bobby Johnson , and Phil McConkey combined for 76 receptions and 1,307 yards. However, running
11640-467: The Houston Oilers in the divisional round of the playoffs, 34–10, jumping to a 14–0 first-quarter lead off of two quick Oilers turnovers, with Elway completing 14 of 25 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Vance Johnson recorded four catches for 105 yards, including a 55-yard reception to set up Elway's second touchdown pass. However, Johnson was injured during the game; he ended up missing AFC Championship game, and played only sparingly in
11834-584: The NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in the world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but
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#173285275535512028-745: The NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award for the third time in his career, and became just the second defensive player to win the NFL Most Valuable Player Award ( Alan Page was the first in 1971). At 6'3" and 245 pounds, Taylor was big enough to break through the offensive lines of many teams, but he still had enough speed to chase down running backs. The Giants' other starting linebackers, Gary Reasons , Carl Banks , and future Hall of Famer Harry Carson , did not get as much media attention as Taylor, but Carson had been selected to play in
12222-412: The center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until the snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform
12416-409: The commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to a league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of
12610-515: The following season ; Dierdorf would return to CBS for the 1999 season ). This was the first NFL game to be broadcast in Dolby Surround sound and in stereo. Nationally on radio, the game was carried over the NBC Radio Network . Don Criqui served as play-by-play with Bob Trumpy his color commentator. This was the last Super Bowl called by Criqui, as NBC Radio lost NFL rights following
12804-545: The forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered
12998-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
13192-428: The line of scrimmage ) and safety Tony Lilly , and caught a pass from Williams, taking it 80 yards for a touchdown, cutting Washington's deficit to 10–7. After forcing the Broncos to punt on their next possession, Washington advanced to the Denver 27 on a 19-yard run by Smith. Facing 3rd-and-1, Williams connected with receiver Gary Clark , who made a diving catch in the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown to give Washington
13386-407: The neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912, the field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance
13580-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
13774-413: The 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained a tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement
13968-639: The 1986 season, when Parcells was doused after every win. This loss also kicked off the Broncos' run of Super Bowl futility with John Elway under center. They would make it back to the Super Bowl the very next year but lost 42–10 to the Washington Redskins, after leading 10–0 at the end of the first quarter. Two years later , they made it back but fell to the defending world champion 49ers 55–10. NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXI to Pasadena, California, on May 24, 1984, during their May 23–25, 1984 meetings in Washington, D.C. Fourteen cities were part of
14162-552: The 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap
14356-699: The AFC Championship Game. The AFC Championship Game against the Browns was particularly significant because Elway displayed why many NFL experts thought Super Bowl XXI would be the first of many Super Bowls for him. In what became known as The Drive , the Broncos started from their own 2-yard line, trailing 20–13, with 5:32 left to play. But in 15 plays, Elway led Denver 98 yards for a game-tying touchdown pass with 39 seconds left. The Broncos then won in overtime after Elway led them 60 yards in 9 plays to set up kicker Rich Karlis ' game-winning field goal. Meanwhile,
14550-527: The Broncos' first play after receiving the opening kickoff, quarterback John Elway faked a handoff, then spun around and ran in the opposite direction for a 10-yard gain to the Denver 34-yard line. Then on third down, his 24-yard completion to wide receiver Mark Jackson advanced the ball to the Giants' 39-yard line. However, the Giants' defense tightened up and halted the drive at the 30-yard line, forcing Denver to settle for kicker Rich Karlis 's 48-yard field goal to give them an early 3–0 lead. Karlis' kick tied
14744-427: The Broncos' next possession, Elway appeared to complete a 33-yard pass to wide receiver Vance Johnson on 4th-and-17, but this was nullified by a holding penalty on center Mike Freeman , bringing up 4th-and-27, and forcing yet another Denver punt. Washington then reached the Denver 13 to run out the clock and win the game. By the end of the game, Elway was sacked five times and threw three interceptions. Smith finished
14938-458: The Counter Gap, which the Redskins ran repeatedly in the game. The Redskins again forced a Broncos punt and increased their lead to 28–10 in three plays, the last two of which consisted of passes from Williams to Sanders; the first for 11 yards, and the second for a 50-yard touchdown, which made Sanders the first player in Super Bowl history to catch two touchdowns in one quarter. Three plays after
15132-431: The Denver 29-yard line, aided by a 15-yard run by Bryant and a 12-yard reception by Clark, but kicker Ali Haji-Sheikh 's 46-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright of the goal post. On the Redskins' next possession, their only turnover of the game was recorded when Williams threw a deep pass intended for Clark that was intercepted by cornerback Jeremiah Castille at the Broncos 2-yard line. Elway then managed to escape
15326-403: The Giants a 16–10 lead. The Broncos were forced to punt on their next drive, and wide receiver Phil McConkey returned the punt 25 yards to Denver's 36-yard line. The Broncos managed to keep the Giants out of the end zone, but kicker Raúl Allegre increased New York's lead to 19–10 with a 21-yard field goal. Denver was again forced to punt on their ensuing possession. Afterwards, Simms completed
15520-435: The Giants marched to the Broncos 6 with Simms' 18-yard pass to wide receiver Stacy Robinson , and then a 17-yard completion to Bavaro two plays later. Simms finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zeke Mowatt , giving the Giants a 7–3 lead. Broncos kick returner Ken Bell gave his team great field position by returning the ensuing kickoff 28 yards to the Broncos 42-yard line. Elway's first two passes were
15714-644: The Giants went on to only allow a combined total of 3 points in their playoff victories over the San Francisco 49ers , 49–3, and the Washington Redskins , 17–0, respectively. The dominating performances by the Giants' defense gave the team extra confidence going into their Super Bowl matchup versus the Broncos. Much of the pregame hype centered around the confrontation between Elway and Taylor, and whether or not Taylor would be able to hurry Elway's throws or sack him. The Giants had narrowly defeated Denver during
15908-488: The Giants' Pro Bowl linebackers. Their secondary was led by Pro Bowl cornerbacks Dennis Smith and Louis Wright , along with Mike Harden , who intercepted 6 passes and returned them for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wright, Steve Foley, and Jackson, the last remnants of Denver's Orange Crush defense of the 1970s, all retired after this Super Bowl. The Giants advanced to their first Super Bowl in team history, and were playing for their first league championship since they lost to
16102-528: The NFC championship by winning on the road against the teams with the best records in the NFL, defeating the 12–3 New Orleans Saints 44–10, and the 13–2 San Francisco 49ers 36–24. The experienced Redskins, who had narrowly defeated Minnesota in a 27–24 overtime game during Week 15 of the season, put an end to the Vikings' string of upsets, aided by Williams' go-ahead touchdown pass to wide receiver Gary Clark with five minutes remaining to lead 17–10. Then they sealed
16296-508: The NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at the time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from
16490-564: The NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in the FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by
16684-590: The Pro Bowl, while Reasons had two interceptions and Banks recorded 6.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries. Nose tackle Jim Burt and right end Leonard Marshall , who were also both selected to the Pro Bowl, anchored the defensive line. Marshall recorded 12 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception during the season. The Giants secondary was led by safeties Terry Kinard (4 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries) and Kenny Hill (3 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries), along with cornerback Perry Williams (4 interceptions). With
16878-534: The Redskins could not generate any offensive momentum in the first quarter, with the Broncos' defense forcing a punt on every drive. On the second play of Washington's ensuing drive, a 25-yard run by running back Timmy Smith was nullified by a holding penalty on tight end Don Warren . To make matters worse, three plays later, after completing a 20-yard pass to running back Kelvin Bryant , quarterback Doug Williams slipped and twisted his back left leg while planting to make
17072-430: The Redskins' offensive woes. By the time the quarter ended, the Broncos had more than twice as many total yards of offense (142) as the Redskins (64). Williams returned 43 seconds into the second quarter, and the Washington offense began to click. In the previous 21 Super Bowls, no team had ever overcome a 10-point deficit to win, but the second quarter took an abrupt turn in favor of the Redskins. And much like they had in
17266-471: The Super Bowl. Denver also lost safety Mike Harden for the rest of the season with a broken arm. Denver then won the AFC Championship Game in exciting fashion over the AFC Central champion Cleveland Browns , 38–33 for the second consecutive year. The Broncos seemed to be in control of the game during the first half, taking a 21–3 lead. However, with quarterback Bernie Kosar , Cleveland rallied back and tied
17460-458: The Washington 30 on their third possession with two runs by running back Gene Lang for a total of 24 yards and an 18-yard reception by Sewell. But this time, they failed to extend their lead after Elway threw two incomplete passes, then got sacked for an 18-yard loss by safety Alvin Walton on third down, pushing the Broncos out of field goal range and forcing their first punt of the game. Meanwhile,
17654-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
17848-550: The ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of
18042-405: The ball before being tackled. However, the discussion among the crew continued for some time before NFL Director of Officiating Art McNally paged umpire Bob Boylston; this meant that, for the first time, the newly introduced instant replay system would be used in a Super Bowl. The crew then waited while McNally and the officials in the replay booth took a second look at the play. They ruled that
18236-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
18430-414: The ball was the Giants' primary offensive attack. Running back Joe Morris finished the regular season with a then-franchise record 1,516 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, while also catching 21 passes for 223 yards and another touchdown. One reason for his success was fullback Maurice Carthon , who provided Morris with excellent blocking and was the team's second leading rusher with 260 yards. Another reason
18624-430: The ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on the offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except
18818-417: The bidding process, which was scheduled to award four Super Bowls (XXI, XXII , XXIII , and XXIV ). The bidding cities included: Anaheim , Detroit , Houston , Jacksonville , Miami , Minneapolis , New Orleans , Pasadena , Philadelphia , San Francisco , San Diego , Seattle , Tampa , and Tempe . The Philadelphia host committee assembled what was considered a strong, but long-shot bid, hoping to win
19012-618: The broadcast booth, and Jim Hunter reporting from the sidelines. Brent Musburger anchored the Super Bowl XXII pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage with analysis from Will McDonough and Jimmy Snyder for CBS . Locally, Super Bowl XXII was broadcast on WMAL-AM in Washington, D.C. by Frank Herzog , Sam Huff and Sonny Jurgenson , and on KOA-AM in Denver , Colorado by Bob Martin and Larry Zimmer. ABC's Super Bowl lead-out programs
19206-573: The college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with
19400-543: The conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for the second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of
19594-541: The conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in the United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of
19788-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
19982-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
20176-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
20370-520: The dispute was settled. This proved particularly costly for the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants , who lost all three of their "replacement player games" and failed to make the playoffs. The Broncos were making their second consecutive (and third overall) Super Bowl appearance, after posting a 10–4–1 regular season record, largely through the strength of their quarterback, John Elway . The Redskins, who were making their fourth Super Bowl appearance, posted an 11–4 regular season record. Washington
20564-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
20758-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
20952-442: The ensuing kickoff, Washington cornerback Barry Wilburn intercepted a pass intended for Nattiel on the Redskins 21, and once again, the Redskins stormed down the field to score. First, Smith broke loose for a 43-yard run, then Williams completed a pair of passes to Sanders for 28 yards to reach the Denver 7. Two plays later, Williams threw the fifth Washington touchdown of the quarter, an 8-yard pass to tight end Clint Didier to make
21146-499: The feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create a standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from
21340-513: The field. Parcells had entertained the possibility of running a fake punt and sent backup quarterback Jeff Rutledge onto the field to line up as a third blocking back along with running backs Maurice Carthon and Lee Rouson . Parcells said his reasoning was that if the Broncos were not going to pick up on Rutledge being used as a decoy for a potential fake, he would take advantage. As he had thought, Denver paid no attention to Rutledge, and he moved under center while punter Sean Landeta split out as
21534-469: The first half. New York capitalized on the call on the next play as Elway, under pressure, retreated into the end zone and was tackled there by defensive end George Martin , giving up a safety and cutting Denver's lead to 10–9. The Broncos' defense, however, was able to hold the Giants to a three-and-out on the drive following the ensuing free kick. With 1:09 left in the half, the Broncos started from their own 37-yard line. On second down, Elway completed
21728-499: The first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold weather city. Minneapolis went above and beyond in selling their unsuccessful bid, even staging a parade in the lobby of the hotel hosting the NFL owners' meeting that included a woman riding a white horse . To counter, Philadelphia Eagles -owner Leonard Tose launched a parade in the style of the Mummers Parade , featuring musicians and clowns . Philadelphia ultimately came close to landing
21922-413: The first team to initiate what has now become a standard post-game celebration, and the Super Bowl telecast enabled a large, national audience to first witness what has become commonplace. Super Bowl XXI MVP Phil Simms became the first athlete to appear in an " I'm going to Disney World! " television ad, being recorded shouting the phrase while celebrating the team's victory immediately after the game. On
22116-454: The first two plays, but on third down, Elway scored on a 4-yard quarterback draw to regain the lead for the Broncos, 10–7, with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter. After Denver forced a punt by New York to start the second quarter, Elway dropped back to pass from his own 18-yard line on 3rd-and-12. The Giants' pass rush forced him to scramble out of the pocket, but it gave him enough time to find wide receiver Vance Johnson for
22310-420: The first year the trio was together, with Dierdorf moving to ABC from CBS; Gifford was the only holdover from ABC's Super Bowl XIX telecast). The trio went on to man the booth for ABC's Monday Night Football from 1987 to 1997 and called Super Bowls XXV and XXIX . The game was broadcast nationally on radio by CBS , with Jack Buck handling the play-by-play duties and color commentator Hank Stram in
22504-436: The football from Browns running back Earnest Byner and recovered the ensuing fumble as Byner was rushing in for the potential tying touchdown, securing the Broncos' win. Meanwhile, the Redskins had narrow wins in the playoffs. First, they won at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears , 21–17, ending Walter Payton 's career. The key play was a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown by Redskins defensive back Darrell Green for
22698-416: The football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from
22892-467: The fourth quarter, Elway threw an interception to Giants cornerback Elvis Patterson , who was tackled at the Denver 42 by Watson, but an illegal use of hands penalty on Patterson after the interception moved the ball to the New York 48. On the second play after the turnover, Simms completed a 36-yard pass to Robinson. Four plays later, from the Broncos 6, Simms threw a pass to Bavaro in the end zone. The pass bounced off Bavaro's fingertips, but fell right into
23086-412: The game and the postgame interviews ran past the expected airtime, and thus the montage was canceled and CBS instead went straight to its Super Bowl lead-out program , Hard Copy . CBS then asked Barrett for permission to use the song after the 1987 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game on March 30, in which Indiana beat Syracuse . "One Shining Moment" was used to close CBS's coverage of
23280-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
23474-618: The game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect
23668-402: The game with a Super Bowl record 204 rushing yards, and scored two touchdowns. Sanders caught nine passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns, and returned three kickoffs for 46 yards. His 193 receiving yards and his 235 total offensive yards were both Super Bowl records, and his 80-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter also tied a Super Bowl record. Clark caught three passes for 55 yards and
23862-675: The game. It was the earliest touchdown any team had ever scored in Super Bowl history to that point (the record was later broken by Jerry Rice in Super Bowl XXIX , and again by Devin Hester in Super Bowl XLI ). The Broncos quickly forced Washington to punt again, and once again Elway displayed his superb scrambling skills. On the second play of Denver's ensuing possession, Elway completed a 32-yard pass to wide receiver Mark Jackson . Then, Elway caught
24056-589: The go-ahead touchdown. The Bears' Kevin Butler kicked a field goal to close the deficit to 21–17, but the Bears could get no closer. Noteworthy was the Redskins trailed 14–0 early in the game. The Redskins won a defensive battle against the surprising Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game, 17–10. The Vikings barely made the playoffs with an 8–7 record during the strike-shortened regular season, but advanced to
24250-493: The goal line, throwing his hands up in mock frustration after being stopped at the 1-yard line. On the next play, Morris scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, increasing the Giants' lead to 26–10 and essentially putting the game away. Elway barely avoided a turnover by recovering his own fumble on the last play of the third quarter before getting sacked for an 11-yard loss by Marshall. After a false start by offensive tackle Ken Lanier pushed Denver back to their own 4-yard line to start
24444-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
24638-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
24832-617: The hands of McConkey for a touchdown, extending the Giants' lead to 33–10. The Broncos, now playing for pride, finally managed to get a good drive going on their next possession, advancing the ball 74 yards in 13 plays. Elway completed 5 of 6 passes for 46 yards (including a 15-yard reception by Jackson) and rushed for 14, while Karlis finished the drive with a 28-yard field goal, cutting Denver's deficit to 33–13. But Giants wide receiver Bobby Johnson recovered Karlis' ensuing onside kick attempt and New York responded with yet another scoring drive. Rouson ran twice for 21 yards, and then Simms ran for
25026-539: The illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922,
25220-448: The innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become the most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced
25414-520: The most unlikely quarterback, Doug Williams, who led his team to score 35 points in the second quarter: a single-quarter Super Bowl scoring record that still stands!" at Jack Murphy Stadium , San Diego, California Sources: NFL.com Super Bowl XXII , Super Bowl XXII Play Finder Was , Super Bowl XXII Play Finder Den Completions/attempts Carries Long gain Receptions Times targeted The following records were set in Super Bowl XXII, according to
25608-900: The number 38 on their helmets as a tribute to former Giants fullback John Tuggle , who had died of cancer shortly before the start of the season at age 25. They also had patches on their uniforms as a memorial to former Giants defensive back Carl Lockhart , who had died of lymphoma at the age of 41 one month before Tuggle. The game was broadcast in the United States by CBS . It featured the broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall and color commentator John Madden . Brent Musburger of The NFL Today anchored The Super Bowl Today pregame, halftime and postgame coverage. Helping Musburger were reporters Irv Cross and Will McDonough and analysts Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder , Terry Bradshaw , Joe Theismann , CBS News reporter Charles Osgood and Dan Dierdorf (in his final CBS assignment before moving on to ABC 's Monday Night Football for
25802-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
25996-507: The official NFL.com boxscore and the ProFootball reference.com game summary. Source: Hall of Fame‡ Following this game, Johnny Grier was promoted to referee, becoming the first African-American to lead an NFL officiating crew. American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on
26190-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
26384-572: The play of quarterback John Elway . In just his fourth season in the league, Elway made an impact to the team with his ad-libbing skills. During the regular season, he had thrown for 3,480 yards and 19 touchdowns, while also rushing for 257 yards, the third-leading rusher on the team. Elway did not really have a particular receiver who caught most of his passes during the regular season, but wide receivers Mark Jackson, Vance Johnson , Steve Watson , and tight end Orson Mobley all combined for 136 receptions and 2,132 yards. Pro Bowl running back Sammy Winder
26578-600: The play of their defense, the running attack led by Morris, and Simms' passing game, the Giants earned a 14–2 regular season record. This is the only one of the New York Giants’ five Super Bowl appearances where they were favored. Elway's ability to improvise on the fly, in part, helped Denver to make it through the playoffs, narrowly defeating the New England Patriots 22–17, and the Cleveland Browns 23–20, in
26772-400: The play would stand as called, as an incomplete pass. Indeed, there were no conclusive replays that the officials could find that indicated Kay caught the pass. CBS, however, was able to find one that the officials had not seen; the production crew found a reverse angle shot of the play that proved conclusively that Kay caught the pass cleanly. The network broadcast this replay toward the end of
26966-448: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
27160-553: The premiere episode's conclusion after midnight Eastern Time contributed to the program change. The game was simulcast in Canada on CTV and in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 . It was also the first Super Bowl in which Mexico's Televisa brought a team of its own (instead of relying on the U.S. signal with comments made from Mexico City), airing on its Canal de las Estrellas . The NFL Films NFL's Greatest Games highlight film
27354-484: The primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football,
27548-429: The primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play the sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in
27742-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
27936-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
28130-429: The record for the shortest missed field goal in Super Bowl history. The Giants picked up a first down on the first play of the ensuing drive as Bavaro caught a 12-yard pass from Simms on the first play from scrimmage. Simms followed that up with an 8-yard completion to Robinson, and two plays later, Morris picked up a first down with a short run. The drive stalled there, and the Broncos got the ball back on their 15. Elway
28324-496: The regular players having gone on strike. Washington's 25-point lead at the half surpassed the previous record of 20 points set by San Francisco in Super Bowl XVI . The Broncos' second consecutive Super Bowl appearance continued to go downhill in the second half as the Redskins shut them out for the rest of the game. On Denver's first possession of the second half, Elway was intercepted again by Wilburn. Washington then drove to
28518-483: The regular season, forcing four turnovers in a 19–16 win despite being outgained in total yards 405 to 262. This was the last Super Bowl until Super Bowl XXXIV in which both teams entered the game having never won a Super Bowl before. As the designated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Giants wore their home blue uniforms and white pants. The Broncos donned their all-white road uniforms. The New York players in this game wore stickers with
28712-631: The rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands the ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
28906-499: The role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when the AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain
29100-418: The roles reversed with Miami receiving Super Bowl LIV and Tampa receiving Super Bowl LV . The primary storyline surrounding Super Bowl XXII was that Washington's Doug Williams was the first African-American quarterback ever to start in a Super Bowl. This was even more meaningful given that the Redskins had been among the last teams to sign a black player after they reentered the league. Williams had taken
29294-475: The score 31–31 in the fourth quarter. Elway responded with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Sammy Winder, taking the lead back with less than five minutes left in regulation. The Browns took the ball back and drove to the Denver 8-yard line, but the drive ended with a play that became known as The Fumble , resulting in more bad luck in Cleveland professional sports lore: Denver defensive back Jeremiah Castille stripped
29488-402: The score 35–10. On Denver's next drive, Elway completed three consecutive passes for 40 total yards (including a 24-yard pass to Jackson) to advance to the Redskins 36. However, cornerback Brian Davis intercepted Elway's next pass at the 21 to end the half. In the second quarter alone, Williams completed 9 of 11 passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns; Smith rushed five times for 122 yards and
29682-426: The season and he returned to his secondary play-by-play role on NBC television. Trumpy would call two more Super Bowls for NBC television ( Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII ) as part of the network's No. 1 broadcast team. In the teams' local markets, the game was carried on WNEW-AM in New York City with Jim Gordon and Dick Lynch and KOA-AM in Denver , Colorado, with Bob Martin and Larry Zimmer. The game
29876-441: The second half of Super Bowl XXI against the New York Giants , Denver's defense suffered an on-field meltdown, giving up six unanswered touchdowns to Washington, five of which were scored in the second quarter alone, and all of which were scored by the offense. Following another Broncos punt, on the Redskins' first play of the second quarter, wide receiver Ricky Sanders got behind cornerback Mark Haynes (who tried to jam him at
30070-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
30264-469: The song " One Shining Moment " during a postgame montage at the end of its coverage. Songwriter David Barrett had originally wrote "One Shining Moment" for basketball, being inspired after watching Larry Bird play. For the Super Bowl XXI montage, the lyrics were modified to make football references instead of basketball ones, such as changing "The ball is tipped " to "The ball is kicked ". However, both
30458-539: The sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of
30652-439: The sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized
30846-497: The superior quarterback to Williams. Elway had won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award and was selected to start for the AFC in the Pro Bowl , while Williams had played just five regular season games in the 1987 season. Before the game, it was announced that Williams underwent emergency root canal treatment for an abscessed lower right molar the previous night. Team dentist Barry Rudolph said there were no complications, and Williams then
31040-506: The third and fourth quarters. Denver would counter with ten additional points toward the end of the game to narrow their margin of victory. The Giants also posted a Super Bowl record 30 points in the second half, and limited the Broncos to only 2 net yards in the third quarter. Simms, who was named the Super Bowl MVP , finished the game with 22 of 25 passes completed for 268 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 25 rushing yards on 3 carries. His 22 out of 25 (88%) completion percentage broke both
31234-595: The tournament. The positive public response led to it becoming an annual feature on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship coverage ever since. The pregame show was a salute to California and featured the pop music group The Beach Boys and Canadian jazz fusion band The Shuffle Demons . Singer Neil Diamond performed the national anthem. The show was directed and choreographed by Lesslee Fitzmorris. The coin toss ceremony featured Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Willie Davis . The halftime show
31428-458: The troops. Trumpeter Herb Alpert performed " The Star-Spangled Banner ", while Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Don Hutson participated in the coin toss ceremony (the game happened to coincide with Hutson's 75th birthday). Alpert's performance was the last non-vocal performance of the National Anthem in a Super Bowl to date. The halftime show, produced by Radio City Music Hall ,
31622-564: The victory with 56 seconds left when Green knocked a pass out of the hands of running back Darrin Nelson at the one yard line on a fourth down and four play from the Redskins 6-yard line. Coming into Super Bowl XXII, the Broncos were favored to win (−3 as noted on the NFL Today show by Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder ) because most experts thought both teams were equal in terms of talent with Elway presumed to be
31816-442: The way through the kicks. I was steering the ball, and I know better than that. I felt the team unravel after that. I really hurt them." In the second half, the Giants dominated the Broncos, outscoring them 30–10 with four touchdowns and a field goal on their first five possessions. The Giants took the opening kickoff in the third quarter, but faced 4th-and-1 after their first three plays. New York sent their punt formation out onto
32010-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
32204-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
32398-408: The young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for a common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of
32592-604: Was a "Salute to Hollywood's 100th Anniversary" featuring an introduction by George Burns (who was only nine years younger than the Hollywood neighborhood in Los Angeles ) and a performance by the Southern California high school drill teams and dancers. As had been their tradition all season, upon securing their victory, Giants players celebrated by dumping a Gatorade cooler on head coach Bill Parcells . The 1986 Giants were
32786-487: Was a big contributor, rushing for 406 yards, and catching 43 passes for 490 yards during the 1987 season. The Redskins offensive line was anchored by tackle Joe Jacoby , a 4-time pro bowl selection, and future Hall of Fame Center Russ Grimm . The Redskins also had an excellent defensive unit, led by defensive backs Barry Wilburn , who recorded nine interceptions for 135 return yards and one touchdown; Todd Bowles , who intercepted four passes; and Darrell Green . Their line
32980-600: Was also broadcast in Canada on CTV and in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 . The latter had commentary by Frank Gifford , John Smith and Don Shula . This was also the first Super Bowl to be telecast on commercial television in Asia, as the GMA Network in the Philippines aired its first Super Bowl. This game also marked the first Super Bowl to be broadcast live in Rome. Super Bowl XXI
33174-503: Was also the team's second leading rusher with 304 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receivers Vance Johnson and Ricky Nattiel , and tight end Clarence Kay , combined for 104 receptions and 1,754 yards. Running back Sammy Winder was the leading rusher with 741 yards and six touchdowns, while fullback Gene Lang rushed for 304 yards and caught 17 receptions. Denver's offensive line was led by guard Keith Bishop , who earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection. The Broncos also possessed
33368-644: Was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1986 season . It was the 21st Super Bowl and was played on January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California . The Giants defeated the Broncos, 39–20, for their first Super Bowl and first NFL title since 1956 . It
33562-504: Was anchored by defensive ends Charles Mann , who led the team with 9.5 sacks and recovered a fumble; and Dexter Manley , who recorded 8.5 sacks. The Redskins finished the 1987 strike-shortened regular season as NFC East champions with an 11–4 record and the third seed in the NFC playoffs. The Broncos advanced to their second consecutive Super Bowl, overall the third appearance in team history. Quarterback John Elway had another excellent season, passing for 3,198 yards and 19 touchdowns. He
33756-401: Was assessed to linebacker Lawrence Taylor for picking up and throwing the first flag. Carson's penalty was assessed for 12 yards, half the distance to the goal from the spot of the dead ball, and Taylor's was for half the distance from that spot, resulting in a total of 19 penalty yards and a first down for Denver at the New York 6-yard line. The Giants kept the Broncos out of the end zone for
33950-435: Was broadcast in the United States by ABC . The broadcast featured with play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and color commentators Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf . Keith Jackson hosted the pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage for ABC, joined by analysts Lynn Swann and Mike Adamle as well as then Cleveland Browns head coach Marty Schottenheimer and then Minnesota Vikings head coach Jerry Burns . Bob Griese
34144-520: Was considered a strong, but long-shot bid, hoping to win the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold weather city. Tempe and Jacksonville had no NFL team at the time; the Cardinals moved from St. Louis to Tempe in 1988, and the Jaguars were awarded as an expansion team in 1993, starting play in 1995 . The balloting for XXI took over two hours to complete. XXII was also voted on, but the voting for XXIII and XXIV
34338-418: Was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included the reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams,
34532-444: Was led by quarterback Doug Williams , who entered the season as a backup, and was 0–2 as a starter during the regular season. He ended up leading Washington to their two playoff victories. In doing so, he was the first African American quarterback ever to start in an NFL league championship game , let alone a Super Bowl. After trailing 10–0 at the end of the first quarter of the game, the Redskins scored 42 unanswered points, including
34726-440: Was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed a rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football
34920-400: Was originally planned to co-host with Jackson, but had to bow out due his wife Judi who was in the late stages of breast cancer, from which she died on February 15, 1988.) Also helping with ABC's coverage were Jack Whitaker , Jim Hill and Becky Dixon . This was the first Super Bowl broadcast on ABC with the broadcast team of Michaels, Gifford, and Dierdorf in the booth (as the 1987 season was
35114-665: Was postponed. San Diego was awarded XXII, marking the second time that consecutive Super Bowls were played in the same state, with Pasadena selected for XXI . This has now happened three times in NFL history; Super Bowls II and III were both played at the Miami Orange Bowl and Super Bowls XLIII and XLIV were played in Florida (at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens) and then repeated eleven years later with
35308-542: Was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine a national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to
35502-403: Was pronounced fit to start. As the designated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Broncos opted to wear their home orange uniforms and white pants. The Redskins, as the road team, countered with white uniforms and burgundy pants that they typically wore during home games and which they also wore in their two previous Super Bowl appearances during the 1980s. The game
35696-423: Was tackled for a 2-yard loss by defensive end Leonard Marshall on the first play of the ensuing drive. What followed was one of the more controversial calls of the game. With the ball on his own 13-yard line, Elway found tight end Clarence Kay for a gain of 25 yards and an apparent first down. However, referee Jerry Markbreit conferred with his crew and reversed the call, determining that Kay had not controlled
35890-403: Was the Broncos' top rusher with 789 yards and 9 touchdowns, while also catching 26 passes for another 171 yards and 5 touchdowns. Halfback Gerald Willhite rushed for 365 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also leading the team in receptions with 64 (for 529 yards and three touchdowns), and ranking third in the NFL in both punt return yards (468) and yards per return average (11.1). The Broncos also had
36084-436: Was the final Super Bowl to feature the football-style logo at the 35-yard-line which had been in use since Super Bowl XIV . The game got off to a promising start for Denver. After forcing the Redskins to go three-and-out, the Broncos scored on their very first play from scrimmage, when quarterback John Elway threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ricky Nattiel , giving Denver a 7–0 lead after just 1:57 had elapsed in
36278-574: Was the first of consecutive Super Bowl losses for the Broncos, who lost the Super Bowl a year later 42–10 to the Washington Redskins. This was the Broncos' first Super Bowl appearance since the 1977 season . Led largely through the play of quarterback John Elway and a defense that led the AFC in fewest yards allowed, the Broncos posted an 11–5 regular season record and two narrow playoff victories. The Giants, led by quarterback Phil Simms , running back Joe Morris , and their " Big Blue Wrecking Crew " defense, advanced to their first Super Bowl after posting
36472-475: Was the first time that the Super Bowl was played there. It was the second consecutive Super Bowl loss for the Broncos, who had lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl the year before. This Super Bowl came at the end of a season that was shortened by a players' strike . Each team only missed one regular season game due to the labor dispute, but three games were played mostly with replacement players until
36666-480: Was the only Super Bowl in which Elway played without scoring a rushing touchdown. Jackson was Denver's top receiver with four catches for 76 yards. In 2015, on the occasion of Super Bowl 50 , Slate writer Justin Peters watched all the games over a two-month period. He considered Super Bowl XXII to be the best Super Bowl ever, declaring it was, "The most significant Super Bowl ever played. The most unlikely comeback from
36860-450: Was the play of their offensive line, led by Pro Bowl left tackle Brad Benson and right tackle Karl Nelson . On special teams, punter Sean Landeta made the Pro Bowl with an average of 44.8 gross yards per punt (2nd in the NFL), a net average of 37.1, and 24 punts inside the 20. But the Giants main strength was their defense, nicknamed The " Big Blue Wrecking Crew ". After giving up 31 points in
37054-400: Was the series debut of The Wonder Years . This was only the second successful series to debut following a Super Bowl up to that time ( The A-Team , which had premiered following Super Bowl XVII , was the first). The Wonder Years was a late switch by ABC, which had initially scheduled the two-hour premiere of China Beach , but concerns about the game running long and potentially pushing
37248-436: Was titled Ambush at Super Bowl XXII ; and was the first such highlight film to feature former Boston and Buffalo radio personality Jeff Kaye as its narrator. The pregame festivities featured a tribute to entertainer Bob Hope , who was approaching the age of 85. Members representing the military service branches marched out onto the field in full dress uniforms, and in unison saluted Bob Hope for his dedication to helping
37442-460: Was titled "Something Grand" and featured performances by vocalist Chubby Checker , The Rockettes , and 88 grand pianos with the USC and San Diego State marching bands. Among the 44 Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, American performer Jennifer Jones made her national debut as its first African American Rockette. Checker's performance marked the first time a major artist performed during the show. This
37636-498: Was wide receiver Gary Clark , who caught 56 passes for 1,066 yards, an average of 19 yards per catch. Wide receivers Ricky Sanders and Art Monk were also deep threats, combining for 80 receptions and 1,130 yards. Running back George Rogers was Washington's leading rusher with 613 yards. However, Rogers saw limited action in Super Bowl XXII due to injuries that later forced him into early retirement. Rookie running back Timmy Smith started in his place. Fullback Kelvin Bryant also
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