199-691: Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XXXII champion Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Atlanta Falcons to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1998 season . The Broncos defeated the Falcons by the score of 34–19, winning their second consecutive Super Bowl. The game
398-422: 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 a touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage
597-403: 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
796-431: A 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive. Quarterback John Elway 's 41-yard completion to wide receiver Rod Smith and two receptions by tight end Shannon Sharpe for a total of 26 yards set up fullback Howard Griffith 's 1-yard touchdown run, giving Denver a 7–3 lead. However, Sharpe injured his knee just before Griffith's touchdown after making his second catch before being upended by cornerback Ray Buchanan . Sharpe did play on
995-401: 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,
1194-518: A 13-play, 79-yard drive that was capped by George's second touchdown of the game, a 2-yard run, to cut Tennessee's deficit to 16–13. The Titans' defense then forced the Rams to a three-and-out , and Horan's 30-yard punt gave the Titans the ball back at their 47-yard line. The Titans' offense then drove only 28 yards on their ensuing possession, but it was close enough for Del Greco to kick a 43-yard field goal, tying
1393-579: A 13–3 record (including a home win over the Rams), but finished second behind the 14–2 Jacksonville Jaguars (who had the best record in the NFL that season) in the AFC Central . The Jaguars' only two losses were to the Titans, but Tennessee's three losses forced them to enter the playoffs as a wild-card team. Playing in his first ever NFL playoff game, Warner threw for 395 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 1 interception, as
1592-454: A 17-yard completion on 3rd-and-7 from quarterback Kurt Warner to wide receiver Isaac Bruce . But on 3rd-and-9 at the 17, safety Blaine Bishop pressured Warner to throw an incomplete pass. Then the ensuing 35-yard field goal attempt by kicker Jeff Wilkins failed when punter/holder Mike Horan fumbled the snap and was tackled by cornerback Donald Mitchell , giving the ball to Tennessee on their own 29-yard line. The Titans responded by moving
1791-590: A 17–3 lead (the fourth 80+ yard touchdown pass play in Super Bowl history). At the time of the game, the television audience did not see most of that play, as Fox was still airing a commercial for The Matrix . Aided by Dwight's 42-yard kickoff return and a 23-yard reception by wide receiver Tony Martin , the Falcons responded by driving to the Denver 11-yard line and scoring on Andersen's 28-yard field goal to cut their deficit to 17–6 going into halftime. The Broncos opened
1990-423: A 17–3 lead in the second quarter from which Atlanta could not recover. In the final game of his career before his announced retirement on May 2, 1999, Elway completed 18 of 29 passes for 336 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and also scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown. At 38 years old, Elway became the oldest player to be named Super Bowl MVP , a record that stood until Tom Brady surpassed it in 2017 at
2189-508: A 25-yard pass interference penalty against Broncos safety Steve Atwater (which was actually meant to be called against cornerback Ray Crockett ) and four runs by running back Jamal Anderson for 24 total yards, the Falcons reached the Denver 8-yard line. However, linebacker Bill Romanowski sacked quarterback Chris Chandler for a 7-yard loss on third down, forcing Atlanta to settle for kicker Morten Andersen 's 32-yard field goal to give them an early 3–0 lead. The Broncos then responded with
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#17328444125282388-571: A 30-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to receiver Ricky Proehl with 4:44 left in the game. Meanwhile, the Titans started out their postseason by narrowly defeating the Buffalo Bills , 22–16 in Nashville, on a famous, trick kickoff return play that became known in NFL lore as the Music City Miracle . Tennessee jumped to a 12–0 halftime lead with an Al Del Greco field goal, a safety by Kearse, and
2587-540: A 31-yard strike to Bruce and a 16-yard completion to tight end Ernie Conwell before finishing the 8-play, 68-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Torry Holt , increasing St. Louis' lead to 16–0. Bishop combined with safety Anthony Dorsett to tackle Conwell, but suffered a spinal injury and had to leave the game. The game was delayed for several minutes while Bishop was being treated. Already without fellow injured starting safety Marcus Robertson , Dorsett and Perry Phenix had to fill in for him and Bishop
2786-485: A McNair touchdown run. However, Buffalo came back to take the lead, 13–12 with Antowain Smith 's two touchdown runs in the second half (the two-point conversion after Smith's second touchdown failed). In the 4th quarter, the Titans regained the lead after Del Greco kicked his second field goal. With 16 seconds left in the game, Bills kicker Steve Christie made what seemed to be the game-winning 41-yard field goal to give his team
2985-525: 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
3184-550: A Shadow ". Family Guy 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 , The Wonder Years after Super Bowl XXII , and Homicide: Life on the Street after Super Bowl XXVII . This was followed by The Simpsons episode " Sunday, Cruddy Sunday ". During halftime, USA Network aired
3383-408: 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
3582-633: 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 and would lose again the very next week against the Dolphins on Monday night, only to win
3781-601: A catastrophic heart attack ." 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 . The Broncos avenged their Monday night loss to
3980-455: A chance to cut their deficit to one score. On the next play, however, Chandler threw a pass that was deflected high in the air by nose tackle Keith Traylor and intercepted by cornerback Darrien Gordon , who returned it 58 yards to the Atlanta 24-yard line before being tackled by Chandler. Three plays later, on 3rd-and-6, Elway's 15-yard completion to McCaffrey set up 1st-and-goal for the Broncos at
4179-406: A commercial of plain typewritten text beginning with the line "This is the worst commercial on the Super Bowl. But it might be the best thing you see tonight." Pets.com famously paid millions for an advertisement featuring a sock puppet , though the company would collapse before the end of the year. The pregame show featured a tribute to "The Great American Music of the 20th Century". Narrated by
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#17328444125284378-473: 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 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
4577-567: 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 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
4776-458: 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
4975-453: 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
5174-428: 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 was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed
5373-576: A game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of 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,
5572-682: A grand total of 13 touchdowns, and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the 3rd consecutive year. Another contributor on the Titans' offense was fullback Lorenzo Neal , who frequently served as George's lead blocker and was widely considered one of the best blocking backs in the league. The team did not have any outstanding deep threats, but wide receiver Yancey Thigpen recorded 38 receptions for 648 yards, wide receiver Kevin Dyson had 54 receptions for 658 yards, and tight end Frank Wycheck caught 69 passes for 641 yards. Thigpen, however, would not play in
5771-533: 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
5970-553: 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 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
6169-437: A little over a month later in early March, with the reason being for his dismissal was simply his poor chemistry and hatred of Michaels (Michaels himself also hated Esiason). Esiason would then serve as the lead color commentator for Westwood One radio, calling Super Bowls XXXV (the game played the following year) to LII . This was the first Super Bowl to be aired in high definition and 5.1 Dolby Digital . ABC chose to use
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6368-408: 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
6567-533: A meaningless season finale against the Seahawks . The losses to the Giants and Dolphins didn't hurt the Broncos playoff chances as they already had their division (and home-field advantage) locked up. The Broncos' offense, under the leadership of Elway and running back Terrell Davis , 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
6766-420: 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
6965-670: 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 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
7164-470: A new Millennium Blue/New Century Gold combination the next season. ABC televised the game in the United States, with play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and color commentator Boomer Esiason . Chris Berman from Disney -owned corporate sibling ESPN hosted all the events. Berman was joined by fellow ESPN analyst Steve Young , while ESPN's Mike Tirico was on hand for the post-game presentation of
7363-428: 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
7562-427: 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
7761-414: A round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with 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
7960-422: 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 a separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble
8159-436: 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
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8358-534: 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 XXXIV Super Bowl XXXIV
8557-410: 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
8756-670: A special edition of WWF Sunday Night Heat called Halftime Heat featuring a match between The Rock and Mankind 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
8955-452: 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 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
9154-612: A sure-handed target over the middle. In week 3, against the Raiders, Elway pulled his hamstring, forcing Denver to go with veteran journeyman Bubby Brister . Despite losing Elway to injury the Broncos didn't lose a beat, as Brister won all four games that he started and posted a higher quarterback rating than Elway for the season. 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
9353-446: A touchdown in four different Super Bowls. The Falcons finally scored their first touchdown of the game when Dwight returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards, cutting their deficit to 31–13, but tight end Byron Chamberlain recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt for the Broncos. Three plays later, a 25-yard completion from Elway to McCaffrey set up Elam's 37-yard field goal, increasing Denver's lead to 34–13 with just over 7 minutes left in
9552-513: 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
9751-679: A touchdown, while Del Greco made four field goals. The Titans then eliminated the Jacksonville Jaguars , 33–14, in the AFC Championship Game at Jacksonville. The Jaguars finished the 1999 regular season with a league-best 14–2 record, and advanced to the AFC title game after crushing the Miami Dolphins 62–7 and limiting future Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino to just 11 of 25 completions for 95 yards and 1 touchdown, with 2 interceptions. However, Tennessee's defense dominated
9950-449: 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 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
10149-432: 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. For Super Bowl lead-out programs , Fox first aired the pilot episode of Family Guy , " Death Has
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#173284441252810348-425: 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
10547-437: 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
10746-403: 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
10945-407: 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
11144-560: Is the most recent NFL championship in which both teams were seeking their first Super Bowl title. Both teams were returning to the postseason after struggles and a move between cities. Led by the Greatest Show on Turf offense, the Rams entered their second Super Bowl appearance with an NFC-best 13–3 regular-season record. It was the franchise's first playoff run and first season with a winning record since 1989 and first since moving from Los Angeles to St. Louis . The Titans also finished
11343-421: 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
11542-437: 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
11741-589: 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 the innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become
11940-617: The 1998 season playing at Nashville's Vanderbilt Stadium . After the new Adelphia Coliseum (now known as Nissan Stadium ) was completed in 1999, the team's name was changed to Tennessee Titans. With Tennessee's Super Bowl appearance, every former AFL team had now played in the Super Bowl, including the original eight AFL teams and two AFL expansion teams: the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals . The 1999 Titans were led by quarterback Steve McNair and running back Eddie George . McNair had missed five games due to injuries during
12139-504: The 720p format. The game was later featured as one of the NFL's Greatest Games as The Longest Yard . This game is often referred to as the "dot-com" Super Bowl since it was held during the height of the dot-com bubble , and several Internet companies purchased television commercials . Among them, E-Trade 's commercial featured a chimpanzee dancing in an E-Trade T-shirt and the text "Well, we just wasted 2 million bucks". Lifeminders.com ran
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#173284441252812338-784: The Jets . at Pro Player Stadium , Miami, Florida Sources: NFL.com Super Bowl XXXIII , Super Bowl XXXIII Play Finder Den , Super Bowl XXXIII Play Finder Atl , USA Today Super Bowl XXXIII Play by Play The following records were set in Super Bowl XXXIII, according to the official NFL.com boxscore, the 2017 NFL Record & Fact Book and the Pro-Football-Reference.com game summary. Some records have to meet NFL minimum number of attempts to be recognized. The minimums are shown (in parentheses). Source: American football American football , referred to simply as football in
12537-412: The New York Giants . Weeb Ewbank , head coach of the Baltimore Colts in that game, was also scheduled to appear, but died November 17, 1998. The halftime show was titled "A Celebration of Soul , Salsa and Swing " and featured Big Bad Voodoo Daddy , Stevie Wonder , and Gloria Estefan . Falcons wide receiver Tim Dwight returned the opening kickoff 31 yards to the Atlanta 37-yard line. Aided by
12736-592: The Smothers Brothers , the show highlighted some of the unique American musical styles such as gospel, big band, classical, country and rock. Singers Tina Turner and Travis Tritt along with the Georgia Tech Marching Band and the Georgia Mass Choir performed during the show. Country singer Faith Hill then sang the national anthem. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Super Bowl IV ,
12935-409: The U.S. national anthem . 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 , Frank Gifford , Roosevelt Brown , Don Maynard , Sam Huff , and Tom Landry , the defensive coordinator of
13134-472: The Vince Lombardi Trophy . Lesley Visser and Lynn Swann served as sideline reporters. Other contributors included Dan Fouts , Jimmy Roberts , Bob Griese and Brent Musburger (who introduced a special memorial tribute to Walter Payton , who had died from bile duct cancer the previous November). This was Esiason's only Super Bowl as a color commentator on television. ABC Sports would fire him
13333-568: The Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration . It featured a full symphony orchestra conducted by Steven Byess; a multi-generational, 80-person choir; and singers Phil Collins , Christina Aguilera , Enrique Iglesias , and Toni Braxton . Both teams' defenses seemed to dominate most of the first half. The Rams started the game out strong by taking the opening kickoff and marching to the Tennessee 17-yard line, which featured
13532-411: 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
13731-407: 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
13930-462: 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 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
14129-515: The "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized 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
14328-517: The 1995 season but continued to struggle. In 1997, the team hired Dick Vermeil as their head coach, bringing him back to the NFL after 15 years of retirement. Vermeil had previously turned the Philadelphia Eagles from one of the worst teams in the league into a Super Bowl team in 1980, but his first two seasons in St. Louis were hardly stellar, winning just five games in 1997 and four in 1998. Little
14527-415: The 2-yard line, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by George two plays later, cutting the Titans' deficit to 16–6 after McNair's pass to Wycheck on the two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete. The Titans' first score sparked them to rally. After forcing the Rams to punt on their ensuing possession, a pair of 21-yard completions from McNair to wide receiver Isaac Byrd and tight end Jackie Harris aided
14726-492: The 3rd quarter, the Broncos took control of the rest of the game scoring 23 unanswered points. Meanwhile, the Falcons were victorious against the San Francisco 49ers , 20–18 and then upset the heavily favored 15–1 Minnesota Vikings 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
14925-459: The 5-yard line. On the first play of the final quarter, Griffith scored his second touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run to increase Denver's lead to 24–6. The Falcons reached the Denver 26-yard line on their ensuing drive, aided by a 15-yard run by Anderson, and Chandler's two passes to tight end O. J. Santiago and Martin for 13 and 16 yards, respectively, but Gordon intercepted another pass at his own 2-yard line and returned this one 50 yards to
15124-516: 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 (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
15323-531: 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 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
15522-493: The Atlanta 48-yard line. On the next play, Elway completed a short pass to Davis, who turned it into a 39-yard gain. Two plays later, Elway finished the drive himself with a 3-yard touchdown run, giving the Broncos a 31–6 lead and essentially putting the game away. Elway, who previously ran for touchdowns in Super Bowls XXI , XXIV , and XXXII , became the second player after Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas to score
15721-413: The Atlanta area within a week of each other. The second storm occurred during the week the Super Bowl was hosted. Despite the rare adverse weather conditions, city and state crews kept streets and sidewalks free of ice, and MARTA public transport kept running. The Atlanta region does not receive more ice storms than most other areas of the country, and Super Bowl XXXIV was played indoors and unaffected by
15920-464: The Atlanta offense, as linebacker John Mobley sacked Chandler for a 6-yard loss, then cornerback Darrius Johnson intercepted a pass intended for Mathis and returned it 28 yards to the Atlanta 42-yard line. The Broncos then drove to the 29-yard line, but Elam missed another field goal attempt wide left, this time from 48 yards. The Falcons then drove to the Denver 21-yard line on Anderson's two runs for 28 yards and Mathis' 13-yard reception, giving them
16119-503: The Atlanta-St. Louis highway corridor, which contains the entirety of Interstate 24 , and uses Interstate 64 and Interstate 75 to complete the route. It is the most recent Super Bowl in which neither team had already won a Super Bowl. The Titans, as the designated home team, wore navy blue jerseys with white pants. The Rams wore white uniforms with yellow pants, which would be the final appearance for these uniforms before rebranding to
16318-406: The Broncos' next drive, but was taken out of the game after that. After the Broncos forced the Falcons to punt on their next possession, Elway threw a pass that was deflected by Sharpe and intercepted by defensive back Ronnie Bradford , who returned it to the Broncos' 35-yard line. However, Atlanta failed to capitalize on the turnover, as Denver's defense stood their ground on the first two plays of
16517-452: 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 became their head coach in 1997 . During Reeves' first season with Atlanta, they finished
16716-420: The Denver 8-yard line on their next drive, aided by back-to-back completions from Chandler to wide receiver Terance Mathis for 46 yards, but failed to score again 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 , caught a pass from Elway, and took off for an 80-yard touchdown reception, giving Denver
16915-576: 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 the commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to
17114-479: 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's 102 rushing yards in
17313-564: The Giants in 1995 and 1996 ) 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 added 27 receptions for 428 yards and 5 scores. However,
17512-608: The Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game, forcing 6 turnovers. Jacksonville led 14–10 at halftime, but the Titans then scored 23 unanswered points on two touchdown runs by McNair, a safety, and Derrick Mason 's 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Although McNair passed for only 112 yards and one touchdown with one interception, he rushed for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 carries. George rushed for 86 yards and caught 3 passes for 19 yards. In January 2000, two ice storms struck
17711-618: The Miami Dolphins , a team which had the number one defense in the league that year, 38–3 in the divisional round and then beat the New York Jets , who had the second best defense in the NFL that year, 23–10 in the AFC Championship game. After the Jets scored on a John Hall field goal to take a 3-0 lead at halftime, and increasing it on a Curtis Martin touchdown run to make it 10-0 early in
17910-467: The Rams defeated the Minnesota Vikings , 49–37 in St. Louis, by scoring 35 unanswered points in the second half. Bruce caught 4 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Faulk gained 101 combined rushing/receiving yards and scored 2 touchdowns. Although Vikings quarterback Jeff George threw for 423 yards and 4 touchdowns, three of his scores occurred late in the 4th quarter, after the Rams had already put
18109-442: The Rams' 10-yard line has gone down in NFL history as " The Tackle " or " One Yard Short ". Tennessee's plan was to use Wycheck as a decoy. The tight end would run straight up the field on the right side, to lure linebacker Mike Jones away from Dyson, who would then slant left through the middle of the field. With Wycheck occupying Jones, McNair would pass the ball to Dyson, who would be open from about five yards out to run in for
18308-452: 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 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
18507-422: The St. Louis 45-yard line. On the next play, linebacker Charlie Clemons was penalized for being offside, moving the ball to the 40-yard line with 59 seconds left. McNair ran for 2 yards, then threw a 7-yard completion to wide receiver Kevin Dyson . On the next play, the Rams nearly ended the game when Bly stepped in front of a pass intended for Mason, only to have it go right through his arms. Two plays later, with
18706-433: The Super Bowl because of a right foot fracture he suffered in the AFC Championship Game. Up front, their line was anchored by Pro Bowl tackle Bruce Matthews . On special teams, speedy rookie Derrick Mason racked up 1,030 combined return yards and a touchdown. Tennessee's defense was also extremely effective. Pro Bowl defensive end Jevon Kearse anchored the line, recording 14.5 sacks to go along with 8 forced fumbles and
18905-599: 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
19104-441: The Titans could have attempted a two-point conversion for the outright win on the final play of the game, although head coach Jeff Fisher claimed in a 2019 interview that he would have taken his chances for overtime. Because the game had already seen the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, "One Yard Short" is considered one of the greatest and most exciting game-ending plays in modern NFL history. The image of Dyson stretching
19303-489: The Titans facing 3rd-and-5, McNair narrowly avoided a sack by defensive ends Kevin Carter and Jay Williams and completed a 16-yard pass to Dyson to set up 1st-and-goal at the Rams' 10-yard line. Tennessee then used up their final timeout with just six seconds left, giving them a chance for one last play to either tie the game and send it into overtime, or go for the two-point conversion for the victory. The game's final play from
19502-556: The Titans' defense forced St. Louis to settle for field goal attempts by Wilkins, who made three out of four attempts from 27, 29, and 28 yards, respectively (his only miss was his second attempt, a 34-yarder that sailed wide right, on the third play of the second quarter). Wilkins' three field goals gave St. Louis a 9–0 halftime lead, but their scoring margin over Tennessee seemed somewhat small, considering they drove into scoring range on every one of their first-half possessions and outgained Tennessee in total yards, 294–89. In addition, Warner
19701-579: The United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football, 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
19900-405: The United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on 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
20099-455: 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, 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
20298-547: 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 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
20497-460: 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),
20696-481: The age of 39, coincidentally also against Atlanta. Denver was aided in both championships by a salary-cap scandal, which involved paying additional money to Elway and Terrell Davis outside of the designated financial resources given to each team, which in turn allowed more salary to be given to other team members. NFL owners originally voted to award Super Bowl XXXIII to Candlestick Park in San Francisco during
20895-550: 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. The game was broadcast in the United States by Fox and featured the broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall and color commentator John Madden . James Brown hosted all the events with help from his then-fellow Fox NFL Sunday cast members Terry Bradshaw , Howie Long and Cris Collinsworth . The starting lineups were shown using
21094-403: The ball at their own 12-yard line with 1:48 left in the game after committing a holding penalty on the ensuing kickoff. McNair started out the drive with a pair of completions to Mason and Wycheck for gains of 9 and 7 yards to reach the 28-yard line. After an incomplete pass, a face-mask penalty on cornerback Dré Bly while tackling McNair on a 12-yard scramble gave the Titans a new set of downs at
21293-435: 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
21492-478: 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
21691-467: 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 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 ,
21890-470: The ball to the St. Louis 29-yard line, aided by running back Eddie George 's 32-yard reception from quarterback Steve McNair . However, they also came up empty after kicker Al Del Greco missed a 47-yard field goal attempt wide left. For the rest of the half, the Titans were forced to punt on all of their possessions. Meanwhile, the Rams were able to reach inside the Tennessee 20-yard line on all four of their remaining drives before halftime, but on each one,
22089-556: The ball to the goal line with Jones wrapped around him has become a staple of NFL highlights. ESPN.com ranked "One Yard Short" as the 35th-greatest moment of the past 25 years in sports (as of 2007). NFL.com ranked the tackle as the fourth-greatest clutch moment in Super Bowl history. Fox Sports ranked it as the Greatest Clutch Play in Super Bowl History (as of 2007). Like Dallas Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown , Jones
22288-583: The best season of his career and won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award , while finishing second in MVP voting to Warner. He scored 12 touchdowns, rushed for 1,381 yards, and recorded a team-leading 87 receptions for 1,048 yards. In all, Faulk gained a record 2,429 total yards and became just the second running back in NFL history to gain over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season ( Roger Craig
22487-757: 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 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
22686-694: The construction of a new stadium. NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue threw his support behind Tampa based on the new stadium plans. The Los Angeles host committee originally was going to partner with Pasadena ( Rose Bowl ), but switched their plans to the Coliseum after a renovation plan was announced. However, the Los Angeles bid was dismissed when their delegation failed to convince the owners that planned stadium renovations would be completed in time. Owners initially planned on selecting only two hosts (XXXIII and XXXIV), but decided to name three after strong showings by
22885-413: 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
23084-399: 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
23283-430: 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
23482-425: The distance for a 73-yard touchdown reception to give St. Louis a 23–16 lead. Likewise, in the 1951 NFL Championship Game , quarterback Norm Van Brocklin 's 73-yard game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Tom Fears broke a 17–17 tie in the fourth quarter and gave the Rams a seven-point victory to win the NFL title. Warner's touchdown pass to Bruce was his only completion of the fourth quarter. The Titans took
23681-405: The elements. But some residents believe the poor weather during Super Bowl week negatively impacted the city's chances of hosting another Super Bowl, including the bid it lost for Super Bowl XLIII . That bid included meteorological data showing the rarity of such storms in the area. They eventually got the bid to host Super Bowl LIII . Nashville, home of the Titans, is also the midway point of
23880-472: 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
24079-404: 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
24278-556: The features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered 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
24477-468: 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; the NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in
24676-535: The field of a touchdown, giving Tennessee the win. The Titans then defeated the Indianapolis Colts , 19–16 in Indianapolis. After both teams exchanged field goals in the first half, George scored on a 68-yard touchdown run to give his team a 13–9 lead. Del Greco then kicked two more field goals in the 4th quarter to put the game away. George finished the game with a franchise playoff record 162 rushing yards and
24875-454: 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 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
25074-466: The field. But as he reached the goal line, he glanced over his left shoulder and noticed an open Dyson catching the ball. Jones switched directions and wrapped up Dyson's legs about two and a half yards short of the end zone. Both players went into a rolling motion as Dyson stretched his hand with the football towards the end zone, attempting to break the plane of the goal line and score. As the rolling motion came to an end with Jones on top of Dyson's legs,
25273-448: The following participants of the game were featured during the coin toss ceremony: Bud Grant , Lamar Hunt , Bobby Bell , Paul Krause , Willie Lanier , Alan Page , and Jan Stenerud . The E-Trade Super Bowl Halftime Show was produced by Disney and titled "Tapestry of Nations" after the Epcot parade of the same name . The show, narrated by actor Edward James Olmos , was inspired by
25472-599: 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 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
25671-591: The game away. The Rams then narrowly defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , 11–6 at home, in a hard-fought defensive struggle in the NFC Championship Game . The first half ended with the Rams leading 5–3 on a Jeff Wilkins field goal and after a bad snap by the Buccaneers went through their own end zone for a safety. Tampa Bay then scored a field goal in the 3rd quarter to take the lead. But Warner threw
25870-419: 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
26069-409: 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 the illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that
26268-438: The game near the end of regulation, the first time a Super Bowl team had erased a deficit of more than 10 points. On their ensuing drive, the Rams regained the lead with wide receiver Isaac Bruce 's 73-yard touchdown. Super Bowl XXXIV is best remembered for its final play, in which the Titans reached St. Louis's 10-yard line with six seconds remaining, but linebacker Mike Jones tackled wide receiver Kevin Dyson one yard short of
26467-566: 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 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. Much of the pregame hype was centered around John Elway confronting his former coach Reeves. Denver head coach Mike Shanahan
26666-422: The game. Atlanta finally put together their best scoring drive of the game, advancing the ball 76 yards in 16 plays. The drive featured a 17-yard reception by Martin, two receptions by wide receiver Ronnie Harris for 21 yards, and four receptions by Mathis for 30 yards, the last of which was for a 3-yard touchdown, cutting the Falcons' deficit to 34–19 (Chandler's pass to Martin on the two-point conversion attempt
26865-415: The goal line to prevent a potential game-tying (or winning, if the Titans decided to go for a two-point conversion) touchdown. The play became known as " One Yard Short " and " The Tackle ". Rams quarterback Kurt Warner , the first undrafted quarterback to win a Super Bowl, was named Super Bowl MVP after setting Super Bowl records for passing yards and pass attempts without an interception. Warner became
27064-475: 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 . Nevertheless, Davis' rushing numbers did not reduce Elway's passing production. The 38-year-old quarterback made the Pro Bowl for the 3rd year in a row and
27263-443: 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
27462-434: 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
27661-408: The lead, 16–15. However, Neal received the ensuing kickoff and handed the ball off to Wycheck, who then lateraled the ball to Dyson on the other side of the field, who eventually ran 75 yards to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. The play was reviewed to determine whether Wycheck had lateraled the ball to Dyson or made an illegal forward pass. Referee Phil Luckett upheld the original call on
27860-497: The league in rushing. Emmitt Smith was the first one, but also was named Super Bowl MVP for Super Bowl XXVIII 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 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
28059-430: The league in total yards gained (6,639), scoring (526 points), and passing touchdowns (42). The Rams' defense led the league in fewest rushing yards allowed (1,189) and fewest rushing touchdowns allowed (4), while giving up just 242 points. Overall, the defense ranked 4th in the league in fewest total yards (5,056). The line was anchored by Pro Bowl defensive end Kevin Carter and defensive end Grant Wistrom . Carter led
28258-454: The league with 17 sacks , while Wistrom recorded 8.5 sacks and 2 interceptions, returning both for touchdowns and a combined total of 131 yards. Behind them, the Rams had three linebackers: London Fletcher (66 tackles and 3 sacks), Mike Jones (4 interceptions for 96 return yards and 2 touchdowns, and 2 fumble recoveries for 51 return yards and a touchdown), and Todd Collins (72 tackles, a sack, and 2 interceptions for 16 yards). The secondary
28457-503: 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 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
28656-429: 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
28855-410: 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 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
29054-429: 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 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
29253-511: The owners meeting in Rosemont, Illinois on November 2, 1994. Two cities were in consideration for the game, San Francisco and Miami ( Joe Robbie Stadium ). Though Miami's bid was considered superior, San Francisco was the favorite since the Bay Area had not hosted the game since 1985 . The host committee was also promising $ 26 million in stadium renovations. Before long, however, it became unclear if
29452-541: 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 (4 interceptions), who was with the Green Bay Packers when they appeared in Super Bowls XXXI and XXXII . The season was punctuated by Reeves receiving emergency coronary bypass surgery after Week 14. Doctors said he could have been "within hours of
29651-445: 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
29850-448: 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
30049-513: The proposed stadium renovations would happen. The game was formally withdrawn from San Francisco in March 1996. Al Davis made a pitch to keep the game in the Bay Area by moving it over to Oakland Coliseum , but the idea failed to gain any support. In the fall of 1996, the NFL reopened the bidding from scratch. The NFL owners scheduled a vote during the October 31, 1996, meeting in New Orleans , which
30248-422: 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
30447-448: The receiver's shoulder touched the ground, making him down by contact with the ball just inches short of the goal line. At this point, there were 2 seconds left on the clock, but with no timeouts remaining, the Titans could not run another play before time expired and, therefore, the game was over. Had Dyson scored and the extra point been converted, it would have been the first Super Bowl to go into overtime. Alternatively, had Dyson scored,
30646-401: 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
30845-439: 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, 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,
31044-456: The regular season 13–3 and advanced to their Super Bowl debut as a wild card . In their first season after retiring the Oilers name, the franchise was making their first playoff run since 1993 and first since moving from Houston to Tennessee . The Rams scored three field goals by halftime and added a third-quarter touchdown to take a 16–0 lead. The Titans responded with 16 straight points to tie
31243-467: The respective delegations. Miami, Atlanta, and Tampa were selected to host XXXIII , XXXIV, and XXXV , respectively. This was the second time that Atlanta hosted the game. The Rams entered 1999 having been among the league's stragglers for a decade. The reasons are many, including, some suggest, mismanagement by executive John Shaw. The franchise moved to a taxpayer-funded stadium in St. Louis, Missouri for
31442-456: The respective delegations. Miami, Atlanta, and Tampa were selected to host XXXIII, XXXIV , and XXXV , respectively. This was the eighth time that the South Florida area hosted the game, and the third at Joe Robbie Stadium . Following the Broncos' victory during Super Bowl XXXII the previous season, many wondered if 15-year veteran quarterback John Elway would retire after finally winning
31641-415: The rest of the game. The Titans finally got on the board with a 12-play, 66-yard scoring drive. Wide receiver Derrick Mason returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards to the 34-yard line. From there, five runs by George for 24 yards, three completions from McNair to tight end Frank Wycheck for 15 yards and a 2-yard run by McNair advanced the ball to the St. Louis 25-yard line. Then McNair scrambled 23 yards to
31840-534: 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 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
32039-480: 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 when they suffered their four consecutive defeats in Super Bowls XXV , XXVI , XXVII , and XXVIII ; and thus was determined to finally get a championship ring that had eluded him in
32238-427: The score at 16–16 with just 2:12 left in regulation. The 16–0 deficit was the largest deficit to be erased in a Super Bowl and the first greater than 10 points. It was also the first time in any Super Bowl a team down double digits in the fourth quarter came back to tie the game. Then on the first play of the Rams' ensuing drive, Warner threw a long pass that was caught at the Titans' 38-yard line by Bruce, who then went
32437-433: The score. Jones, who was the Rams' defensive signal-caller, called a 77 Blast, a combination coverage that can be altered as the offense lines up. When the Titans came to the line, Rams safety Billy Jenkins called for three Rams players — he, Jones, and cornerback Dexter McCleon — to play zone coverage against Wycheck and Dyson. As the play began, everything appeared to go as planned. Jones initially ran with Wycheck up
32636-518: The season 6–2, after starting out 1–7, to compile a 7–9 record overall. Reeves was Denver's head coach from 1981 to 1992 , leading the Elway-led Broncos to Super Bowls XXI , 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
32835-624: The season, but he was still able to put up solid numbers, throwing for 2,179 yards and 12 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. Despite his injury problems, McNair finished the season as the second-leading rusher on the team with 337 yards and 8 touchdowns. When McNair was out with injuries, the team was able to rely on backup QB Neil O'Donnell , who threw for 1,382 yards and 10 touchdowns, with only 5 interceptions. George also had an outstanding season, rushing for 1,304 yards, and catching 47 passes for 458 yards (his receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns were all career highs). In all, George scored
33034-431: The second half by driving 74 yards to the Atlanta 20-yard line, aided by Elway's two completions to wide receiver Ed McCaffrey for 32 yards, but ended up scoring no points after Elam's 38-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right. Chandler responded on the next two plays with a 19-yard completion to Martin and a 12-yard scramble to advance the ball to the Denver 41-yard line. However, the Denver defense continued to dominate
33233-452: 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 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,
33432-436: The second quarter. First, they tackled Anderson for no gain on 3rd-and-1, then stopped him for a 2-yard loss on fourth down, turning the ball over on downs. Broncos running back Terrell Davis then rushed four times for 28 yards and wide receiver Rod Smith caught an 18-yard pass as Denver drove 63 yards in 11 plays to score on kicker Jason Elam 's 26-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 10–3. The Falcons then advanced to
33631-503: 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
33830-842: The sixth player to win Super Bowl MVP and NFL MVP in a single season, a feat that would go unrepeated for 23 seasons. The game has been called the "Dot-com Super Bowl" for the large amount of advertisements purchased by dot-com companies . Regarded as one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time, it was featured on NFL's Greatest Games as " The Longest Yard ". NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XXXIV to Atlanta during their October 31, 1996, meeting in New Orleans. A total of five cities submitted bids: Miami ( Joe Robbie Stadium ), Atlanta ( Georgia Dome ), Tampa ( Raymond James Stadium ), Phoenix / Tempe ( Sun Devil Stadium ), and Los Angeles ( Coliseum ). The Los Angeles host committee originally
34029-411: 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 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
34228-523: The sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in 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
34427-695: The team was owned by Houston , Texas businessman Bud Adams and known as the Houston Oilers . By 1995, however, Adams, like Frontiere, was lured to move his team from Houston, in this case to a new stadium in Nashville, Tennessee . Since this new stadium was not ready until the 1999 season, Adams decided to move his team to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis , Tennessee in 1997 after playing before small Houston crowds in 1996 . The renamed Tennessee Oilers also played before sparse Memphis crowds, and thus spent
34626-646: The team's new starter. Warner, who started the season as a backup to Green, had previously played for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League and the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe . The Rams proceeded to shock the NFL with an NFC-best 13–3 regular season record and outscored their opponents 526–242, the highest scoring margin (284) of any Super Bowl champion. The Rams' high-powered offense, run by offensive coordinator Mike Martz ,
34825-568: The team's third wide receiver, Az-Zahir Hakim , was a big contributor by catching 36 passes for 677 yards and 8 touchdowns, while also returning punts for 461 yards and another touchdown. The Rams' offensive line was led by Pro Bowlers Orlando Pace and Adam Timmerman . Timmerman, acquired by the Rams in 1999, had previously won Super Bowl XXXI with the Green Bay Packers . On special teams, receiver Tony Horne returned 30 kickoffs for 892 yards and 2 touchdowns, giving him an NFL-leading 29.7 yards per return average. Overall, St. Louis's offense led
35024-418: 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 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' quarterbacks coach with
35223-491: 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 the college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following
35422-411: 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
35621-408: 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
35820-402: The world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but 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
36019-604: Was ailing after taking several big hits from the Titans' blitzing defense, and Dick Vermeil considered replacing him at halftime for backup Paul Justin , who had only thrown 14 passes all season; Warner, however, never missed a snap. Both teams' offenses started to get going in the second half. The Titans took the opening kickoff and drove 43 yards to the St. Louis 29-yard line, but still came up empty after Rams cornerback Todd Lyght blocked Del Greco's 47-yard field goal attempt. After that, Warner converted 3rd-and-7 with an 8-yard completion to running back Marshall Faulk , then threw
36218-523: Was an American football game played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia , on January 30, 2000, to determine the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1999 season . The National Football Conference (NFC) champion St. Louis Rams defeated the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Tennessee Titans 23–16 to claim their first Super Bowl win and first NFL championship since 1951 . It
36417-461: Was expected of the Rams for 1999. Indeed, ESPN The Magazine ' s 1999 NFL preview predicted the Rams would be the worst team in the NFL, worse even than the Cleveland Browns , who had returned as an expansion team that year. Trent Green , who had just been signed as the Rams starting quarterback, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, making undrafted quarterback Kurt Warner
36616-417: Was going to partner with Pasadena ( Rose Bowl ), but switched their plans to the Coliseum after a renovation plan was announced. However, the Los Angeles bid was dismissed when their delegation failed to convince the owners that planned stadium renovations would be completed in time. Owners initially planned on selecting only two hosts (XXXIII and XXXIV), but decided to name three after strong showings by
36815-415: 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 , XXII , XXIV , and XXXII . Broncos defensive lineman Mike Lodish
37014-515: Was included on the NFL Network's "Top 10 One-Hit Wonders" list (Jones was #10, Brown was #3), Jones also mirrored Brown in his solid if unspectacular career outside of his Super Bowl heroics. After the game, many sports writers commented on Warner's rise from an unknown backup to a Super Bowl MVP , but Warner himself wasn't impressed by it. "How can you be in awe of something that you expect yourself to do?" Warner pointed out. "People think this season
37213-473: Was incomplete), but by then there was only 2:04 left in the game. Chamberlain again recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the Falcons got the ball back on their own 30-yard line with 1:34 left after forcing a turnover on downs. However, safety George Coghill stripped the ball from Anderson at the Atlanta 33-yard line, and safety Tyrone Braxton recovered it, allowing Denver to run out the clock and win their second consecutive Super Bowl title. The Broncos' 17 and
37412-513: 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 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
37611-406: Was intercepted 3 times. Dan Reeves became the fourth head coach to lose four Super Bowls, joining Bud Grant , Don Shula , and Marv Levy . Reeves lost Super Bowls XXI, XXII, and XXIV while coaching the Broncos. As previously mentioned, this was John Elway's final game as a player, and this was also the final game in a Broncos uniform for safety Steve Atwater who was traded in the offseason to
37810-423: Was led by Pro Bowler Steve Atwater 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. 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
38009-476: Was led by Pro Bowler Todd Lyght (6 interceptions), Dexter McCleon (4 interceptions), and rookie Dré Bly (3 interceptions). This was the Rams' first playoff appearance since 1989 and only the second Super Bowl appearance in team history. The Titans advanced to their first Super Bowl in team history, after originating as a charter member of the American Football League . From 1960 to 1996,
38208-410: 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 Eugene Robinson was arrested for solicitation of prostitution. While driving alone in a rented car along a downtown Miami street, he approached
38407-452: Was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year. The linebackers corps was led by Eddie Robinson , who recorded 64 tackles and 6 sacks, while also recovering and forcing 3 fumbles. Their secondary was led by cornerback Samari Rolle , who led the team with 4 interceptions, and veteran safety Marcus Robertson , who would miss the game with a broken leg. The Titans finished the regular season with
38606-587: Was nicknamed " The Greatest Show on Turf ". In Warner's first NFL season in 1998 , he played only one game and threw just 11 passes. But in 1999, he experienced one of the most spectacular seasons ever by a quarterback, recording a passer rating of 109.2, completing 65.1 percent of his passes for 4,353 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just 13 interceptions, and earning the NFL Most Valuable Player Award . Besides Warner, several other Rams compiled significant statistics. Halfback Marshall Faulk , in his first year in St. Louis after spending five seasons with Indianapolis , had
38805-519: 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, the NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at
39004-595: Was played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida (now part of the suburb of Miami Gardens , which became a separate city in 2003). The defending Super Bowl champion Broncos entered the game with an AFC-best 14–2 regular season record. The Falcons, under former Denver head coach Dan Reeves , were making their first Super Bowl appearance after also posting a 14–2 regular season record. Aided by quarterback John Elway 's 80-yard touchdown pass to receiver Rod Smith , Denver scored 17 consecutive points to build
39203-575: Was sponsored by Victoria's Secret and available exclusively in Windows Media Player . Viewer questions were solicited via the FoxSports.com website. 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 , along with their trademark elaborate costumes and theatrical pyrotechnics . Cher later sang
39402-433: Was the first to do it, in 1985). Faulk held the NFL record for yards from scrimmage in a single season until Tennessee's Chris Johnson broke it in 2009. Faulk wasn't the only weapon at Warner's disposal in 1999. Veteran receiver Isaac Bruce was the top Rams receiver with 77 receptions for 1,165 yards and 12 touchdowns. while breakout rookie wide receiver Torry Holt recorded 52 receptions, 788 yards, and 6 touchdowns. Even
39601-464: Was to award two Super Bowls, XXXIII and XXXIV . A total of five cities submitted bids: Miami ( Joe Robbie Stadium ), Atlanta ( Georgia Dome ), Tampa ( Raymond James Stadium ), Phoenix / Tempe ( Sun Devil Stadium ), and Los Angeles ( Coliseum ). Miami, a previous finalist for the game, was an early favorite. Tampa also became a favorite after voters passed a ballot measure in September 1996 to fund
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