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Super Bowl XXXIII was the 33rd Super Bowl, the championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The game was played on January 31, 1999 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida (now part of the suburb of Miami Gardens) following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Atlanta Falcons, 34–19.

Denver was the last NFL team to repeat as Super Bowl champions until the New England Patriots in 2005's Super Bowl XXXIX.

At 38 years old, John Elway became the oldest player ever to be named Super Bowl MVP. He completed 18 of 29 passes for 336 yards and one touchdown, and also scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown. Elway retired following the season.

Background

NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XXXIII to the Miami area during their October 31, 1996 meeting in New Orleans. This was the eighth time that the area hosted the game, and the third at Pro Player Stadium.

Denver Broncos

After the Broncos won Super Bowl XXXII during the previous season, many wondered if 15-year veteran quarterback John Elway would retire now that he finally won a Super Bowl. But Elway decided to stay with Denver and see if he could lead them to a second consecutive championship. Under Elway's leadership, the Broncos stormed to the top of the AFC with a 14-2 regular record in 1998, winning their first 13 games before suffering their first loss to the New York Giants.

The Broncos' offense, under the leadership of Elway and running back Terrell Davis, had another outstanding regular season, ranking 2nd in the NFL with 501 points and gaining 6,276 yards (3rd in the league). Davis had one of the greatest seasons of any running back in NFL history, rushing for 2,008 yards, catching 25 passes for 217 yards, and scoring 23 touchdowns to earn him both the NFL Most Valuable Player Award and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award. But 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 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 2 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 an outstanding deep threat, while tight end Shannon Sharpe (64 receptions, 786 yards and 10 touchdowns) was considered one of the best tight ends in NFL history. The Broncos also had 2 Pro Bowlers anchoring their offensive line: guard Tom Nalen and tackle Tony Jones.

The Broncos defense typically did not get as much attention as their offense, but it was still effective, giving up just 308 points (8th in the NFL). Up front, the line was anchored by defensive tackles Maa Tanuvasa and Trevor Price, who each recorded 8.5 sacks. Behind them, Pro Bowl linebacker Bill Romanowski was an expert in all aspects of defense, recording 55 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions. The defensive secondary 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.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons advanced to their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Like the Broncos, they finished the 1998 regular season with a 14-2 record, including wins in all of their last 9 games. But unlike the Broncos, Atlanta's success in the 1998 season 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 team recorded just 4 winning seasons in the last 20 years prior to 1998, and only 2 in the 1990's.

However, the Falcons's fortunes began to improve after Dan Reeves became their head coach in 1997. During Reeves' first season with Atlanta, they finished the season 6-2, after starting out 1-7, to compile a 7-9 record overall. Reeves was Denver's head coach from 1981 to 1992 NFL season, leading the Elway-led Broncos to Super Bowls XXI, XXII, and XXIV. But they lost each one, including a 55-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV. After that, Reeves was in constant conflict with his coaching staff and some of his players for the next 3 years. He left Denver in 1993 and spent 4 seasons as the Giants head coach 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. 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. But 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 in fewest rushing yards allowed (1,203), eight in fewest total yards (5,009), and fourth in fewest points. Defensive linemen Lester Archambeau (10 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries) and Chuck Smith (8.5 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries) excelled at pressuring quarterbacks and stopping the run. Behind them, Atlanta had 2 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 4 consecutive Super Bowl losses in XXV, XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII; and thus was determined to finally get a championship ring that had eluded him in the past. Atlanta's secondary was led by Pro Bowl defensive back 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.

Playoffs

The Broncos defeated the Miami Dolphins, 38-3, and the New York Jets, 23-10, in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Falcons were victorious against the San Francisco 49ers, 20-18, and the Minnesota Vikings, 30-27, in overtime.

Super Bowl pregame news

Much of the pregame hype before the game was centered around Elway confronting his former coach Reeves. Also, whether or not Elway would retire after the season (which he eventually did).

On the night before the Super Bowl, Falcons safety Eugene Robinson was arrested for the solicitation of prostitution the night before the game. While driving alone in a rented car along a downtown Miami street, he approached a female undercover police officer posing as a prostitute and offered $40 for oral sex. Although he was released from jail and allowed to play the game, he was widely denounced by the press and fans for the incident. Robinson's arrest was especially ironic because on the very morning of the day it happened, he had received the Bart Starr Award for his "high moral character".

Television and entertainment

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.

After the game, FOX aired the pilot episode of Family Guy.

Pregame ceremonies

The pregame show, narrated by actress Tori Spelling, depicted the adventure of a Caribbean cruise from its festive departure to its journey to exotic destinations. The show included hard rock/heavy metal band KISS, along with their trademark elaborate costumes and theatrical pyrotechnics.

Cher later sang the 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.

Halftime show

The halftime show was titled "A Celebration of Soul, Salsa and Swing" and featured Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Stevie Wonder, and Gloria Estefan. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performed their song "Go Daddy-O". Wonder sang "Sir Duke", "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", and "I Wish". And Miami-native Estefan performed "Oye" and "Turn the Beat Around". Tap dancer Savion Glover appeared during Wonder's performance of "I Wish".

Game summary

Falcons receiver Tim Dwight returning the opening kickoff 31 yards to the Atlanta 37-yard line. Then aided by a 25-yard pass interference penalty against Broncos defensive back Ray Crockett, the Falcons drove to the Broncos 8-yard line, but Denver linebacker Bill Romanowski sacked quarterback Chris Chandler for a 7-yard loss on third down, forcing Atlanta to settle for Morten Andersen's 32-yard field goal to give them a 3-0 lead.

The Broncos then responded with an 80-yard scoring drive. Quarterback John Elway's 41-yard completion to wide receiver Rod Smith and 2 receptions by tight end Shannon Sharpe for a total of 26 net yards setup fullback Howard Griffith's 1-yard touchdown run. Unfortunately for Denver, Sharpe was injured on that drive and did not return.

Later in the quarter, Falcons defensive back Ronnie Bradford intercepted a pass from Elway and returned it to the Broncos 35-yard line. But Denver's defense made a great stand in the opening minutes of the second quarter, tackling Atlanta running back Jamal Anderson for no gain on third down and 1, and then stopping him for a 2-yard loss on a fourth down conversion attempt. The Broncos then reached the Atlanta 8-yard line on their ensuing possession, but were forced to settle for kicker Jason Elam's 26-yard yard field goal to increase their lead, 10-3.

The Falcons then advanced to the Denver 8-yard line on their next drive, but failed to score when Andersen's 26-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right. Immediately after the Broncos got the ball back, Smith broke ahead of Falcons safety Eugene Robinson, caught a pass from Elway, and took off for an 80-yard touchdown reception, giving Denver a 17-3 lead. Aided by Dwight's 42-yard kickoff return to the 49-yard line, the Falcons responded by driving to Denver's 11-yard line and scored with Andersen's 28-yard field goal to cut Atlanta's deficit to 17-6 going into halftime.

The Broncos opened the second half by driving 74 yards to the Atlanta 20-yard line, but ended up scoring no points after Elam's 38-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right. Chandler responded on the next 2 plays with a 29-yard completion to receiver Tony Martin and a 12-yard scramble to advance the ball to the Denver 41-yard line. But then linebacker John Mobley sacked Chandler for a 6-yard loss, and cornerback Darrius Johnson intercepted Chandler's pass and returned it 28 yards to the Falcons 42-yard line on the next play. Denver then drove to the 29-yard line, but Elam missed another field goal attempt, this one from 47 yards.

After the missed field goal, the Falcons drove to the Denver 21-yard line with Anderson's 13-yard run, wide receiver Terence Mathis's 13-yard catch, and a 15-yard run from Anderson, giving them a chance to cut their deficit to within one touchdown. However, Broncos defensive back Darrien Gordon intercepted a pass from Chandler and returned it 58 yards to the Atlanta 24-yard line. Five plays later, Griffith scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run to increase Denver's lead to 24-6.

The Falcons reached the Broncos 26-yard line on their ensuing drive, but Gordon intercepted another pass and returned this one 50 yards to the Atlanta 48-yard line. On the next play, Elway completed a short pass to running back Terrell Davis, who turned it into a 39-yard gain. Two plays later, Elway finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, giving the Broncos a 31-6 lead.

Dwight returned the ensuing kickoff 94-yards for a touchdown to cut the score 31-13, but the Broncos recovered Atlanta's ensuing onside kick attempt. Two plays later, a 25-yard completion from Elway to receiver Ed McCaffrey set up Elam's 37-yard yard field goal with just over 7 minutes left in the final period.

The Falcons offense advanced inside the Denver 30-yard line for the third consecutive time, and finally scored this time on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Chandler to Martin. Martins' touchdown made the score 34-19 (Chandler's pass on the 2-point conversion attempted was incomplete), but by then there was only 2:04 left in the game. Atlanta failed to recover the onside kick, but got the ball back on their own 30-yard line with 1:34 left after Denver failed to "go for it" on fourth down. However, Jamal Anderson fumbled at the Broncos 33-yard line, Broncos defensive back Tyrone Braxton recovered the ball, allowing Denver to run out the clock and win the game.

The Falcons offense gained a total of 337 yards, were not penalized once, and had driven inside Denver's 30-yard line 7 times. But Atlanta's offense could only score 13 points and lost 5 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Broncos gained a total of 457 yards and scored 34 points.

For the Broncos, Davis recorded 102 rushing yards and caught 2 passes for 50 yards. Smith caught 5 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown, an average of 30.4 yards per catch. Gordon recorded 2 interceptions and returned them for a Super Bowl record 108 yards. 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). Falcons receiver Terence Mathis led Atlanta with 7 receptions for 85 yards. Chandler finished the game with 19 out of 35 completions for 219 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted 3 times.

Scoring summary

  • ATL- FG Andersen 32
  • DEN- Griffith 1 run (Elam kick)
  • DEN- FG Elam 26
  • DEN- R.Smith 80 pass from Elway (Elam kick)
  • ATL- FG Andersen 28
  • DEN- Griffith 1 run (Elam kick)
  • DEN- Elway 3 run (Elam kick)
  • ATL- Dwight 94 kickoff return (Andersen kick)
  • DEN- FG Elam 37
  • ATL- Mathis 3 pass from Chandler (pass failed)

Trivia

  • Terrell Davis' 102 rushing yards in the Super Bowl gave him over 100 rushing yards for the 7th consecutive postseason game in a row.
  • John Elway would become the first quarterback to start five Super Bowls. He previously started XXI, XXII, XXIV and XXXII.
  • Broncos defensive lineman Mike Lodish was making his record 6th appearance in a Super Bowl. He played with Buffalo in all four of their Super Bowls XXV through XXVIII and with Denver the year before.
  • It was the second time in Super Bowl history that both teams scored on their initial possession of the game. The first being Super Bowl XXXII when both Green Bay and Denver scored touchdowns on their first possession.
  • The two teams combined for a Super Bowl record 30 fourth quarter points, with the Broncos 17 and Falcons 13.
  • Dwight's kickoff return for a score was the fifth kickoff return for a score in Super Bowl history. It marked the third time in three Super Bowls played at Miami's Pro Player Stadium that a kickoff was returned for a touchdown, each of which was accomplished by the losing team.
  • John Elway's 80-yard touchdown to Rod Smith was the fourth 80+ yard touchdown pass play in Super Bowl history.
  • Elway became the second player in Super Bowl history to score a touchdown in four different Super Bowls. He ran for scores before in Super Bowls XXI, XXIV and XXXII. He joined Thurman Thomas on this list.
  • Terrell Davis became the second player to be on a Super Bowl winning team after being named the NFL Most Valuable Player and leading the league in rushing. Emmitt Smith was the first one, but also was named Super Bowl MVP for Super Bowl XXVIII during that year. Marcus Allen is the only other player to win all three of these things 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.
  • This was the second Super Bowl in history that featured two teams with two losses or fewer. Both teams came into the game with 16-2 records after the playoffs. 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.

Officials

  • Referee: Bernie Kukar
  • Umpire: Jim Daopoulos
  • Head Linesman: Sanford Rivers
  • Line Judge: Ron Baynes
  • Field Judge: Tim Millis
  • Side Judge: Gary Lane
  • Back Judge: Don Hakes
  • Alternate Referee: Gerald Austin
  • Alternate Umpire: Chad Brown

See also

References

Super Bowl | 1999 in sports | The NFL on FOX | Denver Broncos | Atlanta Falcons

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Super Bowl XXXIII".

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