The domed stadium saved the crowd at the game from the very cold and snowy weather, but the weather did affect traffic and other logistical issues related to the game. This was the second rematch in Super Bowl history, as the two teams met in Super Bowl VII. A big reason for Cincinnati's production on offense was their line, led by future Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz. In just his third season in the league, Montana completed 311 out of 488 passes (a 63.7 completion percentage) for 3,565 yards and 19 touchdowns. Super Bowl XVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cincinnati Bengals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1981 season.The 49ers defeated the Bengals by the score of 26–21 to win their first Super Bowl. First Quarter Montana threw for 157 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for another 18 yards and a touchdown. 49ers quarterback Joe Montana was named the Super Bowl MVP, completing 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 18 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Cris Collinsworth and Dan Ross became the second pair teammates to each have 100 yards receiving in a Super Bowl. Quarterback Ken Anderson then started the drive off with a completion to wide receiver Isaac Curtis for 8 yards, and followed it up with an 11-yard pass to tight end Dan Ross. The game was one of the most watched broadcasts in American television history, with more than 85 million viewers. Some also pointed out that Ken Anderson was an established 11-year veteran who had just finished the best season of his career, while the young Montana was only just starting to emerge as a top notch quarterback. San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XVI 16th Champions NFL Stein Mug ceramic . $20.50. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Called the "best pure passer in the game" by 49er coach Bill Walsh, Anderson was originally the discovery and "project" of Bill Walsh … Cooper's leaping, celebratory spike of the football after scoring became the photo Sports Illustrated used for its post-game cover. Anderson completed 6 consecutive passes on the Bengals ensuing drive, the last one a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ross, to make the score 26–21, but with less than 20 seconds left in the game. American Football Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Walsh's goal was to replace the old game "played in the ... Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Fuller gained 35 yards on 4 punt returns. Although the 49ers had 3 rookies starting as defensive backs, they all were major defensive threats: Carlton Williamson recorded 4 interceptions, Eric Wright had 3, and Ronnie Lott recorded 7 interceptions and tied an NFL record by returning 3 of them for touchdowns. (Super Bowl XLV holds the record for total U.S. viewership, with an average audience of 111 million, but only earned a rating of 47.9 and a 69 share). Vintage 1988 Super Bowl XXII Stein Mug Washington Redskins Denver Broncos. Johnson then later successfully converted on a fourth down run, giving the Bengals a first down on the 3-yard line. The 49ers' success surprised many because they finished with a 6-10 record during the previous season, and a 2-14 record the season before that. On that play, the 49ers only had 10 players on the field because LB Keena Turner, who was seriously ill with the chicken pox during Super Bowl week, missed a call to enter the game. Rather than attempting a field goal on fourth down, the Bengals sent Johnson into the middle of the line one last time. Super Bowl XVI Take a look at some of the best photos from the Super Bowl XVI at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, MI on January 24, 1982. Alhough identified with the new 49er dynasty of Coach Bill Walsh and America's favorite quarterback Joe Montana, Super Bowl XVI also represents the arrival--following much adversity and many discouraging defeats--of Paul Brown's Cincinnati Bengals and their journeyman quarterback, Ken Anderson. The game was the first to feature the duo of Pat Summerall and John Madden in the broadcast booth. That both made it was unbelievable.. From there, quarterback Joe Montana led the 49ers offense to the Cincinnati 47-yard line with 3 consecutive completions. Super Bowl XVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cincinnati Bengals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1981 season. View the Box Score for the NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals on January 24, 1982. Multi-talented running back Earl Cooper also provided the team with a good running and receiving threat, rushing for 330 yards and catching 51 passes for 477 yards. The Bengals then tried to run Johnson into the line on second down, but lost a yard when a charging rush prevented the Bengals from establishing an up-the-middle blocking plan. The game was televised in the United States by CBS and featured the broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall and color commentator John Madden (the latter making his Super Bowl debut as a broadcaster). Later in the quarter, Bengals defensive back Mike Fuller's 17-yard punt return gave the Bengals the ball at midfield. The National Football Conference NFC champion San Francisco 49ers (16-3) defeated the American Football Conference AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals (14-5), 26-21. After returning the interception 25 yards, Wright fumbled while being tackled by Bengals guard Max Montoya, but San Francisco linebacker Willie Harper recovered the ball at the Bengals 22-yard line. This was also the first Super Bowl to be telecast in Canada, being simulcast on CTV. Cincinnati was also a surprise team because, like the 49ers, they also had recorded a 6-10 record during the previous season. Wersching's 4 field goals tied a Super Bowl record set by Green Bay Packers kicker Don Chandler in Super Bowl II. Shopping. Pontiac Silverdome - 1200 Featherstone Road, Pontiac, Michigan, USA. The Pontiac Silverdome played host to Super Bowl XVI in 1982, the first NFL championship played in a cold-weather city. Second Quarter The team that won the regular season meeting is 6-7 in the Super Bowl rematch. This was the first Super Bowl to be played in the Midwest. Much of San Francisco's success was aided by their offensive line, which featured Dan Audick (LT), John Ayers (LG), Fred Quillan (C), Randy Cross (RG), and Keith Fahnhorst (RT). He completed 300 out of 479 (62.6 percent) of his passes for 3,754 yards and 29 touchdowns, with only 10 interceptions. This FAQ is empty. Watch later. Hall of Fame Tackle Anthony Muñoz chats with Senior Writer Geoff Hobson about going to the Super Bowl with the 1981 and 1988 Bengals, his community service work … Although the Bengals gained 356 yards of total offense to the 49ers' 275, San Francisco forced 5 turnovers and jumped to a 20-0 lead by halftime. Finally, Montana scored from there on a 1-yard quarterback sneak, giving San Francisco a 7-0 lead. Cincinnati receiver David Verser also missed a blocking audible by Anderson. NFL History - … SolarStampMemorablia. Super Bowl XVI - San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals - January 24th, 1982 Fourth Quarter 2 penalties and a 4-yard sack pushed them back to their own 37, but on third down, Collinsworth's 49-yard reception from Anderson moved the ball the San Francisco 14-yard line. SUPER BOWL LI 51 FULL TICKET TOM BRADY MVP PSA AUTHENTICATED. The Bengals also had an outstanding defense that had not given up more than 30 points in any of their regular season or playoff games. Wersching ended the drive with a 40-yard field goal to give San Francisco a 23-14 lead with just 5 minutes left. The game was played on January 24, … Tight end Dan Ross had 71 receptions for 910 yards and 5 touchdowns, while wide receiver Isaac Curtis recorded 37 passes for 609 yards and 2 touchdowns. (1982– ). http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/16/, https://americanfootball.fandom.com/wiki/Super_Bowl_XVI?oldid=195708, SF - TD: Joe Montana 1 yard run (Ray Wersching kick), SF - TD: Earl Cooper 11 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick), CIN - TD: Ken Anderson 5 yard run (Jim Breech kick), CIN - TD: Dan Ross 4 yard pass from Ken Anderson (Jim Breech kick), CIN - TD: Dan Ross 3 yard pass from Ken Anderson (Jim Breech kick). Super Bowl XVI Earl Cooper of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI on Jan. 24, 1982 at the Silver Dome in Pontiac, Mich. Dwight Clark's legendary 6-yard touchdown reception from … Super Bowl XVI was the second straight year the big game had been held indoors, and the first time the razzmatazz of the Super Bowl had ventured to a "cold weather" city. But San Francisco linebackers Dan Bunz, Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds and cornerback Ronnie Lott tackled him for no gain, giving the ball back to the 49ers. Wersching then kicked his fourth field goal to increase the 49ers lead to 26–14 with less than 2 minutes left in the game. Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson was the top rated passer in the league and won both the NFL Most Valuable Player Award and the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held at a cold-weather city. The game featured several great performances by players on both teams. John Stallworth and Lynn Swann were the first to do so in Super Bowl XIII. Highlights showed that Alexander was supposed to have entered the end zone before making his cut and his early turn prevented a touchdown pass. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Wilson's reception was a play Bill Walsh specifically designed for the Super Bowl that capitalized on the Bengals' doing a long-run coverage on Wilson anytime he ran a pass route over 20 yards; Wilson simply ran 25 yards straight out and then cut back to receive Montana's precision pass. This marked the first time in Super Bowl history that the team which compiled the most yards and touchdowns lost. The Bengals finished with the best regular season record in the AFC at 12-4. After returning the opening kickoff 17 yards, San Francisco's Amos Lawrence was hit by Bengals linebacker Guy Frazier and fumbled at his own 26-yard line (the first time in a Super Bowl that a turnover took place on the opening kick), where John Simmons recovered for Cincinnati. On first down, Johnson drove into the line and gained 2 yards down the 49ers 1-yard line. That said, going into Super Bowl XVI most experts agreed that both teams were very evenly matched, but many thought Pete Johnson's rushing ability could prove to be the difference. Anderson faked to Johnson and threw a swing pass out to running back Charles Alexander, who was isolated on Bunz. Super Bowl XV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1980 season.The Raiders defeated the Eagles by the score of 27–10, becoming the first wild card playoff team to win a Super Bowl. Facing third down, Anderson tried to connect with Curtis in the end zone, but 49ers safety Dwight Hicks intercepted the ball at the 5-yard line and returned it 27 yards to the 32. Super Bowl XVII was the Redskins' first Super Bowl victory (third NFL championship overall), and their second Super Bowl appearance, since they were defeated by the Dolphins, 14-7, in Super Bowl VII. On third down, 49ers linebacker Dan Bunz made probably the key defensive play of the game. Collinsworth caught 5 passes for 107 yards, an average of 21.4 yards per catch. This was also the only Super Bowl to date between two teams who had losing records the previous season, although Super Bowl XXXIV matched a team that had a losing record in 1998 (St. Louis Rams) vs. a team that finished a mediocre 8-8 that year (Tennessee Titans). Ross recorded a Super Bowl record 11 receptions for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns (the most ever by a tight end in a Super Bowl) and he remains tied for the most receptions in a Super Bowl with Jerry Rice (who tied Ross' record in the Super Bowl rematch), Deion Branch, and Wes Welker. Collinsworth had 107, while Ross had 104. On special teams, punter Pat McInally made the pro bowl with a 45.4 yards per punt average. Running back Ricky Patton was the top rusher on the team with 543 yards and 4 touchdowns, while also catching 27 passes for 195 yards. Called the "best pure passer in the game" by 49er coach Bill Walsh, Anderson was originally the discovery and "project" of Bill Walsh who, as Bengal quarterback coach and offensive coordinator, had been tasked by Paul Brown, the legendary former coach of the Cleveland team named after him, with finding an answer to the Pittsburgh "Steel Curtain" with 4 Super Bowls in 6 years (1974-1979) with a team of 10 future Hall-of-Fame players.Ken Anderson from "tiny" Augustana College (the adjective first used by Howard Cosell) was a pristine model, or "natural" talent, who quickly understood and absorbed Walsh's creative offensive formations. His favorite targets were receivers Dwight Clark (85 receptions, 1,104 yards, and 4 touchdowns) and Freddie Solomon (59 receptions, 969 yards, and 8 touchdowns). This seemed to fire up Cincinnati's defense, who limited the 49ers to only 8 plays and 4 offensive yards for the entire third quarter. First, he completed a 17-yard pass to wide receiver Dwight Clark at the Cincinnati 49-yard line. Tap to unmute. Third Quarter or Best Offer. Anderson finished the game with 25 out of 34 pass completions for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions. Read our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're watching in March, including "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Boss Level, and Zack Snyder's Justice League. Three running plays and Montana's 14-yard completion to Solomon moved the ball to the 1-yard line. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Three-year veteran defensive back Dwight Hicks led the team with 9 interceptions, which he returned for 239 yards and a touchdown, giving the secondary a total of 23. The Niners won the Super Bowl 26-21. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Check out our favorite stills from shows you can stream now on Paramount +. Gregg played in Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II as a member of the Green Bay Packers. Fullback Pete Johnson was the leading rusher on the team, with 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns. or Best Offer. Anderson was also an outstanding scrambler, rushing for another 320 yards and another touchdown. But then Montana threw 2 straight incompletions, forcing the 49ers to settle for kicker Ray Wersching's 22-yard field goal to increase their lead to 17-0. The play Cooper scored on had not been called by Bill Walsh for 2 years. According to the NFL's highlight film for the game, the 49ers had discovered Wersching's ability to effectively use the squib during their 1981 season opener when a leg injury kept him from fully powering into the football. Tracy Wolfson, Lead Reporter, The … Super Bowl XVI was an American football game played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit) to decide the National Football League champion following the 1981 regular season. The football bounced like crazy on the artificial turf as in the opening game. From shop SolarStampMemorablia. Super Bowl XVI pitted the NFC league's best (13-3) San Francisco 49ers against the AFC's (12-4) Cincinnati Bengals at the Pontiac Superdome in Detroit, MI on January 24, 1982. Montana's next two completions to Clark and Solomon moved the ball to the 5-yard line. Ross is the only tight end to have 100 yards receiving in a Super Bowl. The Bengals threatened to score early in the second quarter when they advanced across the San Francisco 30-yard line. A game program from Super Bowl XVI … Fourteen of the previous 16 Super Bowls took place in either Miami, Florida, New Orleans, Louisiana or in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Super Bowl XVI: San Francisco 49ers 26 Cincinnati Bengals 21 - MVP 49ers QB Joe Montana - If the 1970s belonged to the Steelers, the 1980s was certainly the decade of the 49ers. The 49ers only gained 8 yards on their ensuing drive, and Bengals got the ball back after receiving Jim Miller's 44 yard punt at their own 47-yard line. After receiving the opening kickoff of the second half, the Bengals drove 83 yards in 9 plays, scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run by Anderson to cut the deficit to 20–7. The coin toss ceremony featured hall of fame quarterback Bobby Layne. File photo-The Oakland Press. $24.99. Free shipping. He also gained 14 rushing yards and a touchdown on 6 carries. The final national Nielsen rating was a 49.1 (a 73 share), which is still a Super Bowl record, and ranks second only to the final episode of M*A*S*H in 1983 among television broadcasts in general. They beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-21, in Super Bowl XVI yesterday with major help from the kind of plays few ever thought existed in the Bill Walsh "aerial-circus" playbook. $399.00. Furthermore, Anderson had advanced through the playoffs without throwing a single interception, while Montana had been intercepted 4 times, 3 of them occurring in the NFC title game. He was also a good receiver out of the backfield, catching 46 passes for another 320 yards and 4 touchdowns. Info. Alhough identified with the new 49er dynasty of Coach Bill Walsh and America's favorite quarterback Joe Montana, Super Bowl XVI also represents the arrival--following much adversity and ... View production, box office, & company info. 1969 Super Bowl 3 New York Jets Baltimore Colts Joe Namath MVP PSA Ticket White. Called the "best pure passer in the game" by 49er coach Bill Walsh, Anderson was originally the discovery and "project" of Bill Walsh who, as Bengal quarterback coach and offensive coordinator, had been tasked by Paul Brown, the legendary former coach of the Cleveland team named after him, with finding an answer to the Pittsburgh "Steel Curtain" with 4 Super Bowls in 6 years (1974-1979) with a team of 10 future Hall-of-Fame players. On the Bengals first play after receiving the ensuing kickoff, Wright intercepted a pass from Anderson. Worst (and Best) Super Bowl Halftime Shows, Review: ‘Smile Til It Hurts: The Up With People Story’, The American Presidents and the History of the United States | Timeline, Self - San Francisco 49ers Reserve Quarterback, Self - San Francisco 49ers Right Defensive End, Self - Cincinnati Bengals Left Cornerback, Self - Cincinnati Bengals Right Defensive End, Self - Cincinnati Bengals Right Inside Linebacker. With the score, the deficit was cut to 20-14 with 10:06 left in the fourth quarter. Copy link. Focus on Sport/Getty Images Cincinnati's defense was also led by defensive backs Louis Breeden and Ken Riley, and Linebackers Bo Harris, Jim LeClair, and Reggie Williams, who intercepted four passes and recovered three fumbles. And prior to this year, they had never won a playoff game in their entire history. This was also only the second of 16 Super Bowls to not take place in one of the three so-called "Big Super Bowl Cities" (the other was Houston in 1974).