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| Date | January 24, 1982 (1982-01-24) | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Kickoff time | 4:20 p.m.EST (UTC-5) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Pontiac Silverdome Pontiac, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Joe Montana,quarterback | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | 49ers by 1[1][2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Pat Haggerty | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 81,270[3] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Diana Ross | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coin toss | Bobby Layne | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Up with People presents "Salute to the 1960s and Motown" | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | CBS | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Pat Summerall andJohn Madden | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 49.1 (85.24 million viewers)[4] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Market share | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of 30-second commercial | $324,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | CBS Radio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Jack Buck andHank Stram | ||||||||||||||||||
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Super Bowl XVI was anAmerican football game between theNational Football Conference (NFC) championSan Francisco 49ers and theAmerican Football Conference (AFC) championCincinnati Bengals to decide theNational Football League (NFL) champion for the1981 season. The 49ers defeated the Bengals by the score of 26–21 to win their first Super Bowl.
The game was played on January 24, 1982, at thePontiac Silverdome inPontiac,Michigan, a suburb northwest ofdowntownDetroit. It was the first Super Bowl to be held in a cold-weather city. The domed stadium saved the crowd at the game from the cold and snowy weather, but the weather did affect traffic and other logistical issues related to the game. Super Bowl XVI also becameone of the most watched broadcasts in American television history, with more than 85 million viewers, and a final nationalNielsen rating of 49.1 (a 73 share).[4]
For the first time sinceSuper Bowl III, both teams were making their first Super Bowl appearance. The 49ers posted a 13–3 regular season record, andplayoff wins over theNew York Giants andDallas Cowboys. The Bengals finished the regular season with a 12–4 record, and had postseason victories over theBuffalo Bills andSan Diego Chargers.
Cincinnati's 356 yards of offense to San Francisco's 275 marked the first time in Super Bowl history that the losing team outgained the winning team in total yards. However, the Bengals committed four turnovers to San Francisco's one, and this was a major factor in the outcome. The 49ers scored 20 of their 26 points off of Bengals turnovers.
Super Bowl XVI was initially dominated by the 49ers. Three Cincinnati turnovers helped San Francisco build a then-Super Bowl record 20–0 halftime lead on a touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown from quarterbackJoe Montana and two field goals byRay Wersching. The Bengals rallied in the second half with quarterbackKen Anderson's 5-yard touchdown run and 4-yard touchdown pass, but a third-quarter goal-line stand by the 49ers defense and two more Wersching field goals ultimately decided the game. The Bengals managed to draw within less than a touchdown with 16 seconds remaining but could not recover the ensuing onside kick. Montana was named theSuper 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. Cincinnati tight endDan Ross recorded a then-Super Bowl record 11 receptions (still the most ever by a tight end in a Super Bowl) for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
The NFL awarded Super Bowl XVI toDetroit on March 13, 1979, at the owners' meetings inHonolulu. For the first time, three Super Bowl host cities were deliberated and selected at the same meeting (XV, XVI andXVII). A total of eight cities submitted bids:New Orleans (Louisana Superdome),Detroit (Silverdome),Pasadena (Rose Bowl),Los Angeles (Coliseum),Miami (Orange Bowl),Seattle (Kingdome),Dallas (Cotton Bowl) andHouston (Rice Stadium). For the first time, anorthern, cold-weather city was picked to host a Super Bowl. The game would be played inside thePontiac Silverdome, in theDetroit suburb ofPontiac. Former NFL executive director Don Weiss wrote in his book "The Making of the Super Bowl" that the game had been awarded to the Silverdome by the league as a "reward" to the locally headquartered automobile companiesFord Motor Company andChrysler for their "many years of sponsoring pro football".[5] Automotive executivesTom Murphy (GM),Henry Ford II (Ford),John J. Riccardo (Chrysler), and Gerald C. Meyers (AMC) were all members of the Detroit host committee.[6][7]
MichigangovernorWilliam Milliken, DetroitmayorColeman Young, and Pontiac mayorWallace E. Holland were part of the delegation, and notably offered the Silverdome rent-free. Detroit received rousing support from several NFL owners, includingGeorge Halas,Art Rooney, andPaul Brown.[8][9] New Orleans (XV) and Pasadena (XVII) were other cities chosen at the meeting.[10][11]
After hosting five previous Super Bowls,Miami was noticeably left out, largely due to the deteriorating condition of theOrange Bowl and a hotel room mix-up atSuper Bowl XIII two months earlier.[6][7]Dolphins ownerJoe Robbie, locked in an ongoing feud with the city of Miami andDade County over stadium improvements or construction of a new stadium, actually lobbied against Miami hosting the game. Robbie convinced the other owners to vote down Miami in an effort to gain leverage towards building a new stadium.South Florida would not be selected to host another Super Bowl untilJoe Robbie Stadium was built, and it hostedXXIII.[12][13]
San Francisco finished the regular season with a league-best 13–3 record. The 49ers' success surprised many because they finished with a 6–10 record during theprevious season and a 2–14 record in1979 (they even still had home blackouts early on in the 1981 season, the last blackouts for the 49ers to date). A major reason for the team's improvement was the emergence of their young quarterback,Joe Montana. In his third professional season, Montana completed 311 out of 488 passes (a league-leading 63.7 completion percentage) for 3,565 yards and 19 touchdowns (he also threw 12 interceptions). His favorite target was third-year wide receiverDwight Clark, who had the best season of his career with 85 receptions for 1,104 yards and four touchdowns. Fellow wide receiverFreddie Solomon was also a reliable target with 59 receptions, 969 yards, and eight touchdowns, while tight endCharle Young caught 37 passes for 400 yards and five touchdowns. Running backRicky Patton was the top rusher on the team with 543 yards and four touchdowns, while also catching 27 passes for 195 yards. Multi-talented running backEarl Cooper also provided the team with a rushing and receiving threat, going for 330 yards on the ground and 477 receiving yards on 51 catches. Much of San Francisco's success was aided by its offensive line ofDan Audick (LT),John Ayers (LG),Fred Quillan (C),Randy Cross (RG), andKeith Fahnhorst (RT).
Although the 49ers had three rookies starting as defensive backs, all three were major threats to opposing offsenses.Carlton Williamson recorded four interceptions,Eric Wright had three andRonnie Lott, who had the best statistical season of his career, recorded seven interceptions and tied an NFL record by returning three of them for touchdowns. Three-year veteran defensive backDwight Hicks led the team with nine interceptions, which he returned for 239 yards and a touchdown, giving the secondary a total of 23 picks. Defensive endFred Dean and linebackerJack "Hacksaw" Reynolds made it difficult for opposing teams to rush the ball; Dean became a 49er after an in-season trade with the San Diego Chargers and piled up 12 sacks for San Francisco.
The 49ers' defense ranked second in the NFL with 250 points allowed for the season (up from their 27th ranking in1980). Only theEagles had a better defense in the league that year, allowing just 221 points.
The Bengals finished with the best regular-season record in the AFC at 12–4. Cincinnati was also a surprise team because, like the 49ers, they had recorded a 6–10 record theprevious season. Entering the 1981 season, the Bengals had never won a playoff game in their entire history.
QuarterbackKen Anderson (who had the best season of his career) was the toprated passer in the league and won both theNFL Most Valuable Player Award and theNFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. He completed 300 of 479 passes (62.6%) for 3,754 yards, 29 touchdowns and ten interceptions. Anderson was also an outstanding scrambler, rushing for 320 yards and one touchdown, leading all NFL quarterbacks in rushing yards.
The Bengals' main deep threat was rookie wide receiverCris Collinsworth, who caught 67 passes for 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns. Tight endDan Ross had 71 receptions for 910 yards and five touchdowns, while wide receiversIsaac Curtis andSteve Kreider each recorded 37 receptions, combining for a total of 1,129 yards and nine touchdowns. FullbackPete Johnson was the leading rusher on the team with 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was also a good receiver out of the backfield, catching 46 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns. HalfbackCharles Alexander contributed 554 all-purpose yards and 28 receptions. A big reason for Cincinnati's production on offense was their line, led by futureHall of Fame tackleAnthony Muñoz and guardMax Montoya. On special teams, punterPat McInally made the Pro Bowl with a 45.4 yards-per-punt average.
The Bengals also had a good defense that had not given up more than 30 points in any game that season. Their line was anchored by defensive endsRoss Browner andEddie Edwards, who did a great job stopping the run. Cincinnati's defense was also led by defensive backsLouis Breeden andKen Riley, and linebackersBo Harris,Jim LeClair andReggie Williams, who intercepted four passes and recovered three fumbles.
The Bengals earned their first playoff victory in team history by defeating theBuffalo Bills 28–21, then beating theSan Diego Chargers 27–7 in a game known as theFreezer Bowl because of the −59 °F (−51 °C) wind chill conditions at Riverfront Stadium.[14][15] Meanwhile, the 49ers defeated theNew York Giants 38–24, then narrowly beat theDallas Cowboys 28–27 on a last-minute touchdown pass known asThe Catch.[16][17]
The 49ers had handily beaten the Bengals in a December game played in Cincinnati and consequently were installed as a one-point favorite. Most experts agreed that both teams were very evenly matched, but many thought Pete Johnson's rushing ability could prove to be the difference. Some observers also pointed out that Ken Anderson was an established 11-year veteran who had just had the best season of his career, while Montana was only just starting to emerge as a top-notch quarterback. Furthermore, Anderson had advanced through the playoffs without throwing a single interception, while Montana had been intercepted four times, three of them in the NFC title game.
During the season, both teams had shown impressive ball security. Cincinnati had the fewest turnovers of any NFL team with 24, while San Francisco ranked second with 25.
Cincinnati head coachForrest Gregg became the first to play in a Super Bowl and then be a head coach in a Super Bowl. Gregg played inSuper Bowls I andII as an offensive tackle for theGreen Bay Packers. (He was also on the roster for theDallas Cowboys forSuper Bowl VI, but did not play.)Tom Flores, the winning head coach inSuper Bowl XV, was a back-up quarterback for theKansas City Chiefs inSuper Bowl IV, but did not play.
This was the first Super Bowl to feature two first-time participants sinceSuper Bowl III, and there has been only one since: (Super Bowl XX between theChicago Bears andNew England Patriots). If there is another Super Bowl with both conferences featuring first time participants, it would have to match theDetroit Lions vs theCleveland Browns,Jacksonville Jaguars, orHouston Texans. This was also the only Super Bowl to date between two teams that had losing records the previous season, althoughSuper Bowl XXXIV matched a team that had a losing record in 1998 (the St. Louis Rams) against a team that went 8–8 that year (the Tennessee Titans). This is the most recent Super Bowl in which both teams had never appeared inany AFL or NFL title game before the merger (the 49ers had played in the final championship game of theAll-America Football Conference before joining the NFL in 1950).
This was the only Super Bowl to be played at the Pontiac Silverdome. The Super Bowl did return to Michigan forSuper Bowl XL, but that game was played atFord Field in Detroit, which in 2002 had replaced the Silverdome as the home of theDetroit Lions. This was also only the second Super Bowl to not take place in one of the three so-called 'big Super Bowl Cities' (the other was Houston in January 1974). Fourteen of the previous 15 Super Bowls took place in eitherMiami, Florida,New Orleans, Louisiana or in theGreater Los Angeles Area. The next nine Super Bowls would take place in New Orleans, California, or Florida withTampa, Florida joining the rotation withSuper Bowl XVIII. The next time the Super Bowl would be held in a cold weather city would be a decade from now withSuper Bowl XXVI being held inMinneapolis, Minnesota onJanuary 26, 1992.
As the designated home team, the Bengals wore their black home uniforms with white pants, while the 49ers donned their road white uniforms with gold pants. This was the only Super Bowl where the 49ers away jerseys featured screen printed numbers. The next Super Bowl where the 49ers were the designated away team, their jerseys featured stitched on numbers. All subsequent Super Bowls where the 49ers have been the away team have featured this ever since.
On the day of the game, a 49ers bus which had Bill Walsh and Montana on board was stuck in traffic due to bad weather and a motorcade carryingthen-Vice PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush. As a result, they did not arrive at the stadium until 90 minutes before kickoff time. "Coach Walsh was pretty loose on the bus," Montana toldSports Illustrated after the game. "He said, ‘I’ve got the radio on and we’re leading 7–0. The trainer’s calling the plays.’"[18]
The game was televised in theUnited States byCBS, featuring the broadcast team ofplay-by-play announcerPat Summerall andcolor commentatorJohn Madden. This was Madden's Super Bowl debut as a broadcaster. The broadcast also featured the introduction of thetelestrator to a national audience, that was namedCBS Chalkboard. Still in use today, it enables players and areas of play to be highlighted by the superimposing of lines and rings drawn by a freehand operator.
Hosting coverage forThe Super Bowl Today pregame (90 minutes), halftime, and postgame shows was theNFL Today crew ofBrent Musburger,Irv Cross,Phyllis George, andJimmy "The Greek" Snyder, with studio analysis from then-Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbackTerry Bradshaw (who had faced these very same 49ers during the regular season and lost 17–14) andRoger Staubach, along with reports byPat O'Brien reporting from San Francisco,Sandy Hill reporting from Cincinnati, andCBS News correspondentCharles Osgood. CBS, for this game, used the theme for theCBS Sports Saturday/Sunday for the intro (CBS had aired a special CBS Sports Sunday prior to the beginning of Super Bowl XVI coverage). At the end of CBS' telecast, they playedABBA's "The Winner Takes It All" over a montage of game and the city of San Francisco.
This Super Bowl was simulcast inCanada on theCTV Television Network, which was airing the Super Bowl for the first time.
The game was broadcast on nationwide radio byCBS and featured the broadcast team ofplay-by-play announcerJack Buck andcolor commentatorHank Stram. Hosting coverage forCBS was done byDick Stockton. Locally, Super Bowl XVI was broadcast byKCBS-AM inSan Francisco with Don Klein andWayne Walker and byWLW-AM inCincinnati with Phil Samp andAndy MacWilliams.
The game wasone of the most watched broadcasts in American television history, with more than 85 million viewers. The final nationalNielsen rating was 49.1 (a 73 share), which is still a Super Bowl record, and ranks second to thefinal episode ofM*A*S*H in 1983 among television broadcasts in general. (Super Bowl LIX holds the record for total U.S. viewership, with an average audience of 128 million, but only earned a rating of 41.7, it did however break the record for audience share with 83). As of 2025[update], Super Bowl XVI remains the highest rated championship game in the history of the National Football League.
60 Minutes was CBS'sSuper Bowl lead-out program.
The pregame festivities featured theUniversity of Michigan Band. The band later performed theCanadian National Anthem, which was not televised. SingerDiana Ross (a Detroit native) then performed the U.S. national anthem, which followed a moment of silence in support of the Polish trade unionSolidarity following the crackdown by the communist government of Poland on the pro-democracy union. Ross would later perform at the halftime show forSuper Bowl XXX. This was the first of two Super Bowls, both held in Michigan, in which two national anthems were performed, and to have a joint Canadian-American armed forces color guard, which consisted of members of theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police andCamp Grayling color guards. Thecoin toss ceremony featuredHall of Fame quarterbackBobby Layne, a star with the Lions from 1950 to 1958.
Up with People provided the halftime entertainment featuring a salute to the 1960s and Motown. This was the first Super Bowl to be played in theMidwest.
Cincinnati had the first opportunity to score early in the game. After returning the opening kickoff 17 yards, 49ers running back/returnerAmos Lawrence was hit by Bengals linebackerGuy 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 cornerbackJohn Simmons recovered the ball for Cincinnati. QuarterbackKen Anderson then started the drive off with a completion to wide receiverIsaac Curtis for 8 yards, and fullbackPete Johnson's 2-yard run then picked up a first down. Anderson followed with an 11-yard pass to tight endDan Ross, moving the ball to the 5-yard line. However, running backCharles Alexander was unable to move the ball forward on first down, and then Anderson was sacked by defensive endJim Stuckey on second down for a 6-yard loss. Facing 3rd-and-goal from the 11, Anderson tried to connect with Curtis in the end zone, but 49ers safetyDwight Hicks intercepted the pass at the 5-yard line and returned it 27 yards to the 32.
From there, quarterbackJoe Montana led the 49ers offense to the Cincinnati 47-yard line with three consecutive completions. Then, the 49ers ran afake reverse/flea flicker play that involved running backRicky Patton handing the ball off to wide receiverFreddie Solomon, who then handed it off to Montana, who then completed a 14-yard pass to tight endCharle Young at the 33. Three running plays and Montana's 14-yard completion to Solomon moved the ball to the 1-yard line. Montana finished the drive himself with a 1-yard touchdown run, giving San Francisco a 7–0 lead. After forcing the Bengals to punt, the 49ers got the ball back at their own 10-yard line and nearly committed a turnover when Montana's pass intended for wide receiverDwight Clark was nearly intercepted by cornerbackKen Riley. Had Riley intercepted the pass, he could have walked into the end zone for a game-tying pick-six. On the next play, Patton was tackled for a 7-yard loss by defensive endRoss Browner, backing the 49ers up to their own 3, but a penalty on Cincinnati for too many players on the field on the next play cut the loss to 2 yards. Unlike the previous drive, the 49ers could get nothing going here and they, too, were forced to punt.
Cincinnati threatened to tie the game early in the second quarter when they got the ball back at their own 49 and advanced across the San Francisco 30-yard line on an 18-yard reception by wide receiverCris Collinsworth. But after catching a 19-yard pass from Anderson at the 5-yard line, Collinsworth was stripped of the ball by 49ers cornerbackEric Wright, and cornerbackLynn Thomas recovered the fumble. San Francisco then drove for a Super Bowl record 92 yards on Montana's passes to Solomon and Clark for 20 and 12 yards, respectively, as well as a 14-yard run by running backEarl Cooper (playing in what would be his final game as a running back, Cooper would be converted to a tight end before the 1982 season, a position he would play for the rest of his career). The drive ended with Montana's 10-yard touchdown pass to Cooper, increasing the 49ers' lead to 14–0. The play Cooper scored on had not been called by Bill Walsh for two years. Cooper's leaping, celebratory spike of the football after the touchdown became the photoSports Illustrated used for its post-game cover.
Following Cooper's touchdown came asquib kick by kickerRay Wersching that was finally recovered by Bengals wide receiverDavid Verser, who was quickly tackled at the 2-yard line. 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; because that game was also played at the Silverdome, Walsh felt that Wersching would be able to recreate the crazy bounces of a squib on the hard AstroTurf by shortening his stride and seeing what happened. The Bengals managed to escape a safety when Anderson completed a 10-yard pass to Ross from his own end zone, but they could only advance to their 25 before havingPat McInally boot a 47-yard punt, and with just over 4 minutes left in the half, Montana led the 49ers on another scoring drive. First, he completed a 17-yard pass to Clark at the Cincinnati 49. Then Patton ran twice for a total of 10 yards, advancing the ball to the 39-yard line. Montana's next two completions to Clark (his fourth and final reception of the game) and Solomon moved the ball to the 5-yard line. But then Montana threw two straight incompletions, forcing the 49ers to settle for Wersching's 22-yard field goal to increase their lead to 17–0.
With just 15 seconds left in the half, Wersching kicked another squib kick that was muffed by Bengals running backArchie Griffin, and 49ers linebackerMilt McColl recovered the ball on the Cincinnati 4-yard line. As they lined up for a field goal attempt, a false start penalty against San Francisco's offensive line pushed them back 5 yards, but Wersching connected from 26 yards, increasing the 49ers' lead to 20–0, which was the largest halftime lead in Super Bowl history to that date, breaking the previous record of 17 points set byMiami inSuper Bowl VIII. The 49ers' 20–0 halftime is the 3rd the largest shutout lead at halftime in Super Bowl history. Since then, five Super Bowls have had teams with leads of at least 20 points at halftime:Super Bowl XX (Chicago led New England 23–3),Super Bowl XXII (Washington led Denver 35–10),Super Bowl XXIV (San Francisco led Denver 27–3),Super Bowl XLVIII (Seattle led Denver 22–0), andSuper Bowl LIX (Philadelphia led Kansas City 24-0, now the largest shutout at halftime in Super Bowl history).
After receiving the opening kickoff of the second half, the Bengals drove 83 yards in 9 plays. Alexander started off the drive with a 13-yard carry, with a facemask penalty on Hicks giving an additional 5 yards. Three plays later, Anderson converted a 3rd-and-4 on a 19-yard pass to wide receiverSteve Kreider, followed by a 13-yard pass to Curtis, and eventually finished the drive himself with a 5-yard touchdown run to cut Cincinnati's deficit to 20–7. This seemed to fire up their defense, which limited the 49ers to only 8 plays and 4 offensive yards for the entire third quarter.
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After the next three possessions ended in punts, Bengals safetyMike Fuller's 17-yard punt return gave Cincinnati the ball at midfield. Two penalties and a 4-yard sack by 49ers defensive endFred Dean pushed the Bengals back to their own 37, but on 3rd-and-23, Anderson's 49-yard pass to Collinsworth (the longest play of the game) moved the ball to the San Francisco 14. Johnson then later successfully converted on a fourth down run, giving the Bengals a first down on the 3-yard line. On that play, the 49ers only had 10 players on the field because linebackerKeena Turner, who was seriously ill withchicken pox during Super Bowl week, missed a call to enter the game.
However, the San Francisco defense stiffened to keep Cincinnati out of the end zone. On first down, Johnson drove into the line and gained 2 yards down to the 49ers' 1-yard line. 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 executing their blocking assignments. Cincinnati receiverDavid Verser also missed a blocking audible by Anderson. On third down, 49ers linebackerDan Bunz made essentially the key defensive play of the game. Anderson faked to Johnson and threw a swing pass out to Alexander, who was isolated on Bunz. Bunz, however, corralled Alexander at the line of scrimmage on an open-field tackle and kept him from reaching the end zone. Highlights showed that Alexander was supposed to have entered the end zone before making his cut, and his early turn prevented a touchdown pass.
After calling a timeout, rather than attempting a field goal on fourth down, the Bengals sent Johnson into the middle of the line one last time. But cornerbackRonnie Lott and linebackers Bunz andJack "Hacksaw" Reynolds tackled him for no gain, giving the ball back to the 49ers.
The 49ers only gained 8 yards on their ensuing drive, and the Bengals got the ball back after receivingJim Miller's 44-yard punt at their own 47-yard line. Taking advantage of their great starting field position, the Bengals marched 53 yards in 8 plays, which included a 12-yard reception by Collinsworth, two 9-yard receptions by Ross, and a 14-yard pass interference penalty on Lott. The drive ended with Anderson's 4-yard touchdown pass to Ross, cutting the Bengals' deficit to one score at 20–14 with 10:06 left in regulation.
However, the 49ers responded with a 50-yard, 12-play drive that took 4:41 off the clock and included Montana's 22-yard pass to wide receiverMike Wilson (his longest and final pass of the game) and seven consecutive running plays. Wilson's reception was a play 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. Wersching ended the drive with a 40-yard field goal to put San Francisco back up by two scores, 23–14, with just 5 minutes left in the game.
On the Bengals' first play after receiving the ensuing kickoff, Wright intercepted a pass intended for Collinsworth. After returning the interception 25 yards, Wright fumbled while being tackled by Bengals guardMax Montoya, but 49ers linebackerWillie Harper recovered the ball at the Bengals' 22.
The 49ers then ran the ball on five consecutive plays, taking 3 minutes off the clock, to advance to the Cincinnati 6-yard line. Wersching then kicked his fourth field goal to increase the 49ers' lead to 26–14 with less than 2 minutes left in the game. Wersching's 4 field goals tied a Super Bowl record set by Green Bay Packers kickerDon Chandler inSuper Bowl II. Because of his 4 field goals and the close score, this is the only Super Bowl in which the losing team scored more touchdowns than the winning team (Cincinnati 3, San Francisco 2).
Anderson completed six consecutive passes on the Bengals' ensuing drive, the last one a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ross to make the score 26–21. However, none of the receivers on Anderson's completions were able to get out of bounds to stop the clock. By the time Ross scored, only 16 seconds remained in the game. The Bengals tried an onside kick, but Clark recovered the ball for the 49ers, allowing San Francisco to run out the clock and claim their first Super Bowl title.
Montana threw for 157 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 18 yards and another touchdown. The victory made Montana the second-youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl at the time (just behind his idolJoe Namath; Namath was 25 years, 7 months, and 12 days old when he wonSuper Bowl III, while Montana was a day older).
Patton was the game's leading rusher, with 55 yards on 17 carries. Wersching scored 14 points on four field goals and two PATs, while his squib kickoffs caused two Cincinnati fumbles. The 49ers recovered one of these fumbles, leading to a field goal. Wright had an interception and forced a fumble. 49ers linebacker Jack Reynolds and Bengals defensive lineman Ross Browner each made eight tackles.
Anderson completed 25 of 34 pass attempts for 300 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also gained 14 rushing yards and a touchdown on six carries. Anderson's 25 completions and 73.5% completion percentage were both Super Bowl records.
Cris Collinsworth (the game's leading receiver) caught 5 passes for 107 yards. Dan Ross had 11 receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns. The 11 catches were a Super Bowl record, later tied by several players but only surpassed byDemaryius Thomas inSuper Bowl XLVIII with 13 receptions. Ross still holds the record for most catches by a tight end in a Super Bowl game.
Collinsworth and Ross became the second pair of teammates to each have 100 yards receiving in a Super Bowl.John Stallworth andLynn Swann were the first to do so inSuper Bowl XIII.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers (NFC) | 7 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 26 |
| Bengals (AFC) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sources:NFL.com Super Bowl XVI,Super Bowl XVI Play Finder SF,Super Bowl XVI Play Finder Cin
| San Francisco 49ers | Cincinnati Bengals | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 24 |
| First downs rushing | 9 | 7 |
| First downs passing | 9 | 13 |
| First downs penalty | 2 | 4 |
| Third down efficiency | 8/15 | 6/12 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 0/0 | 1/2 |
| Net yards rushing | 127 | 72 |
| Rushing attempts | 40 | 24 |
| Yards per rush | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| Passing – Completions/attempts | 14/22 | 25/34 |
| Times sacked-total yards | 1–9 | 5–16 |
| Interceptions thrown | 0 | 2 |
| Net yards passing | 148 | 284 |
| Total net yards | 275 | 356 |
| Punt returns-total yards | 1–6 | 4–35 |
| Kickoff returns-total yards | 2–40 | 7–52 |
| Interceptions-total return yards | 2–52 | 0–0 |
| Punts-average yardage | 4–46.3 | 3–43.7 |
| Fumbles-lost | 2–1 | 2–2 |
| Penalties-total yards | 8–65 | 8–57 |
| Time of possession | 30:34 | 29:26 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 4 |
| 49ers passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Joe Montana | 14/22 | 157 | 1 | 0 | 100.0 |
| 49ers rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Yds/Car | |
| Ricky Patton | 17 | 55 | 0 | 10 | 3.24 |
| Earl Cooper | 9 | 34 | 0 | 14 | 3.78 |
| Joe Montana | 6 | 18 | 1 | 8 | 3.00 |
| Bill Ring | 5 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 3.40 |
| Johnny Davis | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2.50 |
| Dwight Clark | 1 | –2 | 0 | –2 | –2.00 |
| 49ers receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Target5 | |
| Freddie Solomon | 4 | 52 | 0 | 20 | 6 |
| Dwight Clark | 4 | 45 | 0 | 17 | 6 |
| Earl Cooper | 2 | 15 | 1 | 11 | 2 |
| Mike Wilson | 1 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| Charle Young | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| Ricky Patton | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Bill Ring | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Bengals passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Ken Anderson | 25/34 | 300 | 2 | 2 | 95.2 |
| Bengals rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Yds/Car | |
| Pete Johnson | 14 | 36 | 0 | 5 | 2.57 |
| Charles Alexander | 5 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 3.40 |
| Ken Anderson | 4 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 3.75 |
| Archie Griffin | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4.00 |
| Bengals receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Target5 | |
| Dan Ross | 11 | 104 | 2 | 16 | 13 |
| Cris Collinsworth | 5 | 107 | 0 | 49 | 9 |
| Isaac Curtis | 3 | 42 | 0 | 21 | 5 |
| Steve Kreider | 2 | 36 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| Pete Johnson | 2 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Charles Alexander | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
1Completions/attempts2Carries3Long gain4Receptions5Times targeted
The following records were set in Super Bowl XVI, according to the official NFL.com boxscore[20] and the Pro-Football-Reference.com game summary.[21]
Some records have to meet NFL minimum number of attempts to be recognized.[22] The minimums are shown (in parentheses).
| Player Records Set[21] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Passing Records | ||
| Most completions, game | 25 | Ken Anderson (Cincinnati) |
| Highest completion percentage, game, (20 attempts) | 73.5% (25–34) | |
| Receiving Records | ||
| Most receptions, game | 11 | Dan Ross (Cincinnati) |
| Records Tied | ||
| Most touchdowns, game | 2 | Dan Ross (Cincinnati) |
| Most receiving touchdowns, game | 2 | |
| Most kickoff returns, game | 5 | David Verser (Cincinnati) |
| Most field goals made, game | 4 | Ray Wersching (San Francisco) |
| Most field goals made, career | 4 | |
| Most 40-plus yard field goals, game | 1 | |
| Team Records Set[21] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | ||
| Largest halftime lead | 20 points | 49ers |
| Touchdowns | ||
| Longest touchdown scoring drive | 92 yards | 49ers |
| Passing | ||
| Most passes completed | 25 | Bengals |
| Highest completion percentage (20 attempts) | 73.5% (25–34) | |
| First Downs | ||
| Most first downs | 24 | Bengals |
| Records Tied | ||
| Most points scored, second half | 21 | Bengals |
| Most points, fourth quarter | 14 | |
| Fewest points, first half | 0 | |
| Most first downs, penalty | 4 | |
| Most kickoff returns, game | 7 | |
| Most field goals made | 4 | 49ers |
| Records Set, both team totals[21] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 49ers | Bengals | |
| Passing, Both Teams | |||
| Most passes completed | 39 | 14 | 25 |
| First Downs, Both Teams | |||
| Most first downs | 44 | 20 | 24 |
| Most first downs, penalty | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| Records tied, both team totals | |||
| Most field goals made | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Source:[23]
Hall of Fame‡
NOTE: Officials were numbered separately by position from 1979 to 1981. In 1982, the league reverted to the pre-1979 practice of assigning each official a different number.Bergman, Beeks, Swanson and Hakes all worked together on the same crew during the regular season, a rarity.
