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| Date | January 27, 1991 (1991-01-27) | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Kickoff time | 6:19 p.m.EST (UTC-5) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Tampa Stadium Tampa, Florida | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Ottis Anderson,running back | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Bills by 7[1][2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Jerry Seeman | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 73,813[3] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Whitney Houston with theFlorida Orchestra | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coin toss | Pete Rozelle | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | New Kids on the Block | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Al Michaels,Frank Gifford,Dan Dierdorf,Lynn Swann, andJack Arute | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 41.9 (est. 79.51 million viewers)[4] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Market share | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of 30-second commercial | $800,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | CBS Radio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Jack Buck andHank Stram | ||||||||||||||||||
Super Bowl XXV was anAmerican football game between theAmerican Football Conference (AFC) championBuffalo Bills and theNational Football Conference (NFC) championNew York Giants to decide theNational Football League (NFL) champion for the1990 season. The Giants defeated the Bills by the score of 20–19, winning their second Super Bowl.
The game was held atTampa Stadium inTampa, Florida, on January 27, 1991, and was the last time a Super Bowl would be held atTampa Stadium (replaced by theRaymond James Stadium). A memorable performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" byWhitney Houston and theFlorida Orchestra preceded the game.[5] Jazz musicianJohn Clayton arranged the piece.ABC, which broadcast the game in the United States, did not air thehalftime show (which was headlined by the American boy bandNew Kids on the Block) live. Instead, the network televised a specialABC News report anchored byPeter Jennings on the progress of the ongoingGulf War, then aired the halftime show ontape delay after the game.
The Bills and their explosiveno-huddle offense were making their first of four consecutive Super Bowl appearance after finishing the regular season with a 13–3 record, and leading the league in total points scored with 428. In advancing to their second Super Bowl, the Giants also posted a 13–3 regular-season record, but with a ball-control offense and a defense that allowed a league-low 211 points. Super Bowl XXV became the first Super Bowl to feature two teams representing the same state, even though the Giants technically play in New Jersey.
The game is known for Bills placekickerScott Norwood's last-second missed field goal attempt thatwent wide right of the uprights, starting a four-game losing streak in the Super Bowl for the Bills. The game became the first (and so far only) Super Bowl decided by one point and the first Super Bowl in which neither team committed a turnover. The Giants set a Super Bowl record-holding possession of the ball for 40 minutes and 33 seconds. The Giants also overcame a 12–3 second-quarter deficit and made a 75-yard touchdown drive that consumed a Super Bowl-record 9:29 off the clock.[6] Giants running backOttis Anderson, who carried the ball 21 times for 102 yards and one touchdown, was namedSuper Bowl MVP. He was the first awardee to receive the newly named "Pete Rozelle Trophy" (named for the former commissioner,Pete Rozelle).[7] Anderson also recorded one reception for seven yards. The NFL in its 100 Greatest Games series ranked it at number 10.[8]
As withSuper Bowl XXI,Phil Simms, who quarterbacked the victor Giants, would notably state "I'm going toDisney World!" immediately after the game on live television (Disney sponsored the pregame and halftime shows, and took ownership ofABC five years later).This phrase (sometimes withDisneyland substituted) became a tradition for players on winning teams after the game.
NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXV to Tampa during a May 20, 1987 owners meeting held atCoronado, California. It was the second time that Tampa hosted the game; the city previously hostedXVIII on January 22, 1984. Voting for the "silver anniversary" Super Bowl drew bids from Tampa (Tampa Stadium),San Diego (Jack Murphy Stadium),Anaheim (Anaheim Stadium),Los Angeles (Coliseum), andMiami (Joe Robbie Stadium). The voting process took six ballots, and eventually narrowed down to two finalists: Tampa and San Diego. Anaheim and Los Angeles were eliminated on the first ballot, then Miami (already scheduled to hostXXIII), was eliminated on the second.[9][10]
After three additional rounds, neither Tampa nor San Diego could garner the desired3⁄4 vote (21 of 28 owners). To break the stalemate, the vote switched to a simple majority. Though the final tally was kept secret, Tampa was said to have won by a close margin of only 2–3 votes. TheTampa Bay area won by virtue of proven success hostingXVIII, and the plans to move theGasparilla Pirate Festival to Super Bowl week. San Diego was slated to hostXXII, but since that day had not yet come, some owners were reluctant to award the city a second Super Bowl before they completed their first.[9][10]
The 1990 New York Giants were built to head coachBill Parcells's specifications of "power football": a strong defense and an offense meant to sustain extremely long drives. The Giants' defense ranked second in the league in fewest total yards allowed (4,392) and first in fewest points allowed, and boasted threePro Bowl selections: defensive tackleErik Howard, and linebackersPepper Johnson andLawrence Taylor (10.5 sacks and 1 interception). LinebackerGary Reasons was also a strong force with 3 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries. The secondary was led by defensive backEverson Walls, an offseason acquisition from theDallas Cowboys, who recorded six interceptions, and safetyGreg Jackson, who recorded five interceptions and four sacks. The Giants' offense was unspectacular, ranking just 17th in the league in yards gained and 13th in points scored. Despite that, they wore down opposing teams' defenses with extremely long drives, thus keeping their opponents' offense on the sidelines and preventing them from scoring. More importantly, the Giants set an NFL record by losing only 14 turnovers in a 16-game regular season. A big reason for the team's offensive success was the blocking of linemenBart Oates andWilliam Roberts, the only Pro Bowlers on the offense.Ottis Anderson was the team's leading rusher with 784 yards and 11 touchdowns, while also catching 18 passes for 139 yards. Kick returnerDave Meggett led the NFL in punt return yards (467), while also gaining 492 yards on kickoff returns, rushing for 164 yards, and catching 39 passes for 410 yards.
New York began the regular season by winning their first ten games, and then went into a tailspin and lost three of their next four. One week after losing to division rivalPhiladelphia Eagles, 31–13, the 10–1 Giants met defeat onMonday Night Football in a 7–3 defensive battle with the 10–1San Francisco 49ers, who had won the previous two Super Bowls and ultimately finished the regular season with an NFL best 14–2 record. Then, in their 17–13 loss to the Bills, New York suffered a setback when starting quarterbackPhil Simms, who had thrown for 2,284 yards and 15 touchdowns with only four interceptions during the year, went down for the season with a broken bone in his foot.
Simms's replacement,Jeff Hostetler, had started only two games in his seven years as a backup with the Giants. However, Hostetler displayed polished passing and scrambling ability in his limited playing time during the season, and threw only one interception and committed no fumbles. With Hostetler at the helm, the Giants responded by winning their final two games to finish the regular season 13–3, good enough to win theNFC East and earn the second seed in the NFC playoffs.
The Bills had a very talented team with nine Pro Bowl selections on their roster. Their defense was led by defensive endBruce Smith, who recorded 19 sacks, forced four fumbles, and won theNFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. Behind him, three of the Bills' starting linebackers,Darryl Talley,Shane Conlan, andCornelius Bennett, were selected to the Pro Bowl. Defensive backKirby Jackson led the team in interceptions with 3. Onspecial teams, Pro BowlerSteve Tasker was a dominant threat, forcing fumbles, delivering jarring tackles, and blocking kicks.
Despite their good defense, it was the Bills' flashy, high-powered offense that gained the most attention. Unlike the Giants, the Bills routinely used theno-huddle tactic to storm down the field and score points very quickly. Instead of going into a huddle after each play, quarterbackJim Kelly would immediately send his offense back to theline of scrimmage and make the call there after reading the defense. This strategy prevented opposing defenses from reading the Bills' formation correctly, making substitutions, or even catching their breath.
The Bills'no-huddle K-Gun offense worked well enough for Kelly to finish the regular season as thetop-rated quarterback in the NFL (101.2), throwing for 2,829 yards, 24 touchdowns, and only nine interceptions. One reason for his success was that he had two outstanding wide receivers: futureHall of FamerAndre Reed, who made his specialty going across the middle on slants and crossing routes, recorded 71 receptions, 945 yards, and 8 touchdowns, and future Hall of FamerJames Lofton, who was the big threat with 35 receptions for 712 yards (a 20.3 yards per catch average). Tight endKeith McKeller contributed 34 receptions for 464 yards and five touchdowns. Pro Bowl running backThurman Thomas had an AFC-best 1,297 rushing yards, caught 49 passes for 532 yards, and scored 13 touchdowns. Thomas also led the NFL in yards from scrimmage for the second consecutive season. A key to the Bills' prolific offense was the blocking of its superboffensive line, led by All-Pro centerKent Hull and Pro Bowl left tackleWill Wolford.
Even though Kelly missed the last two games of the season with a knee injury, suffered in the same game in which the Giants lost Simms, the Bills finished with a 13–3 regular season record.
The Giants began their championship postseason run by a trivial elimination of theChicago Bears, 31–3. In leading the Giants' "power football" offense, Hostetler threw only 17 passes, but two went for touchdowns and he threw no interceptions. He also directed a rushing attack that gained 194 yards, including 43 (and a touchdown) from Hostetler himself. This game offered a preview of what lay in store for Super Bowl XXV, as the Giants scored on drives of 75, 80, 49, and 51 yards, which lasted nine, 11, 11, and 16 plays, respectively. Overall, New York held the ball for 38:22, compared to Chicago's 21:38.[11] However, New York lost another key player for the season when rookie running backRodney Hampton, the team's second-leading rusher during the regular season with 455 yards, suffered a broken leg.
The following Sunday, the Giants upset theSan Francisco 49ers 15–13 in theNFC Championship Game. The 49ers, an NFL-best 14–2 in the regular season and winners of the last two Super Bowls, were 8-point favorites at kickoff.[12] Their outstanding defense was led by future Hall of Fame defensive backRonnie Lott and linebackerCharles Haley, who led the NFC in sacks. San Francisco's offense was considered the best in the NFC, led by future Hall of Fame quarterbackJoe Montana and wide receiverJerry Rice. However, except for a 61-yard touchdown pass from Montana to wide receiverJohn Taylor, the Giants contained the 49ers' offense very well. A sack by Giants defensive endLeonard Marshall early in the fourth quarter knocked Montana out of the game. Despite their super defensive effort, the Giants still trailed 13–9 midway through the fourth quarter, but a 30-yard run from linebackerGary Reasons on a fake punt set up kickerMatt Bahr's fourth field goal, cutting their deficit to 13–12. The 49ers (now led bySteve Young) tried to run out the clock on their ensuing possession, but running backRoger Craig had the ball dislodged by nose tackleErik Howard, and Lawrence Taylor recovered the fumble in mid-air with 2:36 remaining. Five plays later, Bahr kicked his fifth field goal, a 41-yarder, as time expired to give New York the win.
As for the Bills, Jim Kelly returned from his injury to lead Buffalo to a 44–34 playoff victory over theMiami Dolphins. The Bills jumped to an early 20–3 lead, but Miami quarterbackDan Marino rallied his team back and cut Buffalo's lead to 30–27 going into the fourth quarter. However, Buffalo scored a touchdown on their first drive of the period with a 5-yard run by Thurman Thomas. KickerScott Norwood then recovered a fumble from Miami on the ensuing kickoff, allowing the Bills to put the game away with Kelly's 26-yard touchdown pass to Andre Reed. Kelly finished the game with 336 passing yards, three touchdowns, and 37 rushing yards. Reed was also a major factor, recording 123 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown catches. James Lofton caught seven passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Thomas led the Bills' ground attack with 32 carries for 117 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while also catching three passes for 38 yards.[13]
Buffalo then crushed theLos Angeles Raiders 51–3 in theAFC Championship Game, the most lopsided score in AFC Championship Game history. The Bills' defense dominated the Raiders' offense, which was withoutrunning backBo Jackson, who suffered a career-ending injury against theCincinnati Bengals the week before, limiting them to an early field goal and intercepting five passes from quarterbackJay Schroeder. Meanwhile, the Bills' offense racked up 502 yards, piling up yards and points so fast the game was out of reach by the end of the first half. Kelly was 17 of 23 for 300 yards passing, and two touchdowns to Lofton. Thomas had 138 yards rushing, 61 yards receiving, and his backup,Kenneth Davis, tied a playoff record with three touchdowns.[14]
The Bills and the Giants entered the game using contrasting styles. While the Bills led the league in total points scored (428), the Giants led the league in fewest points allowed (211). The teams had also met earlier in the season on December 15: the Bills defeated the Giants atGiants Stadium, 17–13, in a game which was close, but would prove to be not as close as Super Bowl XXV.[15]
The Bills were thus heavily favored to win Super Bowl XXV. Most experts expected that the Giants' defense would not be able to contain the Bills' turbo-charged no-huddle offense, which had scored 95 points in 2 playoff games. Many also questioned how effective the Giants' offense would be after failing to score a single touchdown in the NFC Championship Game.
As thedesignated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Giants wore their home blue uniforms and white pants. The Bills donned their road all-white uniforms, which marked the only time they wore white in their four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. Both teams wore a patch with the game logo on the left shoulder of their jersey to commemorate the silver anniversary of the Super Bowl. This would not become a Super Bowl standard untilSuper Bowl XXXII.[16]
With the Gulf War having begun 10 days prior to this Super Bowl's scheduled date of January 27; rumors had begun circulating of a possible delay or cancellation of the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. However, the NFL quickly denied those rumors by stating the games would go on as scheduled.[17]
The game was broadcast in the United States byABC. An estimated 750 million viewers worldwide have watched the Super Bowl.[18] The broadcast featured theMonday Night Football team ofplay-by-play announcerAl Michaels andcolor commentatorsFrank Gifford andDan Dierdorf.Brent Musburger hosted all the events with the help of then-ABC Sports analystsBob Griese andDick Vermeil, Musburger's regular color commentator on ABC'scollege football telecasts; with other contributors includingJack Arute,Bob Griese, Beth Ruyak,Jack Whitaker andABC News correspondentJudd Rose (reporting from Saudi Arabia) as well as an interview with NFL CommissionerPaul Tagliabue.
SponsorsCoca-Cola andDiet Pepsi had to withdraw planned contest promotions or advertisements, due to the Gulf War situation.PepsiCo's contest, a heavily promoted $3 million giveaway in which viewers would be invited to call atoll-free number during the first three quarters; with the caller receiving aDiet Pepsi coupon and an opportunity to win one of 3 prizes totaling $1 million each, was also withdrawn under pressure from the telephone communications industry, theFCC, andCongress due to fears that the contest would cripple the telephone system. Specifically, subscribers in much of the country could have been prevented from receiving a dial tone for as long as a minute due to the expected torrent of calls.[19][20]
CBS aired the game nationally on radio.Jack Buck served as play-by-play withHank Stram as color commentator. In the teams' local markets, the game was carried onWNEW-AM in New York City withJim Gordon,Dick Lynch, andKarl Nelson andWGR inBuffalo,New York withVan Miller,Ed Rutkowski, and Pete Weber.
The game was broadcast in the United Kingdom onChannel 4, in Mexico on theCanal de las Estrellas, in Canada onGlobal Television Network and in Venezuela onVenevisión. Because of the Gulf War situation, this marked the first time the Super Bowl aired in most countries around the world. Outside of North America and England, this Super Bowl aired for the first time in countries such as Australia and Russia.
Whitney Houstonperformed "The Star-Spangled Banner" for Super Bowl XXV, backed by theFlorida Orchestra under the direction ofMaestroJahja Ling. With America involved in theGulf War,[21] the positive response to the rousing performance was overwhelming; it would later see a release as asingle and avideo. It reached number 20 on theBillboard Hot 100 – making her the only act to turn the national anthem into a pop hit of that magnitude.[22][23]
Houston's rendition was critically acclaimed and is considered among the best performances of the U.S. national anthem in history.[24][25][26] TheWhitney: The Greatest Hits album includes this music track. Following9/11, the single was re-released byArista Records, peaking at number 6 on theHot 100 and was certifiedplatinum by theRIAA.[27]
Former NFL commissionerPete Rozelle joined thecoin toss ceremony.
The halftime show was titled "A Small World Salute to 25 Years of the Super Bowl". Produced byDisney, it featured over 3,500 local children from different ethnic backgrounds and a performance byboy bandNew Kids on the Block, with special guestWarren Moon.
ABC did not broadcast the halftime show live. Instead, they televised a specialABC News report anchored byPeter Jennings on the progress of theGulf War. The halftime show was later shown ontape delay after the game at around 10:40EST, although most ABC affiliates ran the first episode ofDavis Rules following the Super Bowl, and may have televised the remaining parts of the halftime show later.
To counteract the Bills' no-huddle offense, the Giants' used a tough-nosed, conservative plan on both sides of the ball. On offense, the plan was to use a power running game utilizingOttis Anderson, aided byquarterback rollouts, bootlegs, and play-action fakes. As tight endMark Bavaro later recalled, "We came out with three tight ends, fat slobs picking you up and moving you and letting you tackle O.J. [Anderson], if you could."[citation needed] This enabled them to take time off the clock and limit Buffalo's possessions. The Giants set a Super Bowl record for time of possession with 40 minutes and 33 seconds, including 22 minutes in the second half.
On defense, New York wanted to be physical with Buffalo's wideouts, and play with extra defensive backs to concentrate on stopping the Bills' passing game, while shifting focus away from trying to stop Buffalo's running game. In his bookThe Education of a Coach,David Halberstam wrote that one of defensive coordinatorBill Belichick's specific plans to combat the Bills involved convincing his defense (who had been the best unit against the run in the NFL that season) that they would win the game ifThurman Thomas ran for more than 100 yards. Belichick also felt thatJim Kelly was not as good at reading defenses as some other elite quarterbacks were (for example,Joe Montana), and that Kelly tended to "freeze" what he was seeing from a series and then use that information on the next one, which meant the Giants could be a step ahead of him all game if they alternated their cover plans from drive to drive.
The contrast in strategies was evident during the first quarter. After forcing the Bills to punt on their opening drive of the game, the Giants consumed 6:15 off the clock by marching 58 yards in 11 plays to score on a 28-yard field goal from kickerMatt Bahr. In that drive, New York ran six rushing plays, which included a 10-yard run by running backDave Meggett, and five passing plays, which included quarterbackJeff Hostetler's passes for 13 and 16 yards to tight endHoward Cross and wide receiverMark Ingram, respectively. However, Buffalo struck right back on their ensuing possession with a 6-play, 66-yard drive that took 1:23 off the clock, which included a 61-yard pass from quarterbackJim Kelly that was tipped by Giants cornerbackPerry Williams, but caught by Bills wide receiverJames Lofton to set up 1st-and-goal for Buffalo at the New York 8-yard line. However, the Giants' defense kept the Bills out of the end zone, forcing them to settle for kickerScott Norwood's 23-yard field goal to tie the game, 3–3.
After forcing New York to punt on their ensuing possession, Buffalo's offensive strategy started to work to perfection. Kelly led the Bills on a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive that consumed 4:27 and moved the ball so effectively that the team never faced a third down. Kelly completed six consecutive passes (four to wide receiverAndre Reed) for 62 yards, and running backDon Smith capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to give Buffalo their first lead of the game, 10–3, early in the second quarter. Smith's touchdown was his only carry of the game and the last carry of his career. Reed's five receptions in the first quarter were a Super Bowl record.
After the teams traded punts, Bills punterRick Tuten's 43-yard kick pinned the Giants at their own 7-yard line. On second down, after New York centerBart Oates was flagged for holding, Buffalo defensive endBruce Smith sacked Hostetler in the end zone for a safety, increasing the Bills' lead to 12–3. On the play, Smith had a chance to force a fumble, since Hostetler was holding the football with only his throwing hand, but Hostetler held the ball away from Smith, ensuring that only two points would be surrendered.
After the next three possessions ended in punts, the Giants got the ball at their own 13-yard line with 3:43 left in the second quarter. They abandoned their long-drive strategy and employed a quick-strike attack of their own. It worked, as Hostetler led the Giants on a 10-play, 87-yard drive, which featured an 18-yard run by running backOttis Anderson, a 22-yard reception by Ingram, and a 16-yard run by Meggett. The drive ended with Hostetler's 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverStephen Baker with just 25 seconds left in the half, cutting New York's deficit to 12–10.
The Giants opened the third quarter and resumed their original game strategy by driving 75 yards in 14 plays to score on Anderson's 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Giants a 17–12 lead. The drive consumed a then-Super Bowl record of 9:29 (since surpassed by the Giants themselves inSuper Bowl XLII) and included four successful third down conversions. The highlight of the drive was a 14-yard reception by Ingram on 3rd-and-13, in which he caught a short pass from Hostetler and broke five tackles by the Buffalo defense to get the first down and keep the drive alive. With his touchdown included, Anderson recorded five runs for a total of 37 yards during the drive. By this point, the Bills' offense had gone nearly two hours of real-time (counting the halftime show) since they last possessed the ball.
After forcing the Bills to punt on their ensuing possession, a bad punt by Tuten set the Giants up with good field position at their own 42. They drove to the Buffalo 35-yard line, aided by a 10-yard reception by Cross, a defensive holding penalty on Bills cornerbackNate Odomes, and a 9-yard reception by Ingram. But when New York elected to convert 4th-and-2, Bruce Smith tackled Anderson for a 2-yard loss, giving the ball back to Buffalo on their own 37.
Immediately after the turnover on downs, the Bills advanced 63 yards in just four plays. Kelly completed a 9-yard pass to running backThurman Thomas, followed by a pair of passes to running backKenneth Davis for a gain of 23 yards. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Thomas broke three tackles by the Giants' defense and went the distance for a 31-yard touchdown run, putting the Bills back in front with a 19–17 lead. Thomas' touchdown marked 1,000 points scored in Super Bowl history (1,001 with the extra point). However, before the Buffalo defense had a chance to catch their breath, they found themselves back on the field trying to contain another long New York drive. This one went for 14 plays and 74 yards, half of which came off three passes from Hostetler to tight endMark Bavaro and took 7:32 off the clock. The Bills managed to halt the drive at their own 3-yard line when linebackerCornelius Bennett broke up Hostetler's third down pass, but Bahr kicked a 21-yard field goal to give the Giants the lead again, 20–19. On the Bills' ensuing possession, they could only advance to their own 41-yard line before having to punt, enabling the Giants to take more time off the clock. Buffalo finally forced New York to punt and took the ball at their own 10-yard line after a 38-yard punt bySean Landeta, getting one more chance for a game-winning drive with 2:16 remaining.
On the Bills' final possession, Kelly led the team down the field with a mix of scrambles, short passes, and a pair of runs by Thomas, of which the last was for a critical 11 yards,[28] managing to get the Bills to the Giants 29-yard line, just within field goal range with eight seconds to play. Norwood attempted a 47-yard game-winning field goal from the righthash of the 37-yard line, with backup quarterbackFrank Reich theholder and centerAdam Lingner thelong snapper. (At the two-minute warning, ABC put up a graphic that showed Norwood's career history of field goal attempts of 40+ yards on grass fields; he was 1 for 5.) Norwood's kick sailedwide right, less than a yard outside of the goalpost upright. After Norwood's miss, the Giants ran out the clock to win their second Super Bowl title.
There were many impressive performances in the game by players from both teams.Jim Kelly completed 18 of 30 passes for 212 yards with no interceptions, while adding another 23 yards on six rushing attempts.Jeff Hostetler completed 20 of 32 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 10 yards.Dave Meggett recorded 129 combined net yards (48 rushing, 18 receiving, 37 on punt returns, 26 on kickoff returns). But the best performances came from both teams' starting running backs.Ottis Anderson rushed for 102 yards, caught a pass for seven yards, and scored a touchdown.Thurman Thomas scored a touchdown, rushed for 135 yards, and caught five passes for 55 yards, giving him 190 total yards from scrimmage. Thomas' 135 yards are the most yards rushing for a member of a losing team. This was also only the second Super Bowl to have two 100-yard rushers. InSuper Bowl III,New York Jets fullbackMatt Snell recorded 121 rushing yards whileBaltimore Colts halfbackTom Matte ran for 116. In lieu of saying the traditional "I'm going to Disney World", MVP O.J. Anderson said "I'm dedicating this win for our troops", although he was given the option of saying the former.
The defensive game plan for the Giants, written by then-defensive coordinatorBill Belichick, has been included in thePro Football Hall of Fame. The Giants' triumph helped Belichick and wide receivers coachTom Coughlin make their names and eventually land head-coaching jobs with theCleveland Browns andBoston College, respectively. Belichick was head coach of theNew England Patriots, while Coughlin went from Boston College to be the first head coach for theJacksonville Jaguars, and spent 12 seasons as the head coach of the New York Giants before resigning in2016. Giants head coachBill Parcells retired shortly after winning his second Super Bowl with the Giants. However, he went on to coach three other teams since then: theNew England Patriots (whom he helped bring toSuper Bowl XXXI) from1993–1996, theNew York Jets from1997–1999, and theDallas Cowboys from2003–2006. Both Coughlin and Belichick have gone on to win Super Bowls as head coaches: Belichick with the Patriots in Super BowlsXXXVI,XXXVIII,XXXIX,XLIX,LI, andLIII; Coughlin with the Giants in Super BowlsXLII andXLVI, coincidentally both against Belichick's Patriots.
It was the first Super Bowl (and NFL Playoff game) in which neither team committed a turnover.[29] The only other Super Bowl to date without a turnover isSuper Bowl XXXIV, in which theSt. Louis Rams defeated theTennessee Titans 23–16. Because of Thomas's high production, some sports writers, such asSports Illustrated'sPaul Zimmerman, felt that he should have won the game MVP even though his team lost, just asChuck Howley had done inSuper Bowl V.[30]
Jim Kelly was the fourth starting quarterback to lose their Super Bowl debut and eventually make it back, afterCraig Morton, whose Cowboys lostSuper Bowl V to the Baltimore Colts but then got their redemption the next year inSuper Bowl VI against the Dolphins, Bob Griese, who was the starting QB for the Dolphins in said loss but went on to get their redemption inSuper Bowl VII the next year and then defend their titlea year later, andJohn Elway, whose Broncos lostSuper Bowl XXI but reachedSuper Bowl XXII the next year only to lose again. They eventually triumphed by winning back to back Super Bowls inXXXII andXXXIII. Kelly was the final starting quarterback to lose his Super Bowl debut and return untilJalen Hurts, whose Eagles reachedSuper Bowl LVII in 2023 but fell short against the Kansas City Chiefs, and then in 2025 reachedSuper Bowl LIX two years later with the two teams meeting again and the Eagles coming out on top.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills (AFC) | 3 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 19 |
| Giants (NFC) | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Scoring summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sources:NFL.com Super Bowl XXV,Super Bowl XXV Play Finder NYG,Super Bowl XXV Play Finder Buf
| Buffalo Bills | New York Giants | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 24 |
| First downs rushing | 8 | 10 |
| First downs passing | 9 | 13 |
| First downs penalty | 1 | 1 |
| Third down efficiency | 1/8 | 9/16 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 0/0 | 0/1 |
| Net yards rushing | 166 | 172 |
| Rushing attempts | 25 | 39 |
| Yards per rush | 6.6 | 4.4 |
| Passing – Completions/attempts | 18/30 | 20/32 |
| Times sacked-total yards | 1–7 | 2–8 |
| Interceptions thrown | 0 | 0 |
| Net yards passing | 205 | 214 |
| Total net yards | 371 | 386 |
| Punt returns-total yards | 0–0 | 2–37 |
| Kickoff returns-total yards | 6–114 | 3–48 |
| Interceptions-total return yards | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Punts-average yardage | 6–38.8 | 4–43.8 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1–0 | 0–0 |
| Penalties-total yards | 6–35 | 5–31 |
| Time of possession | 19:27 | 40:33 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Bills passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Jim Kelly | 18/30 | 212 | 0 | 0 | 81.5 |
| Bills rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Yds/Car | |
| Thurman Thomas | 15 | 135 | 1 | 31 | 9.00 |
| Jim Kelly | 6 | 23 | 0 | 9 | 3.83 |
| Kenneth Davis | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2.00 |
| Jamie Mueller | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3.00 |
| Don Smith | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 |
| Bills receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Target5 | |
| Andre Reed | 8 | 62 | 0 | 20 | 12 |
| Thurman Thomas | 5 | 55 | 0 | 15 | 6 |
| Kenneth Davis | 2 | 23 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| Keith McKeller | 2 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 5 |
| James Lofton | 1 | 61 | 0 | 61 | 2 |
| Al Edwards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Giants passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Jeff Hostetler | 20/32 | 222 | 1 | 0 | 93.5 |
| Giants rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Yds/Car | |
| Ottis Anderson | 21 | 102 | 1 | 24 | 4.86 |
| Dave Meggett | 9 | 48 | 0 | 17 | 5.33 |
| Maurice Carthon | 3 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 4.00 |
| Jeff Hostetler | 6 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 1.67 |
| Giants receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Target5 | |
| Mark Ingram | 5 | 74 | 0 | 22 | 7 |
| Mark Bavaro | 5 | 50 | 0 | 19 | 6 |
| Howard Cross | 4 | 39 | 0 | 13 | 5 |
| Stephen Baker | 2 | 31 | 1 | 17 | 4 |
| Dave Meggett | 2 | 18 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
| Ottis Anderson | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Maurice Carthon | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Troy Kyles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1Completions/attempts2Carries3Long gain4Receptions5Times targeted
Super Bowl XXV was the first Super Bowl where no new player records were set. Three players tied a record. One single team record was set according to the official NFL.com boxscore,[32] the 2022 NFL Record & Fact Book[33] and the Pro-Football-Reference.com game summary.[34]
| Player and Team Records Set[34] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Smallest margin of victory | 1 point | Giants |
| Records Tied | ||
| Most safeties, game | 1 | Bruce Smith |
| Most fair catches, game | 3 | Al Edwards (Buffalo) David Meggett (New York) |
| Most safeties, game | 1 | Bills |
| Fewest passing touchdowns | 0 | |
| Fewest punt returns, game | 0 | |
| Fewest turnovers, game | 0 | Bills Giants |
Turnovers are defined as the number of times losing the ball on interceptions and fumbles.
| Records Set, both team totals[34] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Bills | Giants | |
| Fewest times intercepted | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fewest Turnovers | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Records tied, both team totals | |||
| Fewest fumbles lost | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fewest punt returns, game | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Hall of Fame‡
The game, including the missed field goal at the end, is mentioned in a conversation in the campaign mode ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 6 in a mission that took place 6 days later.
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