Super Bowl XIX

Miami Dolphins (1) (AFC) (14–2) San Francisco 49ers (1) (NFC) (15–1) 16 38 Head coach: Don Shula Head coach: Bill Walsh
1 2 3 4 Total MIA 10 6 0 0 16 SF 7 21 10 0 38
Date	January 20, 1985 (1985-01-20)
Kickoff time	3:19 p.m.PST (UTC-8)
Stadium	Stanford Stadium Stanford, California
MVP	Joe Montana,quarterback
Favorite	49ers by 3.5[1][2]
Referee	Pat Haggerty
Attendance	84,059[3]
Ceremonies
National anthem	San Francisco Boys Chorus,San Francisco Girls Chorus, Piedmont Children's Chorus and San Francisco Children's Chorus
Coin toss	Ronald Reagan (via satellite from theWhite House) andHugh McElhenny
Halftime show	"World of Children's Dreams" with theUnited States Air ForceTops In Blue[4]
TV in the United States
Network	ABC
Announcers	Frank Gifford,Don Meredith andJoe Theismann
Nielsen ratings	46.4 (est. 85.53 million viewers)[5]
Market share	63
Cost of 30-second commercial	$525,000
Radio in the United States
Network	CBS Radio
Announcers	Jack Buck andHank Stram
← XVIII Super Bowl XX →

Super Bowl XIX was anAmerican football game between theAmerican Football Conference (AFC) championMiami Dolphins and theNational Football Conference (NFC) championSan Francisco 49ers to decide theNational Football League (NFL) champion for the1984 season. The 49ers defeated the Dolphins by the score of 38–16,^[6] to win their second Super Bowl. The game was played on January 20, 1985, atStanford Stadium, on the campus ofStanford University inStanford, California, the first Super Bowl played in theSan Francisco Bay Area. This also became the second Super Bowl afterSuper Bowl XIV where the game was coincidentally played in the home market of one of the participants.

The game was hyped as the battle between two great quarterbacks: Miami'sDan Marino and San Francisco'sJoe Montana. The Dolphins entered their fifth Super Bowl in team history after posting a 14–2 regular season record. The 49ers were making their second Super Bowl appearance after becoming the first team to win 15 regular season games since the league expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978.

With Marino and Montana, the game became the first Super Bowl in which the starting quarterbacks of each team both threw for over 300 yards. In addition, the two teams combined for 851 total offensive yards, which at that time was a Super Bowl record. But after trailing 10–7 in the first quarter, the 49ers would end up taking the game in dominating fashion, scoring three touchdowns in the second quarter, and 10 unanswered points in the second half. Montana, who was named theSuper Bowl MVP, completed 24 of 35 passes for a Super Bowl-record 331 yards (breaking the mark of 318 yards set byTerry Bradshaw) and three touchdowns. He also broke the Super Bowl record for most rushing yards gained by a quarterback with his five rushes for 59 yards and one rushing touchdown. San Francisco set a Super Bowl record with 537 total yards, breaking the previous record of 429 yards set by theOakland Raiders inSuper Bowl XI.

This was the first Super Bowl to be televised in the United States byABC, joining the annual broadcasting rotation of the game withCBS andNBC. It was also the first time that the sittingU.S. president participated in the coin toss ceremony;Ronald Reagan appeared live via satellite from theWhite House and tossed the coin. This Super Bowl was unique in that it fell on the same day that he wasinaugurated for a second term; becauseInauguration Day (January 20) fell on a Sunday, Reagan was sworn in privately and the public ceremony took place the following day.

This Super Bowl also began the NFC's run of dominance. From 1984 to 1996, theNational Football Conference won 13 consecutive Super Bowls and the average score per game in that span was nearly identical to the result of this game, NFC 38, AFC 17. The NFC scored 490 points and committed only 10 turnovers altogether during their run, while the AFC only scored 219 points and committed 44 turnovers.

NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XIX toStanford Stadium on the campus ofStanford University inStanford, California on December 14, 1982, at the owners' mid-season meeting held inDallas. NearPalo Alto, it was the first Super Bowl to be held in theSan Francisco Bay Area. It became the fourth primarily collegiate stadium to host a Super Bowl, followingTulane Stadium, then the home of theSaints (IV,VI, andIX),Rice Stadium (VIII) and theRose Bowl (XI,XIV, andXVII; it later hostedXXI andXXVII). Owners had tentatively planned to award XIX during the owners' meetings inDetroit on June 3, 1981.Tampa (Tampa Stadium), Miami (Orange Bowl),New Orleans (Superdome),Pasadena (Rose Bowl),Detroit (Silverdome), andDallas (Cotton Bowl) each made presentations that day, with Detroit and Dallas expressedly bidding on only XIX. Tampa was selected forXVIII, but with no outstanding options, owners decided to postpone the awarding of XIX until their 1982 meeting.^[7][8]

The league eventually reopened the bidding process from scratch. Hosts for both XIX andXX would be selected, and potentiallyXXI as well. A total of ten cities put in bids:Palo Alto (Stanford Stadium),New Orleans (Superdome),Miami (Orange Bowl),Houston (Rice Stadium),Seattle (Kingdome),Detroit (Silverdome),Pasadena (Rose Bowl),Tampa (Tampa Stadium),Anaheim (Anaheim Stadium), andJacksonville (Gator Bowl). Stanford Stadium was picked, despite having no lights at the time, no dressing rooms, and a substandard press box. Stadium officials promised much needed renovations, and the league agreed to provide temporary lighting.^[9] Representatives from New Orleans stressed that if they were not selected for XX, due to scheduling conflicts, they would not be able to host again until 1990. As such, the Superdome was subsequently selected for XX. Rice Stadium was speculated for XXI, but ultimately no decision was made for that game. Yet again, Miami was rejected, due to the aging condition of theOrange Bowl. A proposed sales tax levy to pay for a new stadium had failed at the ballot box on November 2, further sinking any chances forSouth Florida.^[10][11]

The Dolphins advanced to the Super Bowl for the fifth time in franchise history, but the year began in tragedy as running backDavid Overstreet was killed in an automobile accident on June 24 (the team would wear decals on the back of their helmets with the number 20, Overstreet's jersey number). The Dolphins joined theDallas Cowboys as the only teams to appear in five Super Bowls. Much of the media focus was on Miami's young quarterback,Dan Marino. In just his second year in the league, he broke nearly every NFL single-season passing record. Marino set a record for the most completions in a season (362) and became the first quarterback to throw for over 5,000 yards, reaching a total of 5,084. He set the record for the most games throwing for at least 300 passing yards (9) and the most games with 400 yards (4). Marino's 48 touchdown passes broke the previous record of 36, which was held by bothGeorge Blanda for theHouston Oilers in1961 andY. A. Tittle for theNew York Giants in1963. And he had the most games (6) and the most consecutive games (4) with at least 4 touchdown passes.

Thus going into Super Bowl XIX, many sports writers predicted that it would be the first of many Super Bowls that Marino would play in during his career. Marino had a unique ability to read the defenses quickly before setting up to throw, and his skill of quickly releasing the ball made it very difficult for defenders to sack him. In addition, he had protection given to him by an offensive line led by their All-Pro, and future Hall of Fame centerDwight Stephenson and Pro Bowl guardEd Newman. Coming into Super Bowl XIX, Marino had only been sacked 13 times in the regular season and not once in the playoffs.

The Dolphins had a number of offensive threats for Marino to use. Wide receiversMark Clayton (73 receptions, 1,389 yards, 18 touchdowns) andMark Duper (71 receptions, 1,306 yards, 8 touchdowns) became the first teammates to each gain over 1,300 receiving yards in one season, while Clayton's 18 touchdown catches broke the NFL single-season record of 17 set byDon Hutson in 1942. ReceiverNat Moore caught 43 passes for 574 yards and 6 touchdowns, while tight endDan Johnson contributed 34 receptions for 426 yards. While Miami's main offensive attack was passing, they still had a trio of great running backs:Tony Nathan,Woody Bennett, and Joe Carter. Both Nathan and Bennett finished the season with over 1,000 combined rushing and receiving yards, while Carter contributed 495 rushing yards. Despite Miami's superb offense, punterReggie Roby still made the Pro Bowl, averaging 44.7 yards per punt with a net gain average of 38.7.

However, the Dolphins' defense was a little suspect. They tied the Houston Oilers and theMinnesota Vikings for the most rushing yards allowed during the regular season (4.7 yards per attempt), and ranked just 19th in fewest yards allowed (5,759). The main bright spots on the defense were safeties, brothersLyle andGlenn Blackwood, along with Pro Bowl inside linebackerA. J. Duhe, Pro Bowl nose tackleBob Baumhower, and defensive endDoug Betters.Glenn Blackwood had picked off 6 passes during the season and returned them for 169 yards, while Betters recorded 14 sacks and a fumble recovery. LinebackerCharles Bowser was also a big contributor, recording 9 sacks and one fumble recovery.

Despite their defensive flaws, the Dolphins finished 7th in the NFL in points allowed (298 points). Their powerful offense led the NFL in scoring (513 points) and total yards gained (7,064), and helped the team reach an AFC best 14–2 regular season record.^[12]

Joe Montana (left) and Roger Craig (right) were major contributions to the 49ers offense in passing and rushing, respectively.

The 49ers advanced to their second Super Bowl in team history after becoming the first team to win 15 regular season games since the league expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978. Much of the hype surrounding the team was their offense, which boasted fivePro Bowlers. QuarterbackJoe Montana recorded 279 completions out of 432 attempts for 3,630 yards, 28 touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions. FullbackRoger Craig was one of the 49ers' major weapons, both rushing and receiving. Craig was the team's second-leading rusher with 649 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns, and also caught 71 passes for 675 yards. Pro Bowl halfbackWendell Tyler, who had rushed for a team record 1,262 yards during the regular season, recorded 7 rushing touchdowns, and also caught 28 passes for 230 yards and 2 touchdown receptions. Tight end (and former fullback)Earl Cooper also made an impact with 41 receptions for 459 yards and 4 touchdowns. Fellow tight endRuss Francis was another reliable target, catching 23 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiversFreddie Solomon andDwight Clark also were deep threats, gaining a combined total of 1,617 yards and 16 touchdowns. Up front, three of the 49ers' five starting offensive linemen,Randy Cross,Fred Quillan, andKeith Fahnhorst, had been selected to play in the Pro Bowl. Overall, San Francisco's offense finished the season ranked second in the NFL in scoring (475 points) and fourth in total yards (6,544).

Although they did not get as much media attention as the offense, the 49ers' defense led the league in fewest points allowed during the regular season (227). All four of the 49ers' starting defensive backs,Ronnie Lott,Eric Wright,Carlton Williamson, andDwight Hicks, were selected to play in thePro Bowl. Pro Bowl linebackerKeena Turner was also a major defensive weapon, recording 2 sacks and 4 interceptions for 51 yards. Defensive endDwaine Board anchored the line, recording 10 sacks and a fumble recovery. Future hall of fame Defensive endFred Dean missed the first 11 games of the season holding out over a contract dispute, but immediately made his presence felt upon returning, recording 4 sacks in his five games.

The Dolphins gained 405 yards of total offense in their 31–10 playoff win over theSeattle Seahawks, and over 500 yards as they defeated thePittsburgh Steelers, 45–28, in the AFC Championship Game.^[13] In the victory over the Steelers (the only team to beat San Francisco during the season), Marino completed 21 of 32 passes for 421 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 1 interception.^[14]

Meanwhile, the 49ers' underrated defense allowed the team to blitz through the playoffs. Although Montana threw a combined total of 5 interceptions in their 2 games, they only gave up a combined total of 10 points and no offensive touchdowns in their victories over theNew York Giants, 21–10, and theChicago Bears, 23–0.^[15][16]

At 33–3, the combined records for the two teams coming into the game were and still are the best in Super Bowl history. The 49ers were 17–1 and the Dolphins 16–2 including their playoff games.

This was the second time a team could have been considered a home team for a Super Bowl, with Stanford just 30 miles (48 km) away from San Francisco proper - Stanford is actually 15 miles (24 km) closer to the city thanSanta Clara, where the 49ers playhome games today. The 49ers' practice facility was located inRedwood City at the time, just 5 miles (8.0 km) from Stanford Stadium. Promotion for the Super Bowl also contributed to that feeling with many photographs of theVince Lombardi Trophy near San Francisco landmarks such as theGolden Gate Bridge. Thus, the 49ers were considered the only team to have won the Super Bowl at home until theTampa Bay Buccaneers achieved the same feat inSuper Bowl LV in 2021. TheLos Angeles Rams also played near home at theRose Bowl inPasadena, California inSuper Bowl XIV, but lost to thePittsburgh Steelers. In February 2022 the Rams beat theCincinnati Bengals inSuper Bowl LVI atSoFi Stadium inInglewood, their home since 2020.

The 49ers, as thedesignated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, wore their home red uniforms and gold pants. The Dolphins wore their all-white road uniforms.

This would be the final Super Bowl where a regular position player wore the classic duck bill 2 bar face mask (Dolphins wide receiverMark Duper).

As a result of the 1982 television contract signed by the NFL, this game was the first Super Bowl to be televised in theUnited States byABC, with a new alternation process started for the 1983 game. Previously, the Super Bowl telecast alternated betweenCBS andNBC, while the networkssimulcastthe first AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The 1984 season was ABC's 15th year of airingMonday Night Football, but ABC was never awarded the rights to any Super Bowl before.

Frank Gifford was theplay-by-play announcer, with analystDon Meredith and then-Washington Redskins quarterbackJoe Theismann served ascolor commentators.Al Michaels andJim Lampley co-hosted the pregame (2 hours), halftime, and postgame coverage. Lampley also presided over theVince Lombardi Trophy presentation ceremony coverage for ABC. Michaels and Lampley were joined byO. J. Simpson, the normalMonday Night Football co-color commentator andDallas Cowboys head coachTom Landry, the latter serving as a special guest analyst. When interviewed as to why Theismann joined Gifford and Meredith in the booth instead of Simpson,Monday Night Football directorChet Forte was quoted in the January 14, 1985 edition ofBroadcasting Magazine as saying that Theismann could contribute more due to having played both teams in the regular-season as well as having played in thetwoprevious Super Bowls.^[17] Also helping out with ABC's coverage wereJack Whitaker,Dick Schaap,Donna de Varona,Ray Gandolf, andABC News correspondentsStone Phillips,Jeff Greenfield,Judd Rose, and Bill Redeker.

This would be the only ABC Super Bowl for Gifford as play-by-play announcer, the final game for Don Meredith and the second (and last) time a commentator for the Super Bowl (Theismann) was an active player (Jack Kemp (then of theAmerican Football LeagueBuffalo Bills) inSuper Bowl II was the only other active player to provide commentary). Michaels would call ABC's next six Super Bowls, until ABC lost their NFL rights in2006.

This Super Bowl also marked the first to haveclosed captioning in real time throughout the game courtesy of theNational Captioning Institute (previous Super Bowls only had "scoreboard information" captioned);^[18] with the captioning sponsored byFord Motor Company andKentucky Fried Chicken.^[19]

On radio,Jack Buck was theplay-by-play announcer, whileHank Stram served ascolor commentator forCBS Radio Sports' national coverage.Brent Musburger hosted the pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage for CBS Radio; Musburger was joined by analystsIrv Cross andJimmy "The Greek" Snyder. Locally, Super Bowl XIX was broadcast byWIOD in Miami withRick Weaver andHank Goldberg; and byKCBS in San Francisco with Don Klein and Don Heinrich.

ABC'slead-out program was the series premiere ofMacGruder and Loud.

Shown onChannel 4, the XIX Super Bowl was the third to be broadcast live and in its entirety in the United Kingdom.

Super Bowl XIX was simulcast inCanada onCTV.

In Australia, Super Bowl XIX was broadcast on theNine Network, live from 10.00am (Australian Eastern Summer Time) on Monday, January 21, 1985, with a repeat screening late at night.^[20] This was the first Super Bowl to be telecast in Australia.

Clips from this game can be seen in the movieAce Ventura: Pet Detective as the character Ray Finkle is in reality Dolphins kickerUwe von Schamann. Von Schamann made three field goals and an extra point in this game, but Finkle missed the game-winning field goal in a fictional Super Bowl XIX. The latter play actually occurred six years later inSuper Bowl XXV.

TheNFL's Greatest Games episodeMasters of the Game focuses on Super Bowl XIX. The film was narrated byBrad Crandall after legendary NFL Films announcerJohn Facenda died in September 1984. This was the last Super Bowl highlight film produced by NFL Films using film stock; beginning with the 1985 season, NFL Films videos were produced on videotape.

TheOliver Stone film,Any Given Sunday, features an (off-screen) "Pantheon Cup" championship game where San Francisco beats Miami, 32–13. Stone, a longtime 49ers fan, based his film's finale on Super Bowl XIX.

A major plot point in the episode "Post Traumatic Slide Syndrome" of the television showSliders is based on this game. In the alternate reality, the 49ers play the Jets in the Super Bowl, which leads the main character Quinn Mallory to the conclusion that something is awry.

The pre-game festivities featured a tribute to the NFL and an appearance by various team mascots. Later, a mega-choir formed by members of the San Francisco Children's Chorus,San Francisco Boys Chorus,San Francisco Girls Chorus and Piedmont Children's Choir performed the national anthem under well known choir director Louis Magor.

In honor ofInauguration Day, Ronald Reagan, himself a longtime California resident and former Governor of the state from 1967 to 1975, became the first president to participate in a Super Bowlcoin toss ceremony. However, he did it from theWhite House via satellite.Pro Football Hall of Fame running backHugh McElhenny, a former 49er, was on the field during the ceremony. This was the first Super Bowl where the coin was tossed after the visiting team had chosen heads or tails, not during. This would not become a regular practice untilSuper Bowl XXXIII in 1999. TheU.S. Air Force provided four T-37 aircraft from nearby Mather Air Force Base (Sacramento, CA) and its 455th Flying Training Squadron for the fly-over. At $255 per hour of flying time for each aircraft, this T-37 flyover ranks as the most economical in the history of Super Bowls. In addition, all the pilots were young officers symbolizing California as the land of opportunity and youth.

The halftime show was titled "World of Children's Dreams" and featuredTops In Blue, an elite performing tour ensemble consisting of members from theU.S. Air Force. Additional performers were recruited from USAF active, retired, and their dependents from mostly in and around Mather Air Force Base, Sacramento, CA. The show was produced and directed by Mr. Tom Edward, Director of Air Force Entertainment, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. The stages were constructed by an all volunteer group of members from Mather Air Force that were designed by 1st. Lt. Larry Ruebling, who was a missile combat crew member stationed at Malmstom Air Force Base, Montana. The main stages consisted of a pirate ship, a gigantic piano, a circus stage, a space stage with a replica of the space shuttle and a replica of the lunar lander. When the lunar lander moved onto the center of the field it opened up and Mr. William P. Suitor walked to a moon stage where he blasted off and soared around the stadium on his jet pack. Most people don't remember the halftime show, but they do remember the jet pack. There were additional smaller stages built on golf carts in the form of stars that moved around the field.^[21]

Instead of the predicted shootout between quarterbacksDan Marino andJoe Montana, the game was mostly one-sided. The 49ers' defense only allowed 25 rushing yards and 16 Dolphins points. San Francisco also intercepted Marino twice and sacked him 4 times. The Dolphins set a Super Bowl record for fewest rush attempts in a game (9).

In the opening minutes of the game, it seemed that the game would live up to the hype. On the opening kickoff, 49ers running back/kick returnerDerrick Harmon caught the ball too close to the sidelines and stepped out of bounds at the San Francisco 6-yard line. The 49ers managed to advance to their own 41, but were forced to punt, and Dolphins cornerbackFulton Walker returned the punt 8 yards to the Miami 36-yard line. Then on their first play of the drive, Marino completed a 25-yard pass to running backTony Nathan. Four plays later, Miami reached the San Francisco 23-yard line. But on third down, 49ers cornerbackEric Wright tackled wide receiverMark Clayton 2 yards shy of the first down. The Dolphins had to settle for a 37-yard field goal from kickerUwe von Schamann to give them an early 3–0 lead.

Miami's lead did not last long, as San Francisco stormed down the field on their next possession. The 49ers drove 78 yards in 8 plays, which featured a 16-yard run by Montana, followed by his 33-yard touchdown pass to running backCarl Monroe to give them their first lead of the game, 7–3. But Miami retook the lead on their ensuing drive. After a 5-yard rush by Nathan, the Dolphins went into ano-huddle offense, preventing the 49ers from making substitutions and keeping their run defense on the field. Marino completed five consecutive passes, hitting Clayton for 18 yards, wide receiverMark Duper for 11, Clayton again for 13, and tight endDan Johnson for 21. On the next play, Marino finished the drive by hitting Johnson for a 2-yard touchdown pass, giving the Dolphins a 10–7 lead with 45 seconds left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the 49ers began to take control of the game. After being forced to punt, Bill Walsh switched to a 4–1–6 (ordime defense) to slow down the Dolphins' passing attack, withKeena Turner as the sole linebacker. Miami tried to run against the 4–1–6 alignment, to no avail. SafetyDwight Hicks broke up two consecutive Marino passes, and the Dolphins were forced to punt from their own 10-yard line. Then after taking the ball at the Miami 47-yard line, Montana scrambled for a 19-yard run, and then completed a 16-yard pass to wide receiverDwight Clark to reach the 12-yard line. From there, running backWendell Tyler rushed for 4 yards, and then Montana threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to running backRoger Craig, putting the 49ers back in front with a 14–10 lead.

San Francisco never trailed again for the rest of the game. Miami then had to punt again on their ensuing possession, and 49ers cornerbackDana McLemore returned the ball 28 yards to the 49ers 45-yard line. After advancing 15 yards with two running plays by Tyler and Craig, Montana completed a pair of passes to tight endRuss Francis to move the ball 29 yards to the Miami 11-yard line. Craig ran for 5 yards on the next play, and then Montana finished the drive himself with a 6-yard touchdown run, increasing San Francisco's lead to 21–10. After the ensuing kickoff, the Dolphins again were forced to punt after a three-and-out, and McLemore returnedReggie Roby's 39-yard punt 10 yards to the 49ers 48-yard line. Montana was sacked for a 5-yard loss by defensive endDoug Betters on the first play of the ensuing drive, but he struck back with a 20-yard completion to Craig and a 7-yard run over the next two plays. On the next play, wide receiverFreddie Solomon appeared to catch a pass from Montana at the 12 before losing a fumble to safetyLyle Blackwood. However, field judge Bob Lewis blew the play dead, ruling that Solomon's fumble was an incomplete pass. Bill Quinby, the side judge, who was nearest to the play, did not make any call. Five plays later, Craig finished the 9-play, 52-yard drive with his second touchdown of the game on a 2-yard run, increasing the 49ers' lead to 28–10.

With nearly two minutes left in the half, the Dolphins finally managed to get a good drive going on their next possession. Marino completed seven out of nine passes, the last one being a 30-yard pass to tight endJoe Rose, to reach the 49ers 12-yard line. However, San Francisco's defense tightened up on the next three plays, forcing two incompletions and a completed pass for no gain, and Miami was forced to settle for von Schamann's 31-yard field goal to cut their deficit to 28–13 with 12 seconds left in the half. Then the Dolphins caught a break as the 49ers botched the ensuing kickoff. San Francisco guardGuy McIntyre received von Schamann's short kick and was about to down the ball, but then changed his mind at the last second and decided to return it after being urged by teammates Monroe and Harmon. This turned out to be a mistake; McIntyre fumbled while being leveled by running backJoe Carter, and wide receiverJim Jensen recovered the ball for Miami at the San Francisco 12. After that, von Schamann kicked a 30-yard field goal on the last play of the half, cutting the Dolphins' deficit to 28–16. "I can laugh about the play now, but it wasn't funny at the time," McIntyre said after the game. "My first instinct when I got the ball was to fall down. Then I heard everyone yelling, 'Get up! Get up!' So I got up, and here comes someone sneaking underneath me, and he hit the ball."^[22]

Any thoughts of a Dolphins comeback ended early in the third quarter, as they were shut out by the 49ers for the rest of the game. On the first play of the second half, San Francisco defensive endDwaine Board tackled Nathan for a 1-yard loss. After an incompletion, Board sacked Marino for a 9-yard loss on third down, and McLemore returned Roby's 45-yard punt 8 yards to the 49ers 47. Montana went on to complete a 14-yard pass to Tyler and gain 16 yards on a scramble as he led San Francisco 43 yards in 9 plays to score on kickerRay Wersching's 27-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 31–16. On the Dolphins' ensuing drive, they were forced to punt again after Marino was sacked twice, first by defensive tackleManu Tuiasosopo, then by Board. Starting on their own 30-yard line after a 5-yard return by McLemore, Montana completed a 40-yard pass to Tyler, followed by a 13-yard pass to Francis to reach the Miami 17. Three plays later, Craig scored his third touchdown of the game on a 16-yard reception to make the score 38–16. Craig's third touchdown marked the first time in Super Bowl history that the same player scored three touchdowns, and also proved to be the last score from either team, as the defenses of both teams took over for the rest of the game – especially the 49ers' defense, who intercepted Marino twice. On Miami's ensuing drive following Craig's third touchdown, Wright intercepted a pass intended for Clayton at the 49ers 1-yard line. Montana then managed to escape a safety by completing a 9-yard pass to Craig. After the Dolphins were forced to punt on their first possession of the final period, McLemore fumbled the catch, and wide receiverVince Heflin recovered the ball for Miami at the San Francisco 21. On the next play, however, Marino was intercepted again, this time in the end zone by safetyCarlton Williamson. The 49ers responded by driving to the Dolphins 2-yard line on a 33-yard reception by Clark, only to then turn the ball over on downs with less than three minutes remaining in the game. Miami then reached the San Francisco 30 to end the game.

Overall, San Francisco gained a Super Bowl-record 537 yards, breaking theOakland Raiders' record of 429 yards inSuper Bowl XI, while limiting Miami to 314, with just 25 rushing yards. San Francisco's 38 points also tied a Super Bowl record set by the Raiders inSuper Bowl XVIII.

The 49ers' 288 offensive yards in the first half also tied the Raiders inSuper Bowl XI for the most offensive yards in a half during a Super Bowl.

Marino finished the game with 29 out of 50 pass completions for 318 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Clayton was the top receiver of the game, with 6 receptions for 92 yards. Walker returned 4 kickoffs for 93 yards and gained 15 yards on 2 punt returns. Nathan was the Dolphins leading rusher with 18 yards, while also catching 10 passes for 83 yards.^[23] Craig had 58 rushing yards, 77 receiving yards, and 3 touchdowns. He was the first player to score 3 touchdowns in a Super Bowl, and his 2 touchdown catches also tied a Super Bowl record. Tyler led San Francisco in rushing with 65 yards, and also caught 4 passes for 70 yards.^[24] Clark caught 6 passes for 77 yards. Board recorded 2 sacks. McLemore recorded 51 punt return yards, the second most in Super Bowl history.Sports Illustrated called 49ers defensive tackleGary Johnson the Super Bowl's "unofficial defensive MVP" after he recorded one sack, flushed Marino out of thepocket numerous times, and had four unassisted tackles.^[25]

49ers rookie defensive tackleMichael Carter became the first athlete to win an Olympic medal and Super Bowl ring in the same year. Before this game he had won a silver medal in the shot put competition at the1984 Summer Olympics.

This would be the final game for San Francisco linebacker Jack Reynolds.

After the game, Lyle Blackwood criticized the referee's ruling of Freddie Solomon's fumble as an incomplete pass. "You don't want the game to hinge on that play, but you never know," Blackwood said. "I could have taken the ball up the sideline. That's a 14-point swing." However, other Dolphins were not convinced. "We were dominated to the point where one play didn't make much of a difference," said Dolphins coachDon Shula. "Our major objective was to contain Montana, and we did a terrible, terrible job of it," added defensive coach Chuck Studley. Even Reggie Roby, who averaged only 39.3 yards per punt and didn't place any of his 6 punts inside the 20, took some responsibility for the loss. "I was trying to kill the ball, and I kicked it bad," he said. "I didn't hit one well. I was scared – scared to make a mistake. It was the worst game of my life, counting high school, college, counting everything." Meanwhile, in the 49ers' locker room, Joe Montana had his own explanation for the win. "As far as my own game, well, I'd have to admit it was pretty close to the best I've ever played. I didn't throw anything I didn't have confidence in. We got in sort of a groove. Once you get going like that you gain confidence, and it carries over to the defense, and then back to the offense. It's a snowball kind of thing."[1]

The 49ers' offensive line dominated the Dolphins' undersized defensive line, a major reason why Montana was only sacked once. Offensive line coachBobb McKittrick recalled that when he and his linemen looked at film of the game, they were surprised at how one-sided the matchup was. According to McKittrick, he and the linemen wondered, "This is a Super Bowl defense?"^[26]

Walsh recalled that he could see "a distinct difference" between his 49ers and the Dolphins during warmups. According to Walsh, it was obvious that the Dolphins were "a one-dimensional team" with no real ground game to compliment Marino's passing, and were nowhere near as physical as the 49ers.^[26]

Sources:NFL.com Super Bowl XIXArchived April 24, 2014, at theWayback Machine,Super Bowl XIX Play Finder SF,Super Bowl XIX Play Finder Mia

¹Completions/attempts²Rushing attempts³Long gain⁴Receptions⁵Times targeted

The following records were set in Super Bowl XIX, according to the official NFL.com boxscore^[28] and the Pro-Football-Reference.com game summary.^[29]
Some records have to meet NFL minimum number of attempts to be recognized.^[30] The minimums are shown (in parentheses).

Source:^[31]

Hall of Fame ‡

• Referee:Pat Haggerty #40 third Super Bowl (XIII, XVI)
• Umpire:Tom Hensley #19 first Super Bowl
• Head linesman: Leo Miles #35 third Super Bowl (VIII, X)
• Line judge: Ray Dodez #74 first Super Bowl
• Back judge:Tom Kelleher #25 fifth Super Bowl (IV, VII, XI, XV)
• Side judge: Bill Quinby #58 first Super Bowl
• Field judge: Bob Lewis #18 first Super Bowl
• Alternate referee:Jerry Markbreit #9 worked Super Bowls XVII, XXI, XXVI, XXIX on field
• Alternate umpire: Bob Boylston #101 worked Super Bowls XXI, XXVI on field^[32]

Tom Kelleher became the first official to work five Super Bowls, a record which has been tied by four other officials, but never surpassed.

Specific

General

Wikimedia Commons has media related toSuper Bowl XIX.

• Super Bowl official website
• 2006 NFL Record and Fact Book. Time Inc. Home Entertainment. July 25, 2006.ISBN 1-933405-32-5.
• Total Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League.HarperCollins. July 25, 2006.ISBN 1-933405-32-5.
• Sporting News (February 1995).The Sporting News Complete Super Bowl Book 1995.ISBN 0-89204-523-X.
• https://www.pro-football-reference.com – Large online database of NFL data and statistics
• Super Bowl play-by-plays fromUSA Today (Last accessed September 28, 2005)
• All-Time Super Bowl Odds^{[permanent dead link]} from The Sports Network (Last accessed October 16, 2005)
• [2]
• Super Bowl XIX Box Score atPro Football Reference

• Super Bowl
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• 1984 NFL season
• 1985 in American football
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