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The San Francisco 49ers -- who also won Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XIX -- became the first NFC team to win three Super Bowls in this epic come-from-behind win (20-16) over the Bengals.

At that time, the Pittsburgh Steelers, with four Super Bowl titles (IX, X, XIII, and XIV), and the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders, with three (XI, XV, and XVIII), lead AFC franchises.

49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice was unstoppable, reeling in 11 catches for a Super Bowl-best 215 yards. Though Joe Montana racked up more than 300 yards passing and directed the most memorable touchdown drive in Super Bowl history (92 yards in 11 plays), Rice's dominant performance was the difference in this game.

In addition to being the owner of every significant receiving record in NFL regular-season history, Rice still holds five Super Bowl records, including most career receiving yards and touchdowns.

Even though San Francisco held an advantage in total net yards (453 to 229), the 49ers found themselves trailing the Bengals late in the game. With the score 13-13, Cincinnati took a 16-13 lead on Jim Breech's 40-yard field goal with 3:20 remaining. It was Breech's third field goal of the day, following earlier successes from 34 and 43 yards.

The 49ers started their winning drive at their 8-yard line. Over the next 11 plays, San Francisco covered 92 yards with the decisive score coming on a 10-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana to wide receiver John Taylor with 34 seconds remaining.

At halftime, the score was 3-3, the first time in Super Bowl history the game was tied at intermission.

After the teams traded third-period field goals, the Bengals jumped ahead 13-6 on Stanford Jennings's 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 34 seconds remaining in the quarter.

The 49ers didn't waste any time coming back as they covered 85 yards in four plays, concluding with Montana's 14-yard scoring pass to Jerry Rice 57 seconds into the final stanza.

Rice was named the game's most valuable player after compiling 11 catches for a Super Bowl-record 215 yards. Montana completed 23 of 36 passes for a Super Bowl-record 357 yards and two touchdowns.

Super Bowl XXIII: MVP Jerry Rice, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Even though Joe Montana racked up more than 300 yards passing and directed the most memorable touchdown drive in Super Bowl history (92 yards in 11 plays), Rice's dominant performance was the difference in Super Bowl XXIII.

Jerry Rice holds almost every career receiving record. It is only right that he also holds an important Super Bowl record.

His 215 receiving yards, on 11 catches, were a single-game best. Using Rice's talents and the most famous drive in Super Bowl history, the 49ers became the first NFC team to win three Super Bowls with their 20-16 victory over Cincinnati.

Following Stanford Jennings' kickoff-return touchdown that gave the Bengals the lead, Rice's 14-yard touchdown catch from Joe Montana tied the score at 13-13. A Jim Breech field goal with less than four minutes remaining gave Cincinnati the lead, but the 49ers one more shot. Moving 92 yards in 11 plays, including several key catches by Rice, the 49ers drove to the winning touchdown, a 10-yard pass from Montana to John Taylor.

 

Super Bowl XXIII

 

SUPER BOWL XXIII SCORING

 

	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
Cincinnati Bengals	0	3	10	3	16
San Francisco 49ers	3	0	3	14	20

 

1st Quarter

SF FG Cofer 41, 11:46

2nd Quarter

CIN FG Breech 34, 13:41

3rd Quarter

CIN FG Breech 43, 9:15

SF FG Cofer 32, 14:10

CIN Jennings 93 kick return (Breech kick), 14:26

4th Quarter

SF Rice 14 pass from Montana (Cofer kick), 0:57

CIN FG Breech 40, 11:40

SF Taylor 10 pass from Montana (Cofer kick), 14:26

 

CINCINNATI BENGALS - Team Statistics

Total First Downs	13
Rushing	7
Passing	6
Penalty	0
Total Net Yardage	229
Total Offensive Plays	58
Avg. Gain per Offensive Play	3.9
Rushes	28
Yards Gained Rushing (Net)	106
Average Yards per Rush	3.8
Passes Attempted	25
Passes Completed	11
Had Intercepted	1
Tackled Attempting to Pass	5
Yards Lost Attempting to Pass	21
Yards Gained Passing (Net)	123
Punts	5
Average Distance	44.2
Punt Returns	2
Punt Return Yardage	5
Kickoff Returns	3
Kickoff Return Yardage	132
Interception Return Yardage	0
Fumbles	1
Own Fumbles Recovered	1
Opponent Fumbles Recovered	1
Penalties	7
Yards Penalized	65
Total Points Scored	16
Touchdowns	1
Rushing	0
Passing	0
Returns	1
Extra Points	1
Field Goals	3
Fields Goals Attempted	3
Safeties	0
Third-Down Efficiency	4/13
Fourth-Down Efficiency	0/1
Time of Possession	32:36

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS - Team Statistics

CINCINNATI BENGALS - Player Statistics

Total First Downs	23
Rushing	6
Passing	16
Penalty	1
Total Net Yardage	453
Total Offensive Plays	67
Avg. Gain per Offensive Play	6.8
Rushes	27
Yards Gained Rushing (Net)	112
Average Yards per Rush	4.1
Passes Attempted	36
Passes Completed	23
Had Intercepted	0
Tackled Attempting to Pass	4
Yards Lost Attempting to Pass	16
Yards Gained Passing (Net)	341
Punts	4
Average Distance	37
Punt Returns	3
Punt Return Yardage	56
Kickoff Returns	5
Kickoff Return Yardage	77
Interception Return Yardage	0
Fumbles	4
Own Fumbles Recovered	3
Opponent Fumbles Recovered	0
Penalties	4
Yards Penalized	32
Total Points Scored	20
Touchdowns	2
Rushing	0
Passing	2
Returns	0
Extra Points	2
Field Goals	2
Fields Goals Attempted	4
Safeties	0
Third-Down Efficiency	4/13
Fourth-Down Efficiency	0/0
Time of Possession	27:24

Passing	CP/AT	YDS	TD	INT
Esiason	11/25	144	0	1
Rushing	CAR	YDS	TD	LG
Woods	20	79	0	10
Brooks	6	24	0	11
Jennings	1	3	0	3
Esiason	1	0	0	0
Receiving	REC	YDS	TD	LG
Collinsworth	3	40	0	23
Brown	3	32	0	17
Brooks	2	32	0	20
McGee	2	23	0	18
Hillary	1	17	0	17
Interceptions	INT	YDS	LG	TD
None	--	--	--	--
Punting	NO	AVG	LG	BLK
Johnson	5	44.2	63	0
Punt Returns	NO/FC	YDS	LG	TD
Horton	1/0	5	5	0
Hillary	1/0	0	0	0
Kickoff Returns	NO	YDS	LG	TD
Jennings	2	117	93t	1
Brooks	1	15	15	0

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS - Player Statistics

Passing	CP/AT	YDS	TD	INT
Montana	23/36	357	2	0
Rushing	CAR	YDS	TD	LG
Craig	17	71	0	13
Rathman	5	23	0	11
Montana	4	13	0	11
Rice	1	5	0	5
Receiving	REC	YDS	TD	LG
Rice	11	215	1	44
Craig	8	101	0	40
Frank	2	15	0	8
Rathman	1	16	0	16
Taylor	1	10	1	10t
Interceptions	INT	YDS	LG	TD
Romanowski	1	0	0	0
Punting	NO	AVG	LG	BLK
Helton	4	37	55	0
Punt Returns	NO/FC	YDS	LG	TD
Taylor	3/1	56	45	0
Kickoff Returns	NO	YDS	LG	TD
Rodgers	3	53	22	0
Taylor	1	13	13	0
Sydney	1	11	11	0

 

January 22, 1989
Joe Robbie Stadium (Miami, Florida)
Attendance: 75,129

 

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