Super Bowl XXXII

Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1997 season. The Broncos defeated the Packers by the score of 31–24. The game was played on January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, the second time that the Super Bowl was held in that city.^[5] Super Bowl XXXII also made Qualcomm Stadium the only stadium in history to have the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same year.

This was Denver's first league championship after suffering four previous Super Bowl losses, and snapped a 13-game losing streak for AFC teams in the Super Bowl (the previous being the Los Angeles Raiders' win in Super Bowl XVIII after the 1983 season). The Broncos, who entered the game after posting a 12–4 regular season record in 1997, became just the second wild card team to win a Super Bowl and the first since the Raiders in Super Bowl XV. The Packers, who entered the game as the defending Super Bowl XXXI champions after posting a 13–3 regular season record, were the first team favored to win by double digits to lose a Super Bowl since Super Bowl IV.

The game was close throughout much of the contest. The Broncos converted two turnovers to take a 17–7 lead in the second quarter before the Packers cut the score to 17–14 at halftime. Green Bay kept pace with Denver in the second half, before tying the game with 13:32 remaining. Both defenses stiffened until Broncos running back Terrell Davis scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:45 left. Despite suffering a migraine headache that caused him to miss most of the second quarter, Davis (a San Diego native) was named Super Bowl MVP. He ran for 157 yards, caught two passes for 8 yards, and scored a Super Bowl record three rushing touchdowns.

Background

NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XXXII to San Diego during their October 26, 1993 meeting in Chicago. This was the second time San Diego hosted the game; the city previously hosted Super Bowl XXII ten years earlier on January 31, 1988. The Broncos played in both San Diego Super Bowls and became the first franchise to play two different Super Bowls in two stadiums twice. They also played twice at the Louisiana Superdome.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos entered Super Bowl XXXII after suffering four Super Bowl losses: Super Bowls XII, XXI, XXII, and XXIV from 1978, 1987, 1988, and 1990, respectively. In all of those losses, the Broncos never had the ability to rush well enough or score enough points to be competitive. Denver had been defeated by a large margin in each one, losing all four by a combined scoring margin of 163–50.

The previous three Super Bowl losses were under starting quarterback John Elway, whose ad-libbing skills enabled the Broncos to advance to the league's championship game in a span of three out of four seasons. Elway also led his team to the 1991 AFC Championship Game, but they lost in a defensive struggle to the Buffalo Bills, 10–7.

The team's fortunes changed when Mike Shanahan became head coach of the Broncos in 1995. Shanahan was previously Denver's offensive coordinator during those Super Bowl losses, but was fired in 1991 after a power struggle between him and then-head coach Dan Reeves over the offensive personnel. Shanahan then served as the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers from 1992 to 1994, including the 49ers' Super Bowl XXIX win. Under Shanahan, the San Francisco offense ranked first in the league in total yards gained for all three of his seasons there.

When Shanahan returned to the Broncos in 1995, he selected running back Terrell Davis in the 6th round of the NFL draft. Davis became the cornerstone of Denver's rebuilt running game, leading the team with 1,117 rushing yards in just his rookie year. The Broncos finished the 1995 regular season with just an 8–8 record. By 1996, the Broncos had the league's best offense, gaining 5,791 total yards, and recorded the AFC's best regular season record at 13–3, but they were upset by the second-year Jacksonville Jaguars, 30–27 in the playoffs.

During the 1997 regular season, the Broncos once again had the league's best offense with 5,872 total yards and led the league in total points scored with 472. Although they recorded a 12–4 regular season record, they finished in second place behind the 13–3 Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West.

Pro Bowler Davis remained the team's leading rusher, recording 1,750 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also catching 42 passes for 287 yards. At 37 years old, Elway still posted a Pro Bowl season with 280 out of 502 completions for 3,635 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 215 yards and another touchdown. Pro Bowl tight end Shannon Sharpe led the team with 72 receptions for 1,107 yards. Wide receiver Rod Smith, who was not drafted by any NFL team and recorded only 22 receptions for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns in his two previous seasons, had a breakout year with 70 receptions for 1,180 yards and 12 touchdowns. Wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, who played in Shanahan's 1994 49ers offense, recorded 45 receptions for 590 yards and 8 touchdowns. Denver's offensive line was led by seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Gary Zimmerman and Pro Bowl center Tom Nalen.

On defense, the major acquisition to the team prior to the season was former Chiefs defensive lineman Neil Smith. Smith had a Pro Bowl season for the 6th time in his career with 28 tackles and 8.5 sacks. Defensive end Alfred Williams recorded 36 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery. The linebacking corps was led by veteran Bill Romanowski, who had 55 tackles and 2 sacks, and John Mobley, who led the team with 97 tackles while also recording 4 sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception.

The secondary was led by veteran defensive backs Tyrone Braxton, who led the team with 4 interceptions for 113 yards and 1 touchdown, and Steve Atwater, who had 53 tackles, 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions for 42 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensive back Darrien Gordon recorded 50 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, 4 interceptions, 64 return yards, and 1 touchdown. He also returned 40 punts for 543 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers entered the 1997 season coming off of their win in Super Bowl XXXI. They then repeated as NFC Central division champions, earning a 13–3 regular season record.

Quarterback Brett Favre had another Pro Bowl season and became the first player ever to win the NFL MVP award three times, winning it for the third consecutive year (co-MVP in 1997 with Detroit's Barry Sanders). Favre led the league with 35 passing touchdowns and completed 304 out of 513 attempts for 3,867 yards, with 16 interceptions, while ranking second on the team in rushing with 187 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Antonio Freeman led the team in receptions with 81 catches for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns. Wide receiver Robert Brooks was also a major deep threat, catching 60 passes for 1,010 yards and 7 touchdowns. Pro Bowl tight end Mark Chmura recorded 38 receptions for 417 yards and 6 touchdowns. Pro Bowl running back Dorsey Levens led the team in rushing with 1,435 yards and 7 touchdowns, while also catching 53 passes for 373 yards and 5 touchdowns. Fullback William Henderson rushed for 113 yards and caught 41 passes for 367 yards and a touchdown.

On the Packers' defense, the line was led by veteran Pro Bowler Reggie White, who led the team with 11 sacks. Behind him, Santana Dotson recorded 37 tackles and 5.5 sacks. In the secondary, Pro Bowl defensive back LeRoy Butler led the team with 5 interceptions, while also adding 70 tackles. Safety Eugene Robinson led the team with 74 tackles while also recording 2.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception. Cornerback Mike Prior recorded 4 interceptions, while rookie Darren Sharper recorded 2 of them, both of which he returned for touchdowns.

Playoffs

For more details on this topic, see NFL playoffs, 1997-98.

The Broncos entered the playoffs as a wild-card team but defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 42–17, the Kansas City Chiefs, 14–10, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, 24–21, making Denver the fifth wild-card team to make it to the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the Packers were victorious against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 21–7, and the San Francisco 49ers, 23–10.

Super Bowl pregame news

The Packers came into the game as 11¹⁄₂-point favorites, having compiled a 13–3 record regular season record compared to the Broncos' 12–4 and coming in as defending Super Bowl champions after winning Super Bowl XXXI 35–21 over the New England Patriots.

Each player wore a Super Bowl logo patch on their jerseys. This would become a regular practice in each Super Bowl since.

Television and entertainment

The game was broadcast in the United States by NBC, with play-by-play announcer Dick Enberg and color commentators Phil Simms and Paul Maguire. Greg Gumbel hosted all the events, and was joined by co-host Ahmad Rashad and commentators Cris Collinsworth, Sam Wyche, and Joe Gibbs. Following the game, NBC aired a special one-hour episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun, which opened live at the game site with Gumbel playing himself before he was "attacked" by show star John Lithgow.^[6]^[7]

This broadcast was the last for NBC as the AFC network after 33 years (CBS has held the AFC broadcast rights ever since), their last NFL broadcast overall until 2006, when they signed on to televise Sunday Night Football, and their last Super Bowl broadcast until 2009 (Super Bowl XLIII). This was also the last time Channel 4 in the UK would show the Super Bowl – and their last NFL coverage until 2010 – after they had been showing the event since 1983 (Super Bowl XVII). Only Sky Sports would show it live until Five joined them in 2003 (Super Bowl XXXVII). It also marked the last Super Bowl until 2007 for CTV in Canada after airing the NFL and the event since Super Bowl XVI; from 1999 to 2006 the Super Bowl aired on the Global Television Network. CTV had aired NFL football since 1970 and the Super Bowl since 1982 (Super Bowl XVI). It was also the final NFL game for GMA Network in the Philippines until the 2006 season; GMA had aired NFL football since 1986 and the Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXI in 1987. The Super Bowl would be broadcast on TV5, also from 1999 until 2006. It was also the final Super Bowl in which the Televisa family of networks aired on its own in Mexico, also until 2007, being broadcast on Canal 5; Televisa had aired NFL football since 1970 and the Super Bowl since 1988 (the only other Super Bowl in San Diego). Azteca 13 likewise would exclusively air the Super Bowl from 1999 until 2006, including Super Bowl XXXVII which would be the next Super Bowl to be played at Qualcomm Stadium.

This game was later featured on NFL's Greatest Games as This One's for John.

Pregame ceremonies

The pregame show, narrated by actor and comedian Phil Hartman, celebrated the music and history of California. It featured performances by The 5th Dimension, Lee Greenwood, and The Beach Boys. Singer Jewel later sang the National Anthem.

To honor the 10th anniversary of the Washington Redskins' win in Super Bowl XXII, the only other previous Super Bowl played in San Diego, the game's MVP, Doug Williams, and former head coach Joe Gibbs participated during the coin toss ceremony. They were joined by the recently retired, longtime college football head coach Eddie Robinson, who ran the Grambling State University Tigers football team from 1942 until 1997.

Halftime show

The halftime show was titled "A Tribute to Motown's 40th Anniversary" and featured Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Queen Latifah, Martha Reeves and The Temptations.

Game summary

1st half

Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman returned the opening kickoff 19 yards to the Green Bay 24-yard line. On the third play of the drive, quarterback Brett Favre kept the offense on the field by completing a 13-yard pass to Freeman on 3rd down and 9. Then running back Dorsey Levens rushed the ball on three consecutive plays, gaining 27 yards to advance to the Denver 35-yard line. Favre finished the drive with two completions to Freeman: the first one for 13 yards, and the second one a 22-yard touchdown pass to give the Packers a 7–0 lead (the Packers were the third team to take the opening kickoff down the field and score a touchdown on that drive; the other two were Miami in Super Bowl VIII and San Francisco in Super Bowl XXIX).

The Broncos stormed right back with a touchdown of their own. Denver running back Vaughn Hebron returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to their own 42-yard line. Denver then drove to the Green Bay 46-yard line. On third down, a holding penalty on Packers defensive back Doug Evans nullified quarterback John Elway's incompletion and gave the Broncos a first down. On the next play, running back Terrell Davis ran the ball 27 yards to the 14-yard line. Then after a 2-yard run by Davis, Elway scrambled 10 yards to gain a first down at the 2-yard line. Two plays later, Davis capped off the 10-play, 58-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game (this is to date the only Super Bowl in which both teams scored TDs on their opening drives).

On the second play of the Packers' next possession, Denver defensive back Tyrone Braxton intercepted a pass from Favre at Green Bay's 45-yard line. Aided by five runs by Davis for 29 yards, the Broncos marched 45 yards to score on Elway's 1-yard touchdown run on the first play of the 2nd quarter, taking a 14–7 lead.

Elway's touchdown play involved a fake handoff to Davis, who was previously taken out of the game during the drive because the onset of a migraine headache after being inadvertently tripped by LeRoy Butler had severely impaired his vision. But head coach Mike Shanahan decided to send him into the game for the 3rd-down play, believing that the Packers would not be fooled by a fake handoff without Davis on the field. Davis later said his vision was so impaired that he was afraid Elway would call an audible at the line and try to hand him the ball. Despite his blurred vision, Davis perfectly executed the play, drawing the Green Bay defense into the middle of the line as Elway rushed to the right and into the end zone completely untouched. By the second half, Davis had taken migraine medication, and his vision had returned to normal, allowing him to play the rest of the game.

On the Packers' ensuing possession, Broncos safety Steve Atwater forced a fumble while sacking Favre, and defensive end Neil Smith recovered the ball on the Packers 33-yard line. Although the Broncos were unable to get a first down, kicker Jason Elam made a 51-yard field goal, the second longest in Super Bowl history, to increase Denver's lead to 17–7. Both teams went three-and-out on their next possessions, and Denver punter Tom Rouen's 47-yard kick planted Green Bay at their own 5-yard line with 7:38 left in the quarter. But Green Bay stormed down the field on their ensuing drive, marching 95 yards in 17 plays and scoring with Favre's 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Chmura with just 12 seconds left in the half. Thus at halftime, the Broncos held onto a slim 17–14 lead.

2nd half

Green Bay kicked to Denver to start the second half. On the first play after the kickoff, Packer defensive back Tyrone Williams forced and recovered a fumble from Davis at the Broncos 26-yard line. But Denver's defense forced a three-and-out. However, Denver was called for an offsides penalty on the ensuing field goal attempt, giving Green Bay a new set of downs. The Packers had 1st and 10 inside the Broncos 20-yard line, but the drive stalled at the 9-yard line, forcing the Packers to settle for 27-yard Ryan Longwell field goal, tying the game at 17–17.

Green Bay kicked off once again and Denver's offense stalled, forcing a punt, giving the Packers good field position again near their 40-yard line. But once again, Denver's defense forced a three-and-out. On the ensuing punt, the Broncos were again called for an offsides penalty, giving Green Bay a fresh set of downs near midfield. But Denver's defense prevented another first down, keeping the score tied.

Later in the quarter, Green Bay punter Craig Hentrich's 51-yard kick pinned the Broncos back at their own 8-yard line. But the Packers' defense could not stop Denver as they marched on a 13-play, 92-yard drive to regain the lead. Aided by a 36-yard reception by receiver Ed McCaffrey, the Broncos advanced to the Green Bay 12-yard line, where on 3rd down, Elway scrambled for an 8-yard run and dove for the first down, a play in which he was hit so hard by Packers defenders Butler and Mike Prior that he spun sideways through the air. This run was later referred to as "The Helicopter", and what many consider as Elway's career-defining moment and the defining moment of Super Bowl XXXII. Two plays later, Davis scored on another 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Broncos the lead, 24–17.

On the ensuing kickoff, Denver's special teams player Detron Smith ran full speed into the wedge of the Green Bay blockers, forcing Freeman outside, to his left. Freeman was hit as he held the ball exposed running sideways and fumbled, then Denver defensive back Tim McKyer recovered the ball at the Packers 22-yard line. Immediately, the Broncos tried to capitalize on the turnover by trying to throw for a touchdown, a pass intended for Rod Smith as he ran a post pattern following a fake handoff and a roll out by Elway, but Packers safety Eugene Robinson intercepted Elway's pass in the end zone and returned it to the 15-yard line.

After the interception, the Packers marched 85 yards in just four plays, three of them receptions by Freeman, to tie it up once again 1:28 into the 4th quarter with Freeman's 13-yard touchdown catch. On the scoring play, Freeman and Robert Brooks ran a "criss-cross" pattern, with Freeman on the inside running towards the sidelines. Denver defensive back Darrien Gordon hesitated as to which receiver to cover, and Favre hit Freeman for the score.

Both teams' defenses tightened up, and the clubs exchanged punts twice. With Green Bay pinned at their own 10-yard line, Hentrich then kicked the ball 39 yards to the Packers 49-yard line with 3:27 left in the game. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Packers linebacker Darius Holland committed a 15-yard facemask penalty while tackling Davis on a 2-yard run, moving the ball to the 32-yard line. Two plays later, Elway completed a 23-yard pass to fullback Howard Griffith, aided by a powerful block by McCaffrey. A holding penalty pushed the Broncos back to the 18-yard line, but then Davis rushed 17 yards to the 1-yard line, and the Broncos called a timeout. This left the Broncos facing 2nd and goal with 1:47 left on the clock. Green Bay had two timeouts remaining.

Packers coach Mike Holmgren told his team to let the Broncos score to maximize the time the Packers would have on the clock for a potential game-tying drive. He admitted later that he had thought that it was 1st and goal rather than 2nd and goal, crucial to clock management decision making on the play.^[8] Davis did score his third rushing touchdown on 2nd and goal, leaving 1:45 on the clock. The Broncos now had a one-touchdown lead, at 31–24.

The Packers attempted one final drive to try to tie the game before the end of regulation and send the contest into overtime. Shanahan famously instructed his defensive coordinators to keep playing the same prevent defense as Green Bay attempted to drive downfield in the final two minutes of the game. Freeman returned the Broncos' kickoff 22 yards to the 30-yard line, and the Packers advanced to the Broncos 35-yard line with 1:04 left in the game on a pair of completions from Favre to Levens for gains of 22 and 13 yards. After a 4-yard pass to Levens, Favre's next two passes fell incomplete. The 2nd down play was a bullet throw to a wide open Freeman around the 15-yard line, which would have given the Packers a first down, but Freeman could not handle the pass. On the 3rd down incompletion, both intended receiver Brooks and Denver's Randy Hilliard were blasted by Steve Atwater's seismic hit. All three were knocked out with :32 remaining, and both teams were charged a timeout. Then on 4th down, Denver linebacker John Mobley broke up a pass intended for Chmura, enabling the Broncos to take the ball back and run out the clock for the victory.

Post-game

During the post-game victory celebration, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen held the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the air and said, "This one's for John," referring to the fact that Elway's long quest for a Super Bowl victory was finally complete.^[9]

A remarkable fact about Denver's offensive performance was that, except for two penalties and Elway's kneel-downs to end each half, the Broncos did not lose yardage on any play from scrimmage. Green Bay's White, Gilbert Brown, Butler and others were unable to register a sack against the Broncos' front line.^[10] Elway finished the game with 12 out of 22 pass completions, for 123 yards and 1 interception. Elway became the sixth player to score touchdowns in three different Super Bowls, joining Lynn Swann, Franco Harris, Thurman Thomas, Jerry Rice, and Emmitt Smith. He was also the Broncos' second-leading rusher behind Davis with 17 yards and a touchdown on 5 carries. Terrell Davis became the only player to rush for three touchdowns in a Super Bowl, and the only non-San Francisco 49er to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl; Roger Craig, Jerry Rice, and Ricky Watters were the only other players to do so. Rice had 3 touchdown catches in two different Super Bowls. Davis' three touchdowns in this Super Bowl gave him a total of 48 points (8 touchdowns) during the postseason, an NFL record.

Levens was Green Bay's leading rusher with 90 rushing yards, and was their second-leading receiver with 56 yards on 6 receptions. Both Freeman and Favre had outstanding performances for the second Super Bowl game in a row. Favre completed 25 out of 42 passes for 256 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 1 interception. Freeman caught 9 passes for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns, and also gained another 104 yards on 6 kickoff returns, giving him 230 total yards, the third highest total in Super Bowl history. Freeman also tied himself for second all-time in touchdown catches in Super Bowls with three, joining Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, and Cliff Branch, trailing only Rice's eight. He also became just the third player to have at least 100 yards receiving in back-to-back Super Bowls, joining Rice and Stallworth.

Denver was the first team with a previous 0-2 Super Bowl record to win (their record had been 0-4). The Broncos' victory snapped the NFC's 13-game winning streak in the Super Bowl, becoming the first AFC team to win the NFL championship since the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII. Denver also became the first team to score on four 1-yard touchdown runs in a Super Bowl. The Packers became the third defending Super Bowl champion to lose the Super Bowl, joining the Dallas Cowboys (won Super Bowl XII, lost Super Bowl XIII) and the Washington Redskins (won Super Bowl XVII, lost Super Bowl XVIII), and would be later joined by the Seattle Seahawks in 2015 (won Super Bowl XLVIII, lost Super Bowl XLIX).

Box score

	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	7	7	3	7	24
Broncos	7	10	7	7	31

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

Date: January 25, 1998
Game time: 3:24 p.m. PST
Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), sunny

Game information
GB – TD: Antonio Freeman 22-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick) 7–0 GB DEN – TD: Terrell Davis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick) 7–7 tie DEN – TD: John Elway 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick) 14–7 DEN DEN – FG: Jason Elam 51 yards 17–7 DEN GB – TD: Mark Chmura 6-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick) 17–14 DEN GB – FG: Ryan Longwell 27 yards 17–17 tie DEN – TD: Terrell Davis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick) 24–17 DEN GB – TD: Antonio Freeman 13-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick) 24–24 tie DEN – TD: Terrell Davis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick) 31–24 DEN

Game information

GB – TD: Antonio Freeman 22-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick) 7–0 GB
DEN – TD: Terrell Davis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick) 7–7 tie
DEN – TD: John Elway 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick) 14–7 DEN
DEN – FG: Jason Elam 51 yards 17–7 DEN
GB – TD: Mark Chmura 6-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick) 17–14 DEN
GB – FG: Ryan Longwell 27 yards 17–17 tie
DEN – TD: Terrell Davis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick) 24–17 DEN
GB – TD: Antonio Freeman 13-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick) 24–24 tie
DEN – TD: Terrell Davis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick) 31–24 DEN

Final statistics

Source: NFL.com Super Bowl XXXII

Statistical comparison

	Denver Broncos	Green Bay Packers
First downs	21	21
First downs rushing	14	4
First downs passing	5	14
First downs penalty	2	3
Third down efficiency	5/10	5/14
Fourth down efficiency	0/0	0/1
Net yards rushing	179	95
Rushing attempts	39	20
Yards per rush	4.6	4.8
Passing – Completions/attempts	12/22	25/42
Times sacked-total yards	0–0	1–1
Interceptions thrown	1	1
Net yards passing	123	255
Total net yards	302	350
Punt returns-total yards	0-0	0-0
Kickoff returns-total yards	5-95	6-104
Interceptions-total return yards	1–0	1–17
Punts-average yardage	4–36.5	4–35.5
Fumbles-lost	1-1	2–2
Penalties-total yards	7-65	9–59
Time of possession	32:25	27:35
Turnovers	2	3

Individual leaders

Broncos Passing
	C/ATT¹	Yds	TD	INT
John Elway	12/22	123	0	1
Broncos Rushing
	Car²	Yds	TD	LG³
Terrell Davis	30	157	3	27
John Elway	5	17	1	10
Vaughn Hebron	3	3	0	2
Howard Griffith	1	2	0	2
Broncos Receiving
	Rec⁴	Yds	TD	LG³
Shannon Sharpe	5	38	0	12
Ed McCaffrey	2	45	0	36
Terrell Davis	2	8	0	4
Howard Griffith	1	23	0	23
Vaughn Hebron	1	5	0	5
Dwayne Carswell	1	4	0	4

Packers Passing
	C/ATT¹	Yds	TD	INT
Brett Favre	25/42	256	3	1
Packers Rushing
	Car²	Yds	TD	LG³
Dorsey Levens	19	90	0	16
Robert Brooks	1	5	0	5
Packers Receiving
	Rec⁴	Yds	TD	LG³
Antonio Freeman	9	126	2	27
Dorsey Levens	6	56	0	22
Mark Chmura	4	43	1	21
Robert Brooks	3	16	0	10
William Henderson	2	9	0	7
Terry Mickens	1	6	0	6

¹Completions/attempts ²Carries ³Long gain ⁴Receptions

Starting lineups

Source:^[11]

Hall of Fame ‡

Denver Broncos	Position	Green Bay Packers
Offense
Ed McCaffrey	WR	Robert Brooks
Gary Zimmerman‡	LT	Ross Verba
Mark Schlereth	LG	Aaron Taylor
Tom Nalen	C	Frank Winters
Brian Habib	RG	Adam Timmerman
Tony Jones	RT	Earl Dotson
Shannon Sharpe‡	TE	Mark Chmura
Rod Smith	WR	Antonio Freeman
John Elway‡	QB	Brett Favre‡
Terrell Davis	RB	Dorsey Levens
Howard Griffith	FB	William Henderson
Defense
Neil Smith	LDE	Reggie White‡
Keith Traylor	LDT	Gilbert Brown
Maa Tanuvasa	RDT	Santana Dotson
Alfred Williams	RE	Gabe Wilkins
John Mobley	LOLB	Seth Joyner
Allen Aldridge	MLB	Bernardo Harris
Bill Romanowski	ROLB	Brian Williams
Ray Crockett	LCB	Doug Evans
Darrien Gordon	RCB	Tyrone Williams
Tyrone Braxton	SS	LeRoy Butler
Steve Atwater	FS	Eugene Robinson
Special Teams
Jason Elam	K	Ryan Longwell
Tom Rouen	P	Craig Hentrich

Officials

Referee: Ed Hochuli #85 first Super Bowl
Umpire: Jim Quirk #5 first Super Bowl
Head Linesman: John Schleyer #21 first Super Bowl
Line Judge: Ben Montgomery #117 first Super Bowl
Field Judge: Don Dorkowski #113 first Super Bowl
Side Judge: Doug Toole #4 first Super Bowl
Back Judge: Paul Baetz #22 third Super Bowl (XXIII, XXVI)
Alternate Referee: Dick Hantak #105 (back judge for XVII, referee for XXVII)
Alternate Umpire: Ed Coukart #71 first Super Bowl

References

↑ DiNitto, Marcus (January 25, 2015). "Super Bowl Betting History – Underdogs on Recent Roll". The Linemakers. Sporting News. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
↑ "Super Bowl History". Vegas Insider. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
↑ "Super Bowl Winners". NFL.com. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
↑ Historical Super Bowl Nielsen TV Ratings, 1967–2009 – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers
↑ San Diego's first was Super Bowl XXII after the 1987 season.
↑ Sandomir, Richard (January 26, 1998). "Lead-In Show Drags Down A Good Game". The New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
↑ Sandomir, Richard (January 27, 1998). "Last Half-Hour Rang the Nielsen Bell". The New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
↑ Biggs, Brad. "Holmgren still explaining 'concession' touchdown". Chicago Sun-Times, February 4, 2006.
↑ "Super Bowl Memories: This one’s for John!". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
↑ "USA Today Super Bowl XXXII Play by Play".
↑ Neft, David S., Cohen, Richard M., and Korch, Rick. The Complete History of Professional Football from 1892 to the Present. 1994 ISBN 0-312-11435-4

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Denver Broncos Super Bowl XXXII Champions

1 Jason Elam 6 Bubby Brister 7 John Elway 8 Jeff Lewis 16 Tom Rouen 21 Randy Hilliard 22 Vaughn Hebron 23 Darrien Gordon 25 Darrius Johnson 26 Tim McKyer 27 Steve Atwater 29 Howard Griffith 30 Terrell Davis (Super Bowl MVP) 31 Derek Loville 32 Tony Veland 33 Dedrick Dodge 34 Tyrone Braxton 37 Anthony Lynn 39 Ray Crockett 42 Detron Smith 50 Jon Hesse 51 John Mobley 53 Bill Romanowski 56 Keith Burns 57 Allen Aldridge 58 Steve Russ 59 Glenn Cadrez 62 Dan Neil 63 David Diaz-Infante 65 Gary Zimmerman 66 Tom Nalen 69 Mark Schlereth 70 Jamie Brown 72 Ernest Jones 74 Harry Swayne 75 Brian Habib 77 Tony Jones 80 Rod Smith 81 Patrick Jeffers 82 David Gamble 83 Flipper Anderson 84 Shannon Sharpe 85 Willie Green 86 Byron Chamberlain 87 Ed McCaffrey 88 Sir Mawn Wilson 89 Dwayne Carswell 90 Neil Smith 91 Alfred Williams 93 Trevor Pryce 94 Keith Traylor 96 Harald Hasselbach 97 Mike Lodish 98 Maa Tanuvasa 99 David Richie

Head Coach: Mike Shanahan

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Founded in 1960 Based in Denver, Colorado Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado

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Key personnel	Owner Pat Bowlen President/CEO Joe Ellis Executive Vice President/General Manager John Elway Head Coach Gary Kubiak

Culture	Miles Thunder Orange Crush Defense The Barrel Man Zone blocking Cheerleaders "You Only Move Twice" (The Simpsons episode) South Park Mork & Mindy

Lore	Snowball Game The Drive The Fumble The Helicopter Mile High Miracle

Rivalries	Kansas City Chiefs Oakland Raiders San Diego Chargers Manning vs. Brady

Retired numbers	7 18 44

Ring of Fame	Steve Atwater Pat Bowlen Terrell Davis John Elway Goose Gonsoulin Randy Gradishar Rich Jackson Tom Jackson Charley Johnson Floyd Little Karl Mecklenburg Gene Mingo Craig Morton Haven Moses Tom Nalen Gerald Phipps Dan Reeves Shannon Sharpe Dennis Smith Paul Smith Rod Smith Lionel Taylor Billy Thompson Frank Tripucka Jim Turner Rick Upchurch Louis Wright Gary Zimmerman

Division championships (15)	1977 1978 1984 1986 1987 1989 1991 1996 1998 2005 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Wild cards (7)	1979 1983 1993 1997 2000 2003 2004

Conference championships (8)	1977 1986 1987 1989 1997 1998 2013 2015

League championships (3)	1997 1998 2015

Media	Broadcasters Dave Logan Brian Griese Scott Hastings Ed McCaffrey Alan Roach TV: KUSA 9News Radio: 850 KOA (AM)

Current league affiliations	League: National Football League (1970–present) Conference: American Football Conference Division: West Division

Former league affiliation	League: American Football League (1960–1969)

Seasons (56)	1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Championship seasons in bold

Green Bay Packers

Founded in 1919 Based and headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin

Franchise	Franchise Team history Green Bay Packers, Inc. Board of Directors

Records	Seasons Coaches Players A–D E–K L–R S–Z Starting quarterbacks Pro Football Hall of Famers Retired numbers First-round draft picks Records Pro Bowlers Stadiums

Stadiums	Hagemeister Park Bellevue Park City Stadium Borchert Field Wisconsin State Fair Park Marquette Stadium Milwaukee County Stadium Lambeau Field

Culture	Cheesehead Lambeau Leap Hall of Fame Packers Fan Hall of Fame "Bang the Drum All Day" Cheerleaders Fight song Lumberjack Band Rockwood Lodge Don Hutson Center Clarke Hinkle Field Ray Nitschke Field Pigskin Champions Vernon Biever Hungry Five George Whitney Calhoun The Dope Sheet Curly Lambeau Vince Lombardi Ron Wolf Lombardi Pitch Perfect 2

Lore	Dolly Gray impostor The Ice Bowl The Snow Bowl Instant Replay Game 4th and 26 Fail Mary Miracle in Motown

Division championships (22)	1936 1938 1939 1944 1960 1961 1962 1965 1966 1967 1972 1995 1996 1997 2002 2003 2004 2007 2011 2012 2013 2014

League championships (13)	1929 1930 1931 1936 1939 1944 1961 1962 1965 1966 1967 1996 2010

Super Bowl appearances (5)	I (1966) II (1967) XXXI (1996) XXXII (1997) XLV (2010)

Retired numbers	3 4 14 15 66 92

Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: National Football Conference Division: NFC North

Rivalries	Chicago Bears Detroit Lions Minnesota Vikings

Broadcasters	Radio: Packers Radio Network WTMJ WKTI-HD2 WIXX WTAQ Television (pre-season & official in-season team programming): WGBA-TV WTMJ-TV Personnel: Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) Larry McCarren (color/analysis)

Seasons (97)	1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Championship seasons in bold

1997 NFL season

East	Central	West	East	Central	West
Buffalo	Baltimore	Denver	Arizona	Chicago	Atlanta
Indianapolis	Cincinnati	Kansas City	Dallas	Detroit	Carolina
Miami	Jacksonville	Oakland	NY Giants	Green Bay	New Orleans
New England	Pittsburgh	San Diego	Philadelphia	Minnesota	St. Louis
NY Jets	Tennessee	Seattle	Washington	Tampa Bay	San Francisco

National Football League Championship Games (1933–present)

NFL Championship Game (1933–1969)	1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

AFL Championship Game (1960–1969)	1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

AFL-NFL World Championship Games^[1] (1966–1969)	1966 (I) 1967 (II) 1968 (III) 1969 (IV)

Super Bowl^[2] (1970–present)	1970 (V) 1971 (VI) 1972 (VII) 1973 (VIII) 1974 (IX) (1975) X 1976 (XI) 1977 (XII) 1978 (XIII) 1979 (XIV) 1980 (XV) 1981 (XVI) 1982 (XVII) 1983 (XVIII) 1984 (XIX) 1985 (XX) 1986 (XXI) 1987 (XXII) 1988 (XXIII) 1989 (XXIV) 1990 (XXV) 1991 (XXVI) 1992 (XXVII) 1993 (XXVIII) 1994 (XXIX) 1995 (XXX) 1996 (XXXI) 1997 (XXXII) 1998 (XXXIII) 1999 (XXXIV) 2000 (XXXV) 2001 (XXXVI) 2002 (XXXVII) 2003 (XXXVIII) 2004 (XXXIX) 2005 (XL) 2006 (XLI) 2007 (XLII) 2008 (XLIII) 2009 (XLIV) 2010 (XLV) 2011 (XLVI) 2012 (XLVII) 2013 (XLVIII) 2014 (XLIX) 2015 (50)

1921 APFA de facto championship game 1925 NFL Championship controversy 1932 NFL Playoff Game NFL Championship broadcasters AFL Championship broadcasters Super Bowl champions Super Bowl Most Valuable Players Super Bowl records Super Bowl broadcasters Super Bowl officials Super Bowl halftime Super Bowl commercials Pre-Super Bowl NFL champions NFL playoffs (Results) AFL playoffs

1 – From 1966 to 1969, the first four Super Bowls were "World Championship" games played between two independent professional football leagues, AFL and NFL, and when the league merged in 1970 the Super Bowl became the NFL Championship Game. 2 – Dates in the list denote the season, not the calendar year in which the championship game was played. For instance, Super Bowl XLI was played in 2007, but was the championship for the 2006 season.

NFL on NBC

Related programs

The NFL on NBC pregame show (Football Night in America)
NBC Sunday Night Football
NFL on NBC Radio
Thursday Night Football (2016-present)

College football programs	College Football on NBC (Notre Dame) College Football on USA

Other pro football programs	Arena Football League on NBC Canadian Football League World League of American Football on USA XFL on NBC

American Football League	1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

Baltimore Colts	1960 1961

Pittsburgh Steelers	1960 1961

Prime-time results	Monday night NFL games prior to 1970 Sunday Night Football results (2006-present)

Commentators

Pre-AFL–NFL merger	AFL Championship Game AFL All-Star Game NFL Championship Game

Preseason games	American Bowl

Lore

Postseason lore	"The Epic in Miami" "Ghost to the Post" "Immaculate Reception" "Red Right 88" "The Freezer Bowl" "The Drive" "The Fumble" "Beast Quake" "The Comeback" "The Interception"

Pre-AFL–NFL merger lore	"The Greatest Game Ever Played" "Heidi Game"

Sunday Night Football lore	"4th and 2" 16–0 "Butt fumble"

Music

Sunday Night Football	John Williams "I Hate Myself for Loving You" Faith Hill Pink Carrie Underwood

NFL Championship

AFL Championship

Super Bowl

Pre-AFL–NFL merger	I (1966) III (1968)

AFC package carrier (1970-1997)	V (1970) VII (1972) IX (1974) XI (1976) XIII (1978) XV (1980) XVII (1982) XX (1985) XXIII (1988) XXVII (1992) XXVIII (1993) XXX (1995) XXXII (1997)

Sunday Night Football era (2006-present)	XLIII (2008) XLVI (2011) XLIX (2014) LII (2017)

Pro Bowl

Website: NBC Sports - NFL News

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