Editing Super Bowl XXIII (section)

==Background==
===Host selection process===
NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXIII to Miami, Florida on March 14, 1985, during their March 10–15, 1985 meetings held in Phoenix. This was the sixth time that Miami hosted the game, and the first at [[Hard Rock Stadium|Joe Robbie Stadium]]; the 5 previous Super Bowls in the area were played at the [[Miami Orange Bowl]].

Originally, the selection was to be voted on during the May 23–25, 1984 meetings.<ref name="NYT 5-24-84">{{cite news|title=N.F.L. Approves Sale of Broncos|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/24/sports/nfl-approves-sale-of-broncos.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 24, 1984|access-date=January 11, 2010}}</ref> However, after balloting for XXI took more than two hours, voting for XXIII was rescheduled. Twelve cities were part of the bidding process, which was scheduled to award two Super Bowls (XXIII and [[Super Bowl XXIV|XXIV]]). The bidding cities included: [[Angel Stadium of Anaheim|Anaheim]], [[Pontiac Silverdome|Detroit]], [[Reliant Astrodome|Houston]], [[Gator Bowl Stadium|Jacksonville]], [[Dolphin Stadium|Miami]], [[Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome|Minneapolis]], [[Louisiana Superdome|New Orleans]], [[Veterans Stadium|Philadelphia]], [[Candlestick Park|San Francisco]], [[Kingdome|Seattle]], [[Tampa Stadium|Tampa]], and [[Sun Devil Stadium|Tempe]].<ref name="TMN">{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0Z8mAAAAIBAJ&pg=1682,3170331&dq=super+bowl+xxiii&hl=en|title=The Miami News – Archive – 3/12/1985}}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Miami entered as the favorite.<ref name="TMN"/>

This was the last Super Bowl played on the second to last Sunday in January. From 1990 to 2001, the game was played on the last Sunday of January, and from 2002 to 2021, on the first Sunday in February (with the exception of [[Super Bowl XXXVII]], which was played on January 26, 2003). This was also the last east coast Super Bowl that began under daylight.

===San Francisco 49ers===
{{main|1988 San Francisco 49ers season}}

For the 49ers, it was their first Super Bowl appearance since they defeated the [[Miami Dolphins]] in [[Super Bowl XIX]]. They had made the playoffs in the three seasons between Super Bowl XIX and Super Bowl XXIII, but were eliminated each time in the first round, primarily because of the poor performances by their offensive stars in those games; quarterback [[Joe Montana]], receiver [[Jerry Rice]], and running back [[Roger Craig (American football)|Roger Craig]] all failed to produce a single touchdown. The previous season's 36–24 playoff loss to the [[Minnesota Vikings]] had been a particularly low point for Montana, who had played so poorly that head coach [[Bill Walsh (American football coach)|Bill Walsh]] had benched him early in the third quarter.

In the 1988 season, San Francisco won the [[NFC West]] with a 10–6 regular season record and earned the #2 playoff seed, but it was a long uphill battle.  Two other teams in their division, the [[Los Angeles Rams]] and [[New Orleans Saints]] had also recorded 10–6 records, meaning not only did they earn a first-round bye with the narrowest possible margin, but a one more loss would have caused them to miss the playoffs altogether.  The team had a quarterback controversy with Montana and [[Steve Young (American football)|Steve Young]] each starting during the season.  Young had started three games during the year, in which the 49ers went 2–1, including a crucial 24–21 week 9 win over the Vikings in which Young scored the game winning touchdown on a dynamic 49-yard run with time running out in the 4th quarter. But after a 6–5 start, Montana led the 49ers to win four of their final five regular season games.

Montana finished the regular season with 238 completions for 2,981 yards and 18 touchdowns, and also added 132 rushing yards. His favorite target was Rice, who recorded 64 receptions for 1,306 yards (a 20.4 yards per catch average) and 9 touchdowns. Craig was also a key contributor, leading the team in receptions (76) while finishing the season with a total of 2,036 combined rushing and receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, earning him the [[NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award]]. Fullback [[Tom Rathman]] also made a big impact, rushing for 427 yards and catching 42 passes for 387 yards. San Francisco also had a major special teams threat in second-year receiver [[John Taylor (American football)|John Taylor]], who led the NFL in punt return yards (556), yards per return, (12.6), and touchdowns (2). He also gained 228 yards on kickoff returns and 325 receiving yards on just 14 receptions (a 23.2 yards per catch average).

The 49ers' defense was led by defensive backs [[Ronnie Lott]], [[Eric C. Wright|Eric Wright]], [[Jeff Fuller (safety)|Jeff Fuller]], and [[Tim McKyer]], who recorded a combined total of 18 interceptions. McKyer led the team with 7, while Lott recorded 5, along with 3 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries. Linebacker [[Charles Haley]] was also a big contributor with 11.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries.  The 49ers also had a solid defensive line, featuring [[Michael Carter (nose tackle)|Michael Carter]] (6.5 sacks), [[Danny Stubbs]] (6 sacks), [[Larry Roberts (American football)|Larry Roberts]] (6 sacks), and [[Pierce Holt]] (5 sacks).

===Cincinnati Bengals===
{{main|1988 Cincinnati Bengals season}}

The Bengals were also a team on the rebound. During the [[1987 NFL season|strike-shortened 1987 season]], quarterback [[Boomer Esiason]] and head coach [[Sam Wyche]] had openly feuded, and the team finished with a miserable 4–11 record, including 0–3 in games played by replacement players. The coach and quarterback worked out their differences in the offseason, and Esiason ended up having the best season of his career en route to Super Bowl XXIII. During the regular season, he threw for 3,572 yards and 28 touchdowns with only 14 interceptions, while also rushing for 248 yards and a touchdown on 43 carries. Esiason's performance made him the top-rated quarterback in the league with a 97.4 [[passer rating]] and earned him the [[NFL Most Valuable Player Award]].

Cincinnati had a number of offensive weapons, boasting six [[Pro Bowl]] selections. Wide receiver [[Eddie Brown (wide receiver)|Eddie Brown]] was the top receiver on the team, with 54 receptions for 1,273 yards and 9 touchdowns, setting franchise records for most receiving yards in season, highest yards per catch average in a season (24.0) and most receiving yards in a single game (216 against the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]]). Wide receiver [[Tim McGee]] and Pro Bowl tight end [[Rodney Holman]] were also major threats, combining for 75 receptions, 1,213 yards, and 9 touchdowns. Rookie fullback [[Ickey Woods]] was their top rusher with 1,066 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also catching 21 passes for 199 yards and gaining a lot of media attention with his "[[Ickey Shuffle]]", a dance routine he did in the end zone to celebrate his touchdowns. Multi-talented running back [[James Brooks (running back)|James Brooks]] was also a key contributor, gaining a total of 1,218 combined rushing and receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. And the Bengals' offensive line was led by such Pro Bowl players as right guard [[Max Montoya]] and left tackle [[Anthony Muñoz]]. Muñoz was named the NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year for the third time in his career, and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the 8th season in a row. With all these weapons, Cincinnati's offense led the NFL in scoring (448 points), rushing yards (2,710), and total yards (6,302).

The Bengals' defense ranked 17th in the league, allowing 5,556 yards and 329 points during the regular season. Cincinnati had a superb defensive line{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}}, led by Pro Bowl defensive tackle [[Tim Krumrie]] (3 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries), along with linemen [[Jim Skow]] (9.5 sacks), [[David Grant (American football)|David Grant]] (5 sacks), and [[Jason Buck]] (6 sacks). Their linebacking corps was led by 13-year veteran [[Reggie Williams (linebacker)|Reggie Williams]], one of six players remaining from their 1981 Super Bowl team. Pro Bowl defensive backs [[Eric Thomas (cornerback)|Eric Thomas]] and [[David Fulcher]] combined for 12 interceptions, while safety [[Lewis Billups]] added 4 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. The team ended up winning the AFC Central with a 12–4 record.

===Playoffs===
[[File:1989 AFC Championship Game - Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals 1989-01-08 (ticket).jpg|thumb|125px|The Bengals defeated the Bills in the AFC Championship Game.]]
{{Details|1988–89 NFL playoffs}}

The Bengals went on to defeat the [[1988 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]] in the AFC Divisional playoff game 21–13, and the [[1988 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]] in the [[AFC Championship Game]] 21–10. Woods was the key contributor in both wins, rushing for a combined total of 228 yards and 3 touchdowns. Cincinnati's 17th-ranked defense during the season made a major improvement in the playoffs, holding both their opponents to a combined total of 23 points and recording 5 interceptions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals - December 31st, 1988 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198812310cin.htm |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=AFC Championship - Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals - January 8th, 1989 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198901080cin.htm |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

Meanwhile, [[Bill Walsh (American football coach)|Bill Walsh]] guided the 49ers to crushing playoff wins over the [[1988 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]], 34–9 and the [[1988 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]], 28–3.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers - January 1st, 1989 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198901010sfo.htm |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NFC Championship - San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears - January 8th, 1989 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198901080chi.htm |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> With the win over the Bears, the 49ers became the first road team to win an [[NFC Championship Game]] since the [[1979 NFL season|1979 season]].