Editing Super Bowl XXV (section)

==Background==
===Host selection process===
NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXV to Tampa during a May 20, 1987 owners meeting held at [[Coronado, California]]. It was the second time that Tampa hosted the game; the city previously hosted [[Super Bowl XVIII|XVIII]] on January 22, 1984. Voting for the "silver anniversary" Super Bowl drew bids from Tampa ([[Tampa Stadium]]), [[San Diego]] ([[San Diego Stadium|Jack Murphy Stadium]]), [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]] ([[Angel Stadium|Anaheim Stadium]]), [[Los Angeles]] ([[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum|Coliseum]]), and [[Miami]] ([[Hard Rock Stadium|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 host [[Super Bowl XXIII|XXIII]]), was eliminated on the second.<ref name="Trib05-21-1987pg01">{{cite news|title=Tampa wins 1991 Super Bowl (Part 1)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-super-bowl-xxv-host/140810862/|newspaper=The Tampa Tribune|first=Tom|last=McEwen|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 21, 1987|accessdate=February 12, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="Trib05-21-1987pg10">{{cite news|title=Tampa wins 1991 Super Bowl (Part 2)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune/140810974/|newspaper=The Tampa Tribune|first=Tom|last=McEwen|page=10|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 21, 1987|accessdate=February 12, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref> 

After three additional rounds, neither Tampa nor San Diego could garner the desired {{frac|3|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. The [[Tampa Bay area]] won by virtue of proven success hosting [[Super Bowl XVIII|XVIII]], and the plans to move the [[Gasparilla Pirate Festival]] to Super Bowl week. San Diego was slated to host [[Super Bowl XXII|XXII]], 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.<ref name="Trib05-21-1987pg01"/><ref name="Trib05-21-1987pg10"/>

===New York Giants===
{{main|1990 New York Giants season}}
The 1990 New York Giants were built to head coach [[Bill 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 three [[Pro Bowl]] selections: defensive tackle [[Erik Howard]], and linebackers [[Pepper Johnson]] and [[Lawrence Taylor]] (10.5 sacks and 1 interception).  Linebacker [[Gary Reasons]] was also a strong force with 3 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries. The secondary was led by defensive back [[Everson Walls]], an offseason acquisition from the [[Dallas Cowboys]], who recorded six interceptions, and safety [[Greg Jackson (American football)|Greg 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 linemen [[Bart Oates]] and [[William Roberts (American football)|William 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 returner [[Dave 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 rival [[1990 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]], 31–13, the 10–1 Giants met defeat on ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' in a 7–3 defensive battle with the 10–1 [[1990 San Francisco 49ers season|San 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 quarterback [[Phil 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 the [[NFC East]] and earn the second seed in the NFC playoffs.

===Buffalo Bills===
{{main|1990 Buffalo Bills season}}
The Bills had a very talented team with nine Pro Bowl selections on their roster. Their defense was led by defensive end [[Bruce Smith]], who recorded 19 sacks, forced four fumbles, and won the [[NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award]]. Behind him, three of the Bills' starting linebackers, [[Darryl Talley]], [[Shane Conlan]], and [[Cornelius Bennett]], were selected to the Pro Bowl.  Defensive back [[Kirby Jackson]] led the team in interceptions with 3. On [[special teams]], Pro Bowler [[Steve 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 the [[no-huddle offense|no-huddle tactic]] to storm down the field and score points very quickly. Instead of going into a huddle after each play, quarterback [[Jim Kelly]] would immediately send his offense back to the [[line 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 offense|no-huddle]] K-Gun offense worked well enough for Kelly to finish the regular season as the [[passer rating|top-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: future [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Famer]] [[Andre 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 Famer [[James Lofton]], who was the big threat with 35 receptions for 712 yards (a 20.3 yards per catch average). Tight end [[Keith McKeller]] contributed 34 receptions for 464 yards and five touchdowns. Pro Bowl running back [[Thurman 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 superb [[offensive line]], led by All-Pro center [[Kent Hull]] and Pro Bowl left tackle [[Will 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.

===Playoffs===
{{See also|1990–91 NFL playoffs}}
The Giants began their championship postseason run by a trivial elimination of the [[1990 Chicago Bears season|Chicago 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Chicago Bears at New York Giants - January 13th, 1991 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199101130nyg.htm |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> However, New York lost another key player for the season when rookie running back [[Rodney Hampton]], the team's second-leading rusher during the regular season with 455 yards, suffered a broken leg.

The following Sunday, the Giants upset the [[1990 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]] 15–13 in the [[1990–91 NFL playoffs#NFC: New York Giants 15, San Francisco 49ers 13|NFC 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.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199101200sfo.htm | title=NFC Championship - New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers - January 20th, 1991 | work=Pro-Football-Reference.com | access-date=August 25, 2022}}</ref> Their outstanding defense was led by future Hall of Fame defensive back [[Ronnie Lott]] and linebacker [[Charles Haley]], who led the NFC in sacks. San Francisco's offense was considered the best in the NFC, led by future Hall of Fame quarterback [[Joe Montana]] and wide receiver [[Jerry Rice]]. However, except for a 61-yard touchdown pass from Montana to wide receiver [[John Taylor (American football)|John Taylor]], the Giants contained the 49ers' offense very well. A sack by Giants defensive end [[Leonard 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 linebacker [[Gary Reasons]] on a fake punt set up kicker [[Matt Bahr]]'s fourth field goal, cutting their deficit to 13–12. The 49ers (now led by [[Steve Young]]) tried to run out the clock on their ensuing possession, but running back [[Roger Craig (American football)|Roger Craig]] had the ball dislodged by nose tackle [[Erik 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 the [[1990 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]]. The Bills jumped to an early 20–3 lead, but Miami quarterback [[Dan 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. Kicker [[Scott 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills - January 12th, 1991 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199101120buf.htm |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

Buffalo then crushed the [[1990 Los Angeles Raiders season|Los Angeles Raiders]] 51–3 in the [[1990–91 NFL playoffs#AFC: Buffalo Bills 51, Los Angeles Raiders 3|AFC Championship Game]], the most lopsided score in AFC Championship Game history. The Bills' defense dominated the Raiders' offense, which was without [[running back]] [[Bo Jackson]], who suffered a career-ending injury against the [[1990 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati Bengals]] the week before, limiting them to an early field goal and intercepting five passes from quarterback [[Jay 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 (American football)|Kenneth Davis]], tied a playoff record with three touchdowns.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AFC Championship - Los Angeles Raiders at Buffalo Bills - January 20th, 1991 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199101200buf.htm |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

===Super Bowl pregame news===
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 at [[Giants Stadium]], 17–13, in a game which was close, but would prove to be not as close as Super Bowl XXV.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Buffalo Bills at New York Giants - December 15th, 1990 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199012150nyg.htm |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

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 the [[Super Bowl#Home team designation|designated 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 until [[Super Bowl XXXII]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lukas |first=Paul |date=February 5, 2016 |title=Uni Watch's Friday Flashback: Humble Super Bowl patches have fascinating history |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14700104/uni-watch-friday-flashback-humble-super-bowl-patches-fascinating-history |access-date=September 21, 2022 |website=ESPN.com}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|title=War Takes Toll on Network Advertising Load|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1991/BC-1991-01-21.pdf|website=American Radio History|publisher=Broadcasting Magazine|access-date=April 27, 2017|page=51|date=January 21, 1991}}</ref>