Super Bowl XVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cincinnati Bengals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1981 season…..as the 49’ers defeated the Bengals by the score of 26–21 to win their first Super Bowl in a really good football game….. as the game was played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit…..when it marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held at a cold-weather city….as the domed stadium saved the crowd at the game from the very cold and snowy weather…..while the weather did affect traffic and other logistical issues related to the game.
Super Bowl XVI also became one of the most watched broadcasts in American television history, with more than 85 million viewers, and a final national Nielsen rating of 49.1 (a 73 share)….when for the first time since Super Bowl III, both teams were making their first Super Bowl appearance…..afte the 49’ers posted a 13–3 regular season record…..along with playoff wins over the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys…..while the Bengals finished the regular season with a 12–4 record….and had postseason victories over the Buffalo Bills and the San Diego Chargers.
Cincinnati’s 356 yards of offense to San Francisco’s 275 marked the first time in Super Bowl history that a team which was out-gained in total yards won…..but the Bengals also committed four turnovers to San Francisco’s one….which played a major factor in the outcome….as three of Cincinnati’s turnovers helped San Francisco build a Super Bowl record 20–0 halftime lead….while coming off a touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown from quarterback Joe Montana and two field goals by Ray Wersching. The Bengals began to rally in the second half with quarterback Ken Anderson’s 5-yard touchdown run….and a 4-yard touchdown pass….but a third-quarter goal line stand by the 49’ers defense….along with two more Wersching field goals….was what ultimately decided the game. The Bengals managed to score their final touchdown with 20 seconds left….but could not recover the ensuing onside kick. 49’ers QB Joe Montana was named the Super Bowl MVP….after completing 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown….. while also rushing for 18 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Cincinnati tight end Dan Ross recorded a Super Bowl-record 11 receptions….which is still the most ever by a tight end in a Super Bowl for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns.
As seen in this video herewith….where NFL Films legendary narrator John Facenda provides his usual “poetic masterpiece” to each and every outstanding highlight from the film vaults at NFL Films to create a video that is simply MUST SEE TV for any and all NFL fans.
