Ranking the 15 most dramatic finishes in Super Bowl history
By Randy Gurzi
11. Super Bowl XVI
The San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals faced off in 1982 just outside of Detroit, Michigan in what was the first ever Super Bowl played in a cold weather city. The stadium was in a dome, so the weather had no effect on the play, but traffic did have its effect on the patrons.
On the field, the Bengals, who went 12-4 during the season, came out flat and watched the 49ers, who went 13-3 during the year, take a 20-0 lead into the half behind a touchdown rush and pass by Niners quarterback Joe Montana.
Forrest Gregg’s halftime speech must have woke the Bengals up, because quarterback Ken Anderson led an 83-yard play which ended with him running a five-yard touchdown. Then, early in the fourth quarter, Anderson threw his first touchdown pass to tight end Dan Ross and we had ourselves a game.
A pair of field goals by the 49ers extended the lead, but Cincy was able to make it a 26-21 score after Anderson again hit Ross for a touchdown. Unfortunately, the drive took the clock down to just 20 seconds remaining in the game.
The Bengals had made it interesting and lined up for one last desperation play as an onside kick attempt was coming. The 49ers recovered it to win the title, but the Bengals made the game closer than it should have been.
Next: No. 10