Misplaced Pages

Super Bowl XXXV

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
#101898

142-713: Super Bowl XXXV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2000 season . The Ravens defeated the Giants by a score of 34–7, tied for the seventh largest Super Bowl margin of victory with Super Bowl XXXVII . The game

284-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless

426-728: A "play-it-safe" offense, the Ravens became the seventh wild-card team to reach the Super Bowl, and third in four seasons, after allowing only a combined one touchdown and three field goals in their playoff wins over the Denver Broncos , 21–3, then their rivals , Tennessee Titans , 24–10, and the Oakland Raiders , 16–3. Meanwhile, the Giants defeated their rivals , the Philadelphia Eagles , 20–10, and shut out

568-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,

710-411: A 12–4 record and entered the playoffs as a wild-card team. The Giants advanced to Super Bowl XXXV after posting a 7–9 record in the previous year. Their big draft acquisition during the off-season was running back Ron Dayne , the 1999 Heisman Trophy winner. The plan was to have his power running style complement running back Tiki Barber 's speed and pass-catching ability. The two would be called

852-518: A 47-yard field goal by Ravens kicker Matt Stover to extend Baltimore's lead to 10–0. Aided by a face-mask penalty against Ravens linebacker Brad Jackson , a 16-yard completion from Collins to wide receiver Ron Dixon , and a 27-yard run by running back Tiki Barber , the Giants advanced all the way to the Baltimore 29-yard line on their ensuing drive, but cornerback Chris McAlister intercepted Collins' pass intended for wide receiver Ike Hilliard at

994-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along

1136-541: A Super Bowl appearance more than once, with New England and Pittsburgh winning more than once. The only other AFC team to make the Super Bowl in that stretch were the Oakland Raiders , in Super Bowl XXXVII . Had the Giants won, it would have marked the first year since 1989 that a Super Bowl and World Series champion came from the same metropolitan area. The New York Yankees won the World Series during

1278-631: A Super Bowl record that has since been surpassed by Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon 's five interceptions in Super Bowl XXXVII ) and completed only 15 of 39 passes for 112 yards. Barber was the Giants' leading rusher with 49 yards, also catching six passes for 26 yards and returning two punts for thirteen yards, while Dixon tallied six kickoffs for 154 yards and a touchdown with a sixteen-yard pass catch. While Giants punter Brad Maynard set an undesirable Super Bowl record with eleven punts, Baltimore punter Kyle Richardson nearly matched him with ten punts. Overall, both teams combined for only 396 total yards,

1420-614: A Super Bowl), recorded 4 sacks, and forced five turnovers. All sixteen of the Giants' possessions ended with punts or interceptions, with the exception of the last one, which ended when time expired in the game. New York's lone touchdown, a 97-yard kickoff return, was quickly answered by Baltimore on an 84-yard touchdown return on the ensuing kickoff. The Giants became the first team since the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII not to score an offensive touchdown and

1562-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are

SECTION 10

#1732771940102

1704-774: A first round playoff bye, but in their opening playoff game, they were upset at home by the Washington Redskins . A holding penalty and a missed field goal by Kevin Butler frustrated the Bears in the first quarter. They still, however, managed to take a 13–7 lead into halftime. But their usually stout defense fell apart in the second half, allowing the Redskins to score 20 unanswered points. "Maybe my dreams didn't come true", said Chicago Coach Mike Ditka . "The defense has to play outstanding and today they were just not up to

1846-457: A group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in a game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change

1988-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear

2130-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and

2272-521: A major sports championship on network television. Gumbel also became the third person to both host a Super Bowl pregame show and call the game, joining Dick Enberg and Al Michaels . Gumbel was the host during his first stint with CBS for Super Bowl XXVI , and he was the pregame host for Super Bowls XXX and XXXII when he was with NBC . Gumbel was joined in the broadcast booth by color commentator Phil Simms . Armen Keteyian and Bonnie Bernstein served as sideline reporters . Jim Nantz hosted all

2414-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before

2556-510: A modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as the "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton

2698-402: A pass for four yards. Stokley was the top receiver of the game with three receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. Jermaine Lewis recorded 152 total all-purpose yards (111 kickoff return yards, 34 punt return yards, seven receiving yards, one rushing yard) and a touchdown. Collins had a passer rating for the game of only 7.1, the second worst in Super Bowl history, threw four interceptions (tying

2840-477: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If

2982-404: A pass intended for wide receiver Amani Toomer and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown, setting off a chain of events never seen before in Super Bowl history: three touchdowns on three consecutive plays in 36 seconds. On the ensuing kickoff, Dixon returned the ball 97 yards for the Giants' only score of the game to cut their deficit to 17–7. But Jermaine Lewis returned the next kickoff 84 yards for

SECTION 20

#1732771940102

3124-410: A pass that was deflected by linebacker Ray Lewis and intercepted by linebacker Jamie Sharper . Then on the next play, a holding penalty against defensive tackle Keith Hamilton nullified linebacker Jessie Armstead 's 43-yard interception return for a touchdown that could have tied the game. After the teams exchanged punts again, Dilfer completed a 44-yard pass to wide receiver Qadry Ismail to set up

3266-583: A player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits, the game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as

3408-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating

3550-456: A rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over

3692-511: A round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with

3834-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with

3976-403: A separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble a gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following

4118-560: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . 1986 Chicago Bears season The 1986 Chicago Bears season

4260-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by

4402-550: A subsequent two-game losing streak put them at 7–4 with five games to go. In what would be his defining moment, head coach Jim Fassel , at a press conference following the Giants' loss to the Detroit Lions , guaranteed that his team would make the playoffs. The Giants responded by winning their last five regular season games to reach 12–4 and win the NFC East for the first time in three years. With an explosive defense and

Super Bowl XXXV - Misplaced Pages Continue

4544-416: A touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish

4686-439: A touchdown of his own, making the score 24–7 in favor of the Ravens and essentially putting the game away. It was the first time in history two kickoffs were returned for touchdowns in the same Super Bowl game, and on back-to-back kickoffs. New York gained only one first down on their final four possessions and were never able to move the ball into Baltimore territory. Meanwhile, the Ravens added 10 more points to their lead, making

4828-460: Is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with

4970-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or

5112-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as

5254-579: Is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in the United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However,

5396-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over

5538-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job

5680-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside

5822-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are

Super Bowl XXXV - Misplaced Pages Continue

5964-776: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on the field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league;

6106-704: The Minnesota Vikings , 41–0, the most lopsided game in NFC Championship game history. Officially, the win made the Ravens the quickest expansion team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl, although much like the 1950 Browns winning the NFL Championship in their first season in the NFL after coming over from the All-America Football Conference , the Ravens were not an expansion team in the traditional sense of

6248-598: The NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in the world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but

6390-726: The New York Giants ' win in Super Bowl XXV was the game's MVP, Ottis Anderson , and former head coach Bill Parcells (coincidentally, tight end Howard Cross was the only Giants player on the 1990 team that was still active). Representing the Los Angeles Raiders ' win in Super Bowl XVIII was that game's MVP, Marcus Allen , and former head coach Tom Flores . This was the last Super Bowl to have individual player introductions for both teams (both

6532-725: The New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts . A team from Baltimore had not won a Super Bowl since the Colts' victory in 1971. NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XXXV to Tampa during their October 31, 1996, meeting in New Orleans . A total of five cities submitted bids: Miami ( Joe Robbie Stadium ), Atlanta ( Georgia Dome ), Tampa ( Raymond James Stadium ), Phoenix / Tempe ( Sun Devil Stadium ), and Los Angeles ( Coliseum ). The Los Angeles host committee originally

6674-521: The Persian Gulf War , 10 military veterans from the conflict including former general Norman Schwarzkopf were introduced on the field. The vocal group (and Florida natives) Backstreet Boys then sang the national anthem becoming the only boyband to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. The coin toss ceremony honored the two previous Super Bowls that were played in Tampa. Representing

6816-552: The Super Bowl XXXV halftime show . EyeVision would mostly fall out of use after Super Bowl XXXV, not being used in an NFL game until an upgraded version was announced for Super Bowl 50 . CBS also produced a separate HDTV broadcast of the game in the 1080i format, with Kevin Harlan and Daryl Johnston announcing. It was the second year that the game was televised in both standard-definition TV ( NTSC ) and HDTV. Before

6958-412: The center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until the snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform

7100-409: The commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to a league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of

7242-555: The forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered

SECTION 50

#1732771940102

7384-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on

7526-407: The neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912, the field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance

7668-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to

7810-490: The "P-word" (presumably "postseason" or "playoffs") until the team actually played in it. The Ravens' outspoken defensive lineman, Tony Siragusa, did utter the word "playoffs" on two occasions and was fined $ 500. Since the fine (and Billick's ban) were clearly symbolic and playful, Billick explained himself by saying, "He got a $ 400 fine for doing it on national television and $ 100 for doing it on his radio show. The reason being because no one listens to his show anyway." In place of

7952-517: The "P-word", the word " Festivus " was used, the December 23 secular holiday featured in an episode of the popular American television sitcom Seinfeld (the Ravens organization played along with this theme for that year's playoffs by showing a clip of Cosmo Kramer saying "A Festivus miracle!" on the stadium screen during the team's only home playoff game that year). The Super Bowl was thereafter referred to as "Festivus Maximus." Midway through

8094-492: The 1-yard line to keep New York scoreless at halftime. The Giants forced the Ravens to punt on the opening drive of the second half. Five plays later, Ravens safety Kim Herring intercepted a pass intended for Hilliard at the New York 41-yard line. The Ravens then advanced to the 24-yard line, but Stover missed a 41-yard field goal attempt wide left. After another exchange of punts, Ravens cornerback Duane Starks intercepted

8236-413: The 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained a tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement

8378-567: The 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap

8520-423: The Baltimore offense was mediocre, ranking only thirteenth in the league in scoring (333 points), sixteenth in total yards (5,301), and 23rd in passing yards (3,102). The team had a lot of trouble scoring, and at one point they went through five games without scoring an offensive touchdown (although they managed to win two of those games). But they managed to regroup, as head coach Brian Billick forbade anyone to use

8662-416: The Giants' "Thunder and Lightning" backfield. Although Dayne had a solid rookie year by rushing for 770 yards, the breakout star during the regular season was Barber. Barber had 1,006 rushing yards in 213 attempts, caught seventy passes for 719 yards, and scored ten touchdowns. He also returned 44 punts for 506 yards and gained 266 yards returning kickoffs, giving him 2,495 total yards. Kerry Collins entered

SECTION 60

#1732771940102

8804-916: The Giants' season. Including the New Jersey Devils ' win in the Stanley Cup Finals and the New York Mets ' runner-up finish to the rival Yankees, there were four teams from the New York metropolitan area that made the championship round of their respective leagues in the same year. Sources: NFL.com Super Bowl XXXV , Super Bowl XXXV Play Finder Bal , Super Bowl XXXV Play Finder NYG Completions/attempts Carries Long gain Receptions Times targeted The following records were set in Super Bowl XXXV, according to

8946-531: The Giants' second-string quarterback, but soon claimed the starting job. In leading the Giants to Super Bowl XXXV, Collins completed 311 out of 529 passes for 3,610 yards and 22 touchdowns during the regular season. His favorite targets, in addition to Barber, were wide receivers Amani Toomer (78 receptions, 1,094 yards, seven touchdowns), and Ike Hilliard (55 receptions, 787 yards, eight touchdowns), along with fullback Greg Comella (36 receptions for 274 yards). The Giants offensive line featured guard Ron Stone ,

9088-532: The NFC for the playoffs due to the Giants having a better conference record (11–1) than that of the Bears (10–2). In going 14–2, the Chicago Bears were the first team in NFL history to have consecutive seasons with 14 or more victories. After winning the championship in 1985 , the Bears seemed like a dynasty in the making. However, quarterback Jim McMahon showed up to training camp 25 pounds overweight –

9230-516: The NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at the time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from

9372-570: The NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in the FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by

9514-550: The Ravens' and Giants' defenses were announced). In Super Bowl XXXVI , the New England Patriots bucked this trend and were introduced all at once as a team; the Rams, however, still used individual player introductions in that game. Starting with Super Bowl XXXVII , the league decided to have both participating teams introduced collectively as teams, instead of introducing them individually by player. The halftime show

9656-425: The Ravens' main strength was rushing, led by rookie Jamal Lewis (1,364 yards, six rushing touchdowns, 27 receptions, 298 yards) and Priest Holmes (588 yards, 32 receptions, 221 yards). Also, tight end Shannon Sharpe recorded 67 receptions for 810 yards and five touchdowns. Receiver Qadry Ismail added 49 receptions for 655 yards and four touchdowns. The offensive line was anchored by tackle Jonathan Ogden , who

9798-468: The Saturday before the game. It was the largest Gasparilla in history, with over 750,000 attending. Both defenses dominated early in the first quarter as the first five possessions of the game ended in punts. On the fifth punt, Ravens wide receiver Jermaine Lewis returned the ball 43 yards to the New York 22-yard line. Although a holding penalty on Ravens cornerback Corey Harris during the return moved

9940-632: The Super Bowl in 2007 and again in 2011 defeating the New England Patriots on both occasions, ending the current trend at the time, but starting a new one. Beginning with the 2001 St. Louis Rams , who played in Super Bowl XXXVI , there were ten different NFC Champions in ten years. Once again, the Giants ended the trend and started another one. Beginning with the 2008 Super Bowl XLIII participant Arizona Cardinals , there were six different NFC Champions in six years. This streak

10082-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2  psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),

10224-572: The ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of

10366-421: The ball back to the 41-yard line, Baltimore took only two plays to take an early 7–0 lead. First, running back Jamal Lewis picked up 3 yards, then quarterback Trent Dilfer completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley . After the teams exchanged punts three times each going into the second quarter, New York advanced to midfield, only to lose the ball when quarterback Kerry Collins threw

10508-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as

10650-430: The ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on the offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except

10792-411: The college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with

10934-552: The conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for the second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of

11076-551: The conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in the United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of

11218-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After

11360-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on

11502-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called

11644-414: The defensive line, along with defensive ends Rob Burnett (10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries) and Pro Bowler Michael McCrary (6.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries). Baltimore also had an outstanding corps of defensive backs led by Pro Bowl veteran safety Rod Woodson , who along with Kim Herring , Duane Starks , and Chris McAlister combined for 17 interceptions. On offense,

11786-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run

11928-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of

12070-469: The equally poor play of backups Mike Tomczak , Steve Fuller and Doug Flutie , Payton was the sole spark on offense, which ranked 13th in the NFL . As had been the case the year before, the Bears were once again led by their explosive defense. Any shortcomings on the offensive side of the ball were more than made up for on the defensive side. They once again were ranked 1st in the NFL. The Bears' defense became

12212-418: The events with help from his then-fellow cast members from The NFL Today : Mike Ditka , Craig James , Randy Cross , and Jerry Glanville . The studio set was placed aboard the famous Buccaneer Cove pirate ship at the end zone of Raymond James Stadium. The broadcast featured the brand-new EyeVision instant-replay system, which provided rapid-fire sequential shots from a series of cameras positioned around

12354-499: The feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create a standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from

12496-446: The fifth overall. This was the fourth Super Bowl where the winning team outscored the losing team in all four quarters. Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis , who made three solo tackles, two assists, and blocked four passes, was named Super Bowl MVP . Counting the 1958 and 1959 NFL Championship Games , this was the fourth title game that involved teams from Baltimore and New York, and the first such matchup since Super Bowl III , in which

12638-498: The final score 34–7. Three possessions after Jermaine Lewis' touchdown, going into the fourth quarter, Giants punter Brad Maynard 's 34-yard punt from his own 4-yard line to the 38-yard line and tight end Ben Coates ' 17-yard reception from Dilfer set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Jamal Lewis. The Giants challenged the call, as Lewis appeared to fumble the ball out of the end zone for a touchback while being tackled by linebacker Micheal Barrow and defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin , but

12780-416: The football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from

12922-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul

13064-467: The game ended. at Raymond James Stadium , Tampa, Florida Dilfer threw for 153 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. Jamal Lewis rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown (only the second rookie to rush for 100 yards in the Super Bowl, joining Timmy Smith in Super Bowl XXII , while also being the first rookie to score a rushing touchdown in a Super Bowl since Smith in 1988), and caught

13206-655: The game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect

13348-563: The game with the second-best defense in allowing yards in the league, with the fewest points allowed (165) and the fewest rushing yards allowed (970) during the regular season. At the time, they were the only team to hold the opposition to under 1,000 yards rushing in a season since the NFL adopted a 16-game schedule in 1978. Baltimore's 165 points allowed broke the record set by the 1986 Chicago Bears , who had given up 187 points. The Ravens' defense had held their opponents to ten or fewer points in eleven games, including four shutouts. The defense

13490-499: The game's Most Valuable Player, Lewis did not go to Walt Disney World because of an investigation during the previous year. Quarterback Trent Dilfer went in his place. Jamal Lewis was the top rusher of the game, Jermaine Lewis notched 145 yards and a touchdown on special teams. In addition, the Ravens defense was coached by Marvin Lewis . The Ravens defense has since been considered among the greatest of all time. The Ravens defense became

13632-523: The game, a pregame show titled "Life's Super in Central Florida" was held, featuring Sting , Styx , and PYT . The show was directed and choreographed by Lesslee Fitzmorris from Covington, Louisiana. To honor the 225th anniversary of the birth of the United States, singer Ray Charles performed "America the Beautiful". The song was signed (ASL) by Tom Cooney. To honor the 10th anniversary of

13774-583: The game. The game was broadcast in the United States by CBS . It was the network's first Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXVI in January 1992. Following the 1993 season, Fox bought the rights to air the NFC package, leaving CBS without the NFL for the next four years until 1998 , when they began broadcasting the AFC package. Play-by-play announcer Greg Gumbel became the first African-American announcer to call

13916-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of

14058-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of

14200-555: The illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922,

14342-451: The innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become the most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced

14484-575: The lowest in Super Bowl history. The Ravens joined Super Bowl XVIII 's Los Angeles Raiders in the record books as the only teams to score offensive, defensive and special teams touchdowns in the same Super Bowl. The third team to do the same were the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII . Super Bowl XXXV was the second Super Bowl since 1975 in which the losing team failed to score at least ten points, after Super Bowl XVIII. All

14626-540: The main contributors for the Ravens on offense, defense, and special teams were named Lewis . Linebacker Ray Lewis , a native of Lakeland, Florida , less than an hour from Super Bowl host city Tampa , who made three solo tackles, two assists, and blocked four passes, became the second linebacker to be named Super Bowl MVP after Chuck Howley in Super Bowl V . Lewis also became the first defensive player to be honored since Larry Brown in Super Bowl XXX , and at

14768-420: The new stadium plans. Owners initially planned on selecting only two hosts (XXXIII and XXXIV), but decided to name three after strong showings by the respective delegations. Miami, Atlanta, and Tampa were selected to host XXXIII , XXXIV , and XXXV, respectively. Tampa became the fourth metropolitan area to host the game at least three times, joining New Orleans , Miami , and Los Angeles . The Ravens entered

14910-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score

15052-512: The official NFL.com boxscore, the 2016 NFL Record & Fact Book and the ProFootball reference.com game summary. Turnovers are defined as the number of times losing the ball on interceptions and fumbles. Source: Hall of Fame‡ American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on

15194-452: The officials determined that Lewis had stretched the ball across the goal line before he lost it, therefore confirming the score. Dixon returned the ensuing kickoff 25 yards, but he was stripped of the ball by cornerback James Trapp , and cornerback Robert Bailey recovered the fumble, setting up Stover's 34-yard field goal with 5:27 left in the game. The next two possessions ended in punts, and New York advanced to their own 49-yard line before

15336-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and

15478-451: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this

15620-556: The primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football,

15762-429: The primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play the sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in

15904-526: The product of the post-Super Bowl partying he'd partaken in. Nonetheless, he was once again named as the starter. Injuries to his rotator cuff (including a flagrant late-hit by Charles Martin which exacerbated it), however, derailed his season. McMahon played in only six of the team's first 12 games. Aided by a strong offensive line , the Bears were once again led on offense by Walter Payton . Payton remained his usual stellar self, posting his 10th and final 1,000-yard season. With McMahon's poor play, as well as

16046-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as

16188-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it

16330-631: The rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands the ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function

16472-507: The role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when the AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain

16614-544: The season as the Giants' unquestioned starting quarterback. Although he helped lead the Carolina Panthers to the 1996 NFC Championship Game , he endured a mediocre season in 1997 . In 1998 , he quit part way through the season after the team opened the campaign with a four-game losing streak. After spending the remainder of the 1998 season with the New Orleans Saints , Collins was signed in 1999 as

16756-601: The season before and were bounced from the playoffs in their first game by the Washington Redskins . Front office Coaches Position coaches Trainers Scouts Running backs (RB) Wide receivers (WR) Tight ends (TE) Defensive linemen (DL) Defensive backs (DB) Special teams Reserve at Soldier Field , Chicago First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Redskins Bears Turnovers : The 1986 Bears earned

16898-463: The season, with the team at 5–3, Billick benched starting quarterback Tony Banks and replaced him with Trent Dilfer . Although his statistics were hardly distinguished (twelve touchdowns, eleven interceptions, 76.6 passer rating), and the team lost in his first game as a starter, Dilfer led them to victory in their last seven regular season games to finish in second place in the AFC Central with

17040-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit

17182-539: The sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of

17324-439: The sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized

17466-580: The team's only Pro Bowl selection from the offense. The Giants also had a powerful defense, led by Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan , who recorded 9.5 sacks, and defensive tackle Keith Hamilton who recorded ten. Defensive backs Jason Sehorn , Emmanuel McDaniel , Reggie Stephens , and Shaun Williams combined for fourteen interceptions. Pro Bowl linebacker Jesse Armstead led the team in total tackles with 102, while also recording five sacks and an interception. The Giants lost just four games that season, having won six of their first eight games before

17608-531: The term that started out as a completely brand new organization, coaching staff and players from scratch. The Giants, as the designated home team, wore blue jerseys with grey pants. The team had previously worn blue jerseys with white pants in their two prior Super Bowl victories, but before the 2000 season, they replaced the Big Blue Wrecking Crew -era uniforms with a modern version of their early 1960s set. The Ravens donned all-white uniforms for

17750-426: The third defense in the history of the NFL to lead the league in fewest points allowed and fewest total yards allowed for two consecutive seasons. The Bears' 187 points allowed is the fewest surrendered by any team in the 1980s (other than the strike-shortened 1982 season ) – even fewer than the 198 points the Bears allowed in their historic 1985 season. However, the Bears were not able to recapture their magic from

17892-593: The third to shut-out their opponent in Super Bowl history; the Giants' only points came on a kickoff return. Washington in Super Bowl VII scored against Miami only after the late fumble by Garo Yepremian , which was returned for a touchdown. The only points Pittsburgh allowed to Minnesota in Super Bowl IX came on the return of a blocked punt. The New York Giants started a trend of seven different NFC Champions in seven years. The Giants would return to

18034-460: The time the seventh defensive player to be Super Bowl MVP, joining Howley, Jake Scott , Harvey Martin , Randy White , Richard Dent , and Brown (since Lewis, only three additional defensive players have been named Super Bowl MVP: Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Dexter Jackson in Super Bowl XXXVII , Seattle Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith in Super Bowl XLVIII , and Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller in Super Bowl 50 ). Despite being named

18176-399: The top of the stadium. It allowed for bullet time effects, similar to those used in the movie The Matrix . It was extremely unusual for CBS to debut a major new technology system at an event the size of the Super Bowl. The EyeVision system proved its mettle when it helped to uphold a replay challenge on a Jamal Lewis 4th-quarter touchdown . EyeVision was also used during the broadcast of

18318-463: The way the Redskins were playing." Despite injuries to Redskins offensive linemen Joe Jacoby and Russ Grimm , the Washington offensive line was able to pick up the Bears patented blitzes. Washington quarterback Jay Schroeder was sacked only twice. He was also able to use the blitzes to his advantage, completing passes while being chased out of the pocket. Trailing 14–13 in the 4th quarter,

18460-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of

18602-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when

18744-408: The young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for a common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of

18886-724: Was finally ended by the Seattle Seahawks , who advanced to the Super Bowl in both 2013 and 2014. The Baltimore Ravens would later win Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 against the San Francisco 49ers (which was also aired on CBS). Ray Lewis was a member of both Ravens' Super Bowl wins. In between the Ravens' victories, the Indianapolis Colts , the Pittsburgh Steelers , and the Patriots would have

19028-660: Was going to partner with Pasadena ( Rose Bowl ), but switched their plans to the Coliseum after a renovation plan was announced. However, the Los Angeles bid was dismissed when their delegation failed to convince the owners that planned stadium renovations would be completed in time. Tampa became a favorite after voters passed a ballot measure in September 1996 to fund the construction of a new stadium. NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue threw his support behind Tampa based on

19170-418: Was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included the reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams,

19312-539: Was led by a trio of outstanding linebackers: Peter Boulware , Jamie Sharper , and Ray Lewis . During the regular season, Boulware recorded 7 sacks, while Sharper forced five fumbles and made one interception. Lewis was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by recording three sacks, making 138 tackles, and intercepting two passes. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Sam Adams and veteran Tony Siragusa anchored

19454-482: Was named to the Pro Bowl for the fourth consecutive season. On special teams, Jermaine Lewis ranked second in the NFL with 36 punt returns for 578 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching nineteen passes for 161 yards and another score. Kicker Matt Stover led the NFL in field goals made (35) and attempted (39), while ranking seventh in field goal percentage (89.7) and second in scoring (135 points). However,

19596-440: Was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed a rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football

19738-612: Was played on January 28, 2001, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida , making it the first time Raymond James Stadium has held a Super Bowl. The Ravens, who posted a 12–4 regular season record, became the third wild card team to win the Super Bowl and the second in four years. The Giants entered the game seeking to go 3–0 in Super Bowls after also finishing the regular season with a 12–4 record. Baltimore allowed only 152 yards of offense by New York (the third-lowest total ever in

19880-473: Was produced by MTV , then a sister network of CBS before the re-merger. The show was titled, "The Kings of Rock and Pop". It was headlined by Aerosmith and 'N Sync , and also featured appearances from Britney Spears , Nelly , Mary J. Blige , and Tremors featuring The Earthquake Horns. The show featured a back-and-forth medley between Aerosmith and 'N Sync. The city of Tampa moved its annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival from its usual date in early February to

20022-556: Was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine a national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to

20164-411: Was their 67th regular season and 17th post-season completed in the National Football League . The Bears entered the season looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions , as they had won in 1985 . Chicago managed to finish 14–2, one game off of their 1985 record of 15–1. Although the Bears had an equal 14–2 record as the New York Giants for the league's best record, the Giants were seeded number one in

#101898