Super Bowl XXXII was the 1996 National Football League season championship game on January 25, 1997, pitting the Cincinnati Bengals of the AFC against the Green Bay Packers of the NFC. Hosted at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The game, a 33-30 Bengal victory in overtime, gave the Bengals their second straight championship. It is widely considered one of the best Super Bowls ever played.
1996 Season and Playoffs[]
Cincinnati Bengals[]
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals were the reigning AFL champions, having defeated the Dallas Cowboys the year before, and were led once again by a promising young core of players including fourth-year quarterback Jesse Hall, second-year running back Scottie Richards and third-year wide receiver Jeremie Arrick. The team also had a defense littered with talented veterans and promising young stars, and was coached by John Boehner, a former defensive coordinator himself, and featured respected veteran offensive coordinator Tom Osgood and a young defensive coordinator, Brett Estevez, who was only 34 but featured an aggressive and advanced scheme.
The Bengals played a style of football known as "Boehner Ball" which featured a run-heavy offensive attack behind the trusty Richards and his equally reliable backup, Sam Nash. In turn, the defense was brash and attacked at the line of scrimmage and had a physical, violent attitude. No defense got flagged for more penalties in 1996 than Cincinnati's, yet they also led the league in takeaways, yards allowed and points allowed.
Green Bay Packers[]
Pre-Game[]
Game Summary[]
First Quarter
__ 21 yard TD Pass to Johnson (Extra Point is Good) GB 7 CIN 0
Hall 3 yard TD Run (Extra Point is Good) GB 7 CIN 7
Oates 31 yard Field Goal GB 10 CIN 7
Oates 28 yard Field Goal GB 13 CIN 7
Second Quarter
Richards 14 yard TD Run (Extra Point is Good) CIN 14 GB 13
Challs 30 yard Field Goal CIN 17 GB 13
___ 21 yard TD Pass to Northcutt GB 20 CIN 17
Third Quarter
Nash 2 yard TD Run CIN 24 GB 20
Oates 41 yard Field Goal CIN 24 GB 23
Fourth Quarter
Challs 38 yard Field Goal CIN 27 GB 23
__ 17 yard TD pass to Johnson GB 30 CIN 27
Challs 30 yard Field Goal GB 30 CIN 30
Overtime
Challs 29 yard Field Goal CIN 33 GB 30
Postgame[]
With the win, the Cincinnati took home their second Super Bowl trophy in as many seasons. Scottie Richards was named MVP of the title game due to his 161 rushing yards, one touchdown and his epic stiff-arm to stay in bounds on the final, game-tying drive in regulation. The Bengals would miss the playoffs entirely the following season - the first Super Bowl champion not to advance to the follow year's postseason since the Redskins in 1978 - and would lose the 1998-99 AFC championship game at home to the Stallions despite a 14-2 regular season. However, in 1999 they would advance as the third-seeded AFC team with wins over Buffalo, New York (Jets), and Tampa and win Super Bowl XXXV over the Washington Redskins for their third and final title.
Richards' 40-yard dash has become known as "the Stiff Arm" in NFL lore, a legendary play due to its important to the game's outcome, and Richards' ability to stay inbounds.