Super Bowl XXXIII Appearance
The Falcons' first Super Bowl appearance ended in a 34–19 loss to the defending champion Broncos.
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XXXII champion Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Atlanta Falcons to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1998 season. The Broncos defeated the Falcons by the score of 34–19, winning their second consecutive Super Bowl. The game was played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida (now part of the suburb of Miami Gardens, which became a separate city in 2003).
- Year
- 1998 Season
- Game Date
- January 31, 1999
- Opponent
- Denver Broncos
- Result
- Loss (34-19)
- Location
- Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens
- Head Coach
- Dan Reeves
Lore & Background
The Falcons advanced to their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Like the Broncos, they finished the 1998 regular season with a 14–2 record, including wins in each of their last nine games. The Falcons' fortunes began to improve after Dan Reeves became their head coach in 1997. Reeves was the Broncos' head coach from 1981 to 1992, leading the Elway-led Broncos to Super Bowls XXI, XXII, and XXIV. Pro Bowl quarterback Chris Chandler led the Falcons' offense, throwing for 3,154 yards and 25 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions. The biggest threat on offense was Pro Bowl running back Jamal Anderson, who rushed for 1,846 yards, caught 27 passes for 319 yards, and scored 16 total touchdowns.
In Their Own Story
The Miami air hung heavy with humidity under the stadium lights. Chris Chandler tightened his grip on the ball, eyes scanning the defensive line. The crowd roared, a mix of neutral fans and visiting Atlanta supporters in red and black. It was their moment to finally claim glory for the city that had waited decades.
Reader's Guide
The Falcons were making their first Super Bowl appearance after posting a 14–2 regular season record. Aided by quarterback John Elway's 80-yard touchdown pass to receiver Rod Smith, the Broncos scored 17 consecutive points to build a 17–3 lead in the second quarter from which the Falcons could not recover. In the final game of his career before his announced retirement on May 2, 1999, Elway completed 18 of 29 passes for 336 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and also scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown. At 38 years old, Elway became the oldest player to be named Super Bowl MVP, a record that stood until Tom Brady surpassed it in 2017 at the age of 39, coincidentally also against the Falcons.
Did You Know?
- The Falcons were under former Broncos head coach Dan Reeves, who had led the Broncos to three Super Bowls but lost all three.
- John Elway's 80-yard touchdown pass to Howard Griffith was a key play in building the Broncos' lead.
- Elway became the oldest Super Bowl MVP at age 38, a record later broken by Tom Brady against the same Falcons.
More in Honours & Records
Elsewhere in the Atlanta Falcons universe
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