Super Bowl XXXIII Matchup
Broncos defeat Falcons 34–19 in Super Bowl XXXIII; John Elway earns first Super Bowl MVP in final career game.
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).
Quick Facts
- Date
- January 31, 1999
- Location
- Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens
- Opponent
- Denver Broncos
- Result
- Falcons Lost (19-34)
- Coach
- Dan Reeves
- Season record
- 14-2
Lore & Background
The defending Super Bowl champion Broncos entered the game with an AFC-best 14–2 regular season record. The Falcons, under former Broncos head coach Dan Reeves, were making their first Super Bowl appearance after also 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.
Reader's Guide
At 38 years old, John 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. This was Elway's first Super Bowl MVP award (he did not win MVP in Super Bowl XXXII).
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