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Super Bowl XXIII, Jan. 22, 1989. San Francisco 49ers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 16.
Line: 49ers by 7. Halftime show: “Be Bop Bamboozled” South Floridaarea dancers and performers, with 3-D effects
By the time of Super Bowl XXIII, quarterback Joe Montana had already won two titles, so it was fair to say that nothing fazed him. That said, his San Francisco 49ers were staring defeat in the face against the unheralded Cincinnati Bengals. Trailing 16-13 with 3:10 to play and the ball on their own 8-yard line, legendary coach Bill Walsh and Montana decided that the way to win was with short passes out of a no-huddle offense. The plan was paying off as the team marched up the field, but time was running out. With barely 30 seconds to play, halfback Roger Craig was being double-covered, so the QB fired a laser to wide receiver John Taylor, who managed to get into the end zone. Never before had a quarterback driven his team the length of the field for a winning touchdown in the final minute of a Super Bowl. That’s why he was Joe Montana.
Read a TIME cover story on Joe Montana on the eve of the Super Bowl.