Rice Wins MVP. In the 1989 Super Bowl, the great San Francisco 49ers receiver Jerry Rice showed that even with an injured ankle, he could surpass most other football players working at their peak. . Rice Wins MVP As the finest wide receiver of his time, and likely the best in the history of the National Football League (NFL), Jerry Rice set virtually every major record for pass receivers, including career totals for receptions, yards, and touchdowns as well as Super Bowl receptions, yards, and touchdowns. As of 1996 he had scored more touchdowns than any other player. In 1994 Sports Illustrated called Rice "not only ... certifiably the best receiver in the history of football but, perhaps, the greatest offensive player ever." Rice's crowning achievement came during Super Bowl XXIII play in Miami, Florida, in 1989, when his San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 20-16. Rice, starting in his first Super Bowl, caught 11 passes for 215 yards, setting a Super Bowl record for yardage and winning the game's most valuable player (MVP) award. He scored one touchdown, and on the thrilling, game-winning final drive he came up with three receptions for 51 yards and served as a distraction when John Taylor, the 49ers' other receiver, scored the touchdown that won the game. The 49ers selected Rice in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft; he was the 16th player taken. By his second season, 1986, it was clear that Rice was an exceptional receiver. That year he set a 49ers team record with 1520 yards and was named to the Pro Bowl. In 1987 he set a single-season record for touchdowns for a wide receiver (22), despite playing only 12 games in the strike-shortened season. In 1988 the 49ers jelled into an exceptional football team. Quarterback Joe Montana was in his prime, and he had at his disposal a number of offensive options, including running back Roger Craig, fullback Tom Rathman, Taylor, and, most important, Rice. The Montana-to-Rice connection was the most feared in football. "As sports-name combinations go, this one's moving up there with Tinkers to Evers to Chance," Sport magazine said, comparing the 49ers' duo to the legendary Chicago Cubs infield of the first decade of the 20th century. The 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl that season to meet the Bengals, whose high-powered offense featured quarterback Boomer Esiason, running back Ickey Woods, and receiver Cris Collingsworth. A week before the Super Bowl, Rice turned his right ankle, aggravating an injury that had bothered him off and on for months. The prospect that Rice would not be at full speed for the game turned into one of the big stories of the pre-Super Bowl hoopla. The Bengals weren't buying it. "That's bull ----," Cincinnati's Thomas told Sports Illustrated."Jerry Rice ain't hurt. I heard he went dancing." (It was true.) Rice, who reinjured the ankle during the game and actually missed a few plays, showed plenty of fine moves against the Bengals. The first play from scrimmage was a reverse to Rice for a five-yard gain. Later in the first quarter he snared a pass one-handed for a 16-yard gain. However, in a game matching the league's best two offenses, almost three quarters of the Super Bowl was a defensive battle. The 49ers hit a field goal in the first quarter for a 3-0 lead. Rice had a key 12-yard reception in the drive. The Bengals tied the game with a field goal in the second quarter, and they took the lead, 6-3, with another three-pointer in the third period. The 49ers tied the game with yet another field goal just before the end of the third quarter, and the contest heated up considerably. Cincinnati's Stanford Jennings returned the 49ers' kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown that led to a 13-6 Bengals lead. The 49ers responded quickly on the next possession, opening the fourth quarter with an 85-yard drive in a mere four plays. Montana hit Rice for 31 yards and Craig for 40. Montana then nailed Rice on an out pattern, and Rice twisted his body as he fell out of bounds to drag the ball across the goal line for a score that tied the game, 13-13. Rice's finest catch of the day came later in the final quarter. With 11 minutes 5 seconds left in the game and the 49ers deep in their own territory, Rice raced up the field and jumped over cornerback Lewis Billups for a 44-yard gain. But the 49ers were unable to score on that drive. With less than four minutes to play the Bengals took a 16-13 lead on a 40-yard field goal by Jim Breech. That set up one of the most dramatic drives in Super Bowl history. The 49ers began on their own eight-yard line with three minutes to play. Rice's ankle bothered him, but not to the point that the Bengals could cover him with one defender, which they tried to do for several plays. "Because of the sprained ankle, Jerry Rice was operating on nerve," Bill Walsh, the 49ers' head coach, said in the press conference after the game, according to the New York Times." He said he felt great. But I knew he [didn't]. But they could simply not stay with him man for man." When the Bengals chose to double-cover Rice, Montana hit Craig and, finally, Taylor. After two quick completions, Montana fired to Rice for seven yards to the San Francisco 30-yard line. After two running plays for a first down to the 35-yard line, Rice got open along the sideline for a 17-yard gain that put the 49ers in Cincinnati territory. Another completion and a penalty set up the big play of the drive--Rice broke free in the middle of the field for a 27-yard gain and a first down at the Cincinnati 18-yard line. Montana then passed to Craig for an eight-yard gain to set up the final score. On the touchdown Rice went in motion and ran his pattern beside Taylor. When Rice broke to the outside and Taylor cut inside, Cincinnati safety Ray Horton leaned toward Rice, allowing Montana enough space to hit Taylor with the game-winning touchdown. On the drive Rice gained 51 of the 49ers' 92 yards. Rice's 215 yards established a Super Bowl record, and his 11 receptions tied a Super Bowl record. In a testament to how much opponents feared Rice, the Bengals said they thought they had held Rice in check. "We didn't do a bad job on him," said Cincinnati Bengal strong safety David Fulcher, according to Sports Illustrated. "He only got one touchdown." Rice, in reviewing his performance, said, "I did OK. If it was up to me, I would have given the MVP to [Montana]." (The San Francisco quarterback had completed 23 of 36 passes for 357 yards and two touchdowns.) But it was in the 1989 Super Bowl that Rice first showed the world he was an extraordinary receiver and gave fans a glimpse of things to come. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
