Elway retires as a champion after Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was played on January 31, 1999, at the Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida. The Denver Broncos, champions of the AFC, faced off against the Atlanta Falcons, champions of the NFC.
Super Bowl XXXIII would end up being the all-time great John Elway's final game, and in his final season, the Broncos had an amazing regular season, finishing with a record of 14-2. They won their division and then defeated the Miami Dolphins, the New York Jets, and the AFC Championship Game against the New York Jets to advance to the Super Bowl. Although Elway led the team's offense, completing 273 passes for 2,806 yards and 22 touchdowns, the real driving force was TerreDavis, who rushed for 2008 yards and scored 23 touchdowns in the season, winning the MVP award, and the defense was a solid unit coached by defensive coordinator Greg Robinson.
The Falcons also had a successful regular season, finishing with a record of 14-2. They won their division and then defeated the San Francisco 49ers, the Minnesota Vikings, and the NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings to advance to Super Bowl XXXIII. Quarterback Chris Chandler led the team's offense, completing 324 passes for 3,154 yards and 17 touchdowns, and the defense was solid, led by safety Eugene Robinson, who recorded 4 interceptions that season.
Super Bowl XXXIII was a close, hard-fought battle, but the Broncos were able to pull off a repeat victory. The Broncos' defense held the Falcons to just 19 points, and the offense led by Elway, who threw for 336 yards and a touchdown, and running back Terrell Davis, who rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown, scored 34 points and went on to win by a score of 34-19. Elway was named Super Bowl XXXIII MVP after his outstanding performance in the game, becoming the oldest-ever MVP at the time. The win marked the Broncos' second Super Bowl victory in franchise history and solidified their status as one of the NFL's elite teams of 1990s. Elway would walk away and enter the Hall of Fame, eventually becoming an executive for the Broncos in the future.