Super Bowl XXXI

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Super Bowl XXXI took place on January 26, 1997 at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The final result was Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21.

Before the game

Playoffs:

• Wild Card:
  • 12/28/1996: NFC: Dallas Cowboys 40, Minnesota Vikings 15
  • 12/28/1996: AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars 30, Buffalo Bills 27
  • 12/29/1996: NFC: San Francisco 49ers 14, Philadelphia Eagles 0
  • 12/29/1996: AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 42, Indianapolis Colts 14
  • Byes: AFC: Denver Broncos, New England Patriots; NFC: Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers

• Divisional Playoff:
  • 1/4/1997: AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars 30, Denver Broncos 27
  • 1/4/1997: NFC: Green Bay Packers 35, San Francisco 49ers 14
  • 1/5/1997: AFC: New England Patriots 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 3
  • 1/5/1997: NFC: Carolina Panthers 26, Dallas Cowboys 17

• Conference Championship:
  • 1/12/1997: AFC: New England Patriots 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 6
  • 1/12/1997: NFC: Green Bay Packers 30, Carolina Panthers 13

The game

The Packers were favored to win the game over what many thought was a Cinderella Patriots team, and they did not disappoint. The rumored departure of head coach Bill Parcells from New England didn't help that team either. After the game, Parcells refused to travel back with the rest of the Patriots and then found a job coaching the rival New York Jets.

On the field, the Packers dominated the Patriots on both sides of the ball, outgaining New England 323 yards to 257 and intercepting Drew Bledsoe four times. Bledsoe was also sacked three times by Reggie White.

Green Bay opened the scoring early, with a 54-yard Andre Rison touchdown catch on their second offensive play of the game. The first of Bledsoe's interceptions set up a Chris Jacke field goal to make it 10-0.

New England did storm back to take the lead by the end of the first quarter, with touuchdowns by Keith Byars and Ben Coates.

The lead was short lived, as Antonio Freeman caught a Super Bowl record 81-yard touchdown a minute into the second quarter to put the Packers back in the lead for good. Another field goal and Brett Favre scramble into the end zone put the Packers up by 13 points at halftime.

The Patriots' last gasp was an early third-quarter touchdown by Curtis Martin to make it a 6-point game. But the following play broke a record and broke the hearts of New England fans, when Desmond Howard returned the kickoff 99 yards for what would prove to be the last score of the game.

Howard was named MVP.

The game was the first Super Bowl to be televised by the FOX network. Pat Summerall and John Madden called the game.