Super Bowl XXXI

Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game. It was between the American Football Conference (AFC) winner New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) winner Green Bay Packers. The winner would be the National Football League (NFL) winner for the 1996 NFL season. The Packers beat the Patriots 35–21. This was the Packers' 3rd win in the Super Bowl. Their last win was in Super Bowl II in 1968. The Packers also beat their record for most NFL championships. They were now in 12 championships. The game was on January 26, 1997, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

This was the first Super Bowl broadcast by Fox. Fox made a contract to air NFL games. This was the highest-rated program ever on Fox at the time.

 Box score 

Final statistics
Sources: NFL.com Super Bowl XXXI, Super Bowl XXXI Play Finder GB, Super Bowl XXXI Play Finder NE

Statistical comparison
New England PatriotsGreen Bay PackersFirst downs1616First downs rushing38First downs passing126First downs penalty12Third down efficiency4/143/15Fourth down efficiency0/20/1Net yards rushing43115Rushing attempts1336Yards per rush3.33.2Passing – Completions/attempts25/4814/27Times sacked-total yards5–395–38Interceptions thrown40Net yards passing214208Total net yards257323Punt returns-total yards4–306–90Kickoff returns-total yards6–1354–154Interceptions-total return yards0–04–24Punts-average yardage8–45.17–42.7Fumbles-lost0–00–0Penalties-total yards2–223–41Time of possession25:4534:15Turnovers40

Individual statistics

Patriots Passing C/ATT1YdsTDINTRatingDrew Bledsoe25/482532446.6Patriots Rushing Car2YdsTDLG3Yds/CarCurtis Martin11421183.82Drew Bledsoe11011.00Dave Meggett10000.00Patriots ReceivingRec4YdsTDLG3Target5Ben Coates6671198Terry Glenn4620447Keith Byars4421327Shawn Jefferson3340148Curtis Martin3280205Dave Meggett38056Vincent Brisby212074

Packers Passing C/ATT1YdsTDINTRatingBrett Favre14/2724620107.9Packers Rushing Car2YdsTDLG3Yds/CarDorsey Levens14610124.36Edgar Bennett17400102.35Brett Favre4121123.00William Henderson12022.00Packers ReceivingRec4YdsTDLG3Target5Antonio Freeman31051816Dorsey Levens3230145Andre Rison2771547William Henderson214082Mark Chmura213083Keith Jackson1100102Edgar Bennett14041Terry Mickens00001

1Completions/attempts
2Carries
3Long gain
4Receptions
5Times targeted

Records set

These records were set in Super Bowl XXXI

Player Records SetLongest pass  81 yards (TD)  Brett Favre(Green Bay)Longest reception  81 yards (TD)    Antonio Freeman(Green Bay)Longest scoring play  99 yards kickoff return  Desmond Howard(Green Bay)Longest kickoff return  99 yards  Highest kickoff return average, career (4 returns)  38.5 yards  (4–154) Most punt return yards gained, game 90 yards   Records TiedMost combined yardage† gained, game 244 Desmond Howard(Green Bay)Most kickoff returns for touchdowns, game  1 Most punt returns, game  6  Most punt returns, career  6   6    David Meggett(New England)Most interceptions thrown, game  4  Drew Bledsoe(New England)Most 2 point conversions, game 1  Mark Chmura(Green Bay)

 † This also includes rushing, receiving, interception returns, punt returns, kickoff returns, and fumble returns.

Team Records Set Most punt returns yards gained  90 yards PackersRecords TiedMost points, first quarter 14 points  Patriots Most Interceptions by 4   Packers                                              Fewest turnovers, game 0  Most kickoff returns for touchdowns  1 Most punt returns, game  6 

Turnovers are the number of times losing the ball on interceptions and fumbles.

Records Set, both team totals TotalPackersPatriots Most points, first quarter 24 points 10  14 Most punt returns, game  10  6  4      Most punt return yards gained  120 yards 90  30Records tied, both team totals  Fewest rushing attempts  49 36  13   Most times sacked   10  5  5  Fewest fumbles 0  0  0 

Teams
Source:Neft, David S., Cohen, Richard M., and Korch, Rick. The Complete History of Professional Football from 1892 to the Present. 1994 

 New England  Position  Position  Green Bay Offense Shawn Jefferson  WR  Antonio Freeman Bruce Armstrong  LT  Bruce Wilkerson William Roberts  LG  Aaron Taylor Dave Wohlabaugh  C  Frank Winters Todd Rucci  RG  Adam Timmerman Max Lane  RT  Earl Dotson Ben Coates  TE  Mark Chmura Terry Glenn  WR  Andre Rison Drew Bledsoe  QB  Brett Favre‡ Curtis Martin‡  RB  Edgar Bennett Keith Byars  FB  William Henderson Defense Ferric Collons  LE  Reggie White‡ Mark Wheeler  LT  DT  Santana Dotson Pio Sagapolutele  RT  NT  Gilbert Brown Willie McGinest  RE  Sean Jones Chris Slade  LLB  Wayne Simmons Ted Johnson  MLB  Ron Cox Todd Collins  RLB  Brian Williams Ty Law‡  LCB  Craig Newsome Otis Smith  RCB  Doug Evans Lawyer Milloy  SS  LeRoy Butler‡ Willie Clay  FS  Eugene Robinson

Officials
 Referee: Gerald Austin #34 second Super Bowl (XXIV as side judge)
 Umpire: Ron Botchan #110 fourth Super Bowl (XX, XXVII, XXIX)
 Head Linesman: Earnie Frantz #111 second Super Bowl (XXIV)
 Line Judge: Jeff Bergman #32 first Super Bowl
 Back Judge: Scott Steenson #88 first Super Bowl
 Side Judge: Tom Fincken #47 second Super Bowl (XXIX)
 Field Judge: Phil Luckett #59 first Super Bowl
 Alternate Referee: Ed Hochuli #85
 Alternate Umpire: Neil Gereb #50

References
Specific

General




Other websites
 Super Bowl XXXI Memories Video.
 Super Bowl official website
 The Sporting News: History of the Super Bowl (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
 Large online database of NFL data and statistics
 Super Bowl play-by-plays from USA Today (Last accessed September 28, 2005)
 All-Time Super Bowl Odds from The Sports Network (Last accessed October 16, 2005)
Super Bowl XXXI Box Score at Pro Football Reference

Category:Super Bowl
Category:1997 in American television
Category:Green Bay Packers
Category:New England Patriots
Category:1996 in sports
Category:1996 events
Category:New Orleans
Category:1997 in the United States
Category:20th century in Louisiana