January 22, 1989 – San Francisco 49ers 20 vs. Cincinnati Bengals 16 – Super Bowl XXIII
Location: Joe Robbie Stadium; Miami Gardens, Fla.
Favorites: 49ers -6.0
MVP: Jerry Rice
The 49ers 10-6 record in 1988 was less dominant than their previous Super Bowl runs. However, blowout wins in the postseason against the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears showed that San Francisco was still the class of the NFC.
The 28-3 win at Soldier Field to beat the Bears in the NFC Championship game set up a Super Bowl XVI rematch against the Cincinnati Bengals.