Super Bowl XL which Madden retired from broadcasting altogether. With the Steelers win, they became the fourth team to win Super Bowls on three networks (NBC-IX and XIII, CBS–X and XIV, and ABC) joining the Green Bay Packers (NBC- I, CBS-II, Fox- XXXI and XLV), San Francisco 49ers (NBC- XXIII, CBS- XVI and XXIV, ABC- XIX and XXIX), and Washington Redskins (NBC- XVII, ABC- XXII, CBS- XXVI). (These teams have since been joined by the New York Giants, who also surpassed them by winning a Super Bowl on each of the networks that carried the game; their win in Super Bowl XXI was
Super Bowl VIII Cowboys, 27–10, in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Dolphins defeated the AFC Central champion Cincinnati Bengals 34–16 in the divisional round, and the AFC West Champion Oakland Raiders, 27–10 for the AFC Championship. The Dolphins were the first team to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls. Just as in the regular season, Miami relied primarily on their run game in the playoffs, racking up 241 rushing yards against Cincinnati and 266 vs the Raiders. The ground game was particularly crucial against Oakland, as it enabled them to win despite completing just 3 of 6 passes for 34 yards in the game.