Super Bowl XL meetings held in Atlanta, two years before the stadium opened in 2002; the only previous Super Bowl held in the Detroit area, Super Bowl XVI, had been played at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1982 (also between teams from the AFC North and NFC West divisions [the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers, respectively], though the AFC North was called the Central at that time). The NFL promoted this Super Bowl under the slogan "The Road to Forty." The slogan not only honored the 40-year history of the game, but was a nod to Detroit's traditional role as the center of
Super Bowl XXIII league owners as Rozelle's successor in 1989. The Bengals have only recorded one postseason win since Super Bowl XXIII, a Wild Card Playoff game against the Houston Oilers on January 6, 1991, and currently hold the NFL's longest active drought between postseason victories. On January 26, 2006, NFL.com ranked this game number 1 on its list of the top 10 Super Bowls of all time. Sources: NFL.com Super Bowl XXIII, Super Bowl XXIII Play Finder SF, Super Bowl XXIII Play Finder Cin, Super Bowl XXIII Play by Play, The Football Database Super Bowl XXIII Completions/attempts Carries Long gain Receptions Times