Ranking The Super Bowls, #17: Super Bowl XXIX

(photo credit: cbssports.com)

Super Bowl XXIX was a matchup between the high powered offense of the NFC Champions, the San Francisco 49ers, who were taking on the San Diego Chargers, winners of the AFC Championship. The 49ers would go on to hand the Chargers one of the most lopsided losses in Super Bowl history by defeating them 49-26.

The 49ers would become the first franchise in NFL history to win five Super Bowl titles with the help of Super Bowl XXIX MVP, quarterback Steve Young, who threw a record six touchdown passes.

Young was the architect of an offense that exploded for seven touchdowns, including 28 first downs, as well as 455 total yards. The MVP completed 24-of-36 passes for 325 yards, and broke the record of five touchdown passes set by the quarterback he sat behind for years, former 49ers legend, Joe Montana, who originally set the record in Super Bowl XXIV.

Young and the 49ers offense jumped all over the Chargers defense right from the get go. Just three plays into the game, Young would hit future Hall of Fame wide receiver, Jerry Rice, for a 44-yard touchdown pass. On San Francisco's next possession, they went 79 yards in only four plays that culminated in a 51-yard touchdown pass to running back Ricky Waters to make it 14-0 with 10:05 still left to play in the first quarter.

The Chargers would put together their only impressive drive of the game during the first quarter by driving 78-yards on 13 plays, which took over seven minutes and finished it off with a one-yard touchdown run by Chargers running back, Natrone Means, which cut the 49ers lead to 14-7 late in the first quarter.

The 49ers, however, countered the Chargers drive with one of their own. A 70-yard drive that ended with Steve Young throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to fullback William Floyd to increase their lead to 21-7. Young would go on to throw his fourth touchdown of the first half to Waters, an eight-yard touchdown pass with 4:44 to go before halftime. The touchdown put the 49ers up 28-7, and San Diego wouldn't get within two scores for the rest of the game.

Running back Ricky Waters would set a Super Bowl record himself when he had a nine-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to give him three touchdowns for the game. Wide receiver Jerry Rice would also have three touchdowns as well, which was the second time in his career he had three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. Rice would finish Super Bowl XXIX with 10 receptions for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Rice also set career records for receptions, yards, and touchdowns in a Super Bowl.

Young was San Francisco's leading rusher for the game with 49 yards on five carriers. San Diego's running back, Natrone Means, who had over 1,300 yards rushing on the season, was held to only 33 yards rushing on 13 carries by the 49ers defense.

Chargers quarterback, Stan Humphries, completed 24-of-49 passes for 275 yards, while rookie Andre Coleman became just the third player in Super Bowl history to return a kickoff for a touchdown, returning it 98 yards.

Both teams set a Super Bowl record for scoring a combined 75 points, breaking the previous record of 69 points, which the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills set in Super Bowl XXVII.