Special Sub-Topic: The 1988 NFL Season Click Here To Play: The 1988 NFL Season

What young quarterback threw an astounding 35 interceptions and had a 48.8 passer rating in 1988?

Vinny Testaverde. Testaverde, a first-overall pick in 1987, led the disappointing Buccaneers to a 5-11 season in 1988.

What was the only AFC East team to finish below .500?

Miami Dolphins. Even with QB Dan Marino, the Dolphins struggled in 1988, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

What was eventual Super Bowl Champion San Francisco's record after 11 games?

6-5. The 1988 49er team (10-6) got hot late in the season, reeled off four straight wins after a 6-5 start, and passed the Rams to win the NFC West.

What team made the only midseason coaching change of 1988?

Detroit Lions. Wayne Fontes replaced Darryl Rogers as head coach of the 2-9 Lions in 1988. The team finished 4-12 and Fontes stayed for several more years.

1988 was shortened by one week due to a players strike.

f. There was a strike in 1987, but 1988 saw the completion of a full 16-game schedule.

What AFC defensive star retired midway through the 1988 season?

Mark Gastineau. New York Jets DE Mark Gastineau retired during the 1988 season to be with his ailing girlfriend Brigitte Nielson.

The top regular season record in 1988, shared by three teams, was what?

12-4. The Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, and Chicago Bears all finished 12-4 in 1988. All made Conference Championship appearances, but none would win the Super Bowl.

The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 1988 was?

Tom Landry & Landry. Tom Landry coached the Cowboys in 1988, his final season in the NFL, leading Dallas to a disappointing 3-13 record.

What team did the Bears defeat in the infamous Fog Bowl, also a Divisional Playoff game in 1988?

Philadelphia Eagles. The Bears beat the Eagles 20-12 to advance to the NFC Championship where they would lose to the 49ers. Both games took place at Soldier Field in Chicago.

What team, coming off two straight playoff seasons, went 0-3 in games played in domes in 1988, by a combined score of 139-37?

Denver Broncos. The defending AFC Champion Broncos lost to the Colts 55-23, the Saints 42-0, and the Seahawks 42-14 in their three dome games of 1988 enroute to an 8-8 finish.

What was the closest game of the 1988 playoffs, resulting in a final score of 24-23?

Oilers over Browns. Houston defeated the Browns 24-23 in Cleveland in the AFC Wildcard game. It was a rare playoff victory for the Oilers, who went 3-7 in their ten playoff games from 1987-1993.

There was a regular season game in 1988 that ended in a tie.

t. The Chiefs and Jets battled to a 17-17 tie in a Week 5 game played in New York.

What is true about the 1988 AFC Championship game?

Cincinnati held Buffalo to 181 total yards and had 3 interceptions. The Bengals held the Bills offense in check throughout the game and won 21-10, giving them their second Super Bowl appearance in eight years. The game was not played in sub-zero weather, unlike the Bengals' AFC Championship win over San Diego in 1981.

What is true about the 1988 NFC Championship game?

San Francisco's Joe Montana threw 2 TD passes to Jerry Rice including a 61-yarder. The Montana-to-Rice connection was on fire in frigid Chicago in the 1988 NFC Championship, as the 49ers earned their third Super Bowl appearance in seven years.

What is true about Super Bowl XXIII?

Two players broke bones in their legs in the first quarter. 49er offensive lineman Steve Wallace broke his ankle and Bengal nose tackle Tim Krumrie broke his leg within minutes of each other in the first quarter of Super Bowl XXIII.