1988–89 NFL playoffs
The postseason tournament concluded with the San Francisco 49ers defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII, 20–16, on January 22, 1989, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida.
Finally the Super Bowl, the championship round of the playoffs, was played at a neutral site, with the designated home team based on an annual rotation by conference.
On the second play of the game, Felix Wright intercepted a pass from Warren Moon and returned it 13 yards to the Oilers 33-yard line to set up a 33-yard field goal by Matt Bahr.
Then on the first play of Cleveland's next drive, Browns quarterback Don Strock, who was filling in for the injured Bernie Kosar and starting in a playoff game for the first time in his 16-season career, fumbled a snap and Oilers nose tackle Richard Byrd recovered the ball.
Instant replay clearly showed that Moon's pass had traveled backwards and the Browns should have been either awarded a touchdown with Matthews' recovery and advance into the end zone, or given possession of the ball at the Oilers' 5 yard line.
However, Houston was inexplicably granted possession of the ball at the 5 yard line, due to an inadvertent whistle stopping play, the very spot where referees agreed that Matthews had recovered the lateral for Cleveland.
After that, the Oilers stopped Cleveland on their next two drives, including Johnson's interception that set up Zendejas' 49-yard field goal, giving them a 24–16 lead with less than two minutes left in the game.
[2] at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota Vikings safety Joey Browner recorded two interceptions in the first quarter to set up a two-touchdown lead that the Rams could never recover from.
The Rams managed one more touchdown with 1:11 left in the game on Everett's 11-yard pass to tight end Pete Holohan, but Browner recovered their onside kick attempt and the Vikings ran out the rest of the clock.
This time they managed to score with Zendejas' 42-yard field goal, but only after committing two costly mistakes: twice on the drive Philadelphia had touchdowns nullified by penalties, both on running back Anthony Toney.
Philadelphia got another chance to score when linebacker Todd Bell intercepted a pass from Tomczak, giving the Eagles the ball on the Bears 42-yard line with just over 30 seconds left in the half.
Following a punt, Tomczak was knocked out of the game by a massive hit from Eagles defensive end Reggie White, while Terry Hoage intercepted his pass and returned it 12 yards to the Chicago 18-yard line.
Chicago, now led by Jim McMahon, responded with their next drive, converting a 23-yard run by Anderson into a 27-yard Butler field goal to go back up by 8 points, 20–12 with 12:34 left in the game.
Nearly half of Esiason's passing yards on the day came from two completions on their opening possession, a 30-yarder to Cris Collinsworth along the right sideline and a 23-yard leaping catch on the middle of the field by Eddie Brown, as the team consumed 5:49 with an 11-play, 85-yard drive and scored on Wilson's 3-yard touchdown run.
The Seahawks defense managed to stuff Woods for no gain on the next play, but on third down, he scored a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Bengals a 21–0 lead with 7:40 left in the half.
But on the next play, nose tackle Tim Krumrie stripped the ball from Williams and defensive end Jim Skow recovered it to keep the score 21–0 at halftime.
Early in the final quarter, after Krieg was intercepted by Solomon Wilcots, Jacob Green forced a fumble while sacking Esiason and defensive end Joe Nash recovered it.
Krieg started off the drive with a pair of completions to rookie receiver Brian Blades and tight end John Spagnola for gains of 17 and seven yards before eventually converting a fourth down and 3 with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Williams, cutting the score to 21–7 with 11:40 left in the game.
Later in the quarter, Cincinnati punter Lee Johnson essentially put the game away with a 43-yard kick that pinned Seattle back at their own 2-yard line with just over two minutes remaining, and the Seahawks turned the ball over on downs on their final drive.
Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly subsequently completed two passes to Trumaine Johnson for 28 yards on a 46-yard drive that ended with Robb Riddick's 1-yard touchdown run.
Houston responded by driving 71 yards, with Moon completing a 21-yard pass to Drew Hill and Alonzo Highsmith rushing for a 31-yard gain, to score with a 35-yard field goal from Tony Zendejas.
Two plays after the turnover, Mark Kelso intercepted a pass from Moon and returned it 28 yards to the Oilers 18-yard line, setting up Norwood's 27-yard field goal to increase their lead to 17–3.
Buffalo's defense forced another turnover on Houston's ensuing drive when Derrick Burroughs recovered a fumble from receiver Haywood Jeffires on the Oilers 26-yard line.
A pass interference penalty on Burroughs in the end zone moved the ball to the Bills 1, and running back Mike Rozier ran it in from there, cutting the score to 17–10 with just over five minutes left in the game.
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California In what would turn out to be Bill Walsh's final home game as 49ers head coach, San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana threw for 178 yards and three touchdowns to wide receiver Jerry Rice, while running back Roger Craig rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns and safety Ronnie Lott added two interceptions.
But later in the quarter, John Taylor's 14-yard punt return and a penalty against Minnesota's Sam Anno gave the 49ers the ball on the Vikings 48, setting up Montana's first touchdown pass to Rice on a 2-yard toss.
Later on, Mark Kelso intercepted a pass from Esiason and returned it 25 yards to the Bengals 29-yard line, setting up a 39-yard field goal by Norwood to cut the Bills deficit to 14–10 by halftime.
The Bengals took over the game in the second half, forcing Buffalo to start all of their drives from inside their own 23-yard line as they held the ball for only 9:04, totaling 53 yards, two first downs, and no points.
The Bills later managed a drive to the Bengals 18-yard line, but safety David Fulcher picked off a desperate fourth-down pass from Kelly in the end zone.
Midway through the second quarter, Jeff Fuller intercepted a pass from McMahon on the San Francisco 36, and the team moved the ball 64 yards on a drive that included Rice's 20-yard catch and Tom Rathman's 12-yard run on third and 10.
