Minnesota hasn’t hosted a Super Bowl since 1992, the year Washington defeated the Buffalo Bills, 37-24, in Super Bowl XXVI.
At the time, Buffalo was in the midst of four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. The Bills lost all four Super Bowls, and this game against Washington counted as their second defeat. Washington won two Super Bowls, during the 1982 and 1987 seasons, with different starting quarterbacks. Head coach Joe Gibbs, who orchestrated those Super Bowl wins, sought out to win a Super Bowl with quarterback Mark Rypien.
Washington completely dominated Buffalo in Super Bowl XXVI. The Jim Kelly-led Bills accumulated only 283 total yards of offense, a far cry from Washington's 417 yards. To make matters worse, Buffalo committed five turnovers, including four interceptions from Kelly. Running back Thurman Thomas, who exploded for 2,038 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns that season, accumulated only 13 yards and one score against Washington.
Rypien, on the other hand, threw for 292 yards to go along with two touchdowns and one interception. Washington complemented Rypien's efficient passing with an effective ground attack, running for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Rypien won Super Bowl MVP for his solid performance.
Before the game, though, Harry Connick Jr. performed the national anthem. And Chuck Knoll — a four-time Super Bowl-winning head coach — participated in the coin flip.
Singer Gloria Estefan performed at the halftime show, which was called "Winter Magic" to celebrate the Winter Olympics. Olympic figure skaters Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill skated during the show. According to The New York Times, CBS said Super Bowl XXVI racked up 120 million viewers.