1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri, to the Phoenix, Arizona, area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division. The playoff races came down to the regular season's final week, with the Seattle Seahawks winning the AFC West by one game, and the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers winning their respective divisions in a five-way tie, with the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants losing the NFC Wild Card berth to the Los Angeles Rams on tiebreakers.
| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 4 – December 19, 1988 |
| Playoffs | |
| Start date | December 24, 1988 |
| AFC Champions | Cincinnati Bengals |
| NFC Champions | San Francisco 49ers |
| Super Bowl XXIII | |
| Date | January 22, 1989 |
| Site | Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami |
| Champions | San Francisco 49ers |
| Pro Bowl | |
| Date | January 29, 1989 |
| Site | Aloha Stadium |
1988 marked the final seasons for legendary head coaches Tom Landry of Dallas and Bill Walsh of San Francisco as well as the final full year for commissioner Pete Rozelle.
The season ended with Super Bowl XXIII when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 20–16 at the Joe Robbie Stadium in Florida.