Super Bowl III

Super Bowl III was a Madden football game between the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals and the NFC champion Detroit Lions to decide the Madden Football League (MFL) champion for the 03 season. The Lions defeated the Bengals by the score of 30-20.

Cincinnati Bengals
After missing the playoffs during their defending championship season, the Bengals returned to the playoffs for the 03 season. They started the season 6-2 and looked to be in a close race with the Cleveland Browns for the division. However, a 4-4 finish to the season and the resurgence of the Baltimore Ravens knocked the Bengals out of the division race and placed them as the #5 seed in the AFC.

During the playoffs, the Bengals were faced with the task of winning 3 road games to advance to the Super Bowl. They first visited the #4 seed Houston Texans in the Wild Card round, where they won 27-24. They advanced to the Divisional round, heading to the #1 seed Miami Dolphins where they won 34-31 to advance to the next round. The Bengals would visit the #3 seed Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC Championship. The Bengals would win in a route, 40-16, advancing to their 2nd Super Bowl in 3 seasons.

The Bengals averaged 30.1 points/game, while giving up 27.8 points/game. They are the first road team to win a conference title game in the MFL.

Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions would return to the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row, winning their 2nd consecutive NFC North title. They started the season 4-0 before losing 3 games to put their success in doubt. They managed to get to a 9-3 record after 12 weeks, but wouldn't clinch their division until Week 16.

During the playoffs, the Lions first got to host the #6 seed Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round, winning 41-28. In the Divisional round, they visited the #2 seed Los Angeles Rams where they pulled off the upset, winning 29-14. By virtue of being the highest remaining seed, the Lions got to host the NFC Championship game against the #5 seed and defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Despite trailing 21-3, the Lions rallied and kicked a last-second field goal to win 22-21 and advance to the Super Bowl.

The Lions averaged 27.4 points/game, while giving up 22.6 points/game. They are the first #3 seed to advance to the Super Bowl in the MFL.