Top 10 of the Last 10 Years:The Greatest Show on Turf

Recap:
10.Rams/Redskins 2006
9.2005 Fiesta Bowl
8.Rutgers/Louisville 2006
7.2006 Orange Bowl
6.The 2001 Maryland Terrapins
5b.Stanford/USC 2007
5a.App State/Michigan 2007
4.2006 Rose Bowl
3.2007 Fiesta Bowl
2.Super Bowl XXXII

Finally, after 6 months we've reached a closing. I've had fun writing this list but all good things must come to an end. So I present to you the best moment of the past 10 years...the 1999 season of the St.Louis Rams. On January 14, 1990, the San Francisco 49ers faced off against the Los Angeles Rams in Candlestick Park. The winner would advance to Super Bowl XXIV against the Broncos. The Rams had spent the '80's trying to get back to the Super Bowl after falling to the Steelers in Super Bowl XIV. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead but imploded to the sound of a 30-3 blowout as Rams Quarterback Jim Everett was hit closed to 10 times(sacks and late hits included).

The game was significant for it marked the beginning of the end of the Los Angeles Rams. Afterward the team completely fell apart. The team suffered humiliation for the next decade. After the loss, Jim Everett was the joke of all L.A. radio shows. The next year, the Rams tanked to 6-10 and coach John Robinson was fired.

To build for a better future, the Rams went to the past. Chuck Knox was Rams coach from 1973-1978 and built the Rams Super Bowl XIV squad. By 1991, Knox had been successful in Buffalo and Seattle. However, Knox's run focus offense would spell doom for the team and they continued declining. In 1994, a series of events lead to the end. It started when Jim Everett confronted L.A. sports radio host, Jim Rome, who mocked Everett over the '89 NFC Title game by calling him, "Chris Everett"(the name of a female tennis player).

To make matters worse, Rams attendance had reached an all-time low and the team made the announcement that they were moving from Los Angeles to St.Louis mainly due to bad fan support from the cities of Los Angeles and Anaheim added on to that L.A. County was not willing to pay money for a new stadium. On top of it all, the Rams were 4-12 and Chuck Knox was fired. The Rams lost their last game in Los Angeles 24-21 to the Washington Redskins, who, ironically, was the team that they faced off against in their last game in Cleveland(a 15-14 win for the Rams).

The Rams started out a strong 5-1, but a 44-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers killed any momentum that the Rams were building. They would finish 7-9. 1996 was worse as they went 5-11 which led to Rich Brooks being fired. With Brooks gone, the Rams hired Dick Vermeil who was head coach at UCLA from 1973-1976 and the Eagles from 1976-1981. Vermeil, who was famous for turning the Eagles around, had been doing College Football commentary on ABC prior to being hired.

Vermeil's first two years were a train wreck as the Rams struggled with issues by 1st round draft pick Laurence Phillips and Quarterback Tony Banks. Going into the 1999 season, Vermeil was 9-23 with the Rams. In the offseason, there was talk of firing Vermeil, but it was cleared immediately. After meeting with the owners, the team suddenly exploded with major deals.

It all started when the Rams hired Redskins offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Coming with Martz was Quarterback Trent Green. The Rams also made a blockbuster trade with the Colts trading a 2nd and 5th round pick for Marshall Faulk. In the draft, the Rams selected Torry Holt out of NC State, Dre Bly out of North Carolina among others and the keys were set. 1999, began with the Rams going 0-2 in preseason falling to the Raiders 18-17 in Canton, and the Bears in Chicago. However, in both games, the starters looked good.

However, things seemed to bottom out as Trent Green was injured against the Chargers(a 24-21 Rams win) and all hope seemed lost. Out of the shadow of death came Kurt Warner, an Arena Football Quarterback out of Northern Iowa. Warner came into the NFL in 1994 but was cut by the Green Bay Packers. For the next 5 years, Warner worked as a grocery store clerk in Iowa and played in the Arena and NFL Europe leagues. People were already writing off the Rams.

St.Louis kicked off 1999, giving Brian Billick a taste of Head Coaching with a 27-10 victory. After a bye the Rams cruised to 5 straight victories(35-7, 38-10, 42-20, 41-13, and 34-3) against the Falcons, Bengals(in a game to determine the worst winning percentage in the 90's), 49ers, Falcons, and Browns. The Rams looked unstoppable in all 6 games. However, they stumbled falling to the Titans and Lions 24-21 and 31-27. Some were beginning to question the Rams.

However, the Rams lost not through the rest of November as they tore through the Panthers, 49ers, Saints, Panthers, Saints, Giants, and Bears before falling in a close game to Philadelphia(38-31). By the end of the year, the Rams were 13-3 having broken 4 NFL records(Passing yards, yards per attempt, passing touchdowns, and total offensive yards). The Rams entered the playoffs for the first time in 10 yards. Their opponents were the Minnesota Vikings. Fans were surprised as the Vikes led the Rams 17-14 at halftime but the Rams exploded in the second-half were 35 unanswered en route to a 49-37 victory.

The NFC Title game was set. The Rams were scheduled to face the Bucs. The last postseason game between the two was in 1980 when the Rams beat the Bucs 9-0 in the NFC Title game at Tampa. The match-up was between Rams offense led by Mike Martz vs Monte Kiffin's defense of the Bucs. Warner was picked-off early but the Rams stopped the Bucs and it was 3-0. The lead wouldn't last as the Rams tied it. After 1 it was 3-3.

The 2nd Quarter was also more of a defensive battle as the Rams scored the only points as the snap flew over Shaun King's head and to the end zone. At halftime it was Rams 5 Bucs 3. No one scored in the 3rd but in the 4th, the Bucs nailed a field goal to make it 6-5. With 4:44 to go, out of desperation, Warner connected with Ricky Proehl to make it 11-6. This would be the last score and as a result, the Rams were heading to the Super Bowl for the first time in 20 years.

Super Bowl XXXIV was unusually team wise to say the least. In the '90's, the Titans struggled beginning with a 41-38 loss to the Bills after leading 35-3. In 1998, the Titans moved from Houston to Nashville. This was their first year as the Titans and like the Rams, they weren't expected to make it here. Al Michaels said it himself in the intro, "No 49ers, Cowboys, or Broncos here" as all 3 teams were key contenders in the '90's and didn't make the playoffs.

This was Vermeil's first Super Bowl appearance since Super Bowl XV(a 27-10 loss to the Raiders) and most of the Rams players first appearance in a Super Bowl. The 1st half was all defense as both teams struggled to score. At halftime, the Rams led 9-0. They quickly made it 16-0 midway through the third and it appeared is if Super Bowl XXXIV would be a blowout. However, Steve McNair and the Titans wouldn't quit.

McNair ran and ran and ran and on occasion passed driving the Titans to the end-zone to make it 16-6. The Titans defense gave up 294 yards in the 1st half but managed to hold the Rams in the 2nd. With 2 minutes to go it was suddenly 16-16. Vermeil was not pleased as the Rams blew the lead. The game plan called for a long, drawn out drive but Warner connected with Issac Bruce for 73 yards on the 1st play to make it 23-16 with under 2 remaining.

With 1:54 left, the Titans were at their own 10 and looked to be finished. But McNair would not surrender and drove the Titans. With the help of missed tackles and penalties, the Titans were at the Rams 10 yard line with 6 seconds to go. On 1st and Goal, McNair dropped back and hit Kevin Dyson on a bubble screen, however, Dyson was stopped by linebacker Mike Jones(who?) 1 yard short of the end-zone. As a result, the Rams were Super Bowl champions.

By the end of the day, Warner was named MVP going 24/45 for 414 yards and 2 touchdowns, Marshall Faulk finished with 107 all-purpose yards, Torry Holt had 109 receiving yards for 1 touchdown, Issac Bruce had 162 yards and 1 touchdown, Az-Zahir Hakim had 17 yards, while Ricky Proehl finished with 11 yards. Steve McNair finished 22/36 for 214 yards and 64 rushing yards(a Super Bowl record for QBs), Eddie George had 95 rushing yards, James Harris had 64 receiving yards while Frank Wycheck had 35 yards. Afterward, Vermeil retired(and went to the Chiefs). The Rams and the Titans would continue dominating up until 2004. The Rams would re-appear in the Super Bowl two years later falling to Tom Brady and the Patriots, while the Titans came back to the AFC Title game the very next year.

These days all elements of the 1999 Rams are just about gone. The only ones remaining are Holt, Bruce, and Orlando Pace. Kurt Warner left the Rams in 2004 and went to the Giants. He had a comeback year this year with the Cardinals. Marshall Faulk ended his career in April 2007 with the Rams. Ricky Proehl went to the Panthers in 2003 and retired a Super Bowl champion with the Colts in 2007. Az-Zahir Hakim is currently in San Diego. Mike Martz was fired by the Rams in January 2006 and is now offensive coordinator of the 49ers. The '99 Rams is forgotten by some of this football generation but to me is possibly one of the greatest teams all-time with a high powered offense and a dominant defense. I present to you a bonus video.



UPDATE:I wrote this blog over 2 years ago and in that time we have lost Steve McNair. I dedicate this blog to the memory of Steve McNair, while he may not have won the game he was truly the Most Outstanding Player.