It’s week 2 of the NFL season, and the Los Angeles Rams take on the Tennessee Titans on the league slate. For our Throwback Thursday feature, we will highlight the first of 2 straight Super Bowl games of the past, played on January 30, 2000 between the Rams and Titans. The Rams, based in St. Louis at the time, had completed an unimaginable season in which they traded quarterback Tony Banks in the offseason, then lost their other QB, Trent Green, to a season-ending injury. That vaulted an unknown former Arena League player whose last job was bagging groceries – Kurt Warner – into the starting role. Warner was basically training camp fodder, an extra arm to take reps and save wear and tear on the regular signal callers. However, he instead turned in a storybook performance in which he led the Rams to the Super Bowl, while being named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player.
After finishing second to Jacksonville in their division, the Titans entered the playoffs as a wild card, and used an astonishing victory over Buffalo highlighted by the “Music City Miracle” kickoff return touchdown to advance all the way to Super Bowl XXXIV. Played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, the game lacked offense in the first half, which was especially surprising considering the Rams’ impressive offensive performance in the regular season. Tennessee’s tough defense kept the game close, but coach Dick Vermeil’s club did manage 3 Jeff Wilkins field goals to lead at halftime 9-0. Warner finally broke the ice with a 9 yard touchdown pass to Tory Holt in the third quarter to up the lead to 16-0, and it looked like the favored Rams were finally going to distance themselves from their gritty opponent and take command of the game. The Titans had other ideas. Quarterback Steve McNair engineered a touchdown drive that culminated in a 1 yard scoring plunge by their bruising back, Eddie George. A failed 2 point conversion left the score at the end of 3 quarters at 16-6.
Tennessee continued to fight back in the final quarter. Their defense throttled Warner and the “Greatest Show On Turf” while adding another George TD on a 2 yard run, and an Al Del Greco field goal that tied the game at 16-16. The Rams were desperate at that point to regain momentum, and Warner provided the needed spark by connecting with Isaac Bruce on a long 73 yard scoring pass at the 2 minute warning. That left the Titans with one last drive to try and tie the game. McNair was brilliant on that drive, leaving everything he had on the field with timely throws and scrambles, and with time for one more play , he connected with Kevin Dyson on a short route. Dyson appeared to have a clear path to the end zone for the tying score, but Ram linebacker Mike Jones rallied to the ball and stopped him a yard short of scoring, ending one of the most exciting Super Bowls of all time.
Rams’ LB Mike Jones’ game saving tackle