1999 St. Louis Rams: The Greatest Show on Turf

1999 St. Louis Rams: The Greatest Show on Turf

[paypal_donation_button]1999 St. Louis Rams: The Greatest Show on Turf

The St. Louis Rams finished the 1998 season 4th in the NFC West with a 4-12 record. The following year, they improved to 13-3 while revolutionizing offensive football and winning a Super Bowl. The Rams’ incredible turnaround was the perfect example of talent and coaching coming together in a perfect storm to create one of the most prolific offenses in the history of the NFL, “The Greatest Show on Turf”.

The Rams’ ascent from bottom feeder to powerhouse didn’t happen by chance. They drafted ACC Offensive Player of the Year, Torry Holt, 6th overall from North Carolina State to team with Isaac Bruce. The Rams traded for Marshall Faulk who was coming off his third Pro Bowl season with the Indianapolis Colts. Earlier in the year they also signed quarterback Trent Green, who completed the previous campaign with 3,441 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions with the Washington Redskins.

Another integral piece in the Rams’ redesign that Head Coach Dick Vermeil added wasn’t someone who would catch, throw, run, block or tackle. He hired Mike Martz as offensive coordinator. Martz spent 1997 and 1998 working with Norv Turner in Washington and newly acquired Rams quarterback, Trent Green. He also had a hand in helping Isaac Bruce develop into one of the league’s deadliest wideouts as a wide receivers coach for the Rams in 1994 and 1995.

Familiarity with the personnel wasn’t the only thing that Martz would bring the table. He brought with him an offensive philosophy that was developed after years of studying with Hall of Fame coaches. Under Martz and Vermeil, the Rams would attack defenses with multiple wide receivers, accurate passing, and big pass plays on any down and distance. Their otherworldly talent and play-calling would leave defenses unbalanced and exposed.

The Rams’ best laid plans took a major hit when Trent Green, the quarterback they pegged as their starter, was lost for the year in the third game of the preseason. The next man up was Arena Football League and NFL Europe veteran, Kurt Warner.

Warner played one game in 1998. He completed 4 of 11 passes for 39 yards. Warner’s emergence was just as sudden and dramatic as the Rams. He started all 16 games in the 1999 NFL season while completing 65% of his passes for 4353 yards and 41 touchdowns. The man who once stocked grocery shelves was named that year’s Most Valuable Player.

The Rams’ offense was a well-oiled machine. Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt caught 129 passes and combined for 18 touchdowns. Marshall Faulk was a terror both in the passing and running game. He collected 2429 total yards from scrimmage and scored 12 touchdowns. He finished second to Warner in MVP voting, but was named AP Offensive Player of the Year.

As prolific as the Rams’ offense was in the 1999 NFL season, their defense was just as important to their success. When the offense struggled against a stout Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense in the NFC championship, the defense led by Kevin Carter and Grant Wistrom held the Bucs to 6 points. The Rams won 11-6 thanks to a Kurt Warner TD pass with less than 5 minutes to play.

The Rams’ offense and defense shared the big stage in Super Bowl XXXIV. After jumping out to a 16-0 lead, the Tennessee Titans tied the game thanks to two Eddie George rushing touchdowns and a field goal. With less than two minutes to play, the Rams seized the lead once again when Isaac Bruce caught a 73-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Warner.

The Titans’ Steve McNair marched down the field and on the final play of the game, Kevin Dyson caught a pass and was on his way to the endzone for the touchdown until Rams’ linebacker Mike Jones made a championship-saving tackle at the one yard line. The Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV 23-16 and effectively put a bow on their storybook season.