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Rams win Super Bowl XXXIV as Titans come up yard short

Jan. 31, 2000

By Len Pasquarelli

SportsLine Senior Writer

ATLANTA -- A week marked by frigid weather concluded with a hot time in Georgia on Sunday evening with St. Louis hanging on to defeat Tennessee 23-16. The game ended with Rams linebacker Mike A. Jones stopping Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson just a yard shy of sending the contest into the first overtime in Super Bowl history.

The season that began with dreams concluded with the most glorious moment yet for Cinderella quarterback Kurt Warner, who filled out his burgeoning trophy case with the Super Bowl XXXIV Most Valuable Player award after setting a title-game record with 414 passing yards.

After squandering five red zone chances in the first half, and then surrendering all of a 16-0 third-quarter lead, the Rams characteristically won with the big play. On the first snap from scrimmage after Tennessee's Al Del Greco had tied the game with a 43-yard field goal, Warner threw deep up the right side.

Wide receiver Isaac Bruce made a brilliant inside adjustment on the ball to beat cornerback Denard Walker. He caught the ball at the Tennessee 39-yard line, avoided one tackle, cut inside and raced to the end zone to complete the 73-yard scoring play.

"We had five seconds to go before the two-minute warning and we wanted to take a shot with Isaac over there," Rams offensive coordinator Mike Martz said of the winning call. "I wanted to get the ball in his hands at that point. I just thought we'd take a shot. If we got it, great. And if we didn't, we'd go to the two-minute warning and talk about what we wanted to try. It turned out pretty good, though, huh? (It's) the kind of excitement we like around here."

The excitement wasn't over yet, though, with Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair rallying his team to the St. Louis 10-yard line with five seconds remaining. His slant pass to the right side hit Dyson in stride, but the second-year wideout could not shake Jones' sure tackle and time finally expired on Tennessee's miracle season.

In truth, the call by Titans offensive coordinator Les Steckel was a sound one. The Rams backed six defenders into the end zone and left Jones man-to-man on the speedy Dyson. The plan was to hit Dyson in stride and hope his momentum carried him into the end zone. But Jones, who is not regarded as a strong coverage player, made a terrific play to absolutely stone Dyson. Actually the Rams got lucky, because Jones seemed to come off his coverage responsibility on the tight end a bit too early.

"We didn't think there would be anybody in the middle of the field," Dyson said. "It was a great call, but give (Jones) credit for making a hell of a play on me."

The cliffhanger ending was hardly foreshadowed in the early going, when the Rams dominated the tempo and went up and down the field at will.

Warner completed 24 of 45 passes for a Super Bowl-record 414 yards and two scores. McNair was typically scatter-armed for most of the contest but set a record for rushing yards by a quarterback (64) and hit some big passe