1999 Rams: The Greatest Show on Turf

1999 Rams: The Greatest Show on Turf

1999 St. Louis Rams: The Greatest Show on Turf

The St. Louis Rams finished the 1998 season fourth 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.

Building a Roster for a Turnaround

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

Mike Martz Brings a New Offensive Philosophy

Another integral piece Head Coach Dick Vermeil added to the Rams’ redesign 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 alongside newly acquired Rams quarterback Trent Green. He also had a hand in helping Isaac Bruce develop into one of the league’s deadliest wide receivers as the Rams’ wide receivers coach in 1994 and 1995.

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

From Injury to Improbable MVP

The Rams Lose Their Starting Quarterback

The Rams’ best-laid plans took a major hit when Trent Green, the quarterback they had penciled in 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.

Kurt Warner’s Historic Season

Warner had played just one game in 1998, completing 4 of 11 passes for 39 yards. His emergence was just as sudden and dramatic as the Rams’. He started all 16 games of the 1999 NFL season, completing 65% of his passes for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns. The man who once stocked grocery shelves was named that year’s Most Valuable Player, headlining the Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf attack.

An Offense for the Ages

The Rams’ offense was a well-oiled machine. Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt combined for 129 receptions and 18 touchdowns. Marshall Faulk was a terror in both the passing and running game, collecting 2,429 total yards from scrimmage and scoring 12 touchdowns. He finished second to Warner in MVP voting but was named the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year.

The Road to Super Bowl Glory

Defense Delivers in the NFC Championship

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

Super Bowl XXXIV

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 his team down the field, and on the final play of the game, Kevin Dyson caught a pass and was on his way to the end zone 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, putting a storybook bow on the season that introduced the world to the Greatest Show on Turf.