1999 St. Louis Rams season

1999 St. Louis Rams season
Head coach Dick Vermeil
Owner Georgia Frontiere
Home field Trans World Dome
Local radio KSD–FM 93.7
Results
Record 13–3
Division place 1st NFC West
Playoff finish Won Divisional Playoffs (Vikings) 49–37
Won NFC Championship (Buccaneers) 11–6
Won Super Bowl XXXIV (Titans) 23–16
Pro Bowlers QB Kurt Warner
RB Marshall Faulk
WR Isaac Bruce
T Orlando Pace
DT D'marco Farr
DE Kevin Carter
CB Todd Lyght
Team MVP Marshall Faulk
Team ROY Torry Holt

The 1999 St. Louis Rams season was the team’s 62nd year with the National Football League and the fifth season in St. Louis, Missouri. The Rams finished the regular-season with a record of 13–3, and the NFC West Championship.

It was the team’s first playoff appearance in St. Louis, their first since 1989, and their first division title since 1985.

The Rams were undefeated at home for the first time since 1973.[1] On the road, the Rams were 5–3. In the post-season, they defeated the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 49–37 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs and went on to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11–6 in the NFC Championship Game. Both of those games were played in St. Louis. The Rams then won their first ever Super Bowl title, defeating the Tennessee Titans by a score of 23–16 in Super Bowl XXXIV. The game was played on January 30, 2000 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. It was also the franchise’s first NFL World Championship since 1951, when the Rams played in Los Angeles. The Rams also became the first “dome-field” (indoor home games) team to win a Super Bowl.

It was the first season of the Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf” offense. The 1999 Rams remain one of only four teams in NFL history to score more than 30 points twelve separate times in a single season.[note 1][2] On defense, the Rams recorded seven interceptions returned for touchdowns, third most in NFL history.[3]

The Rams were the third St. Louis-based pro sports team to win a major championship, joining the Cardinals of Major League Baseball and the 1957–58 St. Louis (now Atlanta) Hawks of the NBA.

Quarterback Kurt Warner was the MVP in both the regular season and in Super Bowl XXXIV.

It was the final season the Rams wore their 1973-1999 uniforms that had been synonymous with their time in Los Angeles (although they were brought back as an alternate set beginning in 2009).

Offseason

NFL Draft

1999 St. Louis Rams draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 6 Torry Holt *  Wide receiver NC State
2 41 Dré Bly *  Cornerback North Carolina
3 68 Rich Coady  Safety Texas A&M
4 101 Joe Germaine  Quarterback Ohio State
5 145 Cameron Spikes  Guard Texas A&M
6 176 Lionel Barnes  Defensive end Louisiana–Monroe
7 252 Rodney Williams  Punter Georgia Tech
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

[4]

Final Roster

1999 St. Louis Rams final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 Active, 4 Inactive, 2 Practice squad

Regular season

Schedule

Preseason
WeekDateOpponentResultKickoffGame siteTVRecordAttendance
1August 7, 1999Oakland RaidersL 17–188:00 p.m.Trans World DomeKTVI 20–1
45,449
2Bye
3August 21, 1999Chicago BearsL 24–387:30 p.m.Soldier FieldKTVI 20–2
48,381
4August 28, 1999San Diego ChargersW 24–217:00 p.m.Trans World DomeKTVI 21–2
47,882
5September 2, 1999Detroit LionsW 17–66:30 p.m.Pontiac SilverdomeKTVI 22–2
43,578
Regular season
WeekDateOpponentResultKickoffGame siteTVRecordAttendance
1September 12, 1999Baltimore RavensW 27–1012:00 p.m.Trans World DomeCBS1–0
66, 100
2Bye
3September 26, 1999Atlanta FalconsW 35–712:00 p.m.Trans World DomeFOX2–0
66,253
4October 3, 1999Cincinnati BengalsW 38–1012:00 p.m.Cinergy FieldFOX3–0
45,481
5October 10, 1999San Francisco 49ersW 42–2012:00 p.m.Trans World DomeFOX4–0
65,872
6October 17, 1999Atlanta FalconsW 41–1312:00 p.m.Georgia DomeFOX5–0
51,973
7October 24, 1999Cleveland BrownsW 34–312:00 p.m.Trans World DomeCBS6–0
65,866
8October 31, 1999Tennessee TitansL 21–2412:00 p.m.Adelphia ColiseumFOX6–1
66,415
9November 7, 1999Detroit LionsL 27–3112:00 p.m.Pontiac SilverdomeFOX6–2
73,224
10November 14, 1999Carolina PanthersW 35–1012:00 p.m.Trans World DomeFOX7–2
65,965
11November 21, 1999San Francisco 49ersW 23–73:15 p.m.3Com ParkFOX8–2
68,193
12November 28, 1999New Orleans SaintsW 43–1212:00 p.m.Trans World DomeFOX9–2
65,864
13December 5, 1999Carolina PanthersW 34–2112:00 p.m.Ericsson StadiumFOX10–2
62,285
14December 12, 1999New Orleans SaintsW 30–1412:00 p.m.Louisiana SuperdomeFOX11–2
46,838
15December 19, 1999New York GiantsW 31–1012:00 p.m.Trans World DomeFOX12–2
66,065
16December 26, 1999Chicago BearsW 34–1212:00 p.m.Trans World DomeFOX13–2
65,941
17January 2, 2000Philadelphia EaglesL 31–3812:00 p.m.Veterans StadiumFOX13–3
60,700
Postseason
NFC DivisionalJanuary 16, 2000Minnesota VikingsW 49–3711:30 a.m.Trans World DomeFOX14–3
66,194
NFC ChampionshipJanuary 23, 2000Tampa Bay BuccaneersW 11–63:00 p.m.Trans World DomeFOX15–3
66,496
Super Bowl XXXIVJanuary 30, 2000Tennessee TitansW 23–165:30 p.m.Georgia DomeABC16–3
72,625

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Baltimore Ravens

1 234Total
Ravens 0 370 10
• Rams 3 14010 27

[5]

Week 3: vs. Atlanta Falcons

1 234Total
Falcons 0 070 7
• Rams 7 2170 35

[6]

Week 4: at Cincinnati Bengals

1 234Total
• Rams 7 14143 38
Bengals 3 007 10

[7]

With this win the Rams moved to 3–0 in Kurt Warner’s first three games as starting quarterback

Week 5: vs. San Francisco 49ers

1 234Total
49ers 3 1430 20
• Rams 21 777 42

[8]

This game ended the Rams’ 17-game losing streak against the 49ers.

Week 6: at Atlanta Falcons

1 234Total
• Rams 14 1467 41
Falcons 0 1003 13

[9]

The Rams moved to 5–0 with this win over the 1998 NFC champions.

Week 7: vs. Cleveland Browns

1 234Total
Browns 3 000 3
• Rams 14 7310 34

[10]

The Rams ran their record to 6–0 against the revived Cleveland franchise.

Week 8: at Tennessee Titans

1 234Total
Rams 0 0147 21
• Titans 21 030 24
  • Date: October 31
  • Location: Adelphia Coliseum, Nashville
  • Game start: 1:03 p.m.
  • Elapsed time: 3:30
  • Game attendance: 66,415
  • Game weather: 76 °F (24.4 °C), wind 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
  • Referee: Bob McElwee
  • Television network: Fox

[11]

Despite a second half comeback, 21 unanswered first half points by the newly christened Titans enables them to inflict the Rams’ first defeat in a Super Bowl preview.

Week 9: at Detroit Lions

1 234Total
Rams 2 10015 27
• Lions 0 101110 31
  • Date: November 7
  • Location: Pontiac Silverdome
  • Game start: 1:01 p.m.
  • Elapsed time: 3:28
  • Game attendance: 73,224
  • Game weather: indoors (dome)
  • Referee: Johnny Grier
  • Television network: Fox

[12]

Week 10: vs. Carolina Panthers

1 234Total
Panthers 7 300 10
• Rams 14 777 35

[13]

Week 11: at San Francisco 49ers

1 234Total
• Rams 3 10100 23
49ers 0 700 7
  • Date: November 21
  • Location: 3Com Park, San Francisco
  • Game start: 4:15 p.m.
  • Elapsed time: 3:08
  • Game attendance: 68,193
  • Game weather: 55 °F (12.8 °C), wind 11 miles per hour (18 km/h; 9.6 kn)
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • Television network: Fox

[14]

With this win the Rams swept the 49ers for the first time since the 1980 season nineteen years previously.

Week 12: vs. New Orleans Saints

1 234Total
Saints 3 900 12
• Rams 7 8721 43

[15]

Week 13: at Carolina Panthers

1 234Total
• Rams 3 10100 23
Panthers 0 700 7
  • Date: December 5
  • Location: Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte
  • Game start: 1:02 p.m.
  • Elapsed time: 3:10
  • Game attendance: 62,285
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22.2 °C), humidity 49%, wind 12 miles per hour (19 km/h; 10 kn)
  • Referee: Larry Nemmers
  • Television network: Fox

[16]

The Rams won their tenth game and clinched the NFC West Division title for the first time since 1985.

Week 14: at New Orleans Saints

1 234Total
• Rams 7 1733 30
Saints 6 800 14

[17]

The Rams clinched a first-round bye for the first time since 1985.

Week 15: vs. New York Giants

1 234Total
Giants 0 037 10
• Rams 3 7714 31

[18]

With a 12–2 record with two games remaining, the Rams clinched home field advantage for the first time since 1985.

Week 16: vs. Chicago Bears

1 234Total
Bears 0 066 12
• Rams 0 17143 34
  • Date: December 26
  • Location: Trans World Dome, St. Louis
  • Game start: 1:02 p.m.
  • Elapsed time: 3:23
  • Game attendance: 65,941
  • Game weather: indoors (dome)
  • Referee: Tom White
  • Television network: Fox

[19]

Week 17: at Philadelphia Eagles

1 234Total
Rams 7 1077 31
• Eagles 3 14714 38
  • Date: January 2, 2000
  • Location: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
  • Game start: 1:02 p.m.
  • Elapsed time: 3:24
  • Game attendance: 60,700
  • Game weather: 54 °F (12.2 °C), humidity 74%, wind 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h; 4.3 kn)
  • Referee: Mike Carey
  • Television network: Fox

[20]

The Rams lost 38–31 but finished 13–3 to gain the top seed in the NFC playoffs.

Standings

NFC West
W L T PCT PF PA STK
(1) St. Louis Rams 1330.813526242L1
Carolina Panthers 880.500421381W1
Atlanta Falcons 5110.313285380W2
San Francisco 49ers 4120.250295453L3
New Orleans Saints 3130.188260434L1

Kurt Warner

Kurt Warner at the Super Bowl XXXIV post-game press conference

Warner was the backup quarterback for the St. Louis Rams during the 1998 regular season and the 1999 preseason. When starting quarterback Trent Green was injured in a preseason game, Warner took over as the starter. With the support of running back Marshall Faulk and wide receivers Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Az-Zahir Hakim and Ricky Proehl, Warner completed one of the top seasons by a quarterback in NFL history by throwing for 4,353 yards with 41 touchdown passes and a completion rate of 65.1 percent. The Rams' high-powered offense was nicknamed "The Greatest Show on Turf" and registered the first in a string of three consecutive 500-point seasons, an NFL record. Warner threw three touchdown passes in each of the first three games in the 1999 season, his first three NFL starts. He is the only NFL quarterback in history to accomplish that feat, and only the second other than Dan Marino to do it in his first two NFL starts.

Warner really drew attention, however, in the season’s fourth game against the San Francisco 49ers, who had been NFC West Division champs for 12 of the previous 13 seasons. The Rams had lost 17 of their previous 18 meetings with the 49ers and had a 3–0 record along with the 49ers’ 3–1 record. Warner proceeded to throw three touchdown passes on the Rams' first three possessions of the game and four in the first half to propel the Rams to a 28–10 halftime lead on the way to a 42–20 victory. Warner finished the game with five touchdown passes, giving him 14 in four games and, more importantly, the Rams a 4–0 record. After many years of defeats and losing records, football experts finally had to take notice.

Warner’s breakout season from a career in anonymity was so unexpected that Sports Illustrated featured him on their October 18 cover with the caption “Who IS this guy?”[21] He was named the 1999 NFL MVP at the season’s end.

In the NFL playoffs, Warner led the Rams to a Super Bowl XXXIV victory against the Tennessee Titans. He threw for two touchdowns and a then Super Bowl record 414 passing yards, including a 73-yard touchdown to Isaac Bruce when the game was tied with just over two minutes to play. Warner also set a Super Bowl record by attempting 45 passes without a single interception.

Warner was awarded the 1999 Super Bowl MVP, becoming one of only six players to win both the league MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards in the same year. The others are Bart Starr in 1966, Terry Bradshaw in 1978, Joe Montana in 1989, Emmitt Smith in 1993, and Steve Young in 1994.

Playoffs

NFC Divisional Playoff

St. Louis Rams 49, Minnesota Vikings 37
1 2 34Total
Vikings 3 14 02037
Rams 14 0 211449

at Trans World Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

As expected, this match between the two high powered offenses produced a lot of points (86), and yards (880, 475 by St. Louis, 405 by Minnesota). But after falling behind 17–14, St. Louis stormed to victory with 35 consecutive second half points to open a 49 to 17 lead early in the fourth quarter. It was also the first NFL Playoff game ever played in St. Louis.

NFC Championship Game

St. Louis Rams 11, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6
1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 3 0 306
Rams 3 2 0611

at Trans World Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

The Rams and Buccaneers, a rematch of the 1979 NFC Championship game, would slug it out for most of the game, with the Buccaneers defense holding the Rams highly-potent offense in check. Tampa Bay, weak on offense, would only muster two field goals, and gave up a costly safety in the second quarter when a bad snap from center went over the head of rookie quarterback Shaun King and out of the endzone. Despite this, the Buccaneers nursed an unusual 6–5 lead into the 4th Quarter. The Rams broke open a defense dominated game when Kurt Warner threw a touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl, his first and only touchdown catch of the season, with 4:44 left in the game.

The Buccaneers would mount a drive on their final possession, however a replay overturned what appeared to be a 2nd down reception by Buccaneers wide receiver Bert Emanuel which would have set up a short-yardage 3rd down. Emanuel dove for a catch and clasped the ball between two hands, then upon falling, the ball touched the turf while in Emanuel's hands. The ruling on the field was a completed catch, but was overturned on review because the ball had touched the ground before Emanuel was deemed in possession of it. Following this, the Buccaneers threw incomplete passes on 3rd and 4th down and the Rams were able to kneel out the clock.

This was the Rams’ first NFC Championship win since the 1979 season.

Super Bowl XXXIV

The first half of Super Bowl XXXIV had been uncharacteristically low-scoring for St. Louis, as they scored only three Jeff Wilkins field goals in the first half. The Rams finally got into the end zone in the third quarter, with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Warner to Torry Holt, giving St. Louis a 16–0 lead. Tennessee, however, scored 16 unanswered points with two Eddie George touchdown runs (1- and 2-yards respectively, the first with a failed two-point conversion attempt), and a 43-yard Al Del Greco field goal.

On St. Louis’ first play from scrimmage after Tennessee's tying field goal, Warner threw a 73-yard touchdown to Isaac Bruce to take a 23–16 lead with barely two minutes left in the game, which would give Tennessee one more chance to tie the game with a touchdown.

The Titans took over the ball at their own 10-yard line with 1:54 left in the game after committing a holding penalty on the ensuing kickoff. McNair started out the drive with a pair of completions to Mason and Wycheck for gains of 9 and 7 yards to reach the 28-yard line. Then after throwing an incompletion, defensive back Dre' Bly’s 15-yard facemask penalty while tackling McNair on a 12-yard scramble gave the Titans a first down at the St. Louis 45-yard line. On the next play, St. Louis was penalized 5 yards for being offsides, moving the ball to the 40-yard line with 59 seconds left. McNair then ran for 2 yards, followed by a 7-yard completion to wide receiver Kevin Dyson. Three plays later, with the Titans facing 3rd down and 5 to go, McNair was hit by two Rams’ defenders, but he escaped and completed a 16-yard pass to Dyson to gain a first down at the Rams 10-yard line.

Tennessee then used up their final timeout with just 6 seconds left in the game, giving them a chance for one last play. McNair threw a short pass to Kevin Dyson down the middle, which looked certain to tie up the game, until Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled Dyson at the one-yard line as time expired. Dyson tried to stretch his arm and the football across the goal line, but he had already gone down, so it was too late. This final play has gone down in NFL history as simply “The Tackle”.

Team statistics

  • Led NFL and NFC in total yards (400.8 yards per game)
  • Led NFL and NFC in passing yards (272.1 yards per game)
  • Led NFL and NFC in scoring (32.9 points per game)
  • Led NFL and NFC in rushing defense (74.3 yards per game)
  • Led NFL (tied with Jax) and NFC in sacks (57)

Awards and records


League Leaders
PassingKurt Warner (109.2 rating)
Passing touchdownsKurt Warner (41 TDs)
Kickoff returnsTony Horne (29.7 average yards)
SacksKevin Carter (17)

Notes

  1. ↑ The other three teams are the 2007 and 2011 New England Patriots, plus the 2013 Denver Broncos

References

  1. ↑ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 267
  2. ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the regular season, requiring Points For >= 30, sorted by most games in season matching criteria.
  3. ↑ "Bears picking on history". Pro Football Hall of Fame. 2012-10-29. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
  4. ↑ "1999 St. Louis Rams draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  5. ↑ Baltimore Ravens at St. Louis Rams – September 12th, 1999
  6. ↑ Atlanta Falcons at St. Louis Rams – September 26th, 1999
  7. ↑ St. Louis Rams at Cincinnati Bengals – October 3rd, 1999
  8. ↑ San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams – October 10th, 1999
  9. ↑ St. Louis Rams at Atlanta Falcons – October 17th, 1999
  10. ↑ Cleveland Browns at St. Louis Rams – October 24th, 1999
  11. ↑ St. Louis Rams at Tennessee Titans – October 31st, 1999
  12. ↑ St. Louis Rams at Detroit Lions – November 7th, 1999
  13. ↑ Carolina Panthers at St. Louis Rams – November 14th, 1999
  14. ↑ St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers – November 21st, 1999
  15. ↑ New Orleans Saints at St. Louis Rams – November 28th, 1999
  16. ↑ St. Louis Rams at Carolina Panthers – December 5th, 1999
  17. ↑ St. Louis Rams at New Orleans Saints – December 12th, 1999
  18. ↑ New York Giants at St. Louis Rams – December 19th, 1999
  19. ↑ Chicago Bears at St. Louis Rams – December 26th, 1999
  20. ↑ St. Louis Rams at Philadelphia Eagles – January 2nd, 2000
  21. ↑ "SI.com – Oct. 18, 1999". Archived from the original on 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  22. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-06-19. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
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