NFL: The Top 30 teams of the modern era

1. 1999 St. Louis Rams

The Rams had been frustrated for decades. They had been a strong team, but the presence of teams like the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers had kept them from ever making a legitimate run at a title.

However, head coach Dick Vermeil knew he had a special team at the start of training camp, and the 1999 season coincided with the downfall of the 49ers. The Rams took a serious blow when quarterback Trent Green was injured in preseason, but the emotional Vermeil merely gave the ball to unknown backup Kurt Warner and told him that he had the opportunity of a lifetime.

That’s because the Rams had a pair of sensational receivers in Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, and perhaps the game’s best all-around running back in Marshall Faulk. The Rams rolled through the season because of their high-powered offense, and earned a spot in the Super Bowl against the Tennessee Titans.

With the score tied in the fourth quarter, Warner threw a long TD pass to Bruce, and the Rams held on for their first Super Bowl title when linebacker Mike Jones tackled Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson on the one-yard line to preserve the victory.

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