Ranking the 15 most dramatic finishes in Super Bowl history
By Randy Gurzi
7. Super Bowl XXXIV
The St. Louis Rams were in the playoffs for the first time since 1989, when they were still the Los Angeles Rams. They were able to ride the momentum of their spectacular offense, dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf” to their second Super Bowl berth in franchise history.
Opposing them was the Tennessee Titans, a wild card entrant that managed to make it to their first Super Bowl ever.
The Rams were a finesse offense that beat people with the speed of running back Marshall Faulk and receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. Running the offense was a quarterback who emerged from nowhere, Kurt Warner. The Titans were a gritty team led by running back Eddie George and the dual-threat quarterback Steve McNair.
The defenses were the stars of the first half as the game went to the break with the Rams leading 9-0. The Titans nearly scored to start the second half, but a blocked field goal led to another St. Louis drive ending in a touchdown.
McNair continued to show his strong will and the team fed off of it. He ran a 23-yard gain down to the 2-yard line which set up the Titans first score of the game, but a failed two point try left the score at 16-6.
The Titans stayed in it after that and got the ball back quickly. They had another long drive, which ended in George’s second touchdown rush of the night and things were dramatically different now at 16-13. The defense forced the Rams into a three-and-out after that score, and Tennessee matched the Rams 16-unanswered points to start the game and things were all tied up late in the fourth quarter.
That tie didn’t last long though as Warner was able to connect on his one, and only completion in the fourth quarter to Bruce, who took it 73-yards to the house. Tennessee had a chance, but it wouldn’t be easy. Trailing 23-16 they had just 1:48 to work with and had to start from their own 12-yard line.
McNair went to work as a few completions and a couple of penalties helped them move into Rams territory with less than a minute to go. The quarterback continued to work the ball down the field as he connected with receiver Kevin Dyson while being drilled by two defenders.
The 16-yard reception moved the Titans to the 10-yard line and they used their final timeout as there were just six seconds left in the game. The final play came about as close as it could have, without scoring.
Dyson caught a pass from McNair around the five-yard line and made a dash for the goal line. He was tackled by linebacker Mike Jones around the two-yard line, but as the men fell to the ground, Dyson stretched out his arm in a last ditch attempt to score. The ball came up just shy and the Rams held on for their first ever NFL Championship.
Next: No. 6