Super Bowl power rankings: Who’s the best loser?
By John Buhler
2. 2001 St. Louis Rams, Super Bowl XXXVI
The 2001 St. Louis Rams were still in the midst of The Greatest Show on Turf era in the Arch City. Though Super Bowl XXXIV winning head coach Dick Vermeil was in Kansas City, his great offensive coordinator Mike Martz was now running the show for the Rams.
The Rams would win the NFC West with a 14-2 record and had two MVPs and future Hall of Famers on their roster in quarterback Kurt Warner and running back Marshall Faulk. St. Louis torched the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional round, 45-17, in the NFC Playoffs. They would outplay the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2001 NFC Championship, 29-24, to get to Super Bowl XXXVI.
St. Louis was an overwhelming favorite over the AFC Champion New England Patriots, as Las Vegas believe that the Rams were 14 points better than the Patriots. People thought that young starting quarterback Tom Brady would crack under the pressure of playing in a Super Bowl. At that time, he was really just a game manager for Bill Belichick, as it was the defense that got ultimately got the Patriots to the franchise’s third Super Bowl to date.
Kicker Adam Vinatieri’s leg would become legendary in this game, as his right foot upset the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI in Houston by sinking the game-winning field goal to make it 20-17 Patriots. The Rams would part ways with Warner and opt to go with his backup Marc Bulger the next few seasons.
St. Louis would stay relevant in the NFC up until 2004, their last trip to the NFC Playoffs. Warner would go on to lead the 2008 Arizona Cardinals to their lone Super Bowl appearance to date. In the franchise history of the Rams, both in Los Angeles and St. Louis, this 2001 team was arguably their best team.
Not knowing what the Patriots would become under Brady and Belichick the next 15 years, this devastating Super Bowl XXXVI loss by the Rams was the biggest upset in Super Bowl history at that time, topping the Baltimore Colts’ gaff in Super Bowl. It was only out done six years later.
The Greatest Show on Turf had a fantastic four-to-five year run in St. Louis, but futility since 2004, shaky ownership, and a city that cares more about Major League Baseball allowed current owner Stan Kroenke to move the Rams back to Los Angeles after being in St. Louis for 20 years.
Next: 1. 2007 New England Patriots