St. Louis Rams – From 1999 To 2001
The Saint Louis Rams have been playing football in the National Football League for 74 years, though not always in the same location. In fact, they've been a wandering team, beginning in Cleveland for ten years before moving to Los Angeles. From there, they picked up roots and plodded off to Anaheim before finally settling in Saint Louis for good - or at least for now. They have, at times, had an offensive unit that is just as movement-oriented. For instance, their offense was so potent between 1999 and the year 2001 that it earned the nickname "The Greatest Show on Turf". Had it lasted, it might have rivaled the dynasties of Green Bay, Chicago, and San Francisco. Though it ended all too soon, it was still an impressive and exciting time in football history.
The curtain rises
When Trent Green's 1999 season ended before it began due to injury, many fans in Saint Louis feared the worst. His backup, a man who had taken years to find a place in the NFL, was Kurt Warner. With Warner's accurate delivery leading the way, the Rams would go on to post more than 500 points a season for each of the next three seasons. The production spurred a 13-3 finish for the team, which then went on to win the Super Bowl contest against the Titans. In that game, Warner had a 400-yard performance.
The Greatest Show
The Greatest Show on Turf could not have happened without the personnel that the Rams employed on the field. The offensive system involved passing patterns that sent five receivers - one of which was often their running back Marshall Faulk - across the length and width of the field. The entire scheme relied upon crisp pattern running from the receivers, reliable pass protection from the offensive line, and pin-point accuracy from the quarterback. Once the ball was delivered into space, the receiver was positioned to turn and run for extra yardage. Warner was the perfect quarterback for this system, having developed his speedy release and laser-like accuracy during his time with the fast-paced Iowa Barnstormers Arena Football program.
Key personnel
Of course, had the team just been Kurt Warner, the Show would have never seen its curtain rise. He also had the best running back in the League at the time, in Marshall Faulk, as well as receivers like Isaac Bruce, Ricky Proehl, Torry Holt, and Az Hakim. Protected by an incredible offensive line unit, Warner was able to conduct an offense that produced five hundred plus yards in each of the years from 1999 through 2001. Faulk, a star of the offense, was awarded the Offensive honors for the League all three years, and shared the first two spots in each year's MVP vote with Warner.
Two years after their Super Bowl win, the Rams went back to the title game, only to lose to the Patriots. Though most experts failed to realize it at the time, the Greatest Show on Turf was, for all intents and purposes, closing up shop. The term would continue to be used for several more years before commentators realized that the Show had been over for some time.
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