211-621: Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2001 season . The underdog Patriots defeated the heavily favored Rams by the score of 20–17. It was New England's first Super Bowl championship, and
422-580: A Chicago Bears team coached by Mike Ditka and including Mike Singletary and Walter Payton . The Patriots returned to the Superdome 11 years later for Super Bowl XXXI but lost 35–21 to a Green Bay Packers team including Brett Favre , Reggie White and Desmond Howard and coached by Mike Holmgren . Milloy, Law, Vinatieri, Bledsoe, McGinest, Bruschi, and Otis Smith were among the players who had played in that game while Belichick had been assistant head coach to Bill Parcells . The Patriots did not appear in
633-422: A gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following a touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage
844-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
1055-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
1266-518: A 13-play, 79-yard drive that was capped by George's second touchdown of the game, a 2-yard run, to cut Tennessee's deficit to 16–13. The Titans' defense then forced the Rams to a three-and-out , and Horan's 30-yard punt gave the Titans the ball back at their 47-yard line. The Titans' offense then drove only 28 yards on their ensuing possession, but it was close enough for Del Greco to kick a 43-yard field goal, tying
1477-579: A 13–3 record (including a home win over the Rams), but finished second behind the 14–2 Jacksonville Jaguars (who had the best record in the NFL that season) in the AFC Central . The Jaguars' only two losses were to the Titans, but Tennessee's three losses forced them to enter the playoffs as a wild-card team. Playing in his first ever NFL playoff game, Warner threw for 395 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 1 interception, as
1688-454: A 17-yard completion on 3rd-and-7 from quarterback Kurt Warner to wide receiver Isaac Bruce . But on 3rd-and-9 at the 17, safety Blaine Bishop pressured Warner to throw an incomplete pass. Then the ensuing 35-yard field goal attempt by kicker Jeff Wilkins failed when punter/holder Mike Horan fumbled the snap and was tackled by cornerback Donald Mitchell , giving the ball to Tennessee on their own 29-yard line. The Titans responded by moving
1899-571: A 30-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to receiver Ricky Proehl with 4:44 left in the game. Meanwhile, the Titans started out their postseason by narrowly defeating the Buffalo Bills , 22–16 in Nashville, on a famous, trick kickoff return play that became known in NFL lore as the Music City Miracle . Tennessee jumped to a 12–0 halftime lead with an Al Del Greco field goal, a safety by Kearse, and
2110-540: A 31-yard strike to Bruce and a 16-yard completion to tight end Ernie Conwell before finishing the 8-play, 68-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Torry Holt , increasing St. Louis' lead to 16–0. Bishop combined with safety Anthony Dorsett to tackle Conwell, but suffered a spinal injury and had to leave the game. The game was delayed for several minutes while Bishop was being treated. Already without fellow injured starting safety Marcus Robertson , Dorsett and Perry Phenix had to fill in for him and Bishop
2321-590: A 45-yard field goal which barely cleared the crossbar to send the game into overtime. The Patriots won the toss in overtime and won on another Vinatieri field goal from 23 yards; per the overtime rules in place at that time. Oakland's offense never regained possession. In the AFC Championship Game , the Patriots traveled to Heinz Field to face the Pittsburgh Steelers , who were coming off a 27–10 win over
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#17328450538192532-455: A 9-yard loss. Warner then threw two consecutive incompletions, which resulted in the Rams punting. On St. Louis' next possession, they reached the New England 45-yard line on three runs for 30 yards by running back Marshall Faulk , but Smith intercepted a pass intended for Rams wide receiver Torry Holt , who slipped while coming off the line of scrimmage, as Smith returned the ball 30 yards to
2743-485: A McNair touchdown run. However, Buffalo came back to take the lead, 13–12 with Antowain Smith 's two touchdown runs in the second half (the two-point conversion after Smith's second touchdown failed). In the 4th quarter, the Titans regained the lead after Del Greco kicked his second field goal. With 16 seconds left in the game, Bills kicker Steve Christie made what seemed to be the game-winning 41-yard field goal to give his team
2954-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
3165-512: A Super Bowl appearance seemed bleak shortly after the season had begun. Before the season started, quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein died of a heart attack at age 45. The Patriots, coached by Bill Belichick , lost their first two games, and in their second loss at home to the New York Jets , starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe suffered a sheared blood vessel on a hit by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis that caused him to miss several weeks. His replacement
3376-788: A Super Bowl hosted by another city until the team played in Super Bowl XXXVIII two years later in Houston, Texas . The Rams began their postseason run with a 45–17 win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC divisional round. Expected to be a close shootout between Warner and Packers quarterback Brett Favre , the Rams defense dominated the Packers by intercepting a playoff record 6 passes from Favre and returning 3 of them for touchdowns. The Rams offense also racked up 24 points on 2 touchdown passes by Warner,
3587-629: A Wilkins field goal) to earn the win, limiting the Eagles to only one touchdown pass in the second half. Warner finished the game with 22 of 33 pass completions for 212 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions, while Faulk rushed for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns. In the AFC Divisional Round, the Patriots defeated the Oakland Raiders 16–13 during a raging New England snowstorm in the last game ever played at Foxboro Stadium. The signature moment of
3798-406: A chord with the audience in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Since the next Super Bowl game , both Super Bowl participants have been introduced collectively as a team, a precedent which has continued. The halftime show featured a three-song set from Irish rock band U2 , who had just completed their successful Elevation Tour . After a rendition of " Beautiful Day ", the band played " MLK " and " Where
4009-459: A commercial of plain typewritten text beginning with the line "This is the worst commercial on the Super Bowl. But it might be the best thing you see tonight." Pets.com famously paid millions for an advertisement featuring a sock puppet , though the company would collapse before the end of the year. The pregame show featured a tribute to "The Great American Music of the 20th Century". Narrated by
4220-473: A common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of the 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained
4431-461: A defense that ended the regular season ranked sixth in scoring. Although the Rams out-gained the Patriots 427–267 in total yards, New England built a 17–3 third-quarter lead off three Rams turnovers. After a holding penalty in the fourth quarter negated a Patriots fumble return for a touchdown, Warner scored a 2-yard touchdown run and threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to tie the game, 17–17, with 1:30 remaining. Without any timeouts, Brady led his team down
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#17328450538194642-675: A disappointing loss to the New Orleans Saints in the wild card round of the playoffs. After signing several new defensive players in the off-season, and hiring new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith , the Rams finished the 2001 season with the NFL's best regular season record at 14–2. They led the league in both total offensive yards (6,930) and scoring (503). This was the Rams' third consecutive season with over 500 points, an NFL record. On defense, they only allowed 271 points, improving their 31st ranking in 2000 to 7th in 2001. The Rams' 1999–2001 offense, nicknamed " The Greatest Show on Turf ",
4853-567: A feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as
5064-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
5275-486: A full regular season and playoff, and push the Super Bowl back to February 3. Additionally, due to the Super Bowl being moved back a week, the first weekend of New Orleans Mardi Gras parades rolled one week earlier than normal. One of the most significant logistical challenges was accommodating the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention , which was originally slated to occupy
5486-421: A fumble on Proehl, and cornerback Terrell Buckley recovered the ball for New England. Quarterback Tom Brady started off the Patriots' drive with a 16-yard completion to wide receiver Troy Brown and finished it with an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver David Patten with 31 seconds left in the half. By halftime, the Patriots owned a surprising 14–3 lead. It was the first time in the entire 2001 season that
5697-428: A game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed
5908-576: A game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of a player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits,
6119-682: A grand total of 13 touchdowns, and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the 3rd consecutive year. Another contributor on the Titans' offense was fullback Lorenzo Neal , who frequently served as George's lead blocker and was widely considered one of the best blocking backs in the league. The team did not have any outstanding deep threats, but wide receiver Yancey Thigpen recorded 38 receptions for 648 yards, wide receiver Kevin Dyson had 54 receptions for 658 yards, and tight end Frank Wycheck caught 69 passes for 641 yards. Thigpen, however, would not play in
6330-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
6541-553: A league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of the 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to
Super Bowl XXXVI - Misplaced Pages Continue
6752-437: A little over a month later in early March, with the reason being for his dismissal was simply his poor chemistry and hatred of Michaels (Michaels himself also hated Esiason). Esiason would then serve as the lead color commentator for Westwood One radio, calling Super Bowls XXXV (the game played the following year) to LII . This was the first Super Bowl to be aired in high definition and 5.1 Dolby Digital . ABC chose to use
6963-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
7174-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
7385-670: A national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on
7596-470: A new Millennium Blue/New Century Gold combination the next season. ABC televised the game in the United States, with play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and color commentator Boomer Esiason . Chris Berman from Disney -owned corporate sibling ESPN hosted all the events. Berman was joined by fellow ESPN analyst Steve Young , while ESPN's Mike Tirico was on hand for the post-game presentation of
7807-435: A new stadium fell through, and the 2003 game ultimately went to San Diego. The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks led the league to postpone its September 16 games and play them a week after the scheduled conclusion of the regular season. This caused the playoffs and Super Bowl to be delayed by one week. Rescheduling Super Bowl XXXVI from January 27 to February 3 proved extraordinarily difficult. In addition to rescheduling
8018-428: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
8229-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
8440-651: A recovered fumble by the Raiders was reversed by the tuck rule . There had been speculation on whether longtime starter Drew Bledsoe might start the game. As stated above, Bledsoe replaced an injured Brady against the Steelers in the AFC Championship game. Eventually, though, Brady was named starter. This Super Bowl also meant that Boston and St. Louis would play each other in the championship game or series of all four major North American sports leagues at least once, becoming
8651-414: A round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create
Super Bowl XXXVI - Misplaced Pages Continue
8862-422: A rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football a separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble
9073-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
9284-534: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . Super Bowl XXXIV Super Bowl XXXIV
9495-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
9706-452: A standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for
9917-427: A team." According to David Halberstam 's book, The Education of a Coach , Belichick was given a choice by the NFL to introduce either the offense or defense. Belichick chose neither, asking that the team be introduced all at once in the spirit of unity. Although this was initially rejected by the NFL, Belichick held his ground and the NFL honored his request. The full team introduction demonstrated solidarity, and struck
10128-527: A touchdown run by Faulk, and a field goal by Jeff Wilkins , helping St. Louis put the game away by the end of the third quarter. One week later, the Rams advanced to the Super Bowl with a 29–24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game . Philadelphia managed to build a 17–13 halftime lead, but St. Louis scored 16 consecutive second half points (2 touchdown runs by Faulk and
10339-662: A touchdown, while Del Greco made four field goals. The Titans then eliminated the Jacksonville Jaguars , 33–14, in the AFC Championship Game at Jacksonville. The Jaguars finished the 1999 regular season with a league-best 14–2 record, and advanced to the AFC title game after crushing the Miami Dolphins 62–7 and limiting future Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino to just 11 of 25 completions for 95 yards and 1 touchdown, with 2 interceptions. However, Tennessee's defense dominated
10550-449: A tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine
10761-582: A video segment, past and present NFL players read excerpts from the Declaration of Independence , which has become a part of all subsequent Super Bowls carried by Fox Sports. Super Bowls XXXIX , XLII , and XLV used different active and former players (and a player's widow) reading the Declaration for each version. Former U.S. presidents Gerald Ford , Jimmy Carter , George H. W. Bush , and Bill Clinton appeared in another videotaped segment and recited some of
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#173284505381910972-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
11183-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
11394-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
11605-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
11816-560: Is the most recent NFL championship in which both teams were seeking their first Super Bowl title. Both teams were returning to the postseason after struggles and a move between cities. Led by the Greatest Show on Turf offense, the Rams entered their second Super Bowl appearance with an NFC-best 13–3 regular-season record. It was the franchise's first playoff run and first season with a winning record since 1989 and first since moving from Los Angeles to St. Louis . The Titans also finished
12027-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
12238-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
12449-878: Is widely considered one of the best in NFL history. The team possessed an incredible amount of offensive talent at nearly every position. In 2001, quarterback Kurt Warner had the best season of his career and was awarded his second and final NFL Most Valuable Player Award after throwing for 4,830 yards and 36 touchdowns, but he also threw 22 interceptions, and earned a league high 101.4 passer rating . Wide receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce each amassed over 1,100 receiving yards, combining for 142 receptions, 2,469 yards, and 13 touchdowns. Wide receiver Ricky Proehl caught 40 passes for 563 yards and 5 touchdowns. Tight end Ernie Conwell caught 38 passes for 431 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim caught 39 passes for 374 yards, and added another 333 yards returning punts. Halfback Marshall Faulk won NFL Offensive Player of
12660-589: The 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with the innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become
12871-617: The 1998 season playing at Nashville's Vanderbilt Stadium . After the new Adelphia Coliseum (now known as Nissan Stadium ) was completed in 1999, the team's name was changed to Tennessee Titans. With Tennessee's Super Bowl appearance, every former AFL team had now played in the Super Bowl, including the original eight AFL teams and two AFL expansion teams: the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals . The 1999 Titans were led by quarterback Steve McNair and running back Eddie George . McNair had missed five games due to injuries during
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#173284505381913082-504: The 720p format. The game was later featured as one of the NFL's Greatest Games as The Longest Yard . This game is often referred to as the "dot-com" Super Bowl since it was held during the height of the dot-com bubble , and several Internet companies purchased television commercials . Among them, E-Trade 's commercial featured a chimpanzee dancing in an E-Trade T-shirt and the text "Well, we just wasted 2 million bucks". Lifeminders.com ran
13293-592: The Smothers Brothers , the show highlighted some of the unique American musical styles such as gospel, big band, classical, country and rock. Singers Tina Turner and Travis Tritt along with the Georgia Tech Marching Band and the Georgia Mass Choir performed during the show. Country singer Faith Hill then sang the national anthem. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Super Bowl IV ,
13504-457: The Superdome . Immediately after the vote, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue made an unexpected and largely unprecedented announcement that San Diego was the favorite to host the next available Super Bowl. With San Francisco tentatively scheduled to host XXXVII in 2003, San Diego was thought likely to host XXXVIII in 2004. However, the league took XXXVII away from San Francisco after plans for
13715-472: The Vince Lombardi Trophy . Lesley Visser and Lynn Swann served as sideline reporters. Other contributors included Dan Fouts , Jimmy Roberts , Bob Griese and Brent Musburger (who introduced a special memorial tribute to Walter Payton , who had died from bile duct cancer the previous November). This was Esiason's only Super Bowl as a color commentator on television. ABC Sports would fire him
13926-568: The Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration . It featured a full symphony orchestra conducted by Steven Byess; a multi-generational, 80-person choir; and singers Phil Collins , Christina Aguilera , Enrique Iglesias , and Toni Braxton . Both teams' defenses seemed to dominate most of the first half. The Rams started the game out strong by taking the opening kickoff and marching to the Tennessee 17-yard line, which featured
14137-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
14348-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
14559-462: The "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in
14770-515: The "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of
14981-456: The 1995 season but continued to struggle. In 1997, the team hired Dick Vermeil as their head coach, bringing him back to the NFL after 15 years of retirement. Vermeil had previously turned the Philadelphia Eagles from one of the worst teams in the league into a Super Bowl team in 1980, but his first two seasons in St. Louis were hardly stellar, winning just five games in 1997 and four in 1998. Little
15192-415: The 2-yard line, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by George two plays later, cutting the Titans' deficit to 16–6 after McNair's pass to Wycheck on the two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete. The Titans' first score sparked them to rally. After forcing the Rams to punt on their ensuing possession, a pair of 21-yard completions from McNair to wide receiver Isaac Byrd and tight end Jackie Harris aided
15403-531: The AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain the young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for
15614-463: The Atlanta area within a week of each other. The second storm occurred during the week the Super Bowl was hosted. Despite the rare adverse weather conditions, city and state crews kept streets and sidewalks free of ice, and MARTA public transport kept running. The Atlanta region does not receive more ice storms than most other areas of the country, and Super Bowl XXXIV was played indoors and unaffected by
15825-503: The Atlanta-St. Louis highway corridor, which contains the entirety of Interstate 24 , and uses Interstate 64 and Interstate 75 to complete the route. It is the most recent Super Bowl in which neither team had already won a Super Bowl. The Titans, as the designated home team, wore navy blue jerseys with white pants. The Rams wore white uniforms with yellow pants, which would be the final appearance for these uniforms before rebranding to
16036-653: The Boston Pops, performed the national anthem . George H. W. Bush became the first president, past or present, to participate in a Super Bowl coin toss in person (Ronald Reagan participated in the Super Bowl XIX coin toss via satellite from the White House in 1985). Bush was joined by former Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach . Staubach played at the United States Naval Academy and
16247-576: The FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by the commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to
16458-580: The Halftime Show, but due to traveling concerns following the September 11 tragedies, the NFL opted for other acts. The NFL thought U2 would "set the right tone" in respect to the tragedy, after executives attended the band's Elevation Tour in New York City. She performed for the Super Bowl halftime two years later , when her highly controversial Super Bowl Halftime Show performance incident occurred. After
16669-608: The Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game, forcing 6 turnovers. Jacksonville led 14–10 at halftime, but the Titans then scored 23 unanswered points on two touchdown runs by McNair, a safety, and Derrick Mason 's 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Although McNair passed for only 112 yards and one touchdown with one interception, he rushed for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 carries. George rushed for 86 yards and caught 3 passes for 19 yards. In January 2000, two ice storms struck
16880-562: The NFL to move the game back to February 3, and allowed for a full standard playoff tournament. The original logo for Super Bowl XXXVI had a style that reflected the host city, and was distributed on some memorabilia items during 2001. However, after the 9/11 attacks, a new logo reflecting American patriotism was designed, featuring the shape of the 48 contiguous states and the American flag colors of red, white, and blue. Rob Tornoe of The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that it had "become one of
17091-463: The NFL. Wide receiver David Patten also was productive, catching 51 passes for 749 yards and 4 touchdowns. Running back Antowain Smith provided the team with a stable running game, rushing for 1,157 yards, catching 19 passes for 192 yards, and scoring 13 touchdowns. New England was outstanding on defense as well. Up front, linemen Bobby Hamilton (7 sacks, 1 fumble recovery) and rookie Richard Seymour excelled at pressuring quarterbacks and stuffing
17302-568: The New England Patriots' Super Bowl appearance would be at the Superdome, joining the Dallas Cowboys as the only teams to play three different Super Bowls in one stadium; the Cowboys had played three at the old Miami Orange Bowl in the 1970s. In their maiden Super Bowl appearance Super Bowl XX (1986) the Patriots lost 46–10 – the biggest margin of victory in a Super Bowl to that point – to
17513-432: The Patriots a 14–3 halftime lead. Early in the second half, the Steelers moved from their own 32 to the New England 16, where they lined up for a field goal by Kris Brown . However, Brandon Mitchell blocked the kick, Brown picked up the ball at the 40 and ran 11 yards before lateraling to Antwan Harris , who took it 49 yards for a touchdown that made the score 21–3. But Pittsburgh scored two third-quarter touchdowns to make
17724-419: The Patriots jumped out to an early lead, a critical turnover before the end of the first half that led to a Rams score proved costly. In the second half, the Rams wore New England down and won 24–17. The Rams lost four of their defensive players with injuries. The Patriots' physical play led Rams coach Mike Martz to say after the game that the Patriots were "a Super Bowl–caliber team." The Patriots' chances for
17935-581: The Rams 33-yard line. The Patriots were only able to advance the ball 14 yards after the turnover, so kicker Adam Vinatieri made a 37-yard field goal to increase their lead to 17–3. The Rams responded by driving to the Patriots' 3-yard line on their ensuing drive, which was highlighted by Warner's 15-yard pass to Bruce, two receptions by Faulk for 29 yards, and a 14-yard reception by Hakim. After Warner threw back-to-back incompletions, he went back to pass on fourth down, but scrambled to his right after seeing no one open and attempted to score himself. Warner fumbled
18146-467: The Rams defeated the Minnesota Vikings , 49–37 in St. Louis, by scoring 35 unanswered points in the second half. Bruce caught 4 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Faulk gained 101 combined rushing/receiving yards and scored 2 touchdowns. Although Vikings quarterback Jeff George threw for 423 yards and 4 touchdowns, three of his scores occurred late in the 4th quarter, after the Rams had already put
18357-469: The Rams fell behind by more than eight points in a game. The Patriots received the opening kickoff of the second half, but could only reach the St. Louis 43-yard line before being forced to punt. Aided by a 20-yard reception by Hakim, a 22-yard reception by Bruce, and a pass interference penalty on cornerback Otis Smith , the Rams advanced to the New England 41-yard line. However, on the next play, Vrabel and defensive tackle Richard Seymour sacked Warner for
18568-646: The Rams returned to the NFL's championship game in Super Bowl LIII , in which they were again defeated by the Patriots. The Rams would not win another Super Bowl until Super Bowl LVI , as the Los Angeles Rams, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals . The game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana , on February 3, 2002. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 earlier in
18779-442: The Rams' 10-yard line has gone down in NFL history as " The Tackle " or " One Yard Short ". Tennessee's plan was to use Wycheck as a decoy. The tight end would run straight up the field on the right side, to lure linebacker Mike Jones away from Dyson, who would then slant left through the middle of the field. With Wycheck occupying Jones, McNair would pass the ball to Dyson, who would be open from about five yards out to run in for
18990-452: The Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap the ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on
19201-422: The St. Louis 45-yard line. On the next play, linebacker Charlie Clemons was penalized for being offside, moving the ball to the 40-yard line with 59 seconds left. McNair ran for 2 yards, then threw a 7-yard completion to wide receiver Kevin Dyson . On the next play, the Rams nearly ended the game when Bly stepped in front of a pass intended for Mason, only to have it go right through his arms. Two plays later, with
19412-550: The Streets Have No Name " as the names of the victims from the September 11 attacks were projected onto a sheet behind the stage. While singing "Where the Streets Have No Name", the group's lead singer Bono replaced the lyrics "take shelter from the poison rain" with "dance in the Louisiana rain", "high on a desert plain" with "where there's no sorrow or pain", and the final line "it's all I can do" with "it's all we can do". At
19623-503: The Summerall and Madden announcing team. The two had become the NFL's most famous broadcast duo since they were paired together in 1981 on CBS . After this game, Summerall retired from broadcasting and Madden moved to ABC's Monday Night Football . As a result, Madden was the first person to announce Super Bowls on different networks in consecutive years when he called Super Bowl XXXVII on ABC with Al Michaels . James Brown hosted all
19834-433: The Super Bowl because of a right foot fracture he suffered in the AFC Championship Game. Up front, their line was anchored by Pro Bowl tackle Bruce Matthews . On special teams, speedy rookie Derrick Mason racked up 1,030 combined return yards and a touchdown. Tennessee's defense was also extremely effective. Pro Bowl defensive end Jevon Kearse anchored the line, recording 14.5 sacks to go along with 8 forced fumbles and
20045-508: The Superdome on February 3. On October 3, 2001, the NFL announced its intentions to hold the game on February 3, even though no agreement had been reached with NADA. Several weeks later, the three parties came to an accord in which the NADA agreed to move its convention date to the original Super Bowl week in exchange for financial and other considerations, including promotional spots shown during selected regular season NFL games. This agreement permitted
20256-441: The Titans could have attempted a two-point conversion for the outright win on the final play of the game, although head coach Jeff Fisher claimed in a 2019 interview that he would have taken his chances for overtime. Because the game had already seen the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, "One Yard Short" is considered one of the greatest and most exciting game-ending plays in modern NFL history. The image of Dyson stretching
20467-489: The Titans facing 3rd-and-5, McNair narrowly avoided a sack by defensive ends Kevin Carter and Jay Williams and completed a 16-yard pass to Dyson to set up 1st-and-goal at the Rams' 10-yard line. Tennessee then used up their final timeout with just six seconds left, giving them a chance for one last play to either tie the game and send it into overtime, or go for the two-point conversion for the victory. The game's final play from
20678-556: The Titans' defense forced St. Louis to settle for field goal attempts by Wilkins, who made three out of four attempts from 27, 29, and 28 yards, respectively (his only miss was his second attempt, a 34-yarder that sailed wide right, on the third play of the second quarter). Wilkins' three field goals gave St. Louis a 9–0 halftime lead, but their scoring margin over Tennessee seemed somewhat small, considering they drove into scoring range on every one of their first-half possessions and outgained Tennessee in total yards, 294–89. In addition, Warner
20889-579: The United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football, is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used
21100-405: The United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop
21311-455: The United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in
21522-547: The United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of the role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when
21733-512: The Year Award for the third year in a row in 2001. He rushed for 1,382 yards, caught 83 passes for 765 yards, scored 21 touchdowns, and became the first NFL player ever to gain more than 2,000 combined rushing and receiving yards for 4 consecutive seasons. Running back Trung Canidate was also a major contributor, rushing for 441 yards, catching 17 passes for 154 yards, returning kickoffs for 748 yards, and scoring 6 touchdowns. The Rams offensive line
21944-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
22155-549: The attacks, this was the first Super Bowl designated as a National Special Security Event (NSSE) by the Office of Homeland Security (OHS). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which replaced the OHS in 2003, later established the practice of naming each subsequent Super Bowl an NSSE. Additionally, it was the last Super Bowl to be played in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina ravaged
22366-403: The ball at their own 12-yard line with 1:48 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. After an incomplete pass, a face-mask penalty on cornerback Dré Bly while tackling McNair on a 12-yard scramble gave the Titans a new set of downs at
22577-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
22788-478: The ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
22999-467: The ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp ,
23210-470: The ball to the St. Louis 29-yard line, aided by running back Eddie George 's 32-yard reception from quarterback Steve McNair . However, they also came up empty after kicker Al Del Greco missed a 47-yard field goal attempt wide left. For the rest of the half, the Titans were forced to punt on all of their possessions. Meanwhile, the Rams were able to reach inside the Tennessee 20-yard line on all four of their remaining drives before halftime, but on each one,
23421-556: The ball to the goal line with Jones wrapped around him has become a staple of NFL highlights. ESPN.com ranked "One Yard Short" as the 35th-greatest moment of the past 25 years in sports (as of 2007). NFL.com ranked the tackle as the fourth-greatest clutch moment in Super Bowl history. Fox Sports ranked it as the Greatest Clutch Play in Super Bowl History (as of 2007). Like Dallas Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown , Jones
23632-475: The ball while being tackled by linebacker Roman Phifer , and safety Tebucky Jones returned the fumble 97 yards for a touchdown, but the play was nullified by a holding penalty on linebacker Willie McGinest , who illegally hugged Faulk, giving the Rams a new set of downs on the 1-yard line. Two plays later, Warner scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to cut the Patriots' lead to 17–10. American football American football , referred to simply as football in
23843-643: The best Super Bowls of all time, and one of the most historically significant Super Bowls due to its finale that launched the New England Patriots dynasty . During the NFL's 100th anniversary, this game was ranked as No. 20 of the NFL's Greatest Games of all time. After the Rams’ 1999 season that had culminated in a gripping victory over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV , their offense again dominated
24054-530: The best season of his career and won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award , while finishing second in MVP voting to Warner. He scored 12 touchdowns, rushed for 1,381 yards, and recorded a team-leading 87 receptions for 1,048 yards. In all, Faulk gained a record 2,429 total yards and became just the second running back in NFL history to gain over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season ( Roger Craig
24265-549: The bye week prior to the Super Bowl did not return until 2004. The NFL and New Orleans officials worked diligently to put together a deal to reschedule the game. The league considered a number of options, including shortening the regular season, shortening the playoffs, condensing the three playoff rounds in two weeks, and moving the game to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California . It was eventually decided to make every effort to maintain
24476-491: The city on August 29, 2005; the first since then was Super Bowl XLVII in 2013. This game marked the Rams' third Super Bowl appearance in franchise history and the second in three seasons. St. Louis posted an NFL-best 14–2 regular season record, led by quarterback Kurt Warner and " The Greatest Show on Turf " offense. The Patriots clinched their third Super Bowl berth after posting an 11–5 regular season record, led by second-year quarterback and first-year starter Tom Brady and
24687-405: The conclusion of the song, Bono opened his jacket to reveal an American flag printed into the lining. U2's halftime show captivated the audience as a poignant tribute to those who had been lost in the attacks. In 2009, SI.com ranked it as the best halftime show in Super Bowl history, while it was rated the second-greatest by Askmen.com . Janet Jackson was originally selected to perform during
24898-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
25109-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
25320-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
25531-425: The distance for a 73-yard touchdown reception to give St. Louis a 23–16 lead. Likewise, in the 1951 NFL Championship Game , quarterback Norm Van Brocklin 's 73-yard game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Tom Fears broke a 17–17 tie in the fourth quarter and gave the Rams a seven-point victory to win the NFL title. Warner's touchdown pass to Bruce was his only completion of the fourth quarter. The Titans took
25742-405: The elements. But some residents believe the poor weather during Super Bowl week negatively impacted the city's chances of hosting another Super Bowl, including the bid it lost for Super Bowl XLIII . That bid included meteorological data showing the rarity of such storms in the area. They eventually got the bid to host Super Bowl LIII . Nashville, home of the Titans, is also the midway point of
25953-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
26164-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
26375-411: The events with help from his fellow Fox NFL Sunday cast members Terry Bradshaw , Howie Long , and Cris Collinsworth . Jillian Barberie served as the weather and entertainment reporter during the pre-game show. Memorable television commercials that aired during the game included Columbia Pictures ' trailer for Spider-Man , Budweiser 's "Picking a Card", and Super Bowl Ad Meter commercial of
26586-556: The features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play
26797-468: The field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league; the NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in
27008-535: The field of a touchdown, giving Tennessee the win. The Titans then defeated the Indianapolis Colts , 19–16 in Indianapolis. After both teams exchanged field goals in the first half, George scored on a 68-yard touchdown run to give his team a 13–9 lead. Del Greco then kicked two more field goals in the 4th quarter to put the game away. George finished the game with a franchise playoff record 162 rushing yards and
27219-471: The field to set up kicker Adam Vinatieri 's game-winning 48-yard field goal as time expired. Brady, who completed 16 of 27 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, was named Super Bowl MVP . With the Rams being 14-point favorites, it was the biggest upset in a Super Bowl since Super Bowl III and, as of the 2023 season , the biggest upset since the AFL–NFL merger . Many media outlets regard this Super Bowl as one of
27430-454: The field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance the ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play
27641-466: The field. But as he reached the goal line, he glanced over his left shoulder and noticed an open Dyson catching the ball. Jones switched directions and wrapped up Dyson's legs about two and a half yards short of the end zone. Both players went into a rolling motion as Dyson stretched his hand with the football towards the end zone, attempting to break the plane of the goal line and score. As the rolling motion came to an end with Jones on top of Dyson's legs,
27852-410: The first time that that had happened between teams from two specific cities or regions. This was the eighth meeting between teams from Boston and St. Louis for a major professional sports championship overall. Previously, The Patriots, as the designated home team, wore their home nautical blue jerseys and silver pants, while the Rams donned their road white jerseys and New Century Gold pants. The game
28063-479: The first to be played on the second Sunday of the month. Historically, the NFL made allowance for an open weekend between the Conference Championship games and the Super Bowl . However, there was not one scheduled for 2001, due to the NFL's decision beginning in the 1999 season to move the opening week of games to the weekend after Labor Day . Because the date of the Super Bowl had been set through 2003,
28274-448: The following participants of the game were featured during the coin toss ceremony: Bud Grant , Lamar Hunt , Bobby Bell , Paul Krause , Willie Lanier , Alan Page , and Jan Stenerud . The E-Trade Super Bowl Halftime Show was produced by Disney and titled "Tapestry of Nations" after the Epcot parade of the same name . The show, narrated by actor Edward James Olmos , was inspired by
28485-599: The formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included
28696-507: The franchise's first league championship of any kind. The game was also notable for snapping the AFC East 's long streak of not being able to win a Super Bowl championship, as the division's teams had lost 7 Super Bowls between the Miami Dolphins' victory in 1974 and the Patriots' 2002 win. This was the last Super Bowl to feature the St. Louis Rams; after relocating to Los Angeles in 2016 ,
28907-528: The game away. The Rams then narrowly defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , 11–6 at home, in a hard-fought defensive struggle in the NFC Championship Game . The first half ended with the Rams leading 5–3 on a Jeff Wilkins field goal and after a bad snap by the Buccaneers went through their own end zone for a safety. Tampa Bay then scored a field goal in the 3rd quarter to take the lead. But Warner threw
29118-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
29329-409: The game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as the illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that
29540-505: The game itself, all related events and activities had to be accommodated. This marked the first time in NFL history that the Super Bowl was played in February; all subsequent Super Bowls (excluding XXXVII in 2003) have been played in February. In turn, this and the games from XXXVIII (2004) to LV (2021) were to now be played on the first Sunday in February. The NFL expanded its season from 16 to 17 regular season games, and LVI (2022) became
29751-438: The game near the end of regulation, the first time a Super Bowl team had erased a deficit of more than 10 points. On their ensuing drive, the Rams regained the lead with wide receiver Isaac Bruce 's 73-yard touchdown. Super Bowl XXXIV is best remembered for its final play, in which the Titans reached St. Louis's 10-yard line with six seconds remaining, but linebacker Mike Jones tackled wide receiver Kevin Dyson one yard short of
29962-447: The game was a controversial ruling by referee Walt Coleman in the fourth quarter that caused this game to be commonly known as the " Tuck Rule Game ." While the Patriots possessed the ball, trailing the Raiders 13–10 with under two minutes left in regulation and no time outs, Brady was sacked by defensive back Charles Woodson , and appeared to fumble the ball. The fumble was recovered by Raiders linebacker Greg Biekert , presumably ending
30173-431: The game with a Raiders victory. After reviewing the play using instant replay , Coleman reversed the call on the field pursuant to the " tuck rule ", where a loose ball is ruled an incomplete pass if lost while "tucking" the ball. Most of the controversy centered on whether Brady was still trying to tuck the ball away when he lost control. Brady then led his team to the Raiders 27-yard line, where kicker Adam Vinatieri made
30384-460: The game. The proposed installation method was comparable to what had been used at the Silverdome during the 1994 FIFA World Cup , and at Giants Stadium from 2000 to 2002. The plan called for large trays of grass to be grown and cultivated outdoors, then brought inside the dome and placed on the field for the game. In the end, cost and quality concerns prompted stadium and league officials to abandon
30595-415: The goal line to prevent a potential game-tying (or winning, if the Titans decided to go for a two-point conversion) touchdown. The play became known as " One Yard Short " and " The Tackle ". Rams quarterback Kurt Warner , the first undrafted quarterback to win a Super Bowl, was named Super Bowl MVP after setting Super Bowl records for passing yards and pass attempts without an interception. Warner became
30806-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
31017-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
31228-455: The half, a blitz by linebacker Mike Vrabel led Warner to be intercepted by cornerback Ty Law on a pass intended for wide receiver Isaac Bruce . Law then returned the interception 47 yards for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 7–3 lead. After another exchange of punts, with less than two minutes left in the first half, Warner completed a 15-yard pass to wide receiver Ricky Proehl at the St. Louis 40-yard line, but safety Antwan Harris forced
31439-408: The lead, 16–15. However, Neal received the ensuing kickoff and handed the ball off to Wycheck, who then lateraled the ball to Dyson on the other side of the field, who eventually ran 75 yards to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. The play was reviewed to determine whether Wycheck had lateraled the ball to Dyson or made an illegal forward pass. Referee Phil Luckett upheld the original call on
31650-439: The league in 2000, leading the NFL in passing, scoring, and total yards. However, the Rams had one of the worst defenses in the league, ranking last in points allowed (471). This, along with injury problems and a coaching change from championship-winning coach Dick Vermeil – who resigned just 48 hours after the game – to his offensive coordinator Mike Martz , caused the Rams to slip to a 10–6 record in 2000 . The season ended with
31861-430: The league in total yards gained (6,639), scoring (526 points), and passing touchdowns (42). The Rams' defense led the league in fewest rushing yards allowed (1,189) and fewest rushing touchdowns allowed (4), while giving up just 242 points. Overall, the defense ranked 4th in the league in fewest total yards (5,056). The line was anchored by Pro Bowl defensive end Kevin Carter and defensive end Grant Wistrom . Carter led
32072-412: The league set up a two-round voting system. A city would win if they received 3 ⁄ 4 of the vote during the first round. If neither city won during the first round, the second round would revert to a simple majority. New Orleans won on the second ballot over San Diego in what was described as "close vote". This was the ninth time that New Orleans hosted the game, and fifth time it would be played in
32283-454: The league with 17 sacks , while Wistrom recorded 8.5 sacks and 2 interceptions, returning both for touchdowns and a combined total of 131 yards. Behind them, the Rams had three linebackers: London Fletcher (66 tackles and 3 sacks), Mike Jones (4 interceptions for 96 return yards and 2 touchdowns, and 2 fumble recoveries for 51 return yards and a touchdown), and Todd Collins (72 tackles, a sack, and 2 interceptions for 16 yards). The secondary
32494-606: The most iconic logos in Super Bowl history". Janet Jackson was originally scheduled to perform during the Halftime Show, but allowed U2 to perform to tribute the events of September 11 (Jackson would perform at the halftime show two years later ). This was the final Super Bowl played on the first-generation AstroTurf surface. From 2000 to 2005, NFL stadiums phased out the short-pile AstroTurf in favor of natural grass or other, newer artificial surfaces which closely simulate grass, like FieldTurf . Prior to Super Bowl XXXVI, Superdome officials considered installing natural grass for
32705-503: The most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced the conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in
32916-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
33127-410: The offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking
33338-429: The offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except the center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until
33549-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
33760-448: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
33971-487: The previous season's Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens . New England scored first with a 55-yard punt return touchdown by Brown, but in the second quarter, Brady was knocked out of the game with a sprained ankle. He was replaced by Bledsoe in Bledsoe's first game action since being injured in September. Upon entering the game, Bledsoe quickly moved the Patriots down the field and threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Patten to give
34182-425: The project. The Rams entered as 14-point favorites. This was partly because Rams quarterback Kurt Warner statistically had his best year of his career, with a quarterback rating of 101.4, a 68.7 percent completion rate, and threw for 4,830 yards. Many had believed that the Patriots' Cinderella story was simply a fluke, especially after beating the veteran Oakland Raiders in a controversial playoff game in which
34393-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
34604-448: The receiver's shoulder touched the ground, making him down by contact with the ball just inches short of the goal line. At this point, there were 2 seconds left on the clock, but with no timeouts remaining, the Titans could not run another play before time expired and, therefore, the game was over. Had Dyson scored and the extra point been converted, it would have been the first Super Bowl to go into overtime. Alternatively, had Dyson scored,
34815-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
35026-439: The reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams, the neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912,
35237-456: The regular season 13–3 and advanced to their Super Bowl debut as a wild card . In their first season after retiring the Oilers name, the franchise was making their first playoff run since 1993 and first since moving from Houston to Tennessee . The Rams scored three field goals by halftime and added a third-quarter touchdown to take a 16–0 lead. The Titans responded with 16 straight points to tie
35448-467: The respective delegations. Miami, Atlanta, and Tampa were selected to host XXXIII , XXXIV, and XXXV , respectively. This was the second time that Atlanta hosted the game. The Rams entered 1999 having been among the league's stragglers for a decade. The reasons are many, including, some suggest, mismanagement by executive John Shaw. The franchise moved to a taxpayer-funded stadium in St. Louis, Missouri for
35659-415: The rest of the game. The Titans finally got on the board with a 12-play, 66-yard scoring drive. Wide receiver Derrick Mason returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards to the 34-yard line. From there, five runs by George for 24 yards, three completions from McNair to tight end Frank Wycheck for 15 yards and a 2-yard run by McNair advanced the ball to the St. Louis 25-yard line. Then McNair scrambled 23 yards to
35870-586: The role of starting quarterback, Brady enjoyed immediate success in the regular season, leading New England to a 44–13 win over the Indianapolis Colts in his first start and eventually to an 11–5 record. He completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 2,843 yards and 18 touchdowns with 12 interceptions and was selected to the Pro Bowl . Veteran Pro Bowl wide receiver Troy Brown was the main receiving threat, recording 101 receptions for 1,199 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also adding another 413 yards and 2 touchdowns returning punts. His 14.2 yards per punt return average led
36081-534: The rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of the primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as
36292-483: The run. Behind them, the Patriots had three outstanding linebackers: Mike Vrabel (2 interceptions, 3 sacks), Willie McGinest (5 sacks), and Tedy Bruschi (2 interceptions). The secondary also featured outstanding talent such as defensive back Otis Smith , who led the team with five interceptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Cornerback Ty Law intercepted three passes, returning them for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Safety Lawyer Milloy had two interceptions during
36503-675: The score 21–17. The Patriots ended the comeback attempt by scoring a field goal in the fourth quarter and intercepting 2 passes from Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart in the final 3 minutes of the game. NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXXVI to New Orleans during their October 28, 1998 meeting in Kansas City, Missouri . Two cities made presentations, the other being San Diego ( Qualcomm Stadium ). San Francisco ( Candlestick Park ) had planned to pursue XXXVI, but due to logistical complications, withdrew themselves from consideration, and switched their proposal to XXXVII . With only two choices,
36714-427: The score at 16–16 with just 2:12 left in regulation. The 16–0 deficit was the largest deficit to be erased in a Super Bowl and the first greater than 10 points. It was also the first time in any Super Bowl a team down double digits in the fourth quarter came back to tie the game. Then on the first play of the Rams' ensuing drive, Warner threw a long pass that was caught at the Titans' 38-yard line by Bruce, who then went
36925-433: The score. Jones, who was the Rams' defensive signal-caller, called a 77 Blast, a combination coverage that can be altered as the offense lines up. When the Titans came to the line, Rams safety Billy Jenkins called for three Rams players — he, Jones, and cornerback Dexter McCleon — to play zone coverage against Wycheck and Dyson. As the play began, everything appeared to go as planned. Jones initially ran with Wycheck up
37136-457: The season, and was selected along with Law to represent the New England defense in the Pro Bowl. The defense ended the season ranked sixth in scoring, but 24th in total yards allowed. Following their loss to the Rams at home, the Patriots dropped to 5–5, but did not lose again the rest of the season to clinch a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs. Coincidentally, this was the third straight time that
37347-624: The season, but he was still able to put up solid numbers, throwing for 2,179 yards and 12 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. Despite his injury problems, McNair finished the season as the second-leading rusher on the team with 337 yards and 8 touchdowns. When McNair was out with injuries, the team was able to rely on backup QB Neil O'Donnell , who threw for 1,382 yards and 10 touchdowns, with only 5 interceptions. George also had an outstanding season, rushing for 1,304 yards, and catching 47 passes for 458 yards (his receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns were all career highs). In all, George scored
37558-462: The season, the NFL postponed a week of regular-season games and moved the league's playoff schedule back. As a result, Super Bowl XXXVI was rescheduled from the original date of January 27 to February 3, becoming the first Super Bowl played in February. The pregame ceremonies and the halftime show headlined by the Irish rock band U2 honored the victims of 9/11. Due to heightened security measures following
37769-452: The second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of a round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton,
37980-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
38191-788: The sixth player to win Super Bowl MVP and NFL MVP in a single season, a feat that would go unrepeated for 23 seasons. The game has been called the "Dot-com Super Bowl" for the large amount of advertisements purchased by dot-com companies . Regarded as one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time, it was featured on NFL's Greatest Games as " The Longest Yard ". NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XXXIV to Atlanta during their October 31, 1996, meeting in New Orleans. A total of five cities submitted bids: Miami ( Joe Robbie Stadium ), Atlanta ( Georgia Dome ), Tampa ( Raymond James Stadium ), Phoenix / Tempe ( Sun Devil Stadium ), and Los Angeles ( Coliseum ). The Los Angeles host committee originally
38402-411: The snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform the rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands
38613-621: The speeches by Abraham Lincoln . Because Ronald Reagan had Alzheimer's disease , his wife Nancy appeared on the segment in place of him accompanied by Aaron Copland 's Lincoln Portrait performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of maestro Keith Lockhart . Singers Mary J. Blige and Marc Anthony , along with the Boston Pops, performed " America the Beautiful ". Paul McCartney then sang his post-9/11 song " Freedom ". Afterwards, singer Mariah Carey , accompanied by
38824-523: The sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in
39035-695: The team was owned by Houston , Texas businessman Bud Adams and known as the Houston Oilers . By 1995, however, Adams, like Frontiere, was lured to move his team from Houston, in this case to a new stadium in Nashville, Tennessee . Since this new stadium was not ready until the 1999 season, Adams decided to move his team to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis , Tennessee in 1997 after playing before small Houston crowds in 1996 . The renamed Tennessee Oilers also played before sparse Memphis crowds, and thus spent
39246-646: The team's new starter. Warner, who started the season as a backup to Green, had previously played for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League and the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe . The Rams proceeded to shock the NFL with an NFC-best 13–3 regular season record and outscored their opponents 526–242, the highest scoring margin (284) of any Super Bowl champion. The Rams' high-powered offense, run by offensive coordinator Mike Martz ,
39457-568: The team's third wide receiver, Az-Zahir Hakim , was a big contributor by catching 36 passes for 677 yards and 8 touchdowns, while also returning punts for 461 yards and another touchdown. The Rams' offensive line was led by Pro Bowlers Orlando Pace and Adam Timmerman . Timmerman, acquired by the Rams in 1999, had previously won Super Bowl XXXI with the Green Bay Packers . On special teams, receiver Tony Horne returned 30 kickoffs for 892 yards and 2 touchdowns, giving him an NFL-leading 29.7 yards per return average. Overall, St. Louis's offense led
39668-401: The teams exchanged punts to start the game, the Rams scored first, with quarterback Kurt Warner completing six of seven passes for 43 yards on a 48-yard, 10-play drive to set up a 50-yard field goal by kicker Jeff Wilkins , giving St. Louis a 3–0 lead. At the time, the field goal was the third longest in Super Bowl history. While the rest of the quarter was scoreless, the Patriots were stifling
39879-491: The time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from the college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following
40090-449: The typically high-powered Rams offense by playing physical man coverage with the Rams receivers, forcing them into long drives that would end in punts or field goal attempts. Early in the second quarter, the Rams drove to the New England 34-yard line, aided by Warner's 29-yard completion to wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim on 3rd-and-15, but Wilkins' 52-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left. On St. Louis' next possession, with 8:49 left in
40301-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
40512-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
40723-402: The world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in
40934-584: The year winners Bud Light "Satin Sheets." The best commercial of the year from Adbowl M&M's "Chocolate on our Pillow or Hotel Check In" and EA Sports ' Madden NFL 2002 , which aired during the game three days after Madden NFL 2002 started selling in Japan by Electronic Arts Square . Before the game, an ensemble of singers featured Barry Manilow , Yolanda Adams , James Ingram , Wynonna Judd , and Patti LaBelle performing Manilow's song "Let Freedom Ring." In
41145-604: Was ailing after taking several big hits from the Titans' blitzing defense, and Dick Vermeil considered replacing him at halftime for backup Paul Justin , who had only thrown 14 passes all season; Warner, however, never missed a snap. Both teams' offenses started to get going in the second half. The Titans took the opening kickoff and drove 43 yards to the St. Louis 29-yard line, but still came up empty after Rams cornerback Todd Lyght blocked Del Greco's 47-yard field goal attempt. After that, Warner converted 3rd-and-7 with an 8-yard completion to running back Marshall Faulk , then threw
41356-523: Was an American football game played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia , on January 30, 2000, to determine the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1999 season . The National Football Conference (NFC) champion St. Louis Rams defeated the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Tennessee Titans 23–16 to claim their first Super Bowl win and first NFL championship since 1951 . It
41567-411: Was broadcast in the United States by Fox . The telecast was presented in a 480p enhanced-definition widescreen format marketed as "Fox Widescreen". While promoted as having higher quality than standard-definition , and being the first widescreen sports telecast on U.S. television to use a singular telecast for all viewers (rather than using a separate production exclusive to the widescreen feed), it
41778-461: Was expected of the Rams for 1999. Indeed, ESPN The Magazine ' s 1999 NFL preview predicted the Rams would be the worst team in the NFL, worse even than the Cleveland Browns , who had returned as an expansion team that year. Trent Green , who had just been signed as the Rams starting quarterback, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, making undrafted quarterback Kurt Warner
41989-522: Was going to partner with Pasadena ( Rose Bowl ), but switched their plans to the Coliseum after a renovation plan was announced. However, the Los Angeles bid was dismissed when their delegation failed to convince the owners that planned stadium renovations would be completed in time. Owners initially planned on selecting only two hosts (XXXIII and XXXIV), but decided to name three after strong showings by
42200-515: Was included on the NFL Network's "Top 10 One-Hit Wonders" list (Jones was #10, Brown was #3), Jones also mirrored Brown in his solid if unspectacular career outside of his Super Bowl heroics. After the game, many sports writers commented on Warner's rise from an unknown backup to a Super Bowl MVP , but Warner himself wasn't impressed by it. "How can you be in awe of something that you expect yourself to do?" Warner pointed out. "People think this season
42411-457: Was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish the game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in
42622-470: Was led by London Fletcher , who had 4.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles. St. Louis also had an outstanding secondary, led by Dré Bly (6 interceptions, 150 return yards, and 2 touchdowns), Pro Bowl selection Aeneas Williams (4 interceptions, 69 return yards, 2 touchdowns), and Dexter McCleon (4 interceptions, 66 yards). The Rams also bested the Patriots in a nationally televised ESPN Sunday night game on November 18 at Foxboro Stadium. Although
42833-476: Was led by Pro Bowler Todd Lyght (6 interceptions), Dexter McCleon (4 interceptions), and rookie Dré Bly (3 interceptions). This was the Rams' first playoff appearance since 1989 and only the second Super Bowl appearance in team history. The Titans advanced to their first Super Bowl in team history, after originating as a charter member of the American Football League . From 1960 to 1996,
43044-463: Was led by guard Adam Timmerman and offensive tackle Orlando Pace , who was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive year. The Rams' defense ranked third in the league in fewest yards allowed (4,733). The line was anchored by Pro Bowl defensive end Leonard Little , who led the team with 14.5 sacks and recovered a fumble, and defensive end Grant Wistrom , who recorded 9 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 1 fumble recovery. The Rams linebackers unit
43255-452: Was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year. The linebackers corps was led by Eddie Robinson , who recorded 64 tackles and 6 sacks, while also recovering and forcing 3 fumbles. Their secondary was led by cornerback Samari Rolle , who led the team with 4 interceptions, and veteran safety Marcus Robertson , who would miss the game with a broken leg. The Titans finished the regular season with
43466-659: Was nicknamed " The Greatest Show on Turf ". In Warner's first NFL season in 1998 , he played only one game and threw just 11 passes. But in 1999, he experienced one of the most spectacular seasons ever by a quarterback, recording a passer rating of 109.2, completing 65.1 percent of his passes for 4,353 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just 13 interceptions, and earning the NFL Most Valuable Player Award . Besides Warner, several other Rams compiled significant statistics. Halfback Marshall Faulk , in his first year in St. Louis after spending five seasons with Indianapolis , had
43677-455: Was not true high definition , but still matched the aspect ratio of HDTV sets. The game was called by play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall and color commentator John Madden . Pam Oliver and Ron Pitts served as sideline reporters. This was Summerall's 26th and final Super Bowl broadcast on television or radio (and his 11th doing play by play). It was also the eighth and final Super Bowl telecast, and final NFL telecast of any kind, for
43888-519: Was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922, the NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at
44099-459: Was second-year quarterback Tom Brady , a sixth-round draft pick who had thrown only three passes in 2000. Also, midway through the season, wide receiver Terry Glenn , the team's leading receiver in 2000, was benched due to off-the-field problems. He had been suspended the first four games for failing a drug test and played in just four more before injuries and disputes with the coaching staff caused Belichick to deactivate him for good. Upon assuming
44310-490: Was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl VI , which was played 30 years prior at New Orleans' Tulane Stadium . As was customary at the time, the Rams' individual offensive starters were introduced first, as the Rams were considered the visitors. However, when it came time to introduce the Patriots' starters, Pat Summerall, making the public address announcement , revealed that the Patriots chose "to be introduced as
44521-433: Was the first to do it, in 1985). Faulk held the NFL record for yards from scrimmage in a single season until Tennessee's Chris Johnson broke it in 2009. Faulk wasn't the only weapon at Warner's disposal in 1999. Veteran receiver Isaac Bruce was the top Rams receiver with 77 receptions for 1,165 yards and 12 touchdowns. while breakout rookie wide receiver Torry Holt recorded 52 receptions, 788 yards, and 6 touchdowns. Even
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