In anticipation of Cardinals-Steelers, FanHouse takes a look back at some forgotten storylines from past Super Bowls.Everyone remembers Kevin Dyson stretching out with the football from the one yard-line in a desperate attempt to tie the game in Super Bowl XXXIV as time expired. The Rams won the game, Kurt Warner won the MVP, Dick Vermeil won his only Super Bowl championship, and Vermeil "retired" for Mike Martz to take over as coach.
What many people don't consider about that game is: Why did the Titans only have one timeout on that final drive?
First of all, let me just point out that Jeff Fisher is a damn good coach, and I'm not questioning his methods during the game. This isn't a second-guessing column. It's a "what if" column. When Fisher burned his first timeout, he had no way of knowing his Titans would storm all the way back and desperately need it.
Yes, that's right. When the Titans called their first timeout of the second half, they were trailing 16-0. There were 17 seconds left in the third quarter, and they had the football on the one yard-line. Eddie George scored a touchdown on the next play.
The Titans second timeout came during a drive in which they would cut the Rams' lead to 16-13. Following a 21 yard completion from Steve McNair to Isaac Byrd, the Titans called timeout with 8:33 left in the fourth quarter. They were near mid-field.
Now, if you can get on board with neither of these timeouts really being necessary to the Titans comeback, you can also get on board with the fact that the Titans last drive would have been a bit easier. They ended up having to start at their own 12 yard-line and attempt to drive 88 yards with only one timeout and 1:54 on the clock. They incredibly made it all the way to the one yard-line, and simply ran out of time. Just for argument's sake, let's say the Titans had all three timeouts. They most certainly would have used one during the course of the drive, instead of spiking the football and wasting a down.
Top Super Bowl Images of the 2000s
St. Louis Rams Torry Holt (88) celebrates a 10-yard touchdown in the third quarter as teammate Isaac Bruce (80) looks on during Super Bowl XXXIV at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta Sunday, Jan. 30, 2000. The Rams defeated the Titans 23-16. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Chuck Burton, AP
KRT SPORTS STORY SLUGGED: SUPERBOWL KRT PHOTOGRAPH BY GARY BOGDON/ORLANDO SENTINEL (KRT218) ATLANTA, GEORGIA January 30 -- Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair (9) escapes the grasp of St. Louis defender Grant Wistrom (98) in the closing minutes of Super Bowl XXXIV that ended in a 23-16 Rams victory. (Digital Image) (OR) AP PL KD BL 2000 (Horiz) (GSB) -- NO MAGS, NO SALES --
Gary Bodgon, Orlando Sentinel/MCT
St. Louis Rams wide receiver Issac Bruce (80) runs 73-yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as Tennessee Titans safety Anthony Dorsett (33) tries to tackle him during Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta, Sunday Jan. 30, 2000. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
John Bazemore, AP
Tennessee Titans WR Kevin Dyson is tackled just short of the goal line by St. Louis Rams LB Mike Jones on the last play of Super Bowl XXXIV at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA on January 30, 2000, to give Dick Vermeil his 1st Super Bowl victory. The Rams beat the Titans 23-16. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/NFL)
Mike Zarrilli, NFL/Getty Images
St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, right, gets a hug from Rams head coach Dick Vermeil after the Rams defeated the Tennessee Titans 23-16 to win Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta, Sunday Jan. 30, 2000. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Dave Martin, AP
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Trent Dilfer (8) celebrates with teammates after throwing a 38-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley during the first quarter of Super Bowl XXXV against the New York Giants Sunday, Jan. 28, 2001, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Rick Bowmer, AP
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 28: Baltimore Ravens' defensive end Rob Bunett (90) celebrates tackling New York Giants' quarterback Kerry Collins (5) during first half action in Super Bowl XXXV 28 January, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The New York Giants and the Baltimore Ravens are playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy and the NFL championship. (Photo credit should read PETER MUHLY/AFP/Getty Images)
Peter Muhly, AFP/Getty Images
TAMPA, UNITED STATES: Duane Starks of the Baltimore Ravens runs an interception back for a touchdown during second half action against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV at Raymond James Stadium 28 January 2001 in Tampa, Florida. The New York Giants and the Baltimore Ravens are playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy and the NFL championship. AFP PHOTO/Roberto SCHMIDT (Photo credit should read ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images)
Roberto Schmidt, AFP/Getty Images
28 Jan 2001: Jermaine Lewis #84 of the Baltimore Ravens runs with the ball for a run back touchdown during the Super Bowl XXXV Game against the New York Giants at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The Ravens defeated the Giants 34-7. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport
Andy Lyons, Getty Images
KRT SPORTS STORY SLUGGED: SUPERBOWL KRT PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID BERGMAN/MIAMI HERALD (SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL OUT) (January 28) TAMPA, FLORIDA - Baltimore linebackers Ray Lewis (#52) and Peter Boulware (#58) walk off the field after a series in the first half of Super Bowl XXXV. (MI) PL KD BL 2001 (Horiz) (smd) (Digital image)
David Bergman, Miami Herald/MCT
Having an extra timeout when the end-zone was in striking range would have made it much easier for the Titans to score a touchdown. In fact, they had been having their way with the Rams defense for the past quarter and a half, so it's not much of a leap to believe they would have tied the football game. This would have only sent to the game to overtime, but can you imagine the fallout had the Titans won the game in OT?
- Vermeil would have never won a Super Bowl. He may not have retired as coach, meaning Martz may have eventually taken another head coaching job, instead of waiting around for the old man to finally retire.
- McNair's legacy would be a lot more solid with that Super Bowl ring, especially since he heroically led the game-tying and presumably game-winning drives.
- Finally -- and this one is the most applicable to this year's Super Bowl -- the debate this week in Tampa wouldn't be about Warner's possible enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. Nope. Instead, we'd all be talking about if Warner could finally win the big game, instead of "choking again." He threw for over 400 yards and didn't turn the ball over in that game against Tennessee, but we all know how everything is put on the quarterback in NFL games, especially in the playoffs. Just ask Donovan McNabb.
I realize there are a ton of hypotheticals here, but it really goes to show how significantly one play -- a third quarter timeout, no less -- can alter history in games of this magnitude.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-30-2009 @ 10:39AM
Niv said...
I know this is a what if column so here's my "what if".
Jeff Fisher calls a timeout with 17 seconds left in the 3rd quarter and Eddie George scores a TD. What if the refs made the appropriate call and ruled George was down by contact as his knee was clearly down at the one yard line before he stood up and powered his way in? The game simply would have had an anti climatic end to it, instead of it being maybe the most exciting finish in Super Bowl history.
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1-31-2009 @ 10:20PM
Bob said...
I just wish Eddie George would've got a ring before his career fizzled out...but his loss gave rise to one of my favorites of today--Kurt Warner.
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