The Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans face off on Sunday as the reigning NFC West champions take on a team trying to build back to success in the NFL. But once upon a time, 25 years ago, both of these teams met in the Super Bowl. And one play changed it all for both cities and in particular, two men involved in the game's final play.
All hope seemed lost as the Titans trailed 16-0 midway through the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta.
But just then, the Titans fought back. Led by quarterback Steve McNair and running back Eddie George, they rallied, and after an Al Del Greco field goal with 2:12 left, tied the game at 16. The Rams answered immediately, with Torry Holt catching a pass from Kurt Warner and sprinting to the end zone.
One of the most cinematic finishes in NFL history followed. The Titans drove down the field, seeking a tying score to force overtime. In the final play, McNair throws a short slant at Kevin Dyson. The second-year receiver caught it and gave everything to reach the end zone, but Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled him as Dyson stretched for the goal line.
Dyson fell one yard short, and the Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV 23-16, capping a storybook season. The Titans have not returned to the Super Bowl since. Dyson still carries memories of coming up one yard short:
“I felt like I let everyone down by not scoring. You second-guess everything.”
Today, Dyson—now Dr. Kevin Dyson—is recognized more for his educational achievements, including serving as a school principal in the Middle Tennessee area and providing post-game analysis of the Tennessee Titans on local radio in Nashville. Yet when the Super Bowl comes up, remembering that moment is unavoidable. It brings reflections on what might have been and how a Super Bowl victory could have changed everything:
“Being a world champion changes everything. I think people like Eddie (George) and Steve (McNair) get more credibility for the Hall of Fame nod if we win that game. Scoring that touchdown would have done a lot for the city and franchise as well.”
Dyson still thinks about those moments. He wonders how things would have changed. But that play also changed things for Rams linebacker Mike Jones.
Jones was entering his third season with the Rams after joining from the Raiders. The team had struggled, going 5-11 in 1997 and 4-12 in 1998. Head coach Dick Vermeil, entering Year 3, was under pressure to turn things around, so the Rams signed quarterback Trent Green and traded for Marshall Faulk that offseason. A preseason injury to Green on August 28, 1999, after a hit by Chargers safety Rodney Harrison, tore ligaments in his knee and ended his season. This opened the door for Kurt Warner, who led the Rams on an improbable run to the Super Bowl, where Mike Jones made the tackle that secured the Lombardi Trophy.
The moment seemed big for everyone else, but for Jones, he was just doing his job:
“I made a tackle and it just so happened to be the last play of the Super Bowl. “
But as far as his feelings at the time, Mike explains that he was not feeling excitement, but a different feeling as the clock struck zero and the Rams won the game.
“I was just happy it was over because the first half was so fast and the second half seemed like it would never end.”
For the city of St. Louis, winning in football was new. There had never been a lineage of success, and when this team began to experience success that season, the city was right there with them. Jones said as much when talking about playing in the Super Bowl.
“That Super Bowl. We played it, but the city lived it with us. It was an experience. St. Louis had never had a home playoff game. They had made it to the playoffs, but never had a home playoff game. That year, we had our first home playoff game, our first NFC home championship game, and our first Super Bowl. So the city and us were experiencing something no one had ever experienced before. “
Jones played one more season with the Rams and later joined the Raiders and Steelers before his career was over. Whatever his path, he can always add “Super Bowl Champion” to his name because of January 30, 2000.
“More people knew who I was when I said something. If I was at a place and I said something, people would say, ‘Oh. You’re the guy that made the tackle.’ “
Two men and one play that will forever be remembered by both franchises, cities, and the men themselves.
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