Way-Back Playback: Rams stop Kevin Dyson one yard short in Super Bowl XXXIV

by Arun Srinivasan
Reuters

Kevin Dyson was a yard away from sending Super Bowl XXXIV into overtime.

The Tennessee Titans trailed the St. Louis Rams 23-16 heading into the final play of the game, hoping to extend their unlikely playoff run.

St. Louis held a 9-0 lead at halftime and the Rams had a seemingly insurmountable advantage when league MVP Kurt Warner threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Torry Holt with 11:19 remaining in the third quarter. 

However, Tennessee wouldn't go down without a fight. Eddie George punched in two touchdown runs - the first of which the Titans missed the two-point conversion - and Al Del Greco kicked a 43-yard field goal, tying the game at 16 apiece. 

Warner stopped the bleeding, hitting Isaac Bruce in stride. Bruce evaded two defenders and scampered for a 73-yard touchdown, giving the Rams a 23-16 lead with 2:12 remaining.

Steve McNair executed the two-minute drill perfectly, driving his team to the 10-yard line.

On the final play of the game, McNair set Dyson in motion to take advantage of a scrambled Rams' defense. McNair threw a bullet to Dyson, who extended towards the goal line but was stopped inches short by Rams linebacker Mike Jones, and St. Louis escaped with its first Super Bowl title. 

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