Couldn't have gone to the Super Bowl without...

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Wouldn't have gone to the Super Bowl without...

  • Kurt Warner

    Votes: 21 24.4%
  • Marshall Faulk

    Votes: 56 65.1%
  • Orlando Pace

    Votes: 7 8.1%
  • Isaac Bruce

    Votes: 2 2.3%
  • Torry Holt

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    86

Thordaddy

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Rich
Vermeil was actually thinking about signing Jeff Hostetler.

Martz talked him out of it and If Martz had been a choice I'd have taken that one, but as is ,I said Faulk,his offensive production alone screams it, but his on the field coach ability was immeasurable / Bruce would have been a hit as would any of them,but Marshal was da man
 

Rmfnlt

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I know this isn't what the intent was (to have to choose)... but I don't think they make it without any of them... or the other players on the team.

As I recall as much of that season as my bad memory will allow, it was always someone different who surprised me and came up with a play I never would have believed they could.

But, in the spirit of the thread, if you put a gun to my head and all... I'd say Faulk.
 

Zaphod

Hall of Fame
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Honestly, I really can't just pick one.

Every one of those players played MAJOR roles in the team's success that year.

Would Holt have been as successful without Bruce? Or the other way around? Neither one of them would have had a chance without Warner getting that ball to them.

And what about Faulk? He really was a catalyst to that offense, not only could you hand the ball off to him to keep defenses honest, he was great at catching passes and blocking for that crazy determined Kurt Warner when needed.

But he was just one person blocking, which brings me to Orlando Pace, Tom Nutten, Mike Gruttadauria, Adam Timmerman and Fred Miller. Therefore, my vote went to Pace since the O line rarely gets credit, though I believe they all were very key to the that awesome year.
 
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Rams43

Hall of Fame
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Jun 20, 2014
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Geez, what a toughie, X!

But a fun topic for the summer doldrums time of year, that's for sure.

I would love to have an "all of the above" vote because I truly think that was a synergy year if ever there was one. The whole became far greater than the sum of the parts, as magnificent as those parts were.

Besides, it's kinda like being asked to pick your favorite child. Lol.

But in the spirit of the topic and after an excruciating process of elimination, I cast my vote for Warner.

It all starts with the QB.
He touched the ball on every play.
He read the D and changed plays as needed.
He always seemed to know which man would be open.
He had an uncanny ability to hit the receiver in stride.
He could complete passes short, medium, and deep.
He used ALL of his weapons giving the D no ability to "cheat".
He fearlessly held the ball for that last split second enabling his target to get free.
He was "throwing his man open" before the term was even invented.

I think we might have made the playoffs with Green, but I doubt we would have won the SB without Warner. His skills enabled Faulk, Bruce, Holt, and others to be all that they could be, IMO.

Having said all that, what a remarkable group of players were assembled on that team. Offense, Defense, and ST were all loaded.

Simply loaded...
 

RamFan503

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Stu
I had to go with Marshall in a slight edge over Kurt though you could argue that because Kurt also took AZ to the SB, he was the catalyst. Very tough choice though between Marshall, Kurt, and Sir Isaac.
 

-X-

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The Dude
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #49
Now let me make a point. The popular consensus is that we couldn't have made it without any one (1) of the choices playing.
So, would they have even made the playoffs with (all of the following)...

Kurt Warner and:

Ryan Tucker at RT, Fred Miller at LT
Robert Holcombe at RB
Ricky Proehl, Chris Thomas, and Az Hakim as the starting 3 receivers
With a strength of schedule of +3.4 instead of -5.9
Al Saunders as offensive coordinator
An interim defensive coordinator?

No? Then why is Sam expected to do it?
 

MrMotes

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May 6, 2014
Messages
954
Of the available choices, Faulk.

But Martz is the right answer, imo.
 
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Ramatik

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Jun 24, 2010
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669
We all know that it's a team game but Warner was "the straw that stirs the drink."

Faulk was All World. Isaac too. What a great team. But only one guy made it back with a different cast. Faulk was on a different team and so were many of the others. Only Kurt did it twice.
 

DR RAM

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Remember the perfect storm of things that went wrong a few years ago. That year was a perfect storm of things going our way.
 

blue4

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blue4
I completely give Warner credit as the main catalyst and leader of the Cardinals SB run. But, in St Louis, has to be Faulk. I think watching Green in preseason, 2000 season, and the great years in KC show that he was good enough to get to the big game with that team. I say this not to underrate Warner as a QB, but to correct the notion (IMHO) that Green was not in his league. You also have to wonder if we would have went there without Kevin Carter, who had the 2nd best season for a DL in Stl history. Again IMHO.
 

DaveFan'51

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Considering Faulks 2000+ yards rec. & Rushing, the fact Warner himself has said " Having Faulk on the Field next to me was like having another QB next to me" (as close as I can quote him) I go with Faulk! ( add in the fact he saved Warner butt with a few key Blocks)
 

The Rammer

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Rick
I think I've heard every one of those players listed in the poll and Martz/Vermeil all say "yes, we had a lot of talent on that team but Marshall was the engine and/or catalyst that made that vehicle go."

Marshall gets my vote
 

551staaa

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The best prediction I have ever made was after Green went down with the knee and I started reading up on this Warner guy. I told my wife that, coming from the Arena League, he had to be able to get rid of the ball quickly and that could work to his advantage. Did he ever. And the guy hit the receivers in stride. That offense was a gun and Warner was the trigger.
 

HometownBoy

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Aaron
I give Warner the nod as far as this goes, he was the thing that tipped us over. They were always a good team, they just needed a good guy doing the plays and without him we'd probably have gone nowhere like Banks took us.
 

MrMotes

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We had Warner in '98.

But we also had a philosophy that Tony Banks gave us the best chance to win...
 

Stranger

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Hugh
Me. We wouldn't have gone to the SB if it wasn't for me.

You're welcome.