What went wrong with our last title defense (2000), and how can we prevent it from happening again?

[AvengerRam]

After the Rams won it all in 1999, they returned with essentially the same roster in 2000. The results, however, were very different, as they went from 13 wins and a division title, to 10 wins, a wild card birth, and a first round exit from the playoffs.

How and why did that happen?

Some might suggest that Kurt Warner's health (he missed 5 games) was a big reason, but Trent Green (16 TDs/5 INTS, 101.8 passer rating) filled in quite nicely.

I'd say the two biggest factors were as follows: (1) turnovers - the Rams gave the ball up 35 times and were -10 in turnover ratio, and (2) the defense, almost inexplicably, collapsed. In yards allowed, the Rams went from 6th in 1999 to 23rd, and from 4th to 31st in points allowed.

To this day, I'm not quite sure how that happened. Perhaps the most obvious "culprit" is Mike Martz, who took over the team after Dick Vermiel "retired" and altered the approach. Perhaps his freewheeling ways, which clearly contributed to the turnover issue, put too much strain on the defense.

So what can we learn from this?

I don't really have a brilliant answer here. Given how things changed under Martz, though, I'm glad that McVay is returning, along with Raheem Morris. If it ain't broke...

 

[Alaskan Ram]

Jesus Christ I don't remember Trent Green suiting up for the rams in regular season 2000. Senility sucks.

 

[RamFan503]

I think you can pin most of it on the regime that pushed Vermeil out the door while Martz demonstrated he was a very good OC but not a HC.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

After the Rams won it all in 1999, they returned with essentially the same roster in 2000. The results, however, were very different, as they went from 13 wins and a division title, to 10 wins, a wild card birth, and a first round exit from the playoffs.

How and why did that happen?

Some might suggest that Kurt Warner's health (he missed 5 games) was a big reason, but Trent Green (16 TDs/5 INTS, 101.8 passer rating) filled in quite nicely.

I'd say the two biggest factors were as follows: (1) turnovers - the Rams gave the ball up 35 times and were -10 in turnover ratio, and (2) the defense, almost inexplicably, collapsed. In yards allowed, the Rams went from 6th in 1999 to 23rd, and from 4th to 31st in points allowed.

To this day, I'm not quite sure how that happened. Perhaps the most obvious "culprit" is Mike Martz, who took over the team after Dick Vermiel "retired" and altered the approach. Perhaps his freewheeling ways, which clearly contributed to the turnover issue, put too much strain on the defense.

So what can we learn from this?

I don't really have a brilliant answer here. Given how things changed under Martz, though, I'm glad that McVay is returning, along with Raheem Morris. If it ain't broke...

Isn’t that also when Lovey came in a didn’t want London Fletcher because he wasn’t the right type of linebacker for the Cover 2 defense. I guess in the cover 2 defense you can’t have good linebackers.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I think you can pin most of it on the regime that pushed Vermeil out the door while Martz demonstrated he was a very good OC but not a HC.

In hindsight Saunders learned enough of Martz offense to run it. They should have kept Vermiel and let Martz move on.

But who knew?

 

[AvengerRam]

Isn’t that also when Lovey came in a didn’t want London Fletcher because he wasn’t the right type of linebacker for the Cover 2 defense. I guess in the cover 2 defense you can’t have good linebackers.

No, that was 2001.

 

[Loyal]

I think you can pin most of it on the regime that pushed Vermeil out the door while Martz demonstrated he was a very good OC but not a HC.

Yeah, and don't let a Martz-like HC, control the player acquisition process. That team died for lack of support....

Damione Lewis says, hi.

 

[Ramon Ram]

We were a dropped punt away from potentially repeating despite the rough regular season.

 

[snackdaddy]

It was a combination of things. Warner going down certainly did hurt. But the defense giving up 30 points per game hurt even more. Even with that the Hakim fumble on the fair catch did us in. Our offense was starting to click. If we win that game the NFC was weak.

We coulda easily gone on a run and faced the Ravens and that defense. The Ravens had everything set up. No one was gonna run on them. They faced teams that were not so good at passing but could run. I have to wonder how that defense woulda fared against an elite passing game. If anyone coulda beat that Ravens team it was the Rams offense.

 

[Selassie I]

You cannot have a punt return man who muffs punts.

 

[AvengerRam]

We were a dropped punt away from potentially repeating despite the rough regular season.

Well... if by "repeat" you mean returning to the divisional round of the playoffs then, yes, we were a dropped punt (and a game winning drive) away from repeating.

 

[Merlin]

In one of Vermiel's pre-retirement announcement interviews he mentioned the defense needing to get a lot tougher/better. I think as usual he knew what was up there.

For this team even if they could run it back with everyone that would be a big mistake. Each year's playoff group is going to be different. There's no guarantee you won't get a team who grows more than you in that offseason if you approach it without your absolute best. So the approach IMO should be to attack this shit like we just came up short. Push the creativity once again to the fucking hilt. And I think that's what they're gonna do.

 

[Loyal]

In one of Vermiel's pre-retirement announcement interviews he mentioned the defense needing to get a lot tougher/better. I think as usual he knew what was up there.

For this team even if they could run it back with everyone that would be a big mistake. Each year's playoff group is going to be different. There's no guarantee you won't get a team who grows more than you in that offseason if you approach it without your absolute best. So the approach IMO should be to attack this shit like we just came up short. Push the creativity once again to the fucking hilt. And I think that's what they're gonna do.

Dump that old bastid Donald! He's on the wrong side of thirty! ~ Merlin

 

[Psycho_X]

Jesus Christ I don't remember Trent Green suiting up for the rams in regular season 2000. Senility sucks.

Yeah Warner broke his pinky on a bad snap from the backup Center against Kansas City if I remember. We were 6-1 up to that point.

Isn’t that also when Lovey came in a didn’t want London Fletcher because he wasn’t the right type of linebacker for the Cover 2 defense. I guess in the cover 2 defense you can’t have good linebackers.

No that was after the 2001 super bowl loss when Fletcher left as a free agent.

As far as that season there were several issues first and foremost was an aging defense in places. Lyle, Lyght, Farr, Agnew, and Jones were all at the end of their careers and were staples on that defense for years. Warner breaking his pinky, while not a huge deal statistically as Green came in and performed well in his absence, had an obvious negative effect on his ability to push the ball downfield when he came back. Having far more turnovers than touchdowns in his return where he was burning the league up the 7 games before that. And of course, Hakim's famous muffed punt against the hated rivals Saints.

I feel like if we manage to win that game we probably would have been in the Super Bowl again as Warner was starting to flash towards end of season. All though the Ravens would have been a tough one to win.

 

[Steve808]

After the Rams won it all in 1999, they returned with essentially the same roster in 2000. The results, however, were very different, as they went from 13 wins and a division title, to 10 wins, a wild card birth, and a first round exit from the playoffs.

How and why did that happen?

Some might suggest that Kurt Warner's health (he missed 5 games) was a big reason, but Trent Green (16 TDs/5 INTS, 101.8 passer rating) filled in quite nicely.

I'd say the two biggest factors were as follows: (1) turnovers - the Rams gave the ball up 35 times and were -10 in turnover ratio, and (2) the defense, almost inexplicably, collapsed. In yards allowed, the Rams went from 6th in 1999 to 23rd, and from 4th to 31st in points allowed.

To this day, I'm not quite sure how that happened. Perhaps the most obvious "culprit" is Mike Martz, who took over the team after Dick Vermiel "retired" and altered the approach. Perhaps his freewheeling ways, which clearly contributed to the turnover issue, put too much strain on the defense.

So what can we learn from this?

I don't really have a brilliant answer here. Given how things changed under Martz, though, I'm glad that McVay is returning, along with Raheem Morris. If it ain't broke...

The Rams defense was a sieve the season after we won super bowl 34.

 

[tempests]

Those turnover numbers were insane. In the Rams seven losses they turned the ball over 28 times. Trent Green did put up great passing numbers but he took way too many sacks. In fact he was sacked more than Warner was, even though he only started five games that year. And yes, our defense gave up too many big plays and had injuries.

2000 was such fine tuned insanity. The Az Hakim/Torry Holt run on MNF. Our only placekicker being injured and having to go for it on every fourth down and two point conversion vs the Falcons. Pouring on 600 yards and 57 points vs the Chargers.

Still think that year's Rams team was the most dominant offense in NFL history.

 

[FrantikRam]

Isn’t that also when Lovey came in a didn’t want London Fletcher because he wasn’t the right type of linebacker for the Cover 2 defense. I guess in the cover 2 defense you can’t have good linebackers.

Fletcher was still a Ram in 2000. In fact, I'm pretty sure most of our defense returned.

 

[Cromwell]

What happened? Belicheat and the Cheatriots were in full Spy Gate mode that's what happened. The Rams had a better offense then any previous year and were favored by 2 touchdowns to win the Superbowl! - And just "mysteriously" the Cheats were the first team all year that "seemed to know our plays" and stop the Greatest Show on Turf. Disgusting, unforgivable and buried by the NFL period.

 

[yrba1]

Basically have McVay and Stafford avoid getting too deep into their bad tendencies, which is force the deep pass when it isn’t there. I’m sure we’ll see that again throughout the regular season but we should see more wrinkles with the playbook come postseason 2023

 

[AZRams]

The Rams defense was a sieve the season after we won super bowl 34.

Looking at you, Dexter McCleon...and don't get me started on Kevin Carter.

Pulled a full-on disappearing act that next year.