2001 St. Louis Rams season
| 2001 St. Louis Rams season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Mike Martz |
| Owner | Georgia Frontiere |
| Home field | Trans World Dome |
| Results | |
| Record | 14–2 |
| Division place | 1st NFC West |
| Playoff finish |
Won Divisional Playoffs (Packers) 45–17 Won Conference Championship (Eagles) 29–24 Lost Super Bowl XXXVI (Patriots) 20–17 |
| Pro Bowlers | 7 |
The 2001 St. Louis Rams season was the 64th season for the team in the National Football League and seventh season in St. Louis. The Rams set a franchise record for wins in a season (14), while also going a perfect 8–0 on the road. Quarterback Kurt Warner would go on to win his second league MVP award. Along with Warner's 1999 MVP award and Marshall Faulk's 2000 award, the Rams had amassed the last three NFL MVP awards.
The Rams also became the first team in NFL history to open three consecutive seasons with six straight wins and the first to score 500 or more points in three consecutive seasons.
The Rams returned to the Super Bowl for a second time, this time against the 11-5 New England Patriots, led by Bill Belicheck and a young Tom Brady. The Rams lost 20-17.
This was the final season with the Rams as "The Greatest Show on Turf" as Kurt Warner struggled the following two seasons with the team. He was then replaced by Marc Bulger.
With one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2000 (allowing 471 points), the Rams knew an overhaul was needed in this area. First, Lovie Smith was hired away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to serve as defensive coordinator. Smith brought some of his key contributors from the 1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that almost went to the Super Bowl, namely linebacker Don Davis and defensive linemen Chidi Ahanotu and Tyoka Jackson. Linebacker Mark Fields, who led the 2000 New Orleans Saints in tackles, and defensive back Kim Herring, a key member of the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens defense, were both acquired via trade or free agency. The Rams had three first-round draft picks, and all were used on defense. Defensive tackles Damione Lewis and Ryan Pickett, and Adam Archuleta, a linebacker at Arizona State who would be converted to strong safety, were all drafted, along with Florida State linebacker Tommy Polley in the third round. All would be key contributors.
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