We all know the old saying; time flies when you’re having fun.
This just in; it also moves pretty fast when things aren’t going so well.
It is almost hard to believe that it has been 10 years since the St. Louis Rams enjoyed a winning season. The team did reach the playoffs as an 8-8 wild-card team in 2004 but the last time the “Greatest Show on Turf” was truly great was 2003.
It has also been 10 years since the Carolina Panthers made their last and only Super Bowl appearance. Led by head coach John Fox and quarterback Jake Delhomme, the upstart Panthers had the New England Patriots on the ropes at Houston’s Reliant Stadium in Super Bowl XXXVIII before Tom Brady and Adam Vinatieri rescued Bill Belichick’s team in the closing seconds, 32-29.
But how did the Panthers get a chance to give the Pats some problems in Houston? The 2003 playoffs started for the NFC South champions with a 29-10 win over Bill Parcells’ Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round. Then Delhomme and company headed to St. Louis to face the 12-4 Rams, who were led by quarterback Marc Bulger and still many of the offensive pieces that had won Super Bowl XXXIV and reached Super Bowl XXXVI.
But on this day, both of these clubs would take some time reaching the end zone on a consistent basis. Through the first three quarters of the contest, there was one touchdown scored (on an offensive fumble recovery by Panthers wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad) and a combined seven field goals kicked by Carolina’s John Kasay (3) and St. Louis’ Jeff Wilkins (4). Hence the Panthers took a 16-12 lead into the fourth quarter.
Bulger, who would throw for 332 yards by game’s end, was picked off by safety Mike Minter early in the fourth quarter and Carolina extended their lead to 23-12 when running back Brad Hoover ran seven yards for a touchdown with 8:50 to play. And when Bulger was picked off again on his next pass attempt, the Panthers were seemingly in business.
But the Rams would get the ball back with 6:29 to play, march 57 yards on 15 plays, get a one-yard touchdown run from Marshall Faulk and a two-point conversion from Bulger to Dane Looker and narrow Carolina’s lead to 23-20 with 2:39 to play.
Wilkins then not only attempted an onside kick but would recover the ball himself. And since he was busy doing everything himself, his 33-yard field goal as time expired sent the game into overtime tied at 23-all.
The extra session would feature a scoreless fifth quarter but the teams did try, with both Kasay (45 yards) and Wilkins (52 yards) missing field goals.
Late in the quarter, the Rams did mount a drive. Taking over at his team’s own 13-yard line, Bulger would get St. Louis to the Panthers’ 38-yard line but was picked off by cornerback Ricky Manning at the 35. And then just when you thought things were already interesting, they turned spectacular.
First, Panthers running back DeShaun Foster was thrown for a one-yard loss. On the next play, Delhomme was sacked. So it’s 3rd-and-14 from the Carolina 31 and then…
Delhomme to Steve Smith for 69 yards and a score on the first play of the sixth quarter…
Panthers 29, Rams 23, just like that. A week later, Fox’s team would beat the Eagles in Philadelphia in the NFC title game before eventually falling to those Patriots.
