Kurt Warner takes credit for the start of Tom Brady-Patriots dynasty
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots faced Kurt Warner and the (then) St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl 36, the first Super Bowl appearance for a young Brady.
The Patriots were victorious, with the first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback winning his first Super Bowl as the Patriots defeated the "Greatest Show on Turf" by a score of 20-17.
This would have been the Rams' second Super Bowl victory in a three-year span as they won the 2000 Super Bowl against the Tennessee Titans, 23-16. Former Rams and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Warner said he thinks about this loss the most out of any, as it also jump-started Brady and the Patriots' dynasty.
"So not only did you lose that opportunity, but you also know that it started the great Patriots, Tom Brady dynasty," he said. "You're always going to be at the beginning of that story," said Warner.
Warner reflected on the Super Bowl loss, stating he thinks about it often and that the Rams didn't play their best game that night.
"I think about that Super Bowl quite often," Warner told USA TODAY Sports. "If there's one game I think about more than any others, winning the Super Bowl or even the third Super Bowl that I lost at the end to Pittsburgh, it's the game against the Patriots because we didn't play our best game on that big stage. You just go 'Man, we missed an opportunity to do something great.'"
Kurt Warner says he still thinks about the Rams' Super Bowl 36 loss to the Patriots – NFL News dlvr.it/SJkhKW https://t.co/fpe37FKb1o
Tom Brady and Kurt Warner in Super Bowl XXXVI matchup
Heading into their Super Bowl XXXVI matchup, the Rams were 14-point favorites to defeat the Patriots in Super Bowl 36, one of the largest spreads in Super Bowl history.
Kurt Warner and the Rams struck blood first on the first drive with a field goal, but the Patriots responded with a 47-yard pick six from cornerback Ty Law.
The Patriots got some mojo off of that play as Brady tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to David Patten before halftime ended, resulting in a 14-3 New England lead for the Patriots at halftime.
The Patriots went up by two touchdowns as kicker Adam Vinatieri hit a field-goal for the first score of the second-half. Warner and the Rams scored on the following drive, off of a one-yard touchdown run.
The Rams tied the game with 1:30 left after Warner found receiver Ricky Proehl for a 26-yard touchdown reception.
On the ensuing drive, the Patriots got within field goal range after having no timeouts and spiked the ball with seven seconds left. Vinatieri hit the game-winning 48-yard field goal as time expired to win the game, 20-17.
This was the jumpstart of the Patriots' dynasty.
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