The Tackle
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The Tackle (also known as The Longest Yard) was the final play of Super Bowl XXXIV, played by the St. Louis Rams and the Tennessee Titans. It resulted in Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson being tackled by Rams linebacker Mike Jones at the one-yard line, preserving a 23-16 Rams victory.
Given the pressure of the Super Bowl and the wild game that preceded it, the Tackle is generally considered one of the greatest and most exciting game-ending plays in modern National Football League history, and the image of Dyson stretching the ball towards the goal line with Jones wrapped around him has become a staple of NFL highlights.
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[edit] The play
The Titans had just used their final timeout with six seconds remaining. With no more timeouts remaining and the ball on the Rams' 10 yard line, the Titans, trailing by a touchdown, had one last chance to try to tie the game. The plan was to use Titans tight end Frank Wycheck, who would be running straight up the field on the right side, to lure Jones away from Dyson, who would slant left through the middle of the field. With Jones occupying Wycheck, quarterback Steve McNair would pass the ball to Dyson, who would be open from about five yards out for the score.
As the play started, everything appeared to be going as was planned. Jones ran with Wycheck up the field from the beginning of the play. However, as the pass was being delivered to Dyson, Jones, who was at the goal line, glanced over his left shoulder and noticed an open Dyson catching the ball. He switched directions and began to run towards the Titans receiver. Dyson ran directly toward the goal, but his legs were wrapped up by Jones with about two and a half yards left to the goal line.
Since he was being tackled by the legs, there was still the possibility Dyson could reach towards the end zone and get the ball above the goal line. Both players went into a rolling motion of sorts as Dyson - his back in the air but nearly touching the ground, as his legs were on top of Jones - outstretched his hand with the football towards the goal line in the hopes of scoring the touchdown. Though his reach was close, and the ball mere inches away from the end zone, it was still not enough to score. As the rolling motion came to an end, with Jones now on top of Dyson's legs, his shoulder had touched the ground and, therefore, the game was over. Had Dyson scored and the extra point been made, it would have been the first Super Bowl to ever go into overtime.
[edit] ABC call
ABC Sports broadcaster Al Michaels made the following call as the play happened:
- "It is caught by Dyson, can he get in? No, he cannot! Mike Jones made the tackle, and the Rams have won the Super Bowl!"
- Al Michaels, after seconds of St. Louis celebrating, also said this: "While being the Gateway to the West, St. Louis is now also the gateway to the best... football team in the world!"
