a team to the Super Bowl. Without him we don't go." Quarterback Marc Bulger said about Martz, "He was by far the smartest football mind I've ever been around. The things he was teaching was so far ahead of what others were teaching." Head coach Vermeil retired on February 2, 2000 (although he soon returned to coach the Kansas City Chiefs), and Martz was promoted to the head coaching position that same day. He led the Rams to a 10–6 regular season record, but they lost in the 1st round of the playoffs to the New Orleans Saints 31–28. 2001 saw the Rams cruise to a 14–2 record (with Martz's signature, fast-paced, quick-striking offense—nicknamed "the Greatest Show on Turf" by the media—quarterbacked by two-time league MVP Kurt Warner) and the NFC West title. Martz's Rams went on to win the NFC Championship against the Eagles, before losing Super Bowl XXXVI to New England. In 2002, the Rams had a see-saw season in which Kurt Warner played injured and committed an unusually high number of turnovers. Also, star running back Marshall Faulk was no longer the factor he had been in previous years—although many critics blamed this on Martz's tendency to emphasize pass plays, at the expense of running plays. In 2003, Marc Bulger's first full year as a starter, the Rams fielded a much-improved defense under defensive coordinator Lovie Smith and led the NFL in forced turnovers, and they posted a 12–4 regular season record and made the playoffs. However, the Rams lost at home in the NFC divisional playoffs to the Carolina Panthers in a game that would have put them in the NFC title game. In that game, the Rams had the ball on the Panthers' 15-yard line with 42 seconds remaining and trailing by 3 points. Rather than go for the win in regulation, Martz made the controversial decision to run out the clock and settle for a game-tying field goal and overtime. The decision proved costly for the Rams as they lost in double overtime. In 2004, the Rams got off to a slow start and Martz's popularity with the fans began to wane; the "online community" was particularly hostile. Despite the early struggles, a late-season rally combined with a weak NFC West allowed the Rams to sneak into the playoffs as a wild-card with an 8–8 record. They had to overcome an unusual number of