The Buffalo Bills were one of the more dominant teams in the NFL in the early and late 90s. There was no surprise that they found themselves in the playoffs in the 1999 NFL season. It was likely the last run for Bills legends such as Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, and Thurman Thomas. This run meant more.
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Facing them were the Tennessee Titans, who were known as the Houston Oilers throughout the early 90s. The Oilers found success, typically getting to the playoffs, but could never get past the divisional round. They wanted a Super Bowl appearance. They were the clear underdogs here, but they weren’t a side to be taken lightly. 2000 was turning out to be the franchise’s best season.
And man, did they rise to the occasion, going toe-to-toe with the Bills.
Setting up the Iconic Play
Titans quarterback Steve McNair scored the only touchdown in the first half via a one-yard touchdown run. Tennessee took a 12-0 lead into halftime, controlling the game defensively. Bills quarterback Rob Johnson was sacked six times, fumbled three times, and threw for 131 yards.
The second half was a different story. Buffalo stormed back.
Bills running back Antowain Smith scored a four-yard touchdown run to get Buffalo in the game. Buffalo scored another touchdown, giving them the lead 13-12 in the fourth quarter.
A Crazy Fourth Quarter
With six minutes remaining, the Titans got the ball back, trying to reestablish the lead. The scales tipped to their side once again after kicker Del Greco drilled a 36-yard field goal to take a 15-13 lead late in the fourth quarter.
The Bills needed a response.
Johnson struggled all day. But if they were to move on in the playoffs, he needed to step up and make plays. A beaten-down Johnson did exactly that.
Last-minute NFL wins 🤝 January 8 ➡️ In 2000, the Titans defeated the Bills 22-16 in a Wild Card playoff game on a walk-off kickoff return TD with a lateral from Frank Wycheck to Kevin Dyson.
He lost his shoe during a scramble, but was able to complete a pass to Bills receiver Peerless Price, who broke a tackle and got out of bounds in Tennessee territory. Bill’s head coach, Wade Phillips, decided to send out the field goal team with under 20 seconds remaining to try to win the game. Bills kicker Steve Christie had the entire city of Buffalo holding its breath.
The ball was snapped, and Christie ran up to make the 41-yard kick. The ball was off and good, and gave Buffalo the lead 16-15 with just mere seconds remaining.
And then came the Music City miracle
The ‘Home Run Throwback’ play was developed by Titans special teams coordinator Alan Lowry. Tennessee practiced it once per week throughout the regular season.
But for this key moment, the two main options who would receive the lateral weren’t available. Derrick Mason suffered an injury during the game, and Anthony Dorsett wasn’t available either. Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson was chosen to execute the play, and head coach Jeff Fisher had to call him over to explain it.
The Music City Miracle still has to be seen in order to be believed 😳 @Titans
Bills’ special teams coordinator, Bruce DeHaven, opted for a poach kick, which resulted in the shorter kick on the play. The ball found Titans receiver Frank Wycheck’s hand, who knew how to execute the lateral pass.
Bills defenders surround Wycheck, who ran up the right side of the field. And as practiced, Wycheck threw the ball back across the field to Dyson. The WR caught the ball, and you could see the wide-open lane in front of him. He ran 75 yards and into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown score with three seconds remaining.
The officials reviewed the play and confirmed it. The Titans won the game 22-16, with the play going down in history.
The aftermath
The Titans advanced in the playoffs and eventually reached the Super Bowl. They lost to the St. Louis Rams 23-16, and the run would go down as one of the greatest playoff runs in franchise history.
For the Bills, it would essentially blow up their roster and go on one of the more disappointing runs in franchise history. The team missed the playoffs for the next 17 seasons. This was a miracle for one side, but an agony for the other.
“One minute we’ve won the game, then it’s gone,” Christie told the Democrat and Chronicle. “I don’t know what to say.”
He said that as he ran to stop Dyson from making those 75 yards, his “heart sank.” That probably must have been the feeling of every Buffalo fan in those last few seconds, while the Titans fans kept roaring on. They’ll probably remember that sound forever.