The Music City Miracle

Lore & Background

The 1999 Tennessee Titans season was the 40th in franchise history and the first in which the team was identified as the Titans, having previously played as the Oilers. Steve McNair began the year as the team's starting quarterback. However, after an opening-week victory, he was diagnosed with a ruptured disc, and Neil O'Donnell assumed the starting role. O'Donnell led the team to a 4–1 record before McNair returned to finish the season. The team's rushing attack was led by Eddie George, who ran for 1,304 yards and nine touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl selection. The team leader in targets and receptions was tight end Frank Wycheck, while Kevin Dyson led the team in receiving yards. Rookie defensive end Jevon Kearse, selected with the 16th pick in the 1999 NFL draft, recorded 14.5 sacks and led the NFL with eight forced fumbles, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year at season's end. The Titans finished 13–3, but the Jacksonville Jaguars won the AFC Central with a 14–2 record. Both of the Jaguars' losses came against the Titans. Earning a Wild Card berth in the 1999–2000 playoffs, the Titans had the best record of any team in NFL history to not win its division. The Buffalo Bills possessed one the NFL's best defenses in 1999. The unit allowed the fewest yards (252.8) and second-fewest points (14.3) per game. Running backs Jonathan Linton and Antowain Smith shared backfield carries, while wide receiver Eric Moulds led the team with 994 receiving yards. Several veteran players who had been a part of the Bills' four consecutive Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s played minor roles, including Andre Reed, Bruce Smith and Thurman Thomas. The Bills finished 11–5, qualifying for the postseason for the eighth time in the decade. Prior to the teams' Wild Card game, some fans and media members believed that the winner could be a serious contender to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

In Their Own Story

The cold Nashville air bit at the sideline as the clock ticked under ten seconds. Mark Sanchez scanned the field, the roar of LP Field drowning out the play call. He dropped back, feeling the pressure of the entire franchise on his shoulders. The ball spiraled high into the night sky, a white streak against the stadium lights.

Reader's Guide

The kickoff-return play was named Home Run Throwback by the Titans and was developed by special teams coordinator Alan Lowry. He had learned the play in 1982 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff, watching SMU execute a similar kickoff return to score the winning touchdown in the final seconds of its game at Texas Tech. The Titans had practiced the play once per week during the regular season. The practices usually involved starting kick returner Derrick Mason; however, he had suffered an injury earlier in the playoff game and was unavailable for the final seconds. The second option for the play, Anthony Dorsett, was suffering from cramps and was also unavailable for the play. As a result, the Titans designated Isaac Byrd as their main option to retrieve the lateral pass, with Kevin Dyson trailing behind him. As one of the team's leading wide receivers, Dyson rarely practiced with the special-teams unit and was unfamiliar with the layout of the play. Head coach Jeff Fisher briefed Dyson just before the play. After observing Frank Wycheck playing a throwing game during downtime at practice, Titans offensive coordinator Les Steckel had designed an option pass play with Wycheck in mind. The Titans ran that play against the Atlanta Falcons during the 1999 regular season, and Wycheck threw a 61-yard touchdown pass. After the success of this play, Lowry assigned Wycheck to throw the lateral on Home Run Throwback.

Did You Know?

• The play occurred on January 8, 2000, at Adelphia Coliseum (now Nissan Stadium) in Nashville, Tennessee.
• The final score was Titans 22, Bills 16.
• The winning touchdown was scored by Kevin Dyson on a 75-yard run after a lateral from Frank Wycheck.
• The Titans' quarterback was Steve McNair; the Bills' quarterback was Rob Johnson.