Music City Miracle
Encyclopedia
The Music City Miracle is the name commonly given to a play that took place on January 8, 2000 during the National Football League
's 1999–2000 playoffs. It occurred at the end of the Wild Card Playoff
game between the Tennessee Titans
and Buffalo Bills
at Adelphia Coliseum (now known as LP Field) in Nashville, Tennessee
.
coach Wade Phillips
created a stir by starting quarterback Rob Johnson, rather than Doug Flutie
, who had started 15 games and had led the team to the playoffs.
sacked Buffalo quarterback Rob Johnson in the end zone for a safety. Johnson completed just 10 of 22 passes while being sacked 6 times, including twice by Kearse. Wide receiver Derrick Mason
returned the free kick 42 yards to the Bills' 28-yard line; five plays later, Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair
scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. After forcing a punt, the Titans drove 56 yards in 11 plays. Kicker Al Del Greco
initially missed a 45-yard field goal attempt, but the Bills were penalized for defensive holding on the play and Del Greco's second attempt was good from 40 yards on the last play of the half. At the end of the half, the Bills were trailing 12-0 and had managed to gain only 64 yards, while also losing 44 yards on 9 penalties.
broke off a 44-yard run, sparking a 62-yard drive that ended with his 4-yard touchdown run 4 plays later. Later on, the Bills drove 65 yards, featuring a 37-yard completion from Johnson to Eric Moulds
, with a roughing the passer penalty on Kearse adding another 15. Smith finished the drive with another 4-yard touchdown run, giving the Bills a 13-12 lead after receiver Kevin Williams
dropped a pass from Johnson on the two-point conversion attempt.
's 16-yard punt return and 5 carries from Eddie George
for 17 yards set up a wobbly 36-yard field goal by Del Greco. The Titans took a 15-13 lead with 1:48 to go. On the ensuing drive, with no timeouts remaining, Bills quarterback Johnson led the Bills on a 5-play, 37-yard drive to the Titans' 24 yard line. On the last play from scrimmage, Johnson played with only 1 shoe on, as he had lost one and had no time to put it back on, with the clock running out. With only 16 seconds remaining in the game, Steve Christie
, the Bills' kicker, made a 41-yard field goal to put Buffalo in the lead, 16-15.
Moments later, Christie kicked off, and Titans player Lorenzo Neal
received. Neal handed the ball off to Titans tight end Frank Wycheck
, who threw a lateral across the field to another Titans player, Kevin Dyson
, who then ran down the sidelines for a 75-yard touchdown
.
The play was named "Home Run Throwback" by the Titans and was developed by Special Teams Coordinator Alan Lowry
. The Titans ran the play regularly in practices during the regular season, though the practices usually involved Derrick Mason
, who had been injured earlier in the game and was unavailable for the situation. Dyson, as one of the team's lead wide receivers, rarely practiced with the special teams unit and was largely unfamiliar with the layout of the play. Nevertheless, his execution of Lowry's vision was flawless.
rules, a booth review was called. The play was reviewed by referee Phil Luckett
because it was uncertain if the ball had been a forward pass
, which is illegal on a kickoff return. After a long official review, video was inconclusive to overturn, and the ruling on the field was upheld as a touchdown.
The Titans made one final kickoff, and the clock expired during the Bills' return. The Titans held on to win by a score of 22-16.
pointed out, the original objective of the play was not to achieve a direct score (a touchdown); it was to have the receiver (Dyson) advance the ball into the range of Del Greco, the Titans’ placekicker. To do this, Dyson would have to advance the ball to a down-field spot well within the kicker’s range. Fisher later stated that as the play continued with Dyson getting closer to the Bills’ end zone, he was concerned that Dyson would be tackled without scoring with no time remaining.
As the play was drawn up, the receiver of the kickoff was also supposed to execute the lateral. The Titans' tight end, Frank Wycheck
, was supposed to receive the ball and throw the lateral. However, Wycheck was completely out of position to receive the kickoff.
Wycheck was between Dyson (on the left side facing downfield) and Neal (on the right side), with Wycheck closer to Neal. Lorenzo Neal then met Wycheck on the run and handed the ball to him. Wycheck, who had been running laterally toward Neal (to the right side of the field), knew that the play required him to execute a lateral to Dyson, who was on the left side of the field. Wycheck continued his lateral run to the right so it appeared to be a developing single reverse (by Neal and Wycheck) end-around run to the right (by Wycheck).
Wycheck then abruptly stopped, by planting his passing foot and pivoting to his left. Once he'd aligned himself to throw the lateral (i.e., a pass which does not advance in yardage down field), he threw a low pass to Dyson. Dyson scooped the pass up ankle-high, turned to his left and began running straight down field.
Dyson himself later commented that the only Bills player who was in position to have a chance of a play on him was the kicker. And as Dyson stated, if he (Dyson) a starting NFL wide receiver, could not outrun a place kicker, he (Dyson) didn’t belong in the NFL.
, allowed the Tennessee franchise to advance to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs for the first time since 1993. Subsequent victories over the Indianapolis Colts
and Jacksonville Jaguars
sent the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV
to face the St. Louis Rams
. They were defeated, however, in another game that went down to the final seconds, known as "One yard short" or "The Tackle."
For the Bills, it led to the firing after 13 seasons of special teams coach Bruce DeHaven
. One year later, Phillips was fired (partly due to his failure to lead the Bills past the first round of the playoffs during his tenure) and replaced by Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams
. DeHaven has since been re-hired by the Bills in the same position he held prior to his dismissal.
It was added to the list of infamous moments in Buffalo sports history, joining Wide Right
and "No Goal". The Bills have yet to make the playoffs since the incident.
NFL Films hired a computer analyst to determine if Luckett had made the correct call. They determined that the ball had in fact, not traveled forward and that Luckett had made the correct ruling.
and Pat Ryan
on the Tennessee Titans Radio Network:
But then a question of whether or not Wycheck's lateral to Dyson was actually a lateral arose. Luckett reviewed the play, and once Luckett had decided that the call would stand, Keith said this:
When he announced his ruling, Keith and Ryan had another exchange:
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's 1999–2000 playoffs. It occurred at the end of the Wild Card Playoff
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
game between the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
and Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
at Adelphia Coliseum (now known as LP Field) in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
Game details
Going into the game, BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
coach Wade Phillips
Wade Phillips
Wade Allen Phillips is the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans and former head coach for the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills. He was also an interim head coach for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons...
created a stir by starting quarterback Rob Johnson, rather than Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
, who had started 15 games and had led the team to the playoffs.
First half
After a scoreless 1st quarter, the Titans opened up the scoring when Jevon KearseJevon Kearse
Jevon Kearse , nicknamed "The Freak," is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League for eleven seasons during the late 1990s and 2000s...
sacked Buffalo quarterback Rob Johnson in the end zone for a safety. Johnson completed just 10 of 22 passes while being sacked 6 times, including twice by Kearse. Wide receiver Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
returned the free kick 42 yards to the Bills' 28-yard line; five plays later, Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. After forcing a punt, the Titans drove 56 yards in 11 plays. Kicker Al Del Greco
Al Del Greco
Albert Louis Del Greco is a former American football placekicker and a current sports radio personality and high school coach in Birmingham, Alabama.-Biography:...
initially missed a 45-yard field goal attempt, but the Bills were penalized for defensive holding on the play and Del Greco's second attempt was good from 40 yards on the last play of the half. At the end of the half, the Bills were trailing 12-0 and had managed to gain only 64 yards, while also losing 44 yards on 9 penalties.
Second half
In the second half, the Bills managed to rally back. On Buffalo's first play of the third quarter, Antowain SmithAntowain Smith
Antowain Drurell Smith is a former American Football running back in the National Football League who played nine NFL seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots. At 6'2", , Smith's powerful running style made him an effective runner between the tackles...
broke off a 44-yard run, sparking a 62-yard drive that ended with his 4-yard touchdown run 4 plays later. Later on, the Bills drove 65 yards, featuring a 37-yard completion from Johnson to Eric Moulds
Eric Moulds
Eric Shannon Moulds is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 24th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi State...
, with a roughing the passer penalty on Kearse adding another 15. Smith finished the drive with another 4-yard touchdown run, giving the Bills a 13-12 lead after receiver Kevin Williams
Kevin Williams (wide receiver)
Kevin Ray Williams is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys, the Arizona Cardinals, the Buffalo Bills, and the San Francisco 49ers....
dropped a pass from Johnson on the two-point conversion attempt.
Conclusion
Late in the 4th quarter, the stage was set for an exciting finish. Tennessee received the ball with 6:15 remaining. Titans receiver Isaac ByrdIsaac Byrd
Isaac Byrd II is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers. He played college football at the University of Kansas....
's 16-yard punt return and 5 carries from Eddie George
Eddie George
Edward Nathan "Eddie" George, Jr. is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He played for the Tennessee Titans both in Tennessee and in Houston when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers, and spent his final season with the Dallas Cowboys...
for 17 yards set up a wobbly 36-yard field goal by Del Greco. The Titans took a 15-13 lead with 1:48 to go. On the ensuing drive, with no timeouts remaining, Bills quarterback Johnson led the Bills on a 5-play, 37-yard drive to the Titans' 24 yard line. On the last play from scrimmage, Johnson played with only 1 shoe on, as he had lost one and had no time to put it back on, with the clock running out. With only 16 seconds remaining in the game, Steve Christie
Steve Christie
Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...
, the Bills' kicker, made a 41-yard field goal to put Buffalo in the lead, 16-15.
Moments later, Christie kicked off, and Titans player Lorenzo Neal
Lorenzo Neal
Lorenzo LaVonne Neal is an American football fullback who played in the NFL from 1993–2009. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL Draft...
received. Neal handed the ball off to Titans tight end Frank Wycheck
Frank Wycheck
Frank John Wycheck is a former American football tight end in the National Football League. Wycheck attended Archbishop Ryan High School in Northeast Philadelphia. Drafted in sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft out of the University of Maryland by the Washington Redskins...
, who threw a lateral across the field to another Titans player, Kevin Dyson
Kevin Dyson
Kevin Tyree Dyson is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Oilers 16th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Utah....
, who then ran down the sidelines for a 75-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
.
The play was named "Home Run Throwback" by the Titans and was developed by Special Teams Coordinator Alan Lowry
Alan Lowry
Alan Lowry is the special-teams coordinator for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League.He completed his 25th season in the NFL, the last 11 with the Titans.-College career:...
. The Titans ran the play regularly in practices during the regular season, though the practices usually involved Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
, who had been injured earlier in the game and was unavailable for the situation. Dyson, as one of the team's lead wide receivers, rarely practiced with the special teams unit and was largely unfamiliar with the layout of the play. Nevertheless, his execution of Lowry's vision was flawless.
Official review
Per the instant replayInstant replay in American football
In American and Canadian football, instant replay is a method of reviewing a play using cameras at various angles to determine the accuracy of the initial call of the officials...
rules, a booth review was called. The play was reviewed by referee Phil Luckett
Phil Luckett
Phil Luckett was an official in the National Football League . His officiating uniform number was 59. He entered the NFL as a field judge in 1991, then became a referee in 1997 after Red Cashion and Howard Roe announced their retirements, and returned to the back judge position in 2001...
because it was uncertain if the ball had been a forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
, which is illegal on a kickoff return. After a long official review, video was inconclusive to overturn, and the ruling on the field was upheld as a touchdown.
The Titans made one final kickoff, and the clock expired during the Bills' return. The Titans held on to win by a score of 22-16.
Analysis
As Titans' coach Jeff FisherJeff Fisher
Jeffrey Michael "Jeff" Fisher is the former head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. He has a 146-120 career record as an NFL head coach.-Early life:...
pointed out, the original objective of the play was not to achieve a direct score (a touchdown); it was to have the receiver (Dyson) advance the ball into the range of Del Greco, the Titans’ placekicker. To do this, Dyson would have to advance the ball to a down-field spot well within the kicker’s range. Fisher later stated that as the play continued with Dyson getting closer to the Bills’ end zone, he was concerned that Dyson would be tackled without scoring with no time remaining.
As the play was drawn up, the receiver of the kickoff was also supposed to execute the lateral. The Titans' tight end, Frank Wycheck
Frank Wycheck
Frank John Wycheck is a former American football tight end in the National Football League. Wycheck attended Archbishop Ryan High School in Northeast Philadelphia. Drafted in sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft out of the University of Maryland by the Washington Redskins...
, was supposed to receive the ball and throw the lateral. However, Wycheck was completely out of position to receive the kickoff.
Wycheck was between Dyson (on the left side facing downfield) and Neal (on the right side), with Wycheck closer to Neal. Lorenzo Neal then met Wycheck on the run and handed the ball to him. Wycheck, who had been running laterally toward Neal (to the right side of the field), knew that the play required him to execute a lateral to Dyson, who was on the left side of the field. Wycheck continued his lateral run to the right so it appeared to be a developing single reverse (by Neal and Wycheck) end-around run to the right (by Wycheck).
Wycheck then abruptly stopped, by planting his passing foot and pivoting to his left. Once he'd aligned himself to throw the lateral (i.e., a pass which does not advance in yardage down field), he threw a low pass to Dyson. Dyson scooped the pass up ankle-high, turned to his left and began running straight down field.
Dyson himself later commented that the only Bills player who was in position to have a chance of a play on him was the kicker. And as Dyson stated, if he (Dyson) a starting NFL wide receiver, could not outrun a place kicker, he (Dyson) didn’t belong in the NFL.
Aftermath
The victory, in front of a franchise-record crowd at Adelphia ColiseumLP Field
LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
, allowed the Tennessee franchise to advance to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs for the first time since 1993. Subsequent victories over the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
and Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
sent the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
to face the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. They were defeated, however, in another game that went down to the final seconds, known as "One yard short" or "The Tackle."
For the Bills, it led to the firing after 13 seasons of special teams coach Bruce DeHaven
Bruce DeHaven
Bruce DeHaven is an American football coach who is currently the special teams coach of the Buffalo Bills of the NFL. DeHaven is most known for being the special teams coach of the Bills from 1986 to 1999. He was their special teams coach when, most notably, Scott Norwood missed a 47 yard field...
. One year later, Phillips was fired (partly due to his failure to lead the Bills past the first round of the playoffs during his tenure) and replaced by Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams
Gregg Williams
Gregg Williams is the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints and the former head coach of the Buffalo Bills. Considered one of the most respected defensive minds in the game, Williams is known for running aggressive, attacking 4-3 schemes that put heavy pressure on opposing...
. DeHaven has since been re-hired by the Bills in the same position he held prior to his dismissal.
It was added to the list of infamous moments in Buffalo sports history, joining Wide Right
Wide Right (Buffalo Bills)
Wide Right or 47 Wide Right describes kicker Scott Norwood's missed 47-yard field goal attempt at the end of Super Bowl XXV on January 27, 1991.-The field goal attempt:...
and "No Goal". The Bills have yet to make the playoffs since the incident.
NFL Films hired a computer analyst to determine if Luckett had made the correct call. They determined that the ball had in fact, not traveled forward and that Luckett had made the correct ruling.
Radio call
The following is a transcript of the radio call of this play by Mike KeithMike Keith (announcer)
Mike Keith is the radio play-by-play voice of the NFL's Tennessee Titans. A native of Franklin, Tennessee, Keith's career began in 1987, when he worked as a student for the University of Tennessee's Vol Radio Network, one year after graduating from Franklin's Battle Ground Academy...
and Pat Ryan
Pat Ryan
Patrick J. C. Ryan is a Canadian curler originally from Edmonton, Alberta. Ryan is a former World Champion skip, and three time Brier champion. Ryan currently lives in Toronto....
on the Tennessee Titans Radio Network:
But then a question of whether or not Wycheck's lateral to Dyson was actually a lateral arose. Luckett reviewed the play, and once Luckett had decided that the call would stand, Keith said this:
When he announced his ruling, Keith and Ryan had another exchange: