NFL playoffs, 1999-2000
Encyclopedia
The NFL playoffs
following the 1999 NFL season
led up to Super Bowl XXXIV
.
These playoffs were notable in that all outdoor games were played with gametime temperatures of 50°F or higher, making for one of the warmest playoff seasons of all time. It was the first time no California-based NFL team made the playoffs since 1969.
": Kevin Dyson
took a lateral from Frank Wycheck
on a kickoff to score the game-winning touchdown with under 15 seconds left.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Titans opened up the scoring when Jevon Kearse
sacked Buffalo quarterback Rob Johnson in the end zone for a safety. It was the start of a long day for Johnson, who ended up completing just 10 of 22 passes while being sacked six times, twice by Kearse. After the safety, 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 only managed to gain 64 yards, while also losing 44 yards on nine penalties.
But in the second half, the Bills managed to rally back. On Buffalo's first play of the third quarter, Antowain Smith
broke off a 44-yard run, sparking a 62-yard drive that ended with his 4-yard touchdown run four 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.
Late in the fourth quarter, Titans receiver Isaac Byrd
's 16-yard punt return and five carries from Eddie George
for 17 yards set up a 36-yard field goal by Del Greco, giving Tennessee a 15-13 lead with 1:38 left. But the Bills retook the lead with a 41-yard field goal from Steve Christie
at the end of a 38-yard drive that saw quarterback Rob Johnson lose a shoe, forcing him to play without a shoe for most of the drive and featuring two receptions by Peerless Price
for 23 yards. Christie's field goal gave the Bills a 16-15 lead with only 16 seconds left in the game.
On the ensuing Christie kickoff, fullback Lorenzo Neal
picked up the ball at his own 25-yard line. He then handed off to Wycheck, who ran all the way to the right sideline before lateralling the ball all the way back to Dyson on the left side of the field. After taking the ball, Dyson ran 75 yards for a touchdown to give his team the win. The play would be reviewed by referee Phil Luckett, but it was determined that Wycheck's lateral did not travel forward, and the play was upheld.
"We worked on that play yesterday," said Titans coach Jeff Fisher of the winning return. "The play is called Home Run Throwback, it's a play you usually work on Saturdays, the day before a game. That play was designed with Frank Wycheck in the middle to try and put the ball out laterally."http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/recaps/2000/01/08/titans_bills/
George finished the game with 109 rushing yards. Bills tackle Bruce Smith had 2.5 sacks. The game would mark an end of an era in Buffalo as it was the final game Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed
played for the Bills. As of the 2010 season, Buffalo has not made another playoff appearance since the Music City Miracle loss.
A 51-yard pass interference penalty on Lions defensive back Bryant Westbrook
set up Davis' 1-yard touchdown run 5:51 into the first quarter. The next time Washington got the ball, they drove 87 yards, featuring a 58-yard run by Davis, and scored with another Davis touchdown run to take a 14-0 lead.
Early in the second quarter, Redskins cornerback Champ Bailey
intercepted a pass from Gus Frerotte
, setting up a 33-yard field goal from Brett Conway
. Then after forcing a punt, Davis rushed five times for 45 yards, setting up another field goal from Conway. Davis was knocked out of the game on Washington's next possession, but his replacement, Skip Hicks, rushed for 13 yards and caught two passes for 27 as the Redskins drove 82 yards in eight plays. Brad Johnson
finished the drive with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Albert Connell
, giving the Redskins a 27-0 lead with 1:19 left in the half.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Lions finally managed to get a touchdown when lineman Lamar Campbell
blocked a 31-yard field goal attempt by Conway and Ron Rice
returned the ball 94-yards for a touchdown with 9:23 left in regulation. But after that, they were unable to score again until Frerotte threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Ron Rivers
on the last play of the game.
, who threw for 212 yards and 3 touchdowns, and receiver Randy Moss
, who caught five passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman
threw for 286 yards with 1 interception in the final postseason game of his Hall of Fame career. This was also the final postseason game in the Hall of Fame career of running back Emmitt Smith
, who rushed for 99 yards, caught a pass for 14 yards, and scored a touchdown. His 99 rushing yards gave him an NFL record postseason total 1,586 yards, surpassing the previous record of 1,556 yards held by Franco Harris
. Cowboys receiver Raghib Ismail
caught 8 passes for 163 yards.
Early in the first quarter, Smith's 65-yard run set up an Eddie Murray field goal. It was the main highlight of the day for Smith, who gained only 30 yards on 14 carries for the rest of the game. Minnesota was forced to punt on their next drive, but returner Deion Sanders
muffed the kick and Dwayne Rudd
recovered the ball for the Vikings at the Cowboys 30-yard line. Four plays later, Gary Anderson kicked a 47-yard field goal to tie the game. Aikman led the Cowboys back, completing two passes to Ismail for gains of 45 and 25 yards before Smith finished the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run.
In the second quarter, Rudd stripped the ball from Cowboys running back Robert Thomas and safety Anthony Bass recovered the fumble at the Dallas 26-yard line. Faced with third down and 25 on the ensuing possession, George completed a short pass to Robert Smith, who took it 26 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. Later in the period, George threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss
after a daring 14-yard run by Smith on third down and 12, giving the Vikings a 17-10 lead with 22 seconds left in the half.
Early in the third quarter, Anderson kicked a 38-yard field goal to increase the Vikings lead to 20-10. In the fourth quarter, they drove 67 yards and scored with George's 5-yard touchdown pass to Cris Carter
, while the Cowboys lost any chance of a comeback due to two more costly turnovers. First they drove inside the Vikings 20-yard line, but linebacker Ed McDaniel
forced a fumble from receiver Jason Tucker
right before he could cross the goal line and the ball rolled through the end zone for a touchback. Later on, Dallas drove all the way to the Minnesota 6-yard line, but safety Robert Griffith
intercepted a pass intended for Tucker in the end zone.
played host to their first playoff game since the 1984 Season
. But they were dominated by the Dolphins defense, who held them to only 171 yards, with just 32 in the second half, and sacked quarterback Jon Kitna
six times, three by Trace Armstrong
. Although they would jump out to a 17-10 lead in the 3rd quarter, the Dolphins would rally back behind quarterback Dan Marino
, who threw for 196 yards and a touchdown, leading his team to their first playoff win on the road since 1972 in what ultimately proved to be the final game played at The Kingdome
and the final win of Marino's career.
Seattle seemed to be in control of the game at first, opening up the scoring with a 47-yard drive that ended with Kitna's 9-yard touchdown pass to Sean Dawkins
. Miami's only score of the first half was a 32-yard field goal from Olindo Mare
set up by Brock Marion
's 47-yard kickoff return, which was matched by Todd Peterson's 50-yard field goal with less than a minute left in the second quarter. The Seahawks finished the half leading 10-3, and had limited Miami to just 69 offensive yards.
But Miami took the second half kickoff and nearly doubled their yardage, driving 60 yards in 10 plays. Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino
, who completed only 5 of 8 passes for 28 yards in the first half, completed 6 of 6 passes for 55 yards on the drive and finished it with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Oronde Gadsden
. But on the ensuing kickoff, Seahawks returner Charlie Rogers
fumbled the ball, then picked it up and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown, giving Seattle a 17-10 lead. After that, Miami drove 32 yards in six plays, aided by two runs by Autry Denson for 27 yards, to set up a 50-yard field goal from Mare, cutting the score to 17-13.
Late in the fourth quarter, Marino engineered an 11-play, 85-yard game-winning scoring possession. He completed four of seven passes for 84 yards on the drive, including a 23-yard completion to Tony Martin on third down and 17 from his own 8-yard line, and a 24-yard completion to Gadsden at the Seattle 5-yard line on third down. Rookie running back J. J. Johnson
's 2-yard touchdown run finished the drive with 4:46 remaining in the game, and the Seahawks could not score again.
defeated the Redskins 73-0 in the 1940 NFL championship game. Their defense forced seven turnovers and held the Dolphins to 131 total yards.
Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in the first half, while also catching a 39-yard touchdown reception. In the second half, his replacement, James Stewart, added 62 yards on 11 carries. Quarterback Mark Brunell
, playing with braces on both knees, completed 5 of 9 passes for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns before being replaced by Jay Fiedler
in the second quarter after the Jaguars scored 38 points in the first 18 minutes. Fiedler then finished off the Dolphins with 7 of 11 completions for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception. Receiver Jimmy Smith had the best postseason performance of his career, catching 5 passes for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns. Marino was held to just 11 of 25 completions for 95 yards and 1 touchdown, with 2 interceptions and a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.
On the opening drive of the game, Brunell led the Jaguars 73 yards in nine plays, featuring a 41-yard completion to Jimmy Smith, and finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Smith 4:28 into the game. After the ensuing kickoff, Jacksonville cornerback Aaron Beasley
intercepted Marino's first pass of the game and returned it 5 yards to the Dolphins 41-yard line, setting a 45-yard field goal from Mike Hollis
. Following a three-and-out for Miami, Tommy Hutton
's 57-yard punt pinned the Jaguars back at their own 9-yard line. But two plays later, Taylor took off down the right sideline for an NFL playoff record 90-yard touchdown run. Then on Miami's next possession, defensive end Tony Brackens
forced a fumble from Marino and dove on the ball. With most players on both teams thinking he was down by contact, Brackens got up and started celebrating while the Dolphins offense walked off the field, but his teammate Bryce Paup
realized that no one had touched Brackens and the play was still ongoing. He ran up to Brackens, shoved him in the back, and told him to start running, and Brackens ended up returning the ball 16 yards for a touchdown.
The situation never got much better for the Dolphins. After another three and out, Jacksonville got the ball back at their own 47-yard line, and they scored another touchdown when Taylor caught a short pass on third down and 14 and took it 39 yards for a touchdown, giving the Jaguars a 31-0 lead just 12 seconds into the second quarter. Then on Miami's next possession, Jaguars rookie Corey Chamberlin blocked Hutton's punt and Chris Howard recovered the ball on the Dolphins 21-yard line. Faced with third down and 14 again on their ensuing drive, the Jaguars decided not to pass and Stewart ended up scoring with a 25-yard touchdown run.
Miami continued the turn the ball over through the second quarter. Beasley recorded his second interception from Marino on the Dolphins next possession. Then after a punt, running back Autry Denson
fumbled a pitch from Marino, and safety Donovin Darius
recovered the ball at the Dolphins 7-yard line. This time, the Jaguars could not take advantage of the turnover. Two plays later, Dolphins defensive back Calvin Jackson
intercepted a pass from Fiedler in the end zone. But several plays after the interception, Jacksonville safety Carnell Lake
forced and recovered a fumble from J. J. Johnson
on the Dolphins 30-yard line, setting up a 30-yard field goal from Hollis with 1:47 left in the second quarter. Marino, who completed only 3 of 11 passes for 12 yards up to this point, finally managed to respond, completing 7 of 12 passes for 79 yards on an 80-yard scoring drive and finishing it off with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Oronde Gadsden
with less than 20 seconds left before halftime.
But even so, it was clear by now the game was over, as the Jaguars held a commanding 41-7 lead. Marino was benched in the second half, and his replacement, Damon Huard
, completed just 5 of 16 passes for 46 yards in the rest of the game. Meanwhile, Jacksonville continued to increase their lead. On the third play of the second half, Fiedler threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Smith. Later on in the third quarter, he threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Alvis Whitted
. And in the final period, another fumble from Johnson set up the final points of the game, a 5-yard touchdown run by Howard.
After a scoreless first quarter, a 35-yard punt from Mark Royals
gave the Redskins great field position on the Tampa Bay 43-yard line. Brad Johnson
started out the drive with a 19-yard completion to Albert Connell
, and then a 12-yard run by Stephen Davis
set up a 28-yard field goal from Brett Conway
with 5:37 remaining in the second quarter. Then in the second half, Brian Mitchell returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, a playoff record. Later in the third quarter, Darrell Green
intercepted a pass from Buccaneers quarterback Shaun King
and returned it 12 yards to the Buccaneers 36-yard line, setting up Conway's second field goal to take a 13-0 lead. But after a Bucs punt, Tampa Bay safety John Lynch
intercepted a pass from Johnson on the Tampa Bay 27-yard line. Aided by a 31-yard pass interference penalty on Leomont Evans
, the Buccaneers subsequently drove 73 yards in 6 plays and scored on Mike Alstott
's 2-yard touchdown run. Then in the fourth quarter, defensive tackle Steve White
forced a fumble from Brad Johnson
while sacking him and Warren Sapp
recovered the ball on the Redskins 32-yard line. King then went to work, completing a 17-yard pass to Bert Emanuel
and a 13-yard pass to Warrick Dunn
. On fourth down and 1, Alstott's 5-yard run moved the ball to the Washington 3-yard line, and King eventually finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to John Davis.
The Redskins had a chance to win the game with a 51-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds of the game, but the snap from center Dan Turk
to Brad Johnson
, the holder, was off and the Bucs won. Contrary to popular belief, the snap was not to Matt Turk
, the team's punter, and also his brother. This was Dan Turk's last game in the NFL, as he died later that year due to cancer
. Meanwhile, King became the first rookie to lead his team to a playoff win since Pat Haden
in 1976.
Minnesota took the opening kickoff and drove 60 yards in 11 plays, setting up a Gary Anderson field goal. But after the ensuing kickoff, Rams quarterback Kurt Warner
on their first play from scrimmage, threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce
. A 13-yard sack by Rams safety Billy Jenkins
on the Vikings ensuing drive forced a punt, and Warner once again went to work. He threw a 26-yard completion to Bruce and an 11-yarder to Torry Holt
before finishing the drive with a 41-yard touchdown pass to running back Marshall Faulk
. Another sack, this time by linebacker Charlie Clemons
, forced Minnesota to punt again, and once again the Rams decided to go deep, but this time the Vikings were ready, and cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock
intercepted Warner's pass at his own 4-yard line.
After the interception, Jeff George
led the Vikings 96 yards in eight plays, completing passes to Randy Moss
and Jake Reed
for gains of 24 and 41 yards and finishing the drive with a 22-yard touchdown completion to Cris Carter
, cutting the score to 14-10 5:07 into the second quarter. Later on, Rams defensive back Dexter McCleon
intercepted a pass from George on the Vikings 41-yard line. But on the next play, Faulk fumbled a handoff and safety Robert Griffith
recovered the ball on the 47. After that, Minnesota took the lead by driving 53 yards and scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run from fullback Leroy Hoard
with 2:40 left in the half. Aided by Bruce's 22-yard reception, the Rams responded with a drive to the Minnesota 37-yard line, but a 9-yard sack by defensive lineman John Randle
pushed St. Louis out of field goal range on the score remained 17-14 by halftime.
The momentum seemed to be in Minnesota's favor, but the Rams suddenly exploded with 35 points in the second half. First, St. Louis receiver Tony Horne
returned the second half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. The Vikings were forced to punt on their next possession, and Az-Zahir Hakim
returned the ball 15 yards with a facemask penalty adding another 5, giving the Rams a first down on Minnesota's 49-yard line. Faulk rushed three times for 14 yards and then Warner completed an 18-yard pass to Roland Williams
at the Vikings 14-yard line. After an 8-yard reception from Bruce, Faulk scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, increasing St. Louis' lead to 28-17. The Vikings had to punt again on their next drive, and Warner subsequently led the Rams 62 yards in 11 plays on the way to a 13 yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeff Robinson with 13 seconds left in the third quarter. After the ensuing kickoff, Rams tackle D'Marco Farr
recovered a fumbled snap from George on the Vikings 23-yard line. Warner then completed passes to Holt and Hakim for 8 and 10 yards, then ran four yards to the 1-yard line. Warner finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to offensive lineman Ryan Tucker
on a tackle-eligible play.
After another Vikings punt, Warner led the Rams 62 yards in eight plays and capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Williams, increasing St. Louis' lead to 49-17 with just over 8 minutes left in regulation. George, who had been held to just 2 of 8 completions for -9 yards in the second half until then, responded with three touchdown passes in the final 5 minutes of the game, two to Moss and one to Reed, but by then it was well out of reach.
Warner finished his first career playoff game with 27 of 33 completions for 391 yards and five touchdowns, with 1 interception. Bruce caught 4 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Hakim rushed for 5 yards, caught 5 passes for 49 yards, and returned 3 punts for 72 yards. Jenkins had 11 tackles and a sack. George completed 29 of 50 passes for 423 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 1 interception. Moss caught 9 passes for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns. Carter caught 7 passes for 106 yards and a score.
, behind second year quarterback Peyton Manning
, had posted some gaudy numbers en route to a sterling 13-3 regular season record, the upstart Tennessee Titans
paid them little respect. Running back Eddie George rushed for a team playoff-record 162 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown, to help lead the Titans to victory. Manning endured a rough playoff debut as he completed only 19 of 42 passes.
Despite George's impressive day, he actually struggled for most of the first half, gaining only 38 yards on nine carries while kickers Mike Vanderjagt
and Al Del Greco
spent the first two quarters trading field goals. Vanderjagt hit 3 and Del Greco hit two making it 9-6 colts at half. But with his team trailing 9-6 early in the second half, George took a handoff from Steve McNair
and stormed through the middle of the field for a 68-yard touchdown run.
In the fourth quarter, Del Greco kicked his third field goal, increasing the Tennessee lead to 16-9. Later in the period, the Colts had a great opportunity to come back when defensive back Terrence Wilkins
returned a punt 87 yards to the Titans 3-yard line, but it was overruled by a replay challenge from coach Jeff Fisher
. Fisher had to burn a timeout to get his challenge heard over the roaring crowd in the RCA dome, but it paid off, as the replay showed Wilkins had stepped out of bounds at his own 33-yard line during the return.
The lost opportunity turned out to be devastating. Indianapolis went three-and-out on their ensuing possession and Derrick Mason
returned their punt 19 yards to the Colts 42-yard line, setting up Del Greco's fourth field goal to make the score 19-9. The Colts managed to respond on their next drive with a 15-yard touchdown run by Manning, but by then there was only 1:50 left in the game and Titans receiver Yancy Thigpen sealed the victory by recovering Vanderjagt's ensuing onside kick.
had been one of the NFL's best teams in the 1999 season, pacing the AFC with a 14-2 record. However, both of those losses came at the hands of their opponents in the AFC Championship game, the Tennessee Titans
. The Titans would prove up to the task of beating their division rival once again as the Titans scored a resounding 33-14 victory. The Titans advanced to their first Super Bowl in team history by forcing six turnovers and a safety.
Jacksonville took the opening kickoff and started out strong, gaining 51 yards on their first two plays. First, Mark Brunell
completed an 18-yard pass to Jimmy Smith, and then Fred Taylor ran 33 yards to the Titans 13-yard line. Three plays later, Brunell threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Brady
. But Tennessee struck right back. First, Derrick Mason
returned the ensuing kickoff to the Titans 49-yard line. Then quarterback Steve McNair
completed three passes for 23 yards and rushed for 14 on a 51-yard drive that ended with his 9-yard touchdown pass to Yancy Thigpen.
In the second quarter, the Jaguars drove 72 yards to the Titans 5-yard line, only to have Brunell throw an interception to safety Marcus Robinson in the end zone. But after forcing a punt, they drove 65 yards in four plays and took a 14-7 lead with a 33-yard touchdown run from James Stewart. Tennessee was forced to punt again on their next drive, but Reggie Barlow
muffed the kick and Steve Jackson recovered the ball for the Titans on the Jacksonville 19-yard line. After that, Al Del Greco
kicked a 34-yard field goal, cutting the score to 14-10 with 20 seconds left in the half.
The Titans defense dominated the second half, forcing four turnovers, while the offense took advantage of key penalties to take control of the game. On Tennessee's first drive of the second half, McNair completed a 15-yard pass to Eddie George
at midfield, with a roughing the passer penalty on Tony Brackens
adding another 15 yards. Two plays later, cornerback Fernando Bryant
committed a 28-yard pass interference penalty while trying to cover Kevin Dyson
, moving the ball to the Jaguars 6-yard line. After a 5-yard run by George, McNair scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, giving Tennessee their first lead of the game, 17-14.
On Jacksonville's next drive, Brady lost a fumble while being tackled by Robinson, and lineman Jason Fisk
recovered the ball at the Jaguars 35-yard line. McNair subsequently led his team to the 7-yard line, but then linebacker Kevin Hardy stripped the ball away from tight end Frank Wycheck
and Lonnie Marts
recovered the ball on the 1.
Then Tennessee's defense stepped up. First, linebacker Barron Wortham
stuffed Taylor for no gain. Then Josh Evans
and Fisk shared a sack on Brunell in the end zone for a safety. After that, Mason returned the free kick 80 yards for a touchdown, giving the Titans a 26-14 lead. Jacksonville reached the Titans 36-yard line on their next drive, but turned the ball over on downs with Brunell's incomplete pass on fourth down and 2.
In the fourth quarter, Brunell lost a fumble while being sacked by Kenny Holmes
and Jevon Kearse
initially recovered it on the 15-yard line. However, he attempted to lateral the ball to Samari Rolle
, who fumbled the pitch, and receiver Keenan McCardell
recovered it. But a few plays later, Brunell turned the ball over again when he threw an interception to rookie safety Donald Mitchell
at the Titans 39-yard line. On the ensuing drive, McNair ripped off a 51-yard run, then scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to put the game away.
McNair completed 14 of 23 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, with 1 interception, and rushed for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mason returned 4 kickoffs for 174 yards and 2 punts for 14 yards. Taylor rushed for 110 yards and caught 2 passes for 16.
and out of the endzone. Despite this, the Buccaneers nursed an unusual 6-5 lead into the 4th Quarter. The Rams broke open a defense dominated game when Kurt Warner threw a touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl
with 4:44 left in the game. The Buccaneers would mount a drive on their final possession, however, a controversial replay overturned what appeared to be a reception by Buccaneers wide receiver Bert Emanuel
, and the Buccaneers never recovered.
On the first play of the game, Bucs defensive end Steve White
intercepted a screen pass
from Warner on the Rams 20-yard line, setting up a 25-yard field goal from Martín Gramática
. But that was all they could manage in the first quarter. On one possession, they moved the ball to the St. Louis 23-yard line, but then King was sacked and fumbled. Tampa Bay recovered the ball, but lost 12 yards and were pushed out of field goal range. Then with 11 seconds left in the period, King threw a pass from the St. Louis 41-yard line that went right into the surprised arms of defensive back Todd Lyght
. The Rams didn't do much better. After Gramatica's field goal, they drove 74 yards in 16 plays before a fumbled handoff from Warner to Marshall Faulk
on third down forced them to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins
. Then on their next drive, Wilkins missed a field goal attempt from 44 yards.
In the second quarter, a high snap from Bucs center Tony Mayberry
went over King's head and into the end zone. King managed to knock the ball out of the end zone to prevent a touchdown, but it gave the Rams a safety and a 5-3 lead. This would be the score by halftime, despite the Rams 159-75 advantage over the Buccaneers in total yards.
Just as in the first half, Tampa Bay scored a field goal on their opening drive on the third quarter, set up by a 32-yard reception by Jacquez Green
and a 15-yard facemask penalty on Taje Allen
. Meanwhile, Warner was intercepted three times by the Buccaneers defense, including a costly interception to Hardy Nickerson
on the Tampa Bay 3-yard line. But late in the fourth quarter, Rams defensive back Dre' Bly intercepted a pass from King at the Buccaneers 49-yard line. A few plays later, Warner threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Proehl with 4:44 left, taking an 11-6 lead after the two point conversion failed. But despite being sacked twice, King responded by leading the Bucs to the St. Louis 22-yard line. With 47 seconds left in the game, his potential 11-yard completion to Bert Emanuel
was controversially overturned by a replay challenge (the play led the NFL to adopt the "Bert Emanuel rule" after the season). Then King threw two consecutive incompletions, turning the ball over on downs.
Proehl was the sole offensive star of the game, finishing with 6 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown.
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...
following the 1999 NFL season
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
led up 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...
.
These playoffs were notable in that all outdoor games were played with gametime temperatures of 50°F or higher, making for one of the warmest playoff seasons of all time. It was the first time no California-based NFL team made the playoffs since 1969.
AFC: Tennessee Titans 22, Buffalo Bills 16
This game is remembered for the "Music City MiracleMusic City Miracle
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...
": 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....
took a lateral from 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...
on a kickoff to score the game-winning touchdown with under 15 seconds left.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Titans opened up the scoring when Jevon Kearse
Jevon 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. It was the start of a long day for Johnson, who ended up completing just 10 of 22 passes while being sacked six times, twice by Kearse. After the safety, 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 only managed to gain 64 yards, while also losing 44 yards on nine penalties.
But in the second half, the Bills managed to rally back. On Buffalo's first play of the third quarter, Antowain Smith
Antowain 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 four 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 dropped a pass from Johnson on the two point conversion attempt.
Late in the fourth quarter, Titans receiver Isaac Byrd
Isaac 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 five 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 36-yard field goal by Del Greco, giving Tennessee a 15-13 lead with 1:38 left. But the Bills retook the lead with a 41-yard field goal from 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,...
at the end of a 38-yard drive that saw quarterback Rob Johnson lose a shoe, forcing him to play without a shoe for most of the drive and featuring two receptions by Peerless Price
Peerless Price
Peerless Jilo Price is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
for 23 yards. Christie's field goal gave the Bills a 16-15 lead with only 16 seconds left in the game.
On the ensuing Christie kickoff, fullback 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...
picked up the ball at his own 25-yard line. He then handed off to Wycheck, who ran all the way to the right sideline before lateralling the ball all the way back to Dyson on the left side of the field. After taking the ball, Dyson ran 75 yards for a touchdown to give his team the win. The play would be reviewed by referee Phil Luckett, but it was determined that Wycheck's lateral did not travel forward, and the play was upheld.
"We worked on that play yesterday," said Titans coach Jeff Fisher of the winning return. "The play is called Home Run Throwback, it's a play you usually work on Saturdays, the day before a game. That play was designed with Frank Wycheck in the middle to try and put the ball out laterally."http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/recaps/2000/01/08/titans_bills/
George finished the game with 109 rushing yards. Bills tackle Bruce Smith had 2.5 sacks. The game would mark an end of an era in Buffalo as it was the final game Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed
Andre Reed
Andre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
played for the Bills. As of the 2010 season, Buffalo has not made another playoff appearance since the Music City Miracle loss.
NFC: Washington Redskins 27, Detroit Lions 13
Redskins running back Stephen Davis rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as Washington dominated the Lions, who had barely made the playoffs with an 8-8 record and had lost their last four games of the season. Washington outgained Detroit in rushing yards, 223-45, and recorded five sacks.A 51-yard pass interference penalty on Lions defensive back Bryant Westbrook
Bryant Westbrook
Bryant Antoine Westbrook is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League.-College career:...
set up Davis' 1-yard touchdown run 5:51 into the first quarter. The next time Washington got the ball, they drove 87 yards, featuring a 58-yard run by Davis, and scored with another Davis touchdown run to take a 14-0 lead.
Early in the second quarter, Redskins cornerback Champ Bailey
Champ Bailey
Roland "Champ" Bailey is an American football cornerback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Bailey was drafted in the 1st round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Georgia.Bailey is 8th among Broncos in all-time...
intercepted a pass from Gus Frerotte
Gus Frerotte
Gustave Joseph "Gus" Frerotte is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa....
, setting up a 33-yard field goal from Brett Conway
Brett Conway
Brett Alan Conway is a former professional American football player. He was a placekicker for seven seasons with various teams in the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round by the Green Bay Packers in the 1997 NFL Draft...
. Then after forcing a punt, Davis rushed five times for 45 yards, setting up another field goal from Conway. Davis was knocked out of the game on Washington's next possession, but his replacement, Skip Hicks, rushed for 13 yards and caught two passes for 27 as the Redskins drove 82 yards in eight plays. Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
finished the drive with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Albert Connell
Albert Connell
Albert Gene Anthony Connell is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Washington Redskins and the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League, and for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.-College career:He played college football at Trinity Valley...
, giving the Redskins a 27-0 lead with 1:19 left in the half.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Lions finally managed to get a touchdown when lineman Lamar Campbell
Lamar Campbell
Lamar Christopher Campbell is a former professional American football player who played cornerback for five seasons for the Detroit Lions....
blocked a 31-yard field goal attempt by Conway and Ron Rice
Ron Rice (American football)
Ron Rice is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 1995. He played college football at Eastern Michigan....
returned the ball 94-yards for a touchdown with 9:23 left in regulation. But after that, they were unable to score again until Frerotte threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Ron Rivers
Ron Rivers
Ron Rivers is a former professional American football player who played running back for six seasons for the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, and Pittsburgh Steelers for one year....
on the last play of the game.
NFC: Minnesota Vikings 27, Dallas Cowboys 10
Running back Robert Smith helped the Vikings beat the Cowboys by rushing for a team playoff record 140 yards while also catching 3 passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. The Vikings also got a big performance out of quarterback Jeff GeorgeJeff George
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" George is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the first overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft...
, who threw for 212 yards and 3 touchdowns, and receiver Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, who caught five passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
threw for 286 yards with 1 interception in the final postseason game of his Hall of Fame career. This was also the final postseason game in the Hall of Fame career of running back Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
, who rushed for 99 yards, caught a pass for 14 yards, and scored a touchdown. His 99 rushing yards gave him an NFL record postseason total 1,586 yards, surpassing the previous record of 1,556 yards held by Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
. Cowboys receiver Raghib Ismail
Raghib Ismail
Raghib Ramadian Ismail is a retired professional American and Canadian football player, who played Wide receiver in both the Canadian Football League and National Football League. He played college football at Notre Dame...
caught 8 passes for 163 yards.
Early in the first quarter, Smith's 65-yard run set up an Eddie Murray field goal. It was the main highlight of the day for Smith, who gained only 30 yards on 14 carries for the rest of the game. Minnesota was forced to punt on their next drive, but returner Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
muffed the kick and Dwayne Rudd
Dwayne Rudd
Dwayne Rudd is an American football linebacker who is a free agent in the National Football League, having not played in the NFL since 2003. During his career he played for the Minnesota Vikings, the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
recovered the ball for the Vikings at the Cowboys 30-yard line. Four plays later, Gary Anderson kicked a 47-yard field goal to tie the game. Aikman led the Cowboys back, completing two passes to Ismail for gains of 45 and 25 yards before Smith finished the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run.
In the second quarter, Rudd stripped the ball from Cowboys running back Robert Thomas and safety Anthony Bass recovered the fumble at the Dallas 26-yard line. Faced with third down and 25 on the ensuing possession, George completed a short pass to Robert Smith, who took it 26 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. Later in the period, George threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
after a daring 14-yard run by Smith on third down and 12, giving the Vikings a 17-10 lead with 22 seconds left in the half.
Early in the third quarter, Anderson kicked a 38-yard field goal to increase the Vikings lead to 20-10. In the fourth quarter, they drove 67 yards and scored with George's 5-yard touchdown pass to Cris Carter
Cris Carter
Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
, while the Cowboys lost any chance of a comeback due to two more costly turnovers. First they drove inside the Vikings 20-yard line, but linebacker Ed McDaniel
Ed McDaniel
Edward McDaniel is a former American football linebacker in the NFL. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, 5th round of the 1992 Draft. He spent his entire career with the Minnesota Vikings.Ed is a co-owner of D1 Sports Training in Greenville, South Carolina...
forced a fumble from receiver Jason Tucker
Jason Tucker
Jason Tucker is a former American and Canadian football slotback.-High school career:Tucker attended Robinson High School in Robinson, Texas where he excelled in football, and track and field, particularly long jumping where he was a state finalist his junior and senior years...
right before he could cross the goal line and the ball rolled through the end zone for a touchback. Later on, Dallas drove all the way to the Minnesota 6-yard line, but safety Robert Griffith
Robert Griffith
Robert Otis Griffith is a former American football strong safety in the National Football League. He played thirteen seasons in the league, mostly for the Minnesota Vikings from 1994 to 2001...
intercepted a pass intended for Tucker in the end zone.
AFC: Miami Dolphins 20, Seattle Seahawks 17
The Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
played host to their first playoff game since the 1984 Season
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
. But they were dominated by the Dolphins defense, who held them to only 171 yards, with just 32 in the second half, and sacked quarterback Jon Kitna
Jon Kitna
Jon K. Kitna is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
six times, three by Trace Armstrong
Trace Armstrong
Raymond Lester "Trace" Armstrong, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League for fifteen seasons from the late 1980s to the early 2000s...
. Although they would jump out to a 17-10 lead in the 3rd quarter, the Dolphins would rally back behind quarterback Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
, who threw for 196 yards and a touchdown, leading his team to their first playoff win on the road since 1972 in what ultimately proved to be the final game played at The Kingdome
Kingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
and the final win of Marino's career.
Seattle seemed to be in control of the game at first, opening up the scoring with a 47-yard drive that ended with Kitna's 9-yard touchdown pass to Sean Dawkins
Sean Dawkins
Sean Russell Dawkins is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars from 1993 to 2001....
. Miami's only score of the first half was a 32-yard field goal from Olindo Mare
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare is an American football placekicker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
set up by Brock Marion
Brock Marion
Brock Elliot Marion is a former American football free safety in the National Football League who played twelve seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, the Miami Dolphins, and the Detroit Lions from 1993 to 2004. Marion was a three-time Pro Bowler in 2000, 2002 and 2003 with the Dolphins...
's 47-yard kickoff return, which was matched by Todd Peterson's 50-yard field goal with less than a minute left in the second quarter. The Seahawks finished the half leading 10-3, and had limited Miami to just 69 offensive yards.
But Miami took the second half kickoff and nearly doubled their yardage, driving 60 yards in 10 plays. Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
, who completed only 5 of 8 passes for 28 yards in the first half, completed 6 of 6 passes for 55 yards on the drive and finished it with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Oronde Gadsden
Oronde Gadsden
Oronde Benjamin Gadsden is a former professional American football player who played with the Miami Dolphins from 1998 to 2003. A 6'3", 220-lb...
. But on the ensuing kickoff, Seahawks returner Charlie Rogers
Charlie Rogers
John Edward Rogers is a former American football running back and wide receiver in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks , the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins ....
fumbled the ball, then picked it up and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown, giving Seattle a 17-10 lead. After that, Miami drove 32 yards in six plays, aided by two runs by Autry Denson for 27 yards, to set up a 50-yard field goal from Mare, cutting the score to 17-13.
Late in the fourth quarter, Marino engineered an 11-play, 85-yard game-winning scoring possession. He completed four of seven passes for 84 yards on the drive, including a 23-yard completion to Tony Martin on third down and 17 from his own 8-yard line, and a 24-yard completion to Gadsden at the Seattle 5-yard line on third down. Rookie running back J. J. Johnson
J. J. Johnson (running back)
James E. "J. J." Johnson is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
's 2-yard touchdown run finished the drive with 4:46 remaining in the game, and the Seahawks could not score again.
AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars 62, Miami Dolphins 7
The Jaguars shredded their in-state rivals the Dolphins with 520 total offensive yards in what became Miami quarterback Dan Marino's last game in the NFL and the most lopsided postseason contest since the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
defeated the Redskins 73-0 in the 1940 NFL championship game. Their defense forced seven turnovers and held the Dolphins to 131 total yards.
Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in the first half, while also catching a 39-yard touchdown reception. In the second half, his replacement, James Stewart, added 62 yards on 11 carries. Quarterback Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
, playing with braces on both knees, completed 5 of 9 passes for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns before being replaced by Jay Fiedler
Jay Fiedler
Jay Brian Fiedler is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League.-Early life and high school years:Fiedler was born to a Jewish family on Long Island in Oceanside, New York...
in the second quarter after the Jaguars scored 38 points in the first 18 minutes. Fiedler then finished off the Dolphins with 7 of 11 completions for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception. Receiver Jimmy Smith had the best postseason performance of his career, catching 5 passes for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns. Marino was held to just 11 of 25 completions for 95 yards and 1 touchdown, with 2 interceptions and a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.
On the opening drive of the game, Brunell led the Jaguars 73 yards in nine plays, featuring a 41-yard completion to Jimmy Smith, and finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Smith 4:28 into the game. After the ensuing kickoff, Jacksonville cornerback Aaron Beasley
Aaron Beasley
Aaron Bruce Beasley is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He played collegially at West Virginia University...
intercepted Marino's first pass of the game and returned it 5 yards to the Dolphins 41-yard line, setting a 45-yard field goal from Mike Hollis
Mike Hollis
Michael Shane Hollis is a former professional American football placekicker. He spent most of his nine-year professional career playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League , kicking for the team from 1995–2001 and setting several team records...
. Following a three-and-out for Miami, Tommy Hutton
Tommy Hutton
Thomas George Hutton is a former Major League Baseball player and is currently the color analyst for Miami Marlins baseball broadcasts on FSN Florida and Sun Sports - a position he has held since the 1997 season...
's 57-yard punt pinned the Jaguars back at their own 9-yard line. But two plays later, Taylor took off down the right sideline for an NFL playoff record 90-yard touchdown run. Then on Miami's next possession, defensive end Tony Brackens
Tony Brackens
Tony Lynn Brackens Jr. is a former defensive end in the NFL a born and raised in Fairfield, Texas.-College years:He played his college football at the University of Texas where he earned a reputation as a fierocus hitter. In 1995, Brackens was on the All-American team and was also on the...
forced a fumble from Marino and dove on the ball. With most players on both teams thinking he was down by contact, Brackens got up and started celebrating while the Dolphins offense walked off the field, but his teammate Bryce Paup
Bryce Paup
Bryce Eric Paup is a former American football defensive end and linebacker, who played professionally for the Green Bay Packers , the Buffalo Bills , the Jacksonville Jaguars , and the Minnesota Vikings .-Biography:Paup grew up on a farm in Scranton, Iowa, where he played football at Scranton...
realized that no one had touched Brackens and the play was still ongoing. He ran up to Brackens, shoved him in the back, and told him to start running, and Brackens ended up returning the ball 16 yards for a touchdown.
The situation never got much better for the Dolphins. After another three and out, Jacksonville got the ball back at their own 47-yard line, and they scored another touchdown when Taylor caught a short pass on third down and 14 and took it 39 yards for a touchdown, giving the Jaguars a 31-0 lead just 12 seconds into the second quarter. Then on Miami's next possession, Jaguars rookie Corey Chamberlin blocked Hutton's punt and Chris Howard recovered the ball on the Dolphins 21-yard line. Faced with third down and 14 again on their ensuing drive, the Jaguars decided not to pass and Stewart ended up scoring with a 25-yard touchdown run.
Miami continued the turn the ball over through the second quarter. Beasley recorded his second interception from Marino on the Dolphins next possession. Then after a punt, running back Autry Denson
Autry Denson
Autry Denson is a former professional American football player who played running back for four seasons for the Miami Dolphins, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Chicago Bears.-College:...
fumbled a pitch from Marino, and safety Donovin Darius
Donovin Darius
Donovin Lee Darius is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars 25th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft, and played for nine seasons with the team. He played for the Miami Dolphins in 2007...
recovered the ball at the Dolphins 7-yard line. This time, the Jaguars could not take advantage of the turnover. Two plays later, Dolphins defensive back Calvin Jackson
Calvin Jackson (American football)
Calvin Jackson is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 1994. He played college football at Auburn....
intercepted a pass from Fiedler in the end zone. But several plays after the interception, Jacksonville safety Carnell Lake
Carnell Lake
Carnell Augustino Lake is a former professional American football player who was a member of the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. He was the Cornerbacks Coach for the UCLA Bruins under head coach Rick Neuheisel in 2009 before leaving after one season for family reasons.-College career:Lake played for...
forced and recovered a fumble from J. J. Johnson
J. J. Johnson (running back)
James E. "J. J." Johnson is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
on the Dolphins 30-yard line, setting up a 30-yard field goal from Hollis with 1:47 left in the second quarter. Marino, who completed only 3 of 11 passes for 12 yards up to this point, finally managed to respond, completing 7 of 12 passes for 79 yards on an 80-yard scoring drive and finishing it off with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Oronde Gadsden
Oronde Gadsden
Oronde Benjamin Gadsden is a former professional American football player who played with the Miami Dolphins from 1998 to 2003. A 6'3", 220-lb...
with less than 20 seconds left before halftime.
But even so, it was clear by now the game was over, as the Jaguars held a commanding 41-7 lead. Marino was benched in the second half, and his replacement, Damon Huard
Damon Huard
Damon Paul Huard is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at Washington....
, completed just 5 of 16 passes for 46 yards in the rest of the game. Meanwhile, Jacksonville continued to increase their lead. On the third play of the second half, Fiedler threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Smith. Later on in the third quarter, he threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Alvis Whitted
Alvis Whitted
Alvis James Whitted is an American football player who is a free agent. He played two years as a wide receiver at Orange High School in Hillsborough, North Carolina and was also a standout in track and field and was state champion as a senior in the 100 and 200 meters. Played his college football...
. And in the final period, another fumble from Johnson set up the final points of the game, a 5-yard touchdown run by Howard.
NFC: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14, Washington Redskins 13
The Buccaneers forced two key turnovers in the second half to rally from a 13-0 deficit, while their defense held Washington to just 157 yards, with only 32 in the second half.After a scoreless first quarter, a 35-yard punt from Mark Royals
Mark Royals
Mark Alan Royals is a former American football punter in the National Football League. He is currently a color commentator for coverage of the Arena Football League's Tampa Bay Storm on the regional sports television network Bright House Sports Network. He has also co-hosted various sports radio...
gave the Redskins great field position on the Tampa Bay 43-yard line. Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
started out the drive with a 19-yard completion to Albert Connell
Albert Connell
Albert Gene Anthony Connell is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Washington Redskins and the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League, and for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.-College career:He played college football at Trinity Valley...
, and then a 12-yard run by Stephen Davis
Stephen Davis (American football)
Stephen Lamont Davis is a former American football running back in the National Football League. Davis will be the Carolina Panthers' minority coaching intern for the 2010-11 season.-College career:...
set up a 28-yard field goal from Brett Conway
Brett Conway
Brett Alan Conway is a former professional American football player. He was a placekicker for seven seasons with various teams in the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round by the Green Bay Packers in the 1997 NFL Draft...
with 5:37 remaining in the second quarter. Then in the second half, Brian Mitchell returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, a playoff record. Later in the third quarter, Darrell Green
Darrell Green
Darrell Ray Green is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League who played for the Washington Redskins from 1983 to 2002. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play football...
intercepted a pass from Buccaneers quarterback Shaun King
Shaun King
Shaun Earl King is a former Tulane University and National Football League quarterback.-High School:King is a 1995 graduate of Gibbs High School .-College:...
and returned it 12 yards to the Buccaneers 36-yard line, setting up Conway's second field goal to take a 13-0 lead. But after a Bucs punt, Tampa Bay safety John Lynch
John Lynch (American football)
John Terrence Lynch, Jr. is a former National Football League strong safety and current NFL on Fox color commentator. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford.A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super...
intercepted a pass from Johnson on the Tampa Bay 27-yard line. Aided by a 31-yard pass interference penalty on Leomont Evans
Leomont Evans
Leomont Dozier Evans is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Clemson University and was drafted in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft....
, the Buccaneers subsequently drove 73 yards in 6 plays and scored on Mike Alstott
Mike Alstott
Michael Joseph Alstott , nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue...
's 2-yard touchdown run. Then in the fourth quarter, defensive tackle Steve White
Steve White (American football)
Stephen Gregory White is a former professional American football player who played defensive end for seven seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets.-External links:...
forced a fumble from Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
while sacking him and Warren Sapp
Warren Sapp
Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
recovered the ball on the Redskins 32-yard line. King then went to work, completing a 17-yard pass to Bert Emanuel
Bert Emanuel
Bert Tyrone Emanuel is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
and a 13-yard pass to Warrick Dunn
Warrick Dunn
Warrick De'Mon Dunn is a former American football running back, and current minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State...
. On fourth down and 1, Alstott's 5-yard run moved the ball to the Washington 3-yard line, and King eventually finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to John Davis.
The Redskins had a chance to win the game with a 51-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds of the game, but the snap from center Dan Turk
Dan Turk
Daniel Anthony Turk was an American football center in the National Football League from 1985 to 1999 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders, and Washington Redskins. Turk was mainly used as a long snapper and reserve center...
to Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
, the holder, was off and the Bucs won. Contrary to popular belief, the snap was not to Matt Turk
Matt Turk
Matthew Edward Turk is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1993...
, the team's punter, and also his brother. This was Dan Turk's last game in the NFL, as he died later that year due to cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Meanwhile, King became the first rookie to lead his team to a playoff win since Pat Haden
Pat Haden
Patrick Capper "Pat" Haden is the athletic director at the University of Southern California. He played quarterback for the USC Trojans before playing professionally in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams from 1976 to 1981...
in 1976.
NFC: St. Louis Rams 49, Minnesota Vikings 37
As expected, this match between the two high powered offenses produced a lot of points (86), and yards (880, 475 by St. Louis, 405 by Minnesota). But after falling behind 17-14, St. Louis stormed to victory with 35 second half points.Minnesota took the opening kickoff and drove 60 yards in 11 plays, setting up a Gary Anderson field goal. But after the ensuing kickoff, Rams quarterback Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
on their first play from scrimmage, threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce
Isaac Bruce
Isaac Isidore Bruce is a retired American football wide receiver. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Memphis....
. A 13-yard sack by Rams safety Billy Jenkins
Billy Jenkins
Billy Jenkins is an English blues guitarist, composer, and bandleader.Initially Jenkins became famous as a member of Burlesque, then as part of Trimmer & Jenkins. A short period he followed as a member of Ginger Baker's Nutters. For several years, he ran Wood Wharf Studios...
on the Vikings ensuing drive forced a punt, and Warner once again went to work. He threw a 26-yard completion to Bruce and an 11-yarder to Torry Holt
Torry Holt
After injuring his knee at the Senior Bowl, Holt, at 192 pounds, ran a 4.44 second 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 37 inches at the 1999 NFL Combine-St. Louis Rams:...
before finishing the drive with a 41-yard touchdown pass to running back Marshall Faulk
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
. Another sack, this time by linebacker Charlie Clemons
Charlie Clemons
Charlie Fitzgerald Clemons is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Georgia....
, forced Minnesota to punt again, and once again the Rams decided to go deep, but this time the Vikings were ready, and cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock
Jimmy Hitchcock (cornerback)
Jimmy Davis Hitchcock, Jr. is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He played for the New England Patriots, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at the University of North Carolina...
intercepted Warner's pass at his own 4-yard line.
After the interception, Jeff George
Jeff George
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" George is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the first overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft...
led the Vikings 96 yards in eight plays, completing passes to Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
and Jake Reed
Jake Reed
Willis "Jake" Reed is a former professional American football player who played for 12 seasons in the National Football League as a wide receiver from 1991 to 2002 for the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints.Reed played football collegiately at Grambling State University and was selected...
for gains of 24 and 41 yards and finishing the drive with a 22-yard touchdown completion to Cris Carter
Cris Carter
Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
, cutting the score to 14-10 5:07 into the second quarter. Later on, Rams defensive back Dexter McCleon
Dexter McCleon
Dexter Keith McCleon is an American football safety who currently is a free agent of the National Football League. He also played for the St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs in his ten-year career that started in 1997...
intercepted a pass from George on the Vikings 41-yard line. But on the next play, Faulk fumbled a handoff and safety Robert Griffith
Robert Griffith
Robert Otis Griffith is a former American football strong safety in the National Football League. He played thirteen seasons in the league, mostly for the Minnesota Vikings from 1994 to 2001...
recovered the ball on the 47. After that, Minnesota took the lead by driving 53 yards and scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run from fullback Leroy Hoard
Leroy Hoard
Leroy Hoard is a retired American football running back who played for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, and Minnesota Vikings of the NFL...
with 2:40 left in the half. Aided by Bruce's 22-yard reception, the Rams responded with a drive to the Minnesota 37-yard line, but a 9-yard sack by defensive lineman John Randle
John Randle
John Anthony Randle played defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. On February 6, 2010 he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Born in Mumford, Texas, Randle was raised poor, and worked odd jobs when he was young. His brother Ervin Randle played as...
pushed St. Louis out of field goal range on the score remained 17-14 by halftime.
The momentum seemed to be in Minnesota's favor, but the Rams suddenly exploded with 35 points in the second half. First, St. Louis receiver Tony Horne
Tony Horne
Antonio Tremaine Horne is a former professional football player in the National Football League . Undrafted as a walk on, he played the 1998, 1999, and 2000 seasons with the St. Louis Rams, where he was primarily used as a wide receiver and kickoff returner...
returned the second half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. The Vikings were forced to punt on their next possession, and Az-Zahir Hakim
Az-Zahir Hakim
Az-Zahir Ali Hakim is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
returned the ball 15 yards with a facemask penalty adding another 5, giving the Rams a first down on Minnesota's 49-yard line. Faulk rushed three times for 14 yards and then Warner completed an 18-yard pass to Roland Williams
Roland Williams
Roland Lamar Williams , is a retired American football tight end from the Syracuse. An 8-year NFL veteran, Roland has enjoyed great success on the field and off. Roland was selected in the 1998 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. A multi-year starter, Roland went on to win Super Bowl XXXIV in the...
at the Vikings 14-yard line. After an 8-yard reception from Bruce, Faulk scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, increasing St. Louis' lead to 28-17. The Vikings had to punt again on their next drive, and Warner subsequently led the Rams 62 yards in 11 plays on the way to a 13 yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeff Robinson with 13 seconds left in the third quarter. After the ensuing kickoff, Rams tackle D'Marco Farr
D'Marco Farr
D'Marco Farr is a former American football player with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams in the National Football League. Farr played defensive tackle for the Rams from 1994–2000 and recorded 36.5 career sacks. He was a member of the Rams team that won Super Bowl XXXIV...
recovered a fumbled snap from George on the Vikings 23-yard line. Warner then completed passes to Holt and Hakim for 8 and 10 yards, then ran four yards to the 1-yard line. Warner finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to offensive lineman Ryan Tucker
Ryan Tucker
Ryan Tucker is a retired offensive tackle who played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
on a tackle-eligible play.
After another Vikings punt, Warner led the Rams 62 yards in eight plays and capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Williams, increasing St. Louis' lead to 49-17 with just over 8 minutes left in regulation. George, who had been held to just 2 of 8 completions for -9 yards in the second half until then, responded with three touchdown passes in the final 5 minutes of the game, two to Moss and one to Reed, but by then it was well out of reach.
Warner finished his first career playoff game with 27 of 33 completions for 391 yards and five touchdowns, with 1 interception. Bruce caught 4 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Hakim rushed for 5 yards, caught 5 passes for 49 yards, and returned 3 punts for 72 yards. Jenkins had 11 tackles and a sack. George completed 29 of 50 passes for 423 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 1 interception. Moss caught 9 passes for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns. Carter caught 7 passes for 106 yards and a score.
AFC: Tennessee Titans 19, Indianapolis Colts 16
Although the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis 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 ....
, behind second year quarterback Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, had posted some gaudy numbers en route to a sterling 13-3 regular season record, the upstart 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...
paid them little respect. Running back Eddie George rushed for a team playoff-record 162 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown, to help lead the Titans to victory. Manning endured a rough playoff debut as he completed only 19 of 42 passes.
Despite George's impressive day, he actually struggled for most of the first half, gaining only 38 yards on nine carries while kickers Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
and 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:...
spent the first two quarters trading field goals. Vanderjagt hit 3 and Del Greco hit two making it 9-6 colts at half. But with his team trailing 9-6 early in the second half, George took a handoff from Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
and stormed through the middle of the field for a 68-yard touchdown run.
In the fourth quarter, Del Greco kicked his third field goal, increasing the Tennessee lead to 16-9. Later in the period, the Colts had a great opportunity to come back when defensive back Terrence Wilkins
Terrence Wilkins
Terrence Olondo Wilkins is a former wide receiver and punt returner for the Indianapolis Colts in the National Football League. He signed with the Colts on November 10, 2003. He also played with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League. He has 1,466 career receiving yards in the...
returned a punt 87 yards to the Titans 3-yard line, but it was overruled by a replay challenge from coach Jeff Fisher
Jeff 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:...
. Fisher had to burn a timeout to get his challenge heard over the roaring crowd in the RCA dome, but it paid off, as the replay showed Wilkins had stepped out of bounds at his own 33-yard line during the return.
The lost opportunity turned out to be devastating. Indianapolis went three-and-out on their ensuing possession and 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 their punt 19 yards to the Colts 42-yard line, setting up Del Greco's fourth field goal to make the score 19-9. The Colts managed to respond on their next drive with a 15-yard touchdown run by Manning, but by then there was only 1:50 left in the game and Titans receiver Yancy Thigpen sealed the victory by recovering Vanderjagt's ensuing onside kick.
AFC Championship: Tennessee Titans 33, Jacksonville Jaguars 14
The Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville 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...
had been one of the NFL's best teams in the 1999 season, pacing the AFC with a 14-2 record. However, both of those losses came at the hands of their opponents in the AFC Championship game, 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...
. The Titans would prove up to the task of beating their division rival once again as the Titans scored a resounding 33-14 victory. The Titans advanced to their first Super Bowl in team history by forcing six turnovers and a safety.
Jacksonville took the opening kickoff and started out strong, gaining 51 yards on their first two plays. First, Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
completed an 18-yard pass to Jimmy Smith, and then Fred Taylor ran 33 yards to the Titans 13-yard line. Three plays later, Brunell threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Brady
Kyle Brady
Kyle James Brady is a former professional American football player. He played tight end for 13 seasons in the National Football League for the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots. He was the Jets' first round draft choice in the 1995 NFL Draft...
. But Tennessee struck right back. First, 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 ensuing kickoff to the Titans 49-yard line. Then 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....
completed three passes for 23 yards and rushed for 14 on a 51-yard drive that ended with his 9-yard touchdown pass to Yancy Thigpen.
In the second quarter, the Jaguars drove 72 yards to the Titans 5-yard line, only to have Brunell throw an interception to safety Marcus Robinson in the end zone. But after forcing a punt, they drove 65 yards in four plays and took a 14-7 lead with a 33-yard touchdown run from James Stewart. Tennessee was forced to punt again on their next drive, but Reggie Barlow
Reggie Barlow
Reggie Barlow is currently the head coach of the Alabama State Hornets football team. He is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played eight years in the league, five for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and two for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he...
muffed the kick and Steve Jackson recovered the ball for the Titans on the Jacksonville 19-yard line. After that, 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:...
kicked a 34-yard field goal, cutting the score to 14-10 with 20 seconds left in the half.
The Titans defense dominated the second half, forcing four turnovers, while the offense took advantage of key penalties to take control of the game. On Tennessee's first drive of the second half, McNair completed a 15-yard pass to 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...
at midfield, with a roughing the passer penalty on Tony Brackens
Tony Brackens
Tony Lynn Brackens Jr. is a former defensive end in the NFL a born and raised in Fairfield, Texas.-College years:He played his college football at the University of Texas where he earned a reputation as a fierocus hitter. In 1995, Brackens was on the All-American team and was also on the...
adding another 15 yards. Two plays later, cornerback Fernando Bryant
Fernando Bryant
Fernando Antoneyo Bryant is a former American football cornerback of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars 26th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
committed a 28-yard pass interference penalty while trying to cover 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....
, moving the ball to the Jaguars 6-yard line. After a 5-yard run by George, McNair scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, giving Tennessee their first lead of the game, 17-14.
On Jacksonville's next drive, Brady lost a fumble while being tackled by Robinson, and lineman Jason Fisk
Jason Fisk
Jason Fisk is a retired NFL defensive tackle. Fisk played high school football at Davis High School, and college football at Stanford University, where he lettered four years...
recovered the ball at the Jaguars 35-yard line. McNair subsequently led his team to the 7-yard line, but then linebacker Kevin Hardy stripped the ball away from 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...
and Lonnie Marts
Lonnie Marts
Lonnie Marts is a former American Football linebacker who played ten seasons in the National Football League. He currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida and coaches future NFL hopefuls with his athletic training company...
recovered the ball on the 1.
Then Tennessee's defense stepped up. First, linebacker Barron Wortham
Barron Wortham
Barron Winfred Wortham is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played seven seasons for the Houston Oilers / Tennessee Oilers / Tennessee Titans and the Dallas Cowboys. He started for the Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV...
stuffed Taylor for no gain. Then Josh Evans
Josh Evans
Joshua Antwon Evans is a former American football player. Evans played collegiately at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, Alabama with whom he was a four year starter. Evans signed as an undrafted free agent in 1995 by the Houston Oilers, with whom he stayed with during the...
and Fisk shared a sack on Brunell in the end zone for a safety. After that, Mason returned the free kick 80 yards for a touchdown, giving the Titans a 26-14 lead. Jacksonville reached the Titans 36-yard line on their next drive, but turned the ball over on downs with Brunell's incomplete pass on fourth down and 2.
In the fourth quarter, Brunell lost a fumble while being sacked by Kenny Holmes
Kenny Holmes
Kenneth Jerome Holmes is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers 18th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft...
and Jevon Kearse
Jevon 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...
initially recovered it on the 15-yard line. However, he attempted to lateral the ball to Samari Rolle
Samari Rolle
Samari Toure Rolle is a retired American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
, who fumbled the pitch, and receiver Keenan McCardell
Keenan McCardell
Keenan Wayne McCardell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and current wide receivers coach for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...
recovered it. But a few plays later, Brunell turned the ball over again when he threw an interception to rookie safety Donald Mitchell
Donald R. Mitchell
Donald Roosevelt Mitchell is a former cornerback for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League....
at the Titans 39-yard line. On the ensuing drive, McNair ripped off a 51-yard run, then scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to put the game away.
McNair completed 14 of 23 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, with 1 interception, and rushed for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mason returned 4 kickoffs for 174 yards and 2 punts for 14 yards. Taylor rushed for 110 yards and caught 2 passes for 16.
NFC Championship: St. Louis Rams 11, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6
The Rams and Buccaneers would slug it out for most of the game, with the Buccaneers defense holding the Rams highly-potent offense in check. Tampa Bay, weak on offense, would only muster two field goals, and gave up a costly safety in the second quarter when a bad snap from center went over the head of rookie quarterback Shaun KingShaun King
Shaun Earl King is a former Tulane University and National Football League quarterback.-High School:King is a 1995 graduate of Gibbs High School .-College:...
and out of the endzone. Despite this, the Buccaneers nursed an unusual 6-5 lead into the 4th Quarter. The Rams broke open a defense dominated game when Kurt Warner threw a touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl
Ricky Proehl
Richard Scott Proehl is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Proehl played 17 seasons with the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, and Indianapolis Colts...
with 4:44 left in the game. The Buccaneers would mount a drive on their final possession, however, a controversial replay overturned what appeared to be a reception by Buccaneers wide receiver Bert Emanuel
Bert Emanuel
Bert Tyrone Emanuel is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
, and the Buccaneers never recovered.
On the first play of the game, Bucs defensive end Steve White
Steve White (American football)
Stephen Gregory White is a former professional American football player who played defensive end for seven seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets.-External links:...
intercepted a screen pass
Screen pass
A screen pass is a type of play in American football. During a screen pass, a number of things happen concurrently in order to fool the defense into thinking a long pass is being thrown, when in fact the pass is merely a short one, just beyond the defensive linemen. Screens are usually deployed...
from Warner on the Rams 20-yard line, setting up a 25-yard field goal from Martín Gramática
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
. But that was all they could manage in the first quarter. On one possession, they moved the ball to the St. Louis 23-yard line, but then King was sacked and fumbled. Tampa Bay recovered the ball, but lost 12 yards and were pushed out of field goal range. Then with 11 seconds left in the period, King threw a pass from the St. Louis 41-yard line that went right into the surprised arms of defensive back Todd Lyght
Todd Lyght
Todd William Lyght , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1st round of the 1991 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 191-lb. cornerback from the University of Notre Dame and Flint Powers Catholic High School, Lyght played in 12 NFL seasons from 1991 to 2002...
. The Rams didn't do much better. After Gramatica's field goal, they drove 74 yards in 16 plays before a fumbled handoff from Warner to Marshall Faulk
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
on third down forced them to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins
Jeff Wilkins
For the American basketball player, see Jeff Wilkins .Jeffrey Allen Wilkins nicknamed "Money" is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and St Louis Rams. He played college football at Youngstown State University...
. Then on their next drive, Wilkins missed a field goal attempt from 44 yards.
In the second quarter, a high snap from Bucs center Tony Mayberry
Tony Mayberry
Anthony Mayberry was an American football player who played center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1990 to 1999. He was selected to three Pro Bowls...
went over King's head and into the end zone. King managed to knock the ball out of the end zone to prevent a touchdown, but it gave the Rams a safety and a 5-3 lead. This would be the score by halftime, despite the Rams 159-75 advantage over the Buccaneers in total yards.
Just as in the first half, Tampa Bay scored a field goal on their opening drive on the third quarter, set up by a 32-yard reception by Jacquez Green
Jacquez Green
D'Tanyian Jacquez Green is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver and punt returner in the National Football League for five seasons in the 1990s and early 2000s...
and a 15-yard facemask penalty on Taje Allen
Taje Allen
Taje LaQuane Allen is a former professional American football player who played cornerback for six seasons for the St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League....
. Meanwhile, Warner was intercepted three times by the Buccaneers defense, including a costly interception to Hardy Nickerson
Hardy Nickerson
Hardy Otto Nickerson is a former American football linebacker who played 16 seasons for four teams from 1987 to 2002 in the National Football League and is currently the head football coach at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, Calif. He attended Verbum Dei High School, a Catholic school...
on the Tampa Bay 3-yard line. But late in the fourth quarter, Rams defensive back Dre' Bly intercepted a pass from King at the Buccaneers 49-yard line. A few plays later, Warner threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Proehl with 4:44 left, taking an 11-6 lead after the two point conversion failed. But despite being sacked twice, King responded by leading the Bucs to the St. Louis 22-yard line. With 47 seconds left in the game, his potential 11-yard completion to Bert Emanuel
Bert Emanuel
Bert Tyrone Emanuel is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
was controversially overturned by a replay challenge (the play led the NFL to adopt the "Bert Emanuel rule" after the season). Then King threw two consecutive incompletions, turning the ball over on downs.
Proehl was the sole offensive star of the game, finishing with 6 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown.