1997: Eddie George Runs for 216 Yards as Oilers Beat Raiders in Tennessee Debut

The team that had been known as the Houston Oilers for 37 years began a new chapter as a Tennessee-based franchise on August 31, 1997. Coached by Jeff Fisher, the Oilers were coming off of an 8-8 record in ’96. While they faded badly after getting off to a 5-2 start, they were a rebuilding team that also showed improvement and had young talent at key positions. Mobile third-year QB Steve McNair was heading into his first season as the starter, with veteran Chris Chandler having been dealt away during the offseason. RB Eddie George (pictured at right) rushed for 1368 yards and received Rookie of the Year recognition, and he was expected to carry even more of a load in his second year.

The team they were facing in the opening week was the Raiders, who had returned to Oakland two years before after a 13-season sojourn in Los Angeles. The Raiders were coming off a 7-9 tally in 1996 and had made changes at head coach, where Joe Bugel was replacing Mike White, and quarterback, with the talented but immature Jeff George taking over from Jeff Hostetler. They also had a fine runner in Napoleon Kaufman and a reliable receiver in WR Tim Brown. However, the defense was full of question marks.

There was a disappointing crowd of 30,171 in attendance at the 62,300-seat Liberty Bowl in Memphis, which was to serve as a first-year home for the Nashville-bound club, on a damp and hazy day, and many of them were there to support the visiting Raiders.

The teams exchanged punts to start the game. Commencing their second possession from their own nine yard line, the Raiders suffered a turnover when Napoleon Kaufman fumbled after catching a pass from Jeff George and the LB Lonnie Marts recovered for the Oilers at the 20. Four plays later, Al Del Greco kicked a 30-yard field goal to put the home team in front by 3-0.

Oakland responded by moving into Tennessee territory when George threw to TE Rickey Dudley for a 26-yard gain. Two runs by Kaufman gained nine yards but a third down option pass was incomplete and Cole Ford’s 46-yard field goal attempt was wide to the left.

The Oilers came back with a five-play, 63-yard drive that featured a pass from Steve McNair to WR Willie Davis that picked up 21 yards to the Oakland 38. Another pass by McNair resulted in a 48-yard touchdown completion to WR Chris Sanders. Del Greco added the extra point and Tennessee took a 10-0 lead into the second quarter.

Following a punt by the Raiders, Tennessee’s next series ended with McNair being intercepted by SS James Trapp to give Oakland good starting field position at the Oilers’ 49. However, after advancing to the 37, the visitors lost ground and once again had to punt. Oakland again got the ball back on a turnover, this time a fumble by WR Derrick Mason, and again failed to capitalize. The half ended with the Oilers ahead by ten, and Eddie George had already gained 95 yards rushing.

Tennessee started off the third quarter with a 14-play series that covered 47 yards, converting two third downs along the way, and finishing up with Del Greco kicking a 37-yard field goal. But down by 13 points, the Raiders struck quickly on their next possession. On the second play, George completed a pass to Tim Brown for a 59-yard touchdown and, with Ford’s successful conversion, the tally stood at 13-7.

Following a short series by the Oilers that resulted in a punt, Oakland put together another scoring drive that stretched into the final period and was helped along by a pass interference penalty in a third-and-nine situation. George completed passes to Brown for 19 and 13 yards along the way and capped the nine-play, 75-yard possession with another throw to Brown for a 27-yard TD. With Ford’s extra point, the Raiders were in the lead by 14-13.

The teams traded punts before Tennessee put together a 90-yard series that took 13 plays. The last six were all runs by George, the final carry good for a 29-yard touchdown. George then successfully ran for a two-point conversion and, with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, the Oilers were back in the lead at 21-14.

The Raiders started off from their own 47 following a 34-yard kickoff return by RB Tim Hall. George completed four straight passes, the longest covering 18 yards to WR Olanda Truitt, to get to the Tennessee 16. The next three throws fell incomplete and, while RB Derrick Fenner ran for seven yards, two sacks had the Raiders back at the 16 and facing fourth-and-goal and the clock down to 28 seconds. However, George tossed a bullet to Brown between two defenders for a TD and, with Ford adding the all-important extra point, the game was tied at 21-21 and went into overtime.

Tennessee had the first possession in the extra period but went three-and-out and had to punt. The Raiders were no more successful and punted in turn. Starting at their 35, the Oilers got two pass completions from McNair to TE Frank Wycheck, one for 21 yards and then for 10 to reach the Oakland 32. McNair ran the ball himself around end for 11 more yards and, after George went up the middle for six yards, Del Greco came in to kick the decisive field goal from 33 yards. The Oilers came away the winner in their first game as a Tennessee team by the final score of 24-21.

Tennessee had more total yards (419 to 332), with 255 yards of that total coming on the ground, and also had the edge in first downs (20 to 17). The Oilers also turned the ball over twice, to one turnover suffered by Oakland. Each team recorded three sacks.

Eddie George rushed for 216 yards on 35 carries that included a touchdown – it was the second-highest opening-game rushing total in NFL history at the time. Steve McNair completed 13 of 25 passes for 182 yards and had one TD as well as one interception. He further contributed 23 yards on the ground. RB Ronnie Harmon caught 5 passes for 50 yards and Chris Sanders gained 51 yards on his two receptions that included a touchdown. Al Del Greco was successful on all three of his field goal attempts, including the game-winner in overtime.

For the Raiders, Jeff George (pictured at left) was successful on 21 of 37 throws for 298 yards and three TDs with none intercepted. Tim Brown caught 8 of those passes for 158 yards and three scores. Napoleon Kauffman ran for just 32 yards on 12 carries.

Coach Jeff Fisher awarded a game ball to Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist, but garbled the presentation by saying “This is from the Hou…er, Tennessee… Oilers organization.”

The Week 1 win was followed by four consecutive losses before the Oilers won six of their next eight contests and finished up with another 8-8 season that placed them third in the AFC Central. Practicing in Nashville, 210 miles away, while playing before sparse crowds in Memphis hurt, and the team moved to Nashville’s Vanderbilt Stadium in 1998 before finally coming to rest in a newly-constructed stadium in ’99 – and with a new name, the Titans, as well.

The Raiders dropped to 4-12, tying with San Diego at the bottom of the AFC West. While Jeff George passed for a league-leading 3917 yards and topped the AFC with 29 TD passes and Tim Brown caught 104 passes for 1408 yards, they could not make up for poor defensive play.

Eddie George went on to rush for 1399 yards on 357 carries (3.9 avg.) and was chosen to the Pro Bowl for the first of four straight seasons. The 216-yard performance against Oakland remained his career high.

2000: Third Quarter Surge Propels Titans Past Jaguars for AFC Title

The AFC Championship game on January 23, 2000 featured two teams that had already met twice during the 1999 regular season, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans. But while the Titans finished second to the Jaguars in the AFC Central, they swept the season series between the two clubs – the only two defeats Jacksonville sustained all year.

Tennessee had a new nickname (they had been the Tennessee Oilers for two years after moving from Houston) and a new stadium in 1999. Head Coach Jeff Fisher was in his fifth season with the team, and despite the distractions pertaining to the franchise’s relocation, had built a solid team. The conservative offense was directed by highly-mobile QB Steve McNair (pictured above), who missed the early part of the season due to a back injury but stepped up as a game manager and leader. Pro Bowl RB Eddie George ran for 1304 yards and TE Frank Wycheck was a fine clutch receiver. Rookie DE Jevon Kearse set a rookie record for sacks (14.5) and behind a good group of linebackers was a defensive backfield anchored by safeties Marcus Robertson and Blaine Bishop. At 13-3, the Titans sported the best record of any club that had ever finished as a Wild Card in the NFL and while they had narrowly gotten by Buffalo in the Wild Card round (thanks to “The Music City Miracle”) and the Colts at the Divisional level, the defense had stepped up.

Jacksonville, at 14-2, was the top seed in the AFC. Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s team had a fine quarterback in Mark Brunell, a mobile lefthander, and he had outstanding targets in wide receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell. Second-year RB Fred Taylor missed time with a nagging hamstring injury, but when healthy he was very productive. DE Tony Brackens anchored the tough defensive line and LB Kevin Hardy topped a good group of linebackers. Veteran FS Carnell Lake brought a savvy veteran presence to the defensive backfield. The Jaguars had hit on all cylinders in defeating Miami by an overwhelming score of 62-7 in the Divisional playoff round.

There were 75,206 fans in attendance at Jacksonville’s Alltel Stadium. Tennessee had the first possession and punted. The Jaguars then scored first thanks to a five-play, 62-yard drive. Along the way, Mark Brunell passed to Jimmy Smith for an 18-yard gain to the Tennessee 44 and Fred Taylor broke away for a 31-yard run. Three plays later, Brunell completed a seven-yard touchdown pass to TE Kyle Brady and, adding the extra point by Mike Hollis, the home team held a 7-0 lead.

The Titans responded by advancing 51 yards in nine plays. A pass interference penalty on Carnell Lake allowed the visitors to convert a third-and-seven play and Steve McNair had a completion to TE Jackie Harris for 10 yards and a carry for eight yards to the Jacksonville 18. Runs by Eddie George and McNair picked up nine yards and the possession ended with McNair throwing to WR Yancey Thigpen for a nine-yard TD. Al Del Greco’s extra point tied the score at 7-7.

Following a punt by the Jaguars, the Titans mounted another drive that reached Jacksonville territory. McNair ran for 19 yards on a third-and-ten play at the end of the opening period and George started off the second quarter with a 20-yard run to the Jacksonville 30. However, the possession stalled there and McNair’s third down pass was intercepted by CB Fernando Bryant to snuff out the threat.

Now it was the turn of the Jaguars to mount a promising drive. On a third-and-nine play, Brunell connected with Smith for 37 yards to the Tennessee 39 and, when Brunell fumbled while being sacked by SS Blaine Bishop, TE Damon Jones recovered and picked up eight yards. Taylor took off on a 19-yard run and, two plays later, caught a pass for nine more yards to the five. But a Brunell pass into the end zone was picked off by FS Marcus Robertson.

The Titans went three-and-out on the ensuing series and the Jaguars moved ahead this time thanks to a four-play series that covered 65 yards. Brunell threw to Smith for an 11-yard gain and, two plays later, a pass interference penalty advanced the ball to the Tennessee 42. Taylor ran for nine yards before RB James Stewart carried for 33 yards and a touchdown. Hollis added the PAT and Jacksonville led by 14-7.

With the clock having ticked down to under three minutes remaining in the half, the Titans again had to punt but got a break when WR Reggie Barlow fumbled Craig Hentrich’s kick and DB Steve Jackson recovered at the Jacksonville 19. Del Greco booted a 34-yard field goal with 20 seconds left before halftime and the score was 14-10 at the intermission.

The Jaguars got the ball first in the third quarter and had to punt. On their second play, the Titans picked up 11 yards on a pass from McNair to WR Isaac Byrd. McNair followed up with a completion to George for 15 yards to midfield and another 15 yards was tacked on when Tony Brackens was flagged for roughing the passer. Two plays later, a pass interference call on Bryant moved the ball all the way to the Jacksonville six. George went five yards up the middle to get to the one, and from there McNair went over for a touchdown. Del Greco added the extra point and the Titans had the lead at 17-14.

It looked good for Tennessee when Brady fumbled after catching a short pass from Brunell on the next series and DT Jason Fisk recovered at the Jacksonville 35. A five-yard run by George was followed by McNair completions to Byrd for eight yards and Harris for 15. The Jaguars stopped George for a two-yard loss on the next play and it seemed as though the home team had dodged a bullet when McNair passed to Frank Wycheck, but the star tight end fumbled when hit by LB Kevin Hardy and Lonnie Marts recovered at the one.

However, on second down Brunell was sacked in the end zone for a safety by DT Josh Evans and Fisk. The free kick was then returned by WR Derrick Mason (pictured below) for an 80-yard touchdown and, with the extra point added on, the Titans suddenly held an expanded lead of 26-14.

The Jaguars responded by advancing to the Tennessee 36, but they failed to convert a fourth-and-two situation and the Titans had the ball heading into the fourth quarter. The teams exchanged punts before McNair, at the end of a nine-yard run, fumbled and Brackens recovered at the Jacksonville 33. The Jaguars backed themselves up with consecutive penalties and then Brunell was sacked by Jevon Kearse. Brunell followed up with two completions to WR Keenan McCardell for 18 and 12 yards, and Taylor ran for seven yards to just short of midfield, but another pass was intercepted by CB Donald Mitchell at the Tennessee 39.

After two runs by George gained nine yards, McNair took off for a 51-yard carry to the Jacksonville one. McNair ran for the final yard to extinguish any lingering hopes for the Jaguars with seven minutes left to play. Jacksonville had the ball two more times, to no effect, and Tennessee won by a final score of 33-14.

The Jaguars had more total yards (355 to 289) and first downs (20 to 18). However, they also turned the ball over six times, to four flags thrown on the Titans, and allowed three sacks that included a safety that was followed up by the kick return touchdown. Jacksonville was also penalized 9 times, at a cost of 100 yards, to five flags thrown on the visitors.

Steve McNair completed 14 of 23 passes for 112 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but was especially effective running the ball as he gained 91 yards on 9 attempts and scored twice. Eddie George rushed for 86 yards on 25 carries and caught three passes for another 19 yards. Jackie Harris also had three catches, for a team-leading 33 yards.

For the Jaguars, Mark Brunell was successful on 19 of 38 throws for 226 yards and a TD, but tossed two interceptions. Fred Taylor (pictured at right) ran for 110 yards on 19 attempts, most of which came in the first half, while Keenan McCardell caught 6 passes for 67 yards and Jimmy Smith gained 92 yards on his five pass receptions – again, getting most of those yards during the first half.

The win was costly as the Titans lost two starters to injuries during the course of the game, with Yancey Thigpen suffering a broken left foot during the first half and Marcus Robertson broke an ankle.

“They said we couldn’t beat Jacksonville three times in a season and the players didn’t blink an eye,” said Jeff Fisher. “Our players believed, believed and believed, and now we’re going to the Super Bowl.”

 

“For whatever reason, we didn’t play as well as we anticipated we would,” said a disappointed Tom Coughlin from the losing side. “The turnovers, the missed opportunities were too much to overcome. It’s a bitter pill to swallow.”

The Titans went on to a closely-fought Super Bowl loss to the St. Louis Rams. They came back to win the AFC Central in 2000, again with a 13-3 record, but fell short in the postseason by losing in the Divisional round. Jacksonville, after having been in the postseason for four straight years, dropped to 7-9 and fourth place in the division.

2001: Ravens Stop McNair on Last Play to Beat Titans

The Baltimore Ravens, defending NFL Champions, had gotten off to a slow start in the 2001 season but were coming off back-to-back wins and were 5-3 as they faced the Tennessee Titans on November 12. Head Coach Brian Billick’s team had reached the Super Bowl following the 2000 season thanks to a superb defense and ball-control offense. The defense was still strong, and while QB Elvis Grbac had been signed away from the Chiefs to upgrade the passing attack, RB Jamal Lewis, key to the ground game as a rookie, was out for the year with a knee injury suffered during training camp.

The Tennessee Titans, coached by Jeff Fisher, were struggling at 3-4 after having put together consecutive 13-3 records and winning an AFC title in 1999. QB Steve McNair was playing well but RB Eddie George appeared to be on the downside of his fine career and injuries were a problem, especially with the once-formidable defense. The Ravens had won convincingly when the teams met at Baltimore five weeks earlier and, coming into the rematch, McNair was suffering from a sinus infection and was not at full strength.

There were 68,798 fans in attendance at Nashville’s Adelphia Coliseum for the Monday night game. The teams traded punts during the first quarter, with neither offense able to move. A promising series for the Ravens was highlighted by back-to-back pass completions by Elvis Grbac to WR Brandon Stokley for 18 yards on a third-and-seven play and 16 yards to FB Sam Gash.  But after reaching the Tennessee 33, Grbac was sacked for a seven-yard loss by DE Jevon Kearse on a third down play and they had to punt.

Early in the second quarter, the Titans put together a long drive that started at their nine yard line and reached the Baltimore 30. Steve McNair completed four passes, two of which converted third downs, and also ran for 13 yards while Eddie George contributed 26 yards on seven carries. However, they came up empty when Joe Nedney’s 48-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful.

The Ravens responded by moving into Tennessee territory, but a Grbac pass was intercepted by LB Keith Bulluck. With 3:35 remaining in the half, the Titans put together another long series. At one point, McNair completed three straight passes for 25 yards to reach the Baltimore six, but the drive stalled there and a field goal by Nedney was wiped out by a holding penalty. The second try for a field goal had to be aborted due to a bad snap and holder Craig Hentrich’s desperation pass was intercepted. The game remained scoreless at halftime.

The Titans got a break early in the third quarter when WR Qadray Ismail fumbled after catching a pass and DB Daryl Porter recovered near midfield. They were unable to capitalize, however, but following a punt they got the ball back on another Baltimore turnover, this time the result of a botched punt. Getting the ball with first-and-goal at the Ravens’ eight, the Titans still couldn’t reach the end zone but finally broke the scoreless deadlock with a 27-yard Nedney field goal.

The Ravens came right back when WR Jermaine Lewis returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to the Tennessee 16. They also ended up having to settle for a field goal by Matt Stover from 31 yards to make it 3-3. The Titans responded with an eight-play, 71-yard drive. McNair threw six passes, including one to TE Brian Natkin for 27 yards and the last to WR Kevin Dyson for a 22-yard touchdown. Nedney added the extra point and Tennessee was ahead by 10-3.

Now it was time for the Ravens to move on offense. RB Jason Brookins ran three times for 18 yards and Grbac completed two passes to Ismail, the second for a 57-yard TD. Stover’s extra point again knotted the score.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Ravens got another break on a turnover when George fumbled and LB Peter Boulware recovered at the Tennessee 18. Four plays later Stover kicked a 33-yard field goal that put the visitors back in front at 13-10.

The teams traded punts until, starting at their 14 yard line with 8:17 remaining to play, the Ravens put together another scoring drive. Grbac thew to TE Shannon Sharpe for 15 yards in a third-and-six situation and Brookins had a 25-yard run to the Tennessee 27. The eleven-play series ended with Stover kicking another field goal, this time from 30 yards, to put Baltimore ahead by six points with the clock now showing 3:10 to go.

Following WR Derrick Mason’s 22-yard kickoff return, the Titans moved methodically down the field. McNair completed a 10-yard pass to Dyson on a third-and-six play and, after being sacked by Boulware for a loss of six yards, had four straight completions to get the ball to the Baltimore 35. A roughing-the-passer penalty added another 15 yards and McNair then threw to George for eight yards to the 12.

McNair’s next pass fell incomplete but, on third-and-two, he hit Mason for six yards. The Titans took their final timeout and McNair missed on his next two throws before connecting with Dyson for five yards down to the one. On fourth down, and lining up quickly with the final seconds ticking away, McNair appeared to score on a quarterback sneak, but a flag was thrown for an offsides penalty.

Following a great deal of confusion and consultation by the officials, the play was ruled a dead-ball foul and, with the ball a foot away from the goal line, the Titans were given one last shot. Once again McNair kept the ball (pictured at top) and, when he couldn’t penetrate the middle of the line, tried to go outside. He was stopped short of the goal line by SS Corey Harris and the Ravens were winners in dramatic fashion by a final score of 16-10.

The Titans won the statistical battle, accumulating more total yards (318 to 238) and first downs (20 to 12), and held onto the ball for 35 minutes. The Ravens accumulated just 55 yards of their total in the first half. Baltimore recorded six sacks, to three by Tennessee, and both teams turned the ball over twice.

Elvis Grbac completed 15 of 27 passes for 192 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Qadray Ismail (pictured at right) had 8 catches for 129 yards and a TD. With veteran RB Terry Allen lost to an injury after one carry, rookie Jason Brookins ran for 57 yards on 14 attempts.

For the Titans, Steve McNair went to the air 48 times and completed 27 of those throws for 256 yards and a TD with none intercepted. He also ran the ball 6 times for 19 yards. Derrick Mason had 12 pass receptions for 99 yards and Kevin Dyson contributed 6 catches for 68 yards and a score. Eddie George rushed for 71 yards on 22 attempts.

“We knew that’s the only thing they wanted to do,” said Baltimore LB Ray Lewis regarding the game-ending quarterback sneak attempt by McNair. “They weren’t going to put the ball in someone else’s hands. If you watch film on them, you know that they run quarterback sneaks an awful lot.”

When asked why the Titans didn’t attempt a pass on the last play, Coach Fisher replied “we thought we’d jam it in, and the game was going to be over.”

The Ravens lost to the Browns the next week but won the next two on the way to a 10-6 record and second place finish in the AFC Central. They won in the first round of the postseason but lost to the division-rival Steelers in the Divisional playoff game. Tennessee continued to struggle and ended up at 7-9 for fourth place in the division.

2000: Titans Stun Bills with “Music City Miracle”

The 1999 NFL season was a year of transformation for the Tennessee Titans. First, the name was new, as the club had played the previous two seasons as the Tennessee Oilers after moving from Houston. Second, the team had a permanent home at the new Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville – prior to that, the franchise had played at different venues, including the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, and often before small crowds. During the period of transition, including the final season in Houston, the team had put together three straight 8-8 records. In ’99, Head Coach Jeff Fisher’s team broke out to a 13-3 record, which still wasn’t enough to win the AFC Central (Jacksonville finished at 14-2) but more than enough to grab a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. On January 8, 2000 the Titans faced the Buffalo Bills in their first postseason game at their new home.

The Bills, coached for the second year by Wade Phillips, were in the playoffs for the tenth time in twelve seasons as they finished second in the AFC East with an 11-5 record. While several of the players who had been key performers during that stretch, such as DE Bruce Smith, WR Andre Reed, and RB Thurman Thomas, were reaching the end of the trail, younger performers like RB Antowain Smith, WR Eric Moulds, LB Sam Cowart, and CB Antoine Winfield made significant contributions. 37-year-old QB Doug Flutie, undersized but popular and typically productive, had held off the challenge of 26-year-old Rob Johnson, but in a controversial move, Coach Phillips chose to bench Flutie in favor of Johnson for the playoff game at Tennessee.

With 66,672 fans in attendance at the Adelphia Coliseum, the defenses took control early and the first quarter was scoreless. It was a defensive play in the second quarter that put the first points on the board when Tennessee’s star rookie DE Jevon Kearse (pictured below) sacked Johnson in the end zone for a safety.

The ensuing free kick was returned 42 yards by WR Derrick Mason to give the Titans excellent field position at the Buffalo 28. They made the most of it as, five plays later, QB Steve McNair ran around end for a one-yard touchdown. With the successful extra point, the home team was ahead by 9-0.

After the Bills punted, the Titans again advanced into scoring territory. It looked like they would come up dry when, with time running out in the first half, Al Del Greco missed a 45-yard field goal attempt. However, a holding penalty on the Bills gave Del Greco another shot from five yards closer and this time he was successful. Tennessee went into halftime with a 12-0 lead. The Bills gained just 64 total yards and managed only three first downs in the first half as Johnson had struggled.

It quickly became a different story in the second half when, on the opening play from scrimmage of the third quarter, Antowain Smith ran for 44 yards. It set up his four-yard touchdown carry that capped a 62-yard drive and got the Bills back in the game.

Later in the third quarter, safety Kurt Schulz deflected a McNair pass that was intercepted by Antoine Winfield. The Bills got another big play when Johnson threw to Eric Moulds, who got ahead of CB Denard Walker down the left sideline, for a 37-yard gain. Kearse was penalized for a roughing the passer penalty to help move the series along and Smith scored another TD, this time from a yard out. The try for a two-point conversion failed but Buffalo was in front by 13-12 with just over eleven minutes remaining in the game.

That was it for the offensive output until, with 6:15 remaining, WR Isaac Byrd returned a punt 16 yards to give the Titans possession at the Buffalo 45. Tennessee moved methodically down the field with Eddie George carrying the ball five straight times and Del Greco kicking a 36-yard field goal. The Titans were ahead by 15-13 with 1:48 to go.

However, Buffalo got a 33-yard kickoff return from WR Kevin Williams and proceeded to drive 38 yards in six plays. With the clock now down to 16 seconds, Christie was successful on a 41-yard field goal try that put the Bills back on top at 16-15.

The Bills kicked off, with Christie booting it short but high to try and hinder a return. The Titans were anticipating a squib kick and had lined up for a desperation return play called Home Run Throwback.  RB Lorenzo Neal caught the ball and handed off to TE Frank Wycheck, who then threw a lateral down the 25 yard line to WR Kevin Dyson. The plan was to gain enough yards to get into field goal range, but Dyson made the catch of the low-thrown ball and, led by a convoy of blockers, he proceeded to run 75 yards for a touchdown (pictured at top). It was the first time the Titans had ever run the play and Dyson, who was filling in for the injured Mason, had never practiced it.

The Bills furiously argued that the throw from Wycheck (pictured at right) to Dyson was an illegal forward pass, but the play was reviewed by referee Phil Luckett and the call stood – much to the delight of the ecstatic home crowd and the consternation of the shocked Bills players and coaches. Thanks to the touchdown on what came to be referred to as "the Music City Miracle", Tennessee advanced by a final score of 22-16.

“The line judge’s initial ruling was that it was not a forward pass,” explained Luckett. “Taking from where the pass left the passer’s right hand on that (the 25) yard line, the receiver catches it right there on that yard line. It did not appear to be a forward pass, therefore there is not a foul.”

“I think it was a forward lateral,” said Buffalo’s owner Ralph Wilson, who spoke for many (but by no means all) who observed the play. “I also think there was no way the guy was going to overturn it.”

The Bills led in total yards (219 to 194) although Tennessee had more first downs (16 to 13). Neither team gained much through the air, with Buffalo leading in net passing yards (96 to 55). But the Titans sacked Johnson six times (two by Jevon Kearse) as opposed to Buffalo getting to McNair three times (2.5 by Bruce Smith). The Bills also were penalized ten times, while the home team was flagged twice. Each team turned the ball over on two occasions.

Steve McNair completed 13 of 24 passes for just 76 yards with one intercepted, although he ran six times for 19 yards and a TD. Eddie George rushed for 106 yards on 26 carries. Frank Wycheck and TE Jackie Harris each caught four passes, with Wycheck gaining 29 yards to 20 for Harris.

For the Bills, Rob Johnson, who had difficulty against the strong Tennessee pass rush but came on in the fourth quarter, was successful on 10 of 22 throws for 131 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Antowain Smith paced the ground attack with 79 yards on 14 carries that included two for scores. WR Peerless Price had 5 pass receptions for 62 yards and Eric Moulds also gained 62 yards on his three catches.

The Titans went on to win the AFC title and lost a close contest to the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl. They went 13-3 again in 2000, although did not advance as far in the postseason. As for the Bills, the loss to Tennessee signaled the beginning of a long playoff drought. They dropped to 8-8 in 2000 and were over .500 just once in the course of the next 13 years (and counting).

MVP Profile: Steve McNair, 2003

Quarterback, Tennessee Titans



Age: 30
9th season in pro football & with Oilers/Titans
College: Alcorn State
Height: 6’2” Weight: 229

Prelude:
Chosen in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft by the Oilers, “Air McNair” was brought along slowly, starting six games in his first two seasons. Very mobile, he had to polish his passing skills, but took over as the full-time starter in ’97, the team’s first in Tennessee. He rushed for 674 yards in 1997 and 559 in ’98 while improving on his passing numbers. In 1999, he missed five games due to a back injury but the team was 9-2 with him behind center and reached the Super Bowl, barely losing to the Rams. McNair was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2000 as he completed 62.6 % of his passes for 2847 yards and 15 TDs and rushed for 403 yards. Tennessee’s fortunes dipped in ’01, but bounced back in 2002 as McNair achieved new highs with 3350 and 3387 yards through the air, respectively, and 21 TD throws followed by 22 in ’02 – and despite being hindered by injuries that kept him out of practice, but not games, during the last five weeks of the year.

2003 Season Summary
Appeared and started in 14 of 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 400 [19]
Most attempts, game – 45 at New England 10/5
Completions – 250 [18]
Most completions, game – 25 vs. Oakland 9/7
Yards – 3215 [15]
Most yards, game – 421 vs. Houston 10/12
Completion percentage – 62.5 [9]
Yards per attempt – 8.0 [1]
TD passes – 24 [7, tied with Trent Green & Aaron Brooks]
Most TD passes, game – 3 at Pittsburgh 9/28, vs. Houston 10/12
Interceptions – 7
Most interceptions, game – 2 at NY Jets 12/1
Passer rating – 100.4 [1]
400-yard passing games – 1
300-yard passing games – 2
200-yard passing games – 8

Rushing
Attempts – 38
Most attempts, game - 6 (for 18 yds.) at New England 10/5
Yards – 138
Most yards, game – 30 yards (on 2 carries) at Carolina 10/19
Yards per attempt – 3.6
TDs – 4

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 1
Yards – 4
Yards per catch – 4.0
TDs - 0

Scoring
TDs – 4
2-pt PAT – 1
Points - 26

Postseason: 2 G
Pass attempts – 49
Most attempts, game – 26 at New England, AFC Divisional playoff
Pass completions – 32
Most completions, game - 18 at New England, AFC Divisional playoff
Passing yardage – 369
Most yards, game - 210 at New England, AFC Divisional playoff
TD passes – 2
Most TD passes, game - 1 at Baltimore, AFC Wild Card playoff, at New England, AFC Divisional playoff
Interceptions – 4
Most interceptions, game - 3 at Baltimore, AFC Wild Card playoff

Rushing attempts – 6
Most rushing attempts, game - 4 at Baltimore, AFC Wild Card playoff
Rushing yards – 27
Most rushing yards, game - 16 at Baltimore, AFC Wild Card playoff
Average gain rushing – 4.5
Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL Co-MVP: AP
2nd team All-NFL: AP
Pro Bowl

Titans went 12-4 to finish second in the AFC South and qualify for the postseason as a wild card team. Won AFC Wild Card playoff over Baltimore Ravens (20-17). Lost AFC Divisional playoff to New England Patriots (17-14).

Aftermath:
Injuries limited McNair to eight games in 2004 and, while he had another Pro Bowl season in ’05, the Titans went 4-12. He was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for 2006 and, although he performed ably for a 13-3 team that made the playoffs, he made it into only six contests in ’07 and retired. Overall, McNair passed for 31,304 yards and 174 TDs, against 119 interceptions, with an 82.8 rating and rushed for 3590 yards on 669 carries, a 5.4-yard average gain.

--

MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/9/14]