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The Music City Miracle is a famous play that occurred at the end of an NFL Wild Card Playoff game between the Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills on January 8, 2000 (following the 1999 regular season) at Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... NFL redirects here. ... The National Football League (NFL) playoffs is a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the 16-game regular season to determine the NFL champion. ... City Nashville, Tennessee Team colors Navy, Titan Blue, White, and Red Head Coach Jeff Fisher Owner Bud Adams General manager Mike Reinfeldt Mascot T-Rac League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960–1969) Eastern Division (1960–1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970–present) AFC Central (1970... For other uses, see Buffalo Bills (disambiguation). ... is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. ... LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, used primarily as the home stadium of the NFLs Tennessee Titans, but also used by Tennessee State University. ... Nashville redirects here. ...

Game details

Going into the game, Bills coach Wade Phillips created a stir by starting quarterback Rob Johnson, rather than Doug Flutie, who had started 15 games, and who had led the team to the playoffs. For other uses, see Buffalo Bills (disambiguation). ... Wade Phillips (born June 21, 1947 in Orange, Texas) is the current head coach for the National Football Leagues Dallas Cowboys. ... For other persons named Rob Johnson, see Rob Johnson (disambiguation). ... Douglas Richard Doug Flutie (born October 23, 1962) is a retired American football and Canadian football quarterback. ...

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. Johnson completed just 10 of 22 passes while being sacked six times including 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 managed to gain only 64 yards, while also losing 44 yards on nine penalties. Jevon Kearse (born September 3, 1976, in Fort Myers, Florida) is an American football player who currently plays Defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. Due to his rare athleticism and threatening style of play, he is known throughout the league as “The Freak”. His cousin, Phillip Buchanon... Derrick James Mason (born January 17, 1974 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American football player. ... Steve LaTreal McNair (born February 14, 1973), nicknamed Air McNair, is an American professional football player who spent 11 years as a quarterback for the Tennessee Titans (formerly Houston Oilers), until he was traded in June 2006 to the Baltimore Ravens. ... Albert Louis Del Greco (born March 2, 1962, in Providence, Rhode Island) is a former American football placekicker and a current sports-radio personality in Birmingham, Alabama. ...

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. Antowain Smith (born March 14, 1972 in Millbrook, Alabama) is an American Football player who currently plays running back for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. Smith has previously played for the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots. ... Eric Shannon Moulds (born July 17, 1973 in Lucedale, Mississippi) is an American football wide receiver who currently is a free agent. ... Kevin Williams (born 16 August 1980 in Arkadelphia, Arkansas) is a defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL. After graduating from Oklahoma State University, he was selected by the Vikings with the 9th pick of the first round in the 2003 NFL Draft. ...

Late in the fourth quarter, the stage was set for an exciting finish. Tennessee received the ball with 6:15 remaining. Titans receiver Isaac Byrd's 16-yard punt return and five carries from Eddie George for 17 yards set up a wobbly 36-yard field goal by Del Greco. The Titans took a 15-13 lead with 1:48 to go. On the ensuing drive, with no timeouts remaining, Bills quarterback Johnson led the Bills on a five-play, 37-yard drive to the Titans' 24 yard line. On the last two plays from scrimmage, Johnson played with only one shoe on, as he had lost one and had no time to put it back on, with the clock running out. With only 16 seconds remaining in the game, Steve Christie, the Bills' kicker, made a 41-yard field goal to put Buffalo in the lead, 16-15. Isaac Byrd (born November 16, 1974 in St. ... Edward Nathan George, Jr. ... Steve Christie was an NFL kicker, who as a member of the Buffalo Bills became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather. ... A field goal (formerly goal from the field) is a general term used in some sports wherein a goal may be scored either during general play (from the field) or via some sort of free shot. ...

Moments later, Christie kicked off, and Titans player Lorenzo Neal received. Neal handed the ball off to Titans tight end Frank Wycheck, who then lateraled the ball across the field to another Titans player, Kevin Dyson, who then ran down the sidelines for a 75-yard touchdown. Lorenzo LaVonne Neal (born December 27, 1970 in Hanford, California) is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. ... Former NFL tight end Frank Wycheck Frank Wycheck is a former NFL and University of Maryland, College Park tight end. ... In American football a lateral pass or lateral, officially referred to as a backward pass, and an onside pass in Canadian football; is a sideways or rearward throwing of the football to a teammate. ... Kevin Tyree Dyson (born June 23, 1975 in Logan, Utah) is an NFL wide receiver most recently with the Washington Redskins and is also known as The Music City Miracle Man. ... Texas Longhorn quarterback Vince Young (center top of picture), now with the Tennessee Titans, rushing for a touchdown vs. ...

The play was named Home Run Throwback by the Titans and was developed by Special Teams Coordinator Alan Lowry. The Titans ran the play regularly in practices during the regular season, though the practices usually involved Derrick Mason, who was injured and did not play in the game against Buffalo. Dyson, as one of the team's lead wide receivers and Mason's substitute on special teams that day, rarely practiced with the special teams unit and was largely unfamiliar with the layout of the play. Nevertheless, his execution of Lowry's vision was flawless. Alan Lowry is the special-teams coordinator for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. ... Derrick James Mason (born January 17, 1974 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American football player. ...

Official review

Per the instant replay rules, the play was reviewed by referee Phil Luckett since it was uncertain if the ball had been a forward pass, which is illegal on a kickoff return. However, the call on the field was upheld as a touchdown, and the Titans won the game 22-16. After the game, however, many Bills players and fans continued to insist that it was indeed an illegal forward pass. For other uses of the term Instant replay, see Instant replay (disambiguation). ... Phil Luckett is a back judge in the National Football League. ... This article is about a type of football play. ...

Aftermath

The victory, in front of a franchise-record crowd at Adelphia Coliseum, allowed the Tennessee franchise to advance to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs for the first time since 1993. Subsequent victories over the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars sent the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV to face the St. Louis Rams, where they lost by a touchdown. LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, used primarily as the home stadium of the NFLs Tennessee Titans, but also used by Tennessee State University. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1953–present) Western Conference (1953-1969) Coastal Division (1967-1969) American Football Conference (1970-present) AFC East (1970-2001) AFC South (2002-present) Current uniform Team colors Royal Blue, White Mascot Blue Personnel Owner Jim Irsay General Manager Bill Polian Head Coach Tony Dungy... League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1995–present) American Football Conference (1995–present) AFC Central (1995–2001) AFC South (2002–present) Current uniform Team colors Teal, Black, Gold, White Mascot Jaxson de Ville Personnel Owner Wayne Weaver General Manager James Harris Head Coach Jack Del Rio Team history Jacksonville Jaguars... Date January 30, 2000 Stadium Georgia Dome City Atlanta, Georgia MVP Kurt Warner, Quarterback Favorite Rams by 7 National anthem Faith Hill Coin toss Super Bowl IV participants: Bud Grant, Lamar Hunt, Bobby Bell, Paul Krause, Willie Lanier, Alan Page, and Jan Stenerud Referee Bob McElwee Halftime show Phil Collins... League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1936) National Football League (1937–present) Western Division (1937-1949) National Conference (1950-1952) Western Conference (1953-1969) Coastal Division (1967-1969) National Football Conference (1970-present) NFC West (1970-present) Current uniform Team colors Millennium Blue and New Century Gold Personnel Owner Chip... Texas Longhorn quarterback Vince Young (center top of picture), now with the Tennessee Titans, rushing for a touchdown vs. ...

It could be said that the game served as revenge for the Titans/Oilers franchise for The Comeback, where the Bills came back from a 32-point deficit to defeat the Houston Oilers, 41-38, in overtime. In American football, The Comeback refers to the January 3, 1993 NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers, one of the most memorable NFL games ever played. ...

For the Bills, it led to the firing after 13 seasons of special teams coach Bruce DeHaven. One year later, Phillips was fired (partly due to his failure to lead the Bills past the first round of the playoffs during his tenure) and replaced by Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Gregg Williams (born July 15, 1958) is the Assistant Head Coach - Defense of the Washington Redskins and the former head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2001-2003. ...

It was added to the list of infamous moments in Buffalo sports history, joining Wide Right and No Goal. This does not cite its references or sources. ... No goal is a call made by referees in various goal-scoring sports (football, hockey, etc. ...

Radio call

The radio call of this play by Mike Keith and Pat Ryan on the Tennessee Titans Radio Network: Mike Keith is the radio play-by-play voice of the NFLs Tennessee Titans. ... Pat Ryan (left) and his 2003 team Pat Ryan (born September 28, 1955 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian curler originally from Edmonton, Alberta. ...

This is the transcript of the call:

Keith: "Do the Titans have a miracle left in them in what has been a magical season to this point? If they do, they need it now. Christie kicks it high and short. Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25; he dishes it back to Wycheck; he throws it across the field to Dyson..."

Ryan: "He's got somethin'..."

Keith: "30, 40..."

Ryan: "He's got somethin'..."

Keith: "50, 40.."

Ryan: "He's got it! He's got it!"

Keith (voice volume increasing): "30, 20.."

Ryan: "He's got it!"

Keith: "10, 5, endzone...touchdown, Titans! There are no flags on the field! It's a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans!"

Ryan: "Frank Wycheck threw another pass."

Keith: "Three seconds remaining on the clock!"

But then a question of whether or not Wycheck's lateral to Dyson was actually a lateral arose. Luckett reviewed the play, and once Luckett had decided that the call would stand, Keith said this:

Keith: "Here comes Luckett, with the call of the new millennium."

When he announced his ruling, Keith and Ryan had another exchange:

Luckett: "After reviewing the play, the ruling on the field stands. It was a lateral..."

Keith: "We did it!"

Ryan: "Yes! Titans win!" (This drowned out Luckett saying, "Touchdown.")

Keith: "Three seconds to go, and Tennessee is on the verge of a miracle finish!"

Ryan: "Wow, what a game!"

See also

• NFL playoffs, 1999-2000
• The Comeback
• Wide Right
• No Goal