Misplaced Pages

#524475

71-478: The 1999 Tennessee Titans season was the 40th in franchise history and the first in which they used the name Titans, having previously played as the Oilers. Steve McNair began the year as the team's starting quarterback. However, after an opening week victory, he was diagnosed with a ruptured disc, and Neil O'Donnell assumed the starting role. O'Donnell led the team to a 4–1 record before McNair returned to finish

142-489: A 24–22 Titans loss. at Adelphia Coliseum , Nashville, Tennessee The Titans committed the highest penalty yardage in league history to that point with fifteen fouls eating up 212 yards; the Ravens, under first-year coach Brian Billick , didn't fare much better with nine penalties for 81 yards. Titans starter Neil O'Donnell completed 24 of 35 passes for 216 yards and a 27-yard score to Yancey Thigpen while Eddie George

213-649: A 33-yard kickoff return by Kevin Williams . Johnson began the drive with a completion to rookie wide receiver Peerless Price for 14 yards and a first down. After an incomplete pass, a 12-yard run by Jonathan Linton gave the Bills a first down on the Titans' 35-yard line with under a minute to play. On the next play from scrimmage, Johnson lost a shoe in a scramble, and with the clock running, he had no time to put it back on. With only one shoe, Johnson rolled out and completed

284-431: A 36–35 Titans final. at Adelphia Coliseum , Nashville, Tennessee at Alltel Stadium , Jacksonville, Florida Neil O'Donnell was forced to start, and he threw a third-quarter touchdown to Eddie George , but an Aaron Beasley interception became a 35-yard Jaguars score and a 17–7 Jacksonville lead. O'Donnell rebounded with a fourth-quarter score to Michael Roan and a 20–19 Titans win as Tennessee surrendered

355-549: A 42-yard Al Del Greco field goal, and a safety after sacking Mike Tomczak in the Pittsburgh end zone for a 47–36 triumph. Jevon Kearse and Denard Walker scored off Steeler fumbles while Steve McNair and former Steeler Neil O'Donnell combined for 203 passing yards and three touchdowns. Tomczak had two touchdown throws while Jerome Bettis and Richard Huntley each ran in a Pittsburgh touchdown. at Adelphia Coliseum , Nashville, Tennessee The Music City Miracle

426-417: A 61-yard touchdown pass. After the success of this play, Lowry assigned Wycheck to throw the lateral on Home Run Throwback. Meanwhile, because the Bills defense had accumulated a large number of injuries, their coaches asked for volunteers to cover the kickoff. As a result, numerous defensive starters, who were inexperienced on special teams, were in the game on the play. Initially, the Bills planned on kicking

497-524: A 7-yard completion to wide receiver Kevin Dyson . Three plays later, with the Titans facing 3rd down and 5 to go, McNair was hit by two Rams' defenders, but he escaped and completed a 16-yard pass to Dyson to gain a first down at the Rams 10-yard line. Tennessee then used up their final timeout with just 6 seconds left in the game, giving them a chance for one last play. McNair threw a short pass to Kevin Dyson down

568-634: A Super Bowl MVP, but Warner himself wasn't impressed by it. "How can you be in awe of something that you expect yourself to do?" Warner pointed out. "People think this season is the first time I touched a football; they don't realize I've been doing this for years – just not on this level, because I never got the chance. Sure, I had my tough times, but you don't sit there and say, 'Wow, I was stocking groceries five years ago, and look at me now.' You don't think about it, and when you do achieve something, you know luck has nothing to do with it." [1] Derrick Mason Derrick James Mason (born January 17, 1974)

639-408: A forward pass! Taken by Dyson. Dyson's down the sideline – Dyson's going to go all the way! And there is no flag! Mike Patrick on ABC 's TV broadcast 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, pitches it back to Wycheck, he throws it across

710-480: A lateral, as had been called by referee Phil Luckett 's crew. If the pass had gone forwards, the Titans would have been penalized at the spot of the throw and the touchdown would not have counted. Luckett upheld the call on the field, and the touchdown stood. Buffalo was unable to score on the Titans' subsequent kickoff, and the game ended in a 22–16 Tennessee victory. Upon crossing midfield, Dyson later said he considered going out of bounds in field goal range, as all

781-410: A low-scoring, defensive game. The Bills managed 219 total yards on offense during the contest, while the Titans were limited to just 194, most of which were gained by running back Eddie George , who accounted for 106 yards on 29 rushing attempts and another four yards on two receptions. Tennessee received possession with 6:15 remaining in the game. Titans receiver Isaac Byrd 's 16-yard punt return gave

SECTION 10

#1732772189525

852-507: A pair of completions to Mason and Wycheck for gains of 9 and 7 yards to reach the 28-yard line. Then after throwing an incompletion, defensive back Dre' Bly ’s 15-yard facemask penalty while tackling McNair on a 12-yard scramble gave the Titans a first down at the St. Louis 45-yard line. On the next play, St. Louis was penalized 5 yards for being offsides, moving the ball to the 40-yard line with 59 seconds left. McNair then ran for 2 yards, followed by

923-436: A pass to Price, who broke a tackle and got out of bounds at the 24-yard line with 20 seconds left. After this play, Wade Phillips sent out the field goal unit for a 41-yard attempt. Bills kicker Steve Christie , who had made the deciding field goal in overtime to cap the Bills' comeback win in the previous playoff meeting between the teams, converted the try. The Bills led 16–15 with 16 seconds remaining. The kickoff return play

994-402: 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. The field goal gave the Titans a 12–0 lead at halftime, the Bills having only gained 64 yards of offense while surrendering 44 yards on penalties. In the second half,

1065-686: A report published by Scout.com. "I never went to Rex or Mike to complain about Brian's play-calling." The Jets traded Mason to the Houston Texans on October 11, 2011, in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. Mason caught only six passes for 55 yards with the team. He was later released on December 12. Mason announced his retirement from professional football by signing a 1-day contract with Baltimore Ravens on June 11, 2012. As of 2019 's NFL off-season, Derrick Mason held at least 26 Titans franchise records, including: Mason and his wife, Marci, were married on June 7, 1997, and have

1136-461: A safety on the game's final play. at 3Com Park , San Francisco Tennessee suffered its first loss of the year as Jeff Garcia ran in a one-yard touchdown, then connected with Terrell Owens in the fourth quarter. The Titans trailed 24–16 when O'Donnell hit Yancey Thigpen in the end zone with 2:48 left in regulation; the two-point try was stopped, however, and the Niners ran out the clock for

1207-508: A sterling 13–3 regular season record, the upstart 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 completed only 19 of 43 passes in the loss for the Colts. at Alltel Stadium , Jacksonville, Florida The Jacksonville Jaguars had been one of the NFL's best teams in

1278-602: A team record for kick off return yards of 2,384. He also caught eight touchdowns. He played under Nick Saban in 1995 and 1996 where he would catch 106 passes for 1,652 yards and 6 TD. He also played alongside Muhsin Muhammad in 1995. Mason started his career with the Oilers/Titans after being selected in the fourth round (98th overall) in the 1997 NFL draft . In his rookie season, he played in 16 games recording 14 catches for 186 yards. He made his NFL debut versus

1349-530: Is a famous play in the NFL Wild Card Playoffs involving the Titans and Buffalo Bills that took place on January 8, 2000 (following the 1999 regular season) at Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee . 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

1420-670: Is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL draft after playing college football for the Michigan State Spartans . Following eight seasons with the Oilers franchise (which was renamed the Titans in 1999), including two Pro Bowl selections ( 2000 and 2003 ), Mason signed with

1491-475: The 1998 season , with Flutie compiling a better record in regular season competition during 1998 and 1999. Flutie started the first 15 games of the 1999 season , winning 10. With the Bills' playoff seed assured, Phillips rested Flutie in the final regular season contest. Johnson performed well in Flutie's absence, completing 75% of his passes and throwing for 287 yards and two touchdowns in a dominant victory over

SECTION 20

#1732772189525

1562-777: The 1999 NFL draft , the Titans selected defensive end Jevon Kearse of Florida ; he had his best years in Tennessee, being named to three consecutive Pro Bowls (1999–2001) and winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award . Front office Head coaches Offensive coaches Special teams coaches Strength and conditioning Running backs (RB) Wide receivers (WR) Tight ends (TE) Defensive linemen (DL) Defensive backs (DB) Special teams Reserve at Adelphia Coliseum , Nashville, Tennessee In

1633-705: The Baltimore Ravens in 2005. He became the Ravens' all-time leading receiver with 5,777 yards from 2005 to 2010. He spent 2011 with the New York Jets and Houston Texans . Mason retired as a Baltimore Raven on June 11, 2012. He was the last active NFL player to have played for the Oilers. Mason attended Mumford High School in Detroit, Michigan . He set a school record for both catches (70) and receiving yards (1,243). Mason played college football at Michigan State . During his four-year career, he set

1704-513: The Dallas Cowboys , but finished the game with six catches for 66 yards and one touchdown. He led the team with a postseason career-high 12 receptions for 190 yards, including a postseason career long 48-yard touchdown reception. The 2009 season saw Mason continue his solid production with 73 catches for 1,028 yards. Mason scored seven times, two more than the previous year. On November 21, 2010, Mason caught his 900th reception, becoming

1775-526: The Indianapolis Colts , who had won their previous 11 games. Phillips subsequently named Johnson the starter for the Bills' first round playoff game. Titans coach Jeff Fisher said that the decision left him "a little surprised" given that Flutie had been the Bills' starter for the majority of the season. Years later, Phillips wrote that the decision to start Johnson came at the urging of Bills owner Ralph Wilson . The previous playoff game between

1846-653: The Jacksonville Jaguars sent the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV to face the St. Louis Rams . The Titans lost the Super Bowl in a close game that came down to the final play, known as " One Yard Short " or "The Tackle". The Bills fired special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven , who had been with the team for 13 seasons. DeHaven was subsequently hired by the San Francisco 49ers and was eventually rehired by

1917-590: The Music City Miracle . In the game's closing seconds, Kevin Dyson caught a lateral on a kickoff and ran all the way down the sidelines for a touchdown. Also notable is the fact that the Titans were the only team to beat the Jaguars in 1999, as the latter finished 14–2 and lost both games to the Titans, and would lose the AFC Championship game to the Titans as well. With the sixteenth pick of

1988-536: The Oakland Raiders on August 31. The following season, he again played in all 16 games and this time recording 25 catches for 333 yards and three touchdowns, the first of his career came versus the Chicago Bears on October 25. He also returned 31 punts for 228 yards. In the 1999 season , Mason gained 1,030 yards returning punts and kickoffs, and added 8 kickoff returns for 322 yards and a touchdown in

2059-484: The 13th receiver in NFL history to do so. In a 2010 game against the Carolina Panthers , Mason and Flacco got into an argument on the sidelines. Mason was reportedly upset that Flacco was late in getting a pass to him. The two apparently settled their differences. Mason had 61 catches for 802 yards and seven scores that season. When the NFL announced the new collective bargaining agreement on July 25, 2011,

2130-592: The 1999 season; they were 6th in scoring and first in fewest points allowed while 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 game was at times a chaotic affair as

2201-431: The 2,000 all purpose yards mark, the first Titan to do this in consecutive seasons. The following season, he started in 14 games and led the team in a number of categories including receptions, reception yards and touchdowns. In 2003, he started all 16 games and finished the season with 1,303 receiving yards and 95 receptions which was the 5th highest in the NFL. The following season, in 2004, he again started all 16 games and

Music City Miracle - Misplaced Pages Continue

2272-430: The Bills for three seasons beginning in 2010 . DeHaven's replacement in 2000, Ronnie Jones , was criticized for his performance by team owner Ralph Wilson . Despite the ninth best offense and third best defense in the league, the 2000 Bills finished 8–8 and missed the playoffs. Wilson demanded that Jones be fired as a result. When head coach Wade Phillips refused to do so, Wilson fired both Jones and Phillips. Phillips

2343-486: 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 during a scramble, and had no time to put it back on, with the clock running out. With only 16 seconds remaining in the game, Steve Christie , the Bills' kicker, made a 41-yard field goal to put Buffalo in the lead, 16–15. Moments later, Christie kicked off, and Titans fullback Lorenzo Neal received. Neal handed

2414-455: The Bills rallied. 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. Later in the quarter, Antoine Winfield Sr. intercepted a pass near midfield, but the Bills were unable to capitalize on the good field position, their subsequent drive resulting in a three-and-out . Following a Tennessee punt,

2485-400: The Bills received possession with 41 seconds remaining in the third quarter. They drove 65 yards, including a 37-yard completion from Johnson to Eric Moulds and aided by a red zone roughing the passer penalty on Kearse. Smith finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Bills a 13–12 lead after a failed two-point conversion attempt. The teams then traded punts in what had become

2556-464: The NFL record for all-purpose yards in a single season previously held by Lionel James (2,535). Darren Sproles broke Mason's record in 2011 with 2,696 yards. He is only the second player in Titans history to pass the 2,000 yard mark. He earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl . In 2001, he started 15 games and scored 9 touchdowns, a career-high. Just as he had done the previous season, he went past

2627-535: The Pro Bowl. In 2008, he had 80 receptions for 1,037 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. He was the primary target for rookie quarterback Joe Flacco . Mason dislocated his shoulder when he fell after a catch in a game against the Houston Texans , eventually coming back to finish the contest. Mason also played with a shoulder he separated against the New York Giants . Mason re-aggravated of his injury against

2698-612: The Ravens announced their intention to release Mason upon the start of free agency to free salary cap space. He was formally released by the team on July 28. Mason signed with the New York Jets on August 6, 2011. His statistical production was limited. Also, there were some problems in the team locker room. Some said that Mason was a cancer to the team, and that he complained about offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer 's playcalling. Said Mason, "I never complained to Rex Ryan or Mike Tannenbaum , and I hope that one day it come out who actually did it, but I doubt it." Mason said in

2769-598: The Super Bowl. However, after defeating the Bills , Colts , and Jaguars in the postseason, they lost the Super Bowl to the St. Louis Rams , 23–16 on a famous last-second tackle made by Rams defender Mike Jones at the goal line that prevented Titans receiver Kevin Dyson from scoring a potential game-tying touchdown. The highlight of the season was the Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills, dubbed

2840-412: The Titans forced six turnovers and an end zone sack for a safety, all despite giving up four turnovers themselves; the Jaguars also committed nine penalties for 100 yards. The Titans advanced to the first Super Bowl in team history. The Titans took over the ball at their own 10-yard line with 1:54 left in the game after committing a holding penalty on the ensuing kickoff. McNair started out the drive with

2911-421: The Titans good field position at the Bills' 45-yard line. On the second play of the drive, the Titans got a break when a McNair pass bounced off of linebacker John Holecek 's elbow and into the hands of Frank Wycheck for a completion. The drive culminated in a 36-yard field goal by Del Greco, giving the Titans a 15–13 lead with 1:48 left in the game. The ensuing Buffalo drive began at the Bills' 39-yard line after

Music City Miracle - Misplaced Pages Continue

2982-529: The Titans needed was a field goal to win the game. However, upon seeing that the only player with a chance at tackling him was Christie, who was being blocked by two players, Dyson simply kept going into the end zone. The victory advanced the Titans to the AFC Divisional Round for the first time since 1993 , when they were based in Houston . Subsequent victories over the Indianapolis Colts and

3053-415: The Titans, but the Titans finished a season sweep with a 41–14 rout. Steve McNair exploded to five touchdowns and 328 passing yards while Eddie George ran wild with 102 rushing yards. The Titans defense limited Jaguars quarterbacks Mark Brunell and Jay Fiedler to 196 combined yards and three interceptions. at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The Titans erupted to six touchdowns,

3124-513: The Year at season's end. The Titans finished 13–3, however, the Jacksonville Jaguars won the AFC Central with a 14–2 record. Both of the Jaguars' losses came against the Titans. Given a Wild Card berth in the 1999–2000 playoffs , the Titans had the best record of any team in NFL history to not win its division. The Buffalo Bills possessed one the NFL's best defenses in 1999. The unit allowed

3195-401: The ball deep, but special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven suggested that the Bills attempt a pooch kick, in which the ball is kicked higher and shorter than a regular kickoff to limit the opportunity for a runback. Steve Christie executed the pooch, and the kick was fielded by Lorenzo Neal . Neal handed the ball backwards to Wycheck. Bills defenders converged on Wycheck on the right side of

3266-607: The ball indeed had not travelled forward and that the referee's call was correct. During the NFL's centennial season in 2019, the Bills–Titans matchup in Week 5 was designated as one of 16 weekly games commemorating notable events in NFL history, namely the Music City Miracle. In that game, the Titans were denied a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter after it was determined that quarterback Marcus Mariota had crossed

3337-402: 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 . The play was named Home Run Throwback by the Titans and was developed by Special Teams Coordinator Alan Lowry . Per the instant replay rules, the play was reviewed by referee Phil Luckett since it

3408-407: The end zone for a safety. Johnson struggled against the Titans' defense throughout the game, completing just 10 of 22 passes while being sacked six times, twice by Kearse. Tennessee wide receiver Derrick Mason returned the free kick after the safety 42 yards to the Bills' 28-yard line; Titans quarterback Steve McNair scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to culminate the drive. After their defense forced

3479-480: The fewest yards (252.8) and second fewest points (14.3) per game in the league. Running backs Jonathan Linton and Antowain Smith shared carries out of the backfield, while wide receiver Eric Moulds led the team with 994 receiving yards. Several veteran players who had been a part of the Bills' four straight Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s played minor roles, including Andre Reed , Bruce Smith , and Thurman Thomas . The Bills finished 11–5, qualifying for

3550-546: The field to Dyson...(Color commentator Pat Ryan : "He's got something, he's got something...") 30, 40, 50, 40...(Ryan: "He's got it, he's got it, he's got it!") 20, 10, 5 – end zone! Touchdown Titans! There are no flags on the field! It's a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans! Mike Keith on the Titans Radio Network broadcast The play was reviewed by replay officials in order to determine whether Wycheck's throw had been

3621-489: The field, breaking their running lanes in the process. As devised, Wycheck threw the ball across the field to Dyson. As Dyson caught the ball, the momentum of the play abruptly shifted to the left, catching every Bills defender except Christie out of position. Dyson thus had an open path in front of him and ran 75 yards into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with three seconds remaining. Dyson and Byrd are deep. Taken by Neal. He gets it to Wycheck, Wycheck – that looked like

SECTION 50

#1732772189525

3692-437: The game or the play by their standard name, instead referring to them as "The Immaculate Deception" or by other names that imply that Frank Wycheck 's lateral travelled forwards. In his 2017 autobiography Son of Bum , Wade Phillips called the play "The Music City Mistake". In 2004, NFL Films hired a computer analyst to determine whether or not the call on the field of a backward lateral was correct. The analyst determined that

3763-493: The layout of the play. As a result, head coach Jeff Fisher called him over before the play and gave him a brief summary of what to expect. After observing Frank Wycheck playing a throwing game during downtime at practice, Titans offensive coordinator Les Steckel had designed an option pass play with Wycheck in mind. The Titans ran that play against the Atlanta Falcons during the 1999 regular season, and Wycheck threw

3834-578: The line of scrimmage prior to making a forward pass to the end zone. The Bills went on to win 14–7. During their win over the Bills in 2021 , the Titans attempted a lateral play during a first quarter punt return. After corralling the punt, Titans returner Chester Rogers threw the ball to teammate Chris Jackson , who advanced the ball 22 yards before being tackled. However, the play was nullified by an illegal forward pass penalty, as Rogers' lateral had advanced five yards downfield. 1999 Tennessee Titans season The 1999 Tennessee Titans season

3905-422: The middle, which looked certain to tie up the game, until Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled Dyson at the one-yard line as time expired. Dyson tried to stretch his arm and the football across the goal line, but he had already gone down, so it was too late. This final play has gone down in NFL history as simply " The Tackle ". After the game, many sports writers commented on Warner’s rise from an unknown backup to

3976-464: The pass that gave Steve McNair 30,000 passing yards for his career in the 19–7 win in the season finale against the Buffalo Bills . The following year, Mason had 103 receptions for 1,087 yards and five touchdowns. Mason became the first player in Ravens history to record 100 receptions in a season. He also had a 79-yard score. In 2008, Mason was selected as a third alternate wide receiver for

4047-471: The playoff game and was unavailable for the final seconds. The second option for the play, Anthony Dorsett , was also unavailable for the play due to cramps. As a result, the Titans put in Isaac Byrd as their main option to retrieve the lateral pass, with Kevin Dyson trailing behind him. As one of the team's leading wide receivers, Dyson rarely practiced with the special teams unit and was unfamiliar with

4118-458: The playoffs in 17 consecutive seasons, a streak that was the longest active playoff drought in major American sports when it ended. The streak eventually came to be known as "the Curse of Doug Flutie " under the assumption that Wade Phillips had cursed the Bills by benching Flutie before the Music City Miracle game. The Curse of Flutie moniker was also applied to subsequent failures, particularly at

4189-424: The playoffs. 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 kicker Al 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

4260-402: The postseason for the eighth time in the decade. Prior to the teams' Wild Card game, some fans and media members believed that the winner could be a serious contender to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl . Going into the game, Bills coach Wade Phillips created a stir by starting quarterback Rob Johnson , rather than Doug Flutie . Johnson and Flutie had competed for the starting job since

4331-596: The quarterback position, of teams that employed Phillips. Ralph Wilson died on March 25, 2014, and the team was subsequently sold by his estate to Terry and Kim Pegula . Buffalo's playoff drought ended during the 2017 season , three years after the Pegulas assumed ownership of the franchise. The Music City Miracle became one of a series of infamous moments in Buffalo sports history, including " Wide Right ", No Goal ", and " 13 Seconds ". Bills fans generally refuse to call

SECTION 60

#1732772189525

4402-448: The season. The team's rushing attack was led by Eddie George , who ran for 1,304 yards and nine touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance. The team leader in targets and receptions was tight end Frank Wycheck , while Kevin Dyson led the team in receiving yards. Rookie defensive end Jevon Kearse , selected with the 16th pick in the 1999 NFL draft , had 14.5 sacks and led the NFL with eight forced fumbles, winning Defensive Rookie of

4473-430: The team's inaugural game as the “Titans”, Steve McNair threw two touchdowns and ran in a third for a 26–15 lead with 2:55 left in the first half, but a Jeff Blake touchdown left the halftime score 26–21 Titans. The Bengals stormed to a 35–26 lead in the fourth before McNair connected with Eddie George for a 17-yard touchdown with 4:30 left in the fourth, then Al Del Greco kicked the game-winning 33-yard field goal of

4544-625: The team's three playoff games, assisting the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV where he returned 5 kickoffs for 122 yards and caught 2 passes for 18 yards in Tennessee's 23–16 loss. He also returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown in the Titans 33–14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC title game . In the 2000 season , he led the NFL in punt return yards (662) while also catching 63 passes for 895 yards and returning 41 kickoffs for 1,132 yards (an NFL leading 27 yards per return average), giving him 2,690 combined receiving and special teams yards, breaking

4615-532: The two teams had occurred in 1993, when the Titans were known as the Houston Oilers . Held at Rich Stadium in Buffalo, the game became known as The Comeback after the Bills rallied from a 35–3 deficit to win 41–38 in overtime. At the time, this was the largest comeback in NFL history. at Adelphia Coliseum , Nashville, Tennessee The Titans opened the scoring in the second quarter when Jevon Kearse sacked Buffalo quarterback Rob Johnson in

4686-602: Was limited to just 55 rushing yards. at Adelphia Coliseum , Nashville, Tennessee In a Super Bowl XXXIV precursor, Steve McNair threw two touchdowns and ran in a third in the first quarter, then the Titans sweated out three Kurt Warner touchdown throws for a 24–21 win. The Rams coughed up three fumbles to the Titans. at Adelphia Coliseum , Nashville, Tennessee at Adelphia Coliseum , Nashville, Tennessee at Adelphia Coliseum , Nashville, Tennessee at Adelphia Coliseum , Nashville, Tennessee The Jaguars had beaten every team on their 1999 slate except

4757-506: Was named "Home Run Throwback" by the Titans and was developed by special teams coordinator Alan Lowry . He had learned the play in 1982 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff, watching SMU execute a similar kickoff return to score the winning touchdown in the final seconds of its game at Texas Tech . The Titans had practiced the play once a week during the regular season. The practices usually involved starting kick returner Derrick Mason, however, he had suffered an injury earlier in

4828-420: Was ranked 2nd in the NFL with 96 receptions for 1,168 yards and seven touchdowns. Mason signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent on March 7, 2005. In his first year with the team, he started in all 16 games and recorded 86 receptions, a Ravens franchise season record. In 2006, he played in 16 games with 15 starts and finished the campaign with 68 receptions for 750 yards and two touchdowns. Mason caught

4899-471: Was succeeded by Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams . The Music City Miracle was the last game in a Bills uniform for the remaining key members of the team's 1990s Super Bowl runs. Andre Reed , Bruce Smith , and Thurman Thomas were all released by the team in the offseason; all three would eventually be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . Starting in 2000, the Bills missed

4970-425: Was the franchise's 40th season and their 30th in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first year for the team under the name “Titans”, while the nickname “Oilers” was retired by the NFL. The Titans qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1993 , and their first since relocating from Houston, as well as their first playoff victory since 1991 . They became the seventh Wild Card team to qualify for

5041-514: 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. at RCA Dome , Indianapolis Although the Indianapolis Colts , behind second year quarterback Peyton Manning , had posted some gaudy numbers (3rd in points scored compared to Tennessee's 7th) en route to

#524475