The date: Jan. 8, 2000. The place: then known as Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, TN. The scene: An AFC Wild-Card game between the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans. The result: The wildest of wild Wild-Card finishes.
The Bills
Buffalo came into the game with an 11-4 record. Wade Phillips started Rob Johnson, rather than Doug Flutie, who had started 15 games and led the Bills into the playoffs. Flutie had gone 10-5 as a starter but threw 16 interceptions against 19 touchdowns. With a playoff berth decided, Phillips decided to let Johnson start the Week 17 game against the AFC East division champion, the Colts. Johnson went 24-of-32 for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 31–6 win. The following day, Phillips told Johnson he would start in their first round playoff game against the Titans. Years later, Phillips claimed that it was not his decision to start Johnson, and that owner Ralph Wilson had ordered him to do so.
The Titans
The Titans were 13-3 coming into the game with Steve McNair leading the offense. The mark was the best for a Wild-Card team and Tennessee finished a game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Central. The Titans won seven of their last eight in the regular season and eventually wound up in the Super Bowl.
The first half
The Titans opened the scoring when Jevon Kearse sacked Johnson in the end zone for a safety in the second quarter. Johnson completed just 10 of 22 passes while being sacked 6 times, including twice by Kearse. Wide receiver Derrick Mason returned the free kick 42 yards to the Bills’ 28-yard line; five plays later, Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. After forcing a punt, the Titans drove 56 yards in 11 plays. Kicker Al Del Greco initially missed a 45-yard field goal attempt, but the Bills were penalized for defensive holding on the play and Del Greco’s second attempt was good from 40 yards on the last play of the half. At the end of the half, the Bills were trailing 12–0 and had gained only 64 yards.
The second half
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. The Bills got the ball again and 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 Kevin Williams dropped a pass on the two-point conversion attempt.
The finish
Isaac Byrd’s 16-yard punt return gave the Titans good field position at the Bills’ 45-yard line with 6:15 remaining. On the second play of the drive, the Titans got a break when a Steve McNair pass bounced off linebacker John Holecek’s arm and into the hands of Frank Wycheck. Five carries from Eddie George for 17 yards set up a 36-yard field goal by Del Greco, giving the Titans a 15–13 lead with 1:48 to go. On the ensuing drive, Johnson led a five-play drive to the Titans’ 24-yard line. On one play, 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 hit Peerless Price on an out pattern, and he broke a tackle and got out of bounds at the 24 yard line with 20 seconds left. Phillips sent out the field goal unit. Special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven wanted the Bills to run another play so they could kick the field goal with less time on the clock, but was overruled. With 16 seconds remaining in the game, Steve Christie made a 41-yard field goal to put Buffalo in the lead, 16–15.
The Miracle
The play was named “Home Run Throwback” by the Titans and was developed by special-teams coordinator Alan Lowry. As to who would make the throw, Frank Wycheck was discovered one day by offensive coordinator Les Steckel playing a throwing game with lineman Bruce Matthews entitled “Reindeer Games,” which they invented to play while the two were bored at practice. Steckel then designed an option pass play with Wycheck in mind. When the team ran the play against the Atlanta Falcons in 1999 season, Wycheck threw a 61-yard touchdown pass. After the success, Lowry assigned Wycheck to throw the lateral. Steve Christie executed a pooch kick that was fielded by Lorenzo Neal, who handed the ball to Wycheck, who nearly ran into him. This formed the key shift in the play: The Bills chased Wycheck to the right side of the field. Wycheck threw the ball across the field where Dyson was positioned. Every Bills defender was going toward Wycheck, except for Christie. Dyson ran 75 yards into the end zone.
The review and the waiting
The replay officials in the booth notified referee Phil Luckett they wanted him to review the play to see if Wycheck’s throw had been a lateral, as had been called. If not, the Titans would have been penalized for an illegal forward pass at the spot of the throw. Fans watching were getting impatient and nervous while the refs were making up their mind. Luckett upheld the call, and the Titans were victorious, 22-16.
Where are they now?
Kevin Dyson
Kevin Dyson was named the permanent principal at Grassland Middle School in Franklin, TN in 2019. He played a role on in another famous game after the Miracle. Dyson was tackled a yard short of the goal line on the last play of Super Bowl XXXIV against the Rams. He has received two Master’s degrees in recent years and earned a Doctorate degree. “This is a greater accomplishment than being drafted in the first round by the Titans,” Dyson said when he received his Doctorate in 2018. “It’s my Mt. Everest.
Frank Wycheck
After his NFL career, he was a radio presence Tennessee, as the color analyst on Titans Radio’s game broadcasts and as part of the Wake Up Zone on 104.5 The Zone. Health issues have caused Wycheck to retreat to a more private life. In July, Wycheck filed a civil lawsuit against former Franklin workout facility Prairie Life Fitness. The suit claims a count each of premises liability and negligence against the fitness group, which is registered as a foreign limited liability company. Wycheck seeks $1 million in damages plus costs. The filing, Frank Wycheck vs. Prairie Life Fitness, LLC, claims Wycheck injured himself at the now-closed 300 Shingle Way location in July 2018 when he “stepped on an improperly installed or maintained board on the floor” of a steam room/sauna area.
Steve Christie
Steve Christie was diagnosed with cancer almost six years ago. He spoke to Buffalobills.com about his illness in October: “I thought it was kind of a personal journey and the only reason I did mention anything at the time, and it wasn’t to too many people…but the only reason I said anything at all, is because I had colorectal cancer and the screening process doesn’t start for your colonoscopies, endoscopies, doesn’t start until your 50. Well, I got diagnosed at 46. So, my whole point was if there’s anything wrong, don’t wait. Get in there and get checked. That’s the only reason I decided to do anything publicly about it and now that come November 20th, it will be five years for me where I’m cancer free.” He is an acrylic painter and also a volunteer coach at Lakewood Ranch High School. working with the kickers and punters and long snappers.
Al Del Greco
Al Del Greco has been Samford’s head golf coach since May 2, 2014. DelGreco serves as a long-time radio personality and co-host of The Opening Drive, a morning show that airs live Monday-Friday on Birmingham’s WJOX 94.5 FM.
Wade Phillips
Wade Phillips has had a long career as an NFL head coach and assistant coach. He is the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams.
Jeff Fisher
Jeff Fisher coached the Tennessee Titans and Rams franchises for 22 seasons. He coached the Titans for 17 seasons and the St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams for five seasons. Fisher hopes to be considered for NFL head coaching jobs. He currently is an analyst for FOX Sports.
Rob Johnson
Johnson worked as an assistant coached at Mission Viejo High School and runs a camp for high school quarterbacks. Sports Illustrated asked him last year about the QB competition with Flutie and a sour taste lingers. “When Doug signed it was kind of a joke, to be honest – no offense to Doug. No one in the NFL really thought much of it … “It was the perfect storm. He was the underdog; I was a prototypical quarterback with size. He had the autistic son he did commercials with — that pulled at people’s heartstrings; I was the surfer boy from California. A local radio station had this skit where they used a high-pitched voice for Doug, I guess because he was short, and I sounded like Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. It was hilarious. That’s how people thought of it.” In 2012, Johnson joined a series of class-action lawsuits against the NFL contending that the league knew or should have known concussions and repeated head impacts put players at risk of brain disorders later in life
Doug Flutie
From college to the pros, Doug Flutie provided thrills at every level. The Heisman winner from Boston College in 1984, Flutie played 10 seasons in the NFL for the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers. Flutie also played six seasons in the CFL, where he won three Grey Cups, was named Grey Cup MVP three times, was a six-time CFL All Star and six-time CFL Most Outstanding Player. He currently is an analyst on Notre Dame football for NBC Sports.
Lorenzo Neal
Lorenzo Neal (pictured, left) was a four-time Pro Bowler in a 16-season career with the New York Jets. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders. He was voted a first team All-Pro twice. He currently is a co-host on a radio show.
