20 years later: The Music City Miracle
Twenty years ago on Jan. 8, 2000, the Buffalo Bills lost on one of the most surreal plays in NFL history.
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
To the shock of players, fans, the Titans and backup quarterback Rob Johnson himself, the Bills named Johnson the starter for the postseason over Doug Flutie. Here, Johnson gets sacked by Titans No. 91 Josh Evans in the wild-card game for the playoffs.
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
Jevon Kearse is mobbed by his teammates after forcing Rob Johnson out, getting a two-point safety. Said Blaine Bishop, Titans safety: "I was excited they decided to go with Rob Johnson. I never wanted to play, as a defensive back, against Doug Flutie. He had magic to him. Even though Rob Johnson had more arm talent, we knew exactly where he would be. He'd be right in the pocket. And as a blitzing defense, 'X' marks the spot."
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
Rob Johnson runs away from a Titan on the Bills final drive leading to a Steve Christie field goal. "I missed one pass to Kevin (Williams) over the middle that would've been a 60-yarder. It was just off his fingertips," said Johnson. "Other than that, I thought I played well. It was a hard-fought game. He hung in there. It was a tough, tough game. I was proud of the way I played."
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
The Bills trailed 12-0 at halftime. Defensively, injuries mounted to the point where linebacker John Holecek says the Bills basically abandoned their nickel and dime defenses. Fatigue set in. He called a timeout out of mercy. Then Buffalo woke up and took the lead in the fourth quarter on two Antowain Smith touchdowns. Here, Smith celebrates the second of the two.
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
Tennessee Titans fullback Lorenzo Neal (41) hands the ball off to tight end Frank Wycheck (89) after Neal received a kickoff from the Bills late in the fourth quarter. This is the start of the play at the heart of the Music City Miracle.
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
Tennessee Titans Frank Wycheck throws the ball to teammate Kevin Dyson in the final seconds of the game. "I wasn't a 4.3 40 guy. So for people to think I was going to take it to the house, I mean, that's pretty funny," said Wycheck. "Rogers was the guy. He almost was like puzzled at what was going on because he stopped. He didn't full-speed unload into me like he would normally. He hesitated when I pulled up to throw it. And it was a blur from there because I didn't see who I was throwing it to."
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
Titans fans are out of their seats as Kevin Dyson runs into the end zone to score an improbable touchdown. "There was a brief moment in there when I thought, 'Get out of bounds. Kick the field goal to win,' said Dyson. "But when Steve Christie fell down, it was smooth sailing from there."
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
It took a long review by head official Phil Luckett to confirm the touchdown, but he did: Luckett ruled Wycheck's cross-field pass was not forward. Said Donovan Greer: "Hey, that's why you have homefield advantage. At home -- with such a close call like that -- the refs just gave it to Tennessee. Had he not, he would've been escorted out of that stadium."
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
Doug Flutie and John Holecek agonize on the sidelines waiting for replay officials ruling on Kevin Dyson's winning touchdown to be announced. Said Holecek: "I was standing next to Doug Flutie and our mouths just dropped open like, 'That just did not happen.' There is no way. It's shock. Your breath is taken away."
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
Antowain Smith kneels on the field with 3 seconds remaining as Titans celebrate the game-winning touchdown at the other end of the stadium. "It was a disaster," said Steve Christie. "It led to the darkest time in the Bills' history. We had a head coach who was a bounty hunter for goodness sakes! It couldn't get any worse -- and it all stemmed from the Music City Miracle."
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
Jonthan Linton weeps on the bench after the play was reviewed and the play stood, the touchdown counted.
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
Doug Flutie runs off the field after the Bills' crushing loss to Titans 22-16. "You felt like we put our blood, sweat and tears into winning that football game and we felt like the officials took it away from us," said Eric Moulds. "It was very difficult from the locker room -- usually the coach comes in and says a few things but there was complete silence. The coaches. The players. No one said anything. Guys just sat at their lockers."
20 years later: The Music City Miracle
Jonathan Linton (35) Marcellus Wiley (75) and other Bills leave the field in disbelief after heartbreaking 22-16 loss to the Titans. "That team should have -- at least -- represented the AFC in the Super Bowl," said Donovan Greer. "We had that game won. To lose it in that fashion, you have no idea how that hurts."
The Patriots have won 35 of the last 41 meetings and haven’t been swept by a division rival since the Jets and Dolphins did it in 2000, an NFL record 19 consecutive seasons.
