Sunday, December 4, 2011

NFL game report: Titans 22 - Bills 16 (1999 playoffs)

  • Date played: January 8, 2000
  • Broadcast network: ABC
  • Broadcasters: Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire
  • Who I rooted for when this game originally took place: Titans (I think)
  • Who I now wish had won: Titans
  • What happened: Tennessee led 12-0 at halftime. Buffalo came back to take a 13-12 lead early in the 4th quarter. Titan's kicker Al Del Greco kicked a 36 yard field goal with under two minutes left. Steve Christie kicked a 41 yard field goal with :20 left to give Buffalo the lead back. Tennessee returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards to win the game. (Video below-- not the ABC announcers, however)


  • Notable players who appeared in this game for Buffalo: Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Steve Christie, Andre Reed, Peerless Price
  • Notable players who appeared in this game for Tennessee: Steve McNair, Eddie George, Jevon Kearse, Samari Rolle, Al Del Greco
  • Controversial aspects of this game: The final play; Bill's coach Wade Phillips's decision to start Rob Johnson (pictured below) at quarterback instead of Doug Flutie.
  • Connection between this game and Todd Marinovich: Prior to this game, there had been only three other occasions when a quarterback had started every game of the NFL season except the last game and then not started in the playoffs. One of the other times was in 1991, when Marinovich replaced Jay Schroeder as Raiders quarterback in back-to-back games against Kansas City.
  • People associated with this game who resemble Bob Newhart: Wade Phillips
  • Things I remembered incorrectly about this game: I thought that the game was played on astroturf, not grass. I also remembered there being a bit of snow on the field.

  • How this game would be remembered in an alternate universe: As the Rob Johnson shoe game, rather than as Music City Miracle. Johnson, who had been playing rather badly all game, led the Bills to a seemingly-victorious final drive as time wound down. At one point, Johnson had lost one of his shoes, but rather than spike the ball and stop the clock, he completed a crucial pass to bring Buffalo into easier field goal position.
  • What happened next: Tennessee won their next two playoff games before losing in the Super Bowl. (Video below) Steve McNair was killed by his girlfriend in 2009. The Bills have only had one winning season since this game and have not made the playoffs once in that time.



  • A poem written around the time this game originally took place:

TITANS BEAT BILLS

The television sets

are filled

with terrible news!

Football players

act like houses

on wheels—

they look busy

and blame their troubles

on an angry God!

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