When Tennessee plays Buffalo, longtime Titans fans can’t help but think about the Music City Miracle.
Here’s the info for new Titans’ fans. In a 1999 playoff game, the Bills kicked a late field goal to take a 16-15 lead over the Titans with only seconds left on the clock. Titans special teams coach Alan Lowry pulled a play from the bottom of his bag, one he had been reserving for a special occasion.
The play, named “Homerun Throwback”, called for TE Frank Wycheck to get the ball, run to the right, and lateral cross-field on the kick return. Despite a change in circumstances on the play, it worked, and Tennessee won the game after a review by the replay official, who ruled that Wycheck’s lateral to Kevin Dyson was not an illegal forward pass.
Buffalo fans would later call the play “Homerun Throwforward”, contending it was a forward lateral. Bills owner Ralph Wilson would later say the play ripped the heart out of the team for years and set the franchise backwards.
Pat Ryan, the former UT and NY Jet quarterback, was the color commentator on Titans Radio at the time. As soon as Dyson caught Wycheck’s lateral, Ryan said, “He’s got something,” a phrase he repeated as the wall of blockers unfolded and Dyson ran down the field unmolested. Announcer Mike Keith also made a great call when he excitedly proclaimed, “There are no flags on the field! The Titans have pulled a miracle!”
Titans All Access, the weekly Titans TV show, has this review of the play, including analysis by Lowry and comments from Wycheck. Enjoy!
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