1999 Buffalo Bills season
Encyclopedia
The 1999
Buffalo Bills
season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League
. It would be the final season that long time Bills members Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas were on the same team together. All three were released at the end of the season due to salary cap reasons. The Buffalo Bills finished in second place in the AFC East and finished the National Football League
's 1999 season with a record of 11 wins and 5 losses. The Bills qualified for the postseason for the seventh time in the decade.
As of the 2010 season, this was the last season that Buffalo qualified for the playoffs.
Wild Card Playoffs
involving the Tennessee 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 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 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 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 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 player Lorenzo Neal
received. Neal handed 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 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.
The victory, in front of a franchise-record crowd at Adelphia Coliseum
, allowed the Tennessee franchise to advance to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs for the first time since 1993. Subsequent victories over the Indianapolis Colts
and Jacksonville Jaguars
sent the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV
to face the St. Louis Rams
, where they lost by a touchdown
.
It could be said that the game served as revenge for the Titans/Oilers franchise for The Comeback
, where the Bills came back from a 32-point deficit to defeat the Houston Oilers, 41–38, in overtime.
For the Bills, it led to the firing after 13 seasons of special teams coach Bruce DeHaven
. One year later, Phillips was fired (partly due to his failure to lead the Bills past the first round of the playoffs during his tenure) and replaced by Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams
. It was added to the list of infamous moments in Buffalo sports history, joining Wide Right
and No Goal
.
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. It would be the final season that long time Bills members Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas were on the same team together. All three were released at the end of the season due to salary cap reasons. The Buffalo Bills finished in second place in the AFC East and finished the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's 1999 season with a record of 11 wins and 5 losses. The Bills qualified for the postseason for the seventh time in the decade.
As of the 2010 season, this was the last season that Buffalo qualified for the playoffs.
NFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | Antoine Winfield Antoine Winfield Antoine Winfield is an American football cornerback in the NFL. He played college football at The Ohio State University, winning the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back in 1998. Winfield was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. Since 2004, he... |
Defensive Back | Ohio State |
| 2 | 53 | Peerless Price Peerless Price Peerless Jilo Price is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft... |
Wide Receiver | Tennessee |
| 3 | 86 | Shawn Bryson Shawn Bryson Adrian Shawn Bryson is an American football running back in the NFL who is currently a free agent. He played college football at the University of Tennessee and was one of the four team Captains on the 1998 National Championship team. Shawn was later drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third... |
Fullback | Tennessee |
| 4 | 119 | Keith Newman Keith Newman Keith Anthony Newman is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted out of the University of North Carolina in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.... |
Outside Linebacker | North Carolina |
| 4 | 122 | Bobby Collins Bobby Collins Robert Young "Bobby" Collins is a Scottish former football player, best known for his successful spells at Celtic, Everton and Leeds United... |
Tight End | North Alabama |
| 5 | 156 | Jay Foreman Jay Foreman (American football) Jamal A. Foreman is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills, the Houston Texans, and the New York Giants... |
Inside Linebacker | Nebraska |
| 6 | 194 | Armon Hatcher | Safety | Oregon State |
| 7 | 230 | Sheldon Jackson | Tight End | Nebraska |
| 7 | 248 | Bryce Fisher Bryce Fisher Bryce Alexander Fisher is a former American football defensive lineman. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 7th round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Air Force.-High school years:... |
Defensive End | Air Force |
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 12, 1999 | at Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League .... |
L 31–14 | |
| 2 | September 19, 1999 | New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 17–3 | |
| 3 | September 26, 1999 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 26–0 | |
| 4 | October 4, 1999 | at Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 23–18 | |
| 5 | October 10, 1999 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 24–21 | |
| 6 | October 17, 1999 | Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20–14 | |
| 7 | October 24, 1999 | at Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... |
L 26–16 | |
| 8 | October 31, 1999 | at Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his... |
W 13–10 | |
| 9 | November 7, 1999 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 34–17 | |
| 10 | November 14, 1999 | Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 23–3 | |
| 11 | November 21, 1999 | at New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 17–7 | |
| 12 | November 28, 1999 | New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
W 17–7 | |
| 13 | Bye | |||
| 14 | December 12, 1999 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 19–17 | |
| 15 | December 19, 1999 | at Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 31–21 | |
| 16 | December 26, 1999 | at New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
W 13–10 | |
| 17 | January 2, 2000 | Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League .... |
W 31–6 | |
Standings
| AFC East AFC East The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets... |
||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts 1999 Indianapolis Colts season The 1999 Indianapolis Colts season was the 47th season for the team in the National Football League and 16th in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League's 1999 season with a record of 13 wins and 3 losses, and won the AFC East... |
13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 423 | 333 |
| Buffalo Bills | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 320 | 229 |
| Miami Dolphins 1999 Miami Dolphins season The 1999 Miami Dolphins season was the 34th year of existence for the Miami Dolphins franchise. The year saw the team struggling with the end of Dan Marino's career... |
9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 326 | 336 |
| New York Jets 1999 New York Jets season The 1999 New York Jets season was the 40th season for the team, and the 30th in the National Football League. The team tried to maintain or improve upon its 12–4 record from 1998. An injury to starting quarterback Vinny Testaverde in the season's opening game essentially doomed the Jets' chances at... |
8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 308 | 309 |
| New England Patriots 1999 New England Patriots season The 1999 New England Patriots season was the 30th season for the team in the National Football League and 40th season overall. They finished with a 8–8 record, tied for fourth place in the division, and out of the playoffs.... |
8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 299 | 284 |
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
John Holecek John Francis Holecek is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for eight seasons for the Buffalo Bills, the San Diego Chargers, and the Atlanta Falcons. After retiring, he returned to Illinois to coach high school football at Loyola Academy, a private college... LB Sam Cowart Samuel Cowart, III is a former American football linebacker who primarily played for the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and Minnesota Vikings of the NFL... LB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
||||
AFC Wild Card
Music City Miracle
The Music City Miracle is a famous play in the NFLNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Wild Card Playoffs
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
involving the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
and Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
that took place on January 8, 2000 (following the 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
regular season) at Adelphia Coliseum
LP Field
LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
Going into the game, Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
coach Wade Phillips
Wade Phillips
Wade Allen Phillips is the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans and former head coach for the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills. He was also an interim head coach for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons...
created a stir by starting quarterback Rob Johnson, rather than Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
, who had started 15 games, and who had led the team to 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
Isaac Byrd
Isaac Byrd II is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers. He played college football at the University of Kansas....
's 16-yard punt return and five carries from Eddie George
Eddie George
Edward Nathan "Eddie" George, Jr. is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He played for the Tennessee Titans both in Tennessee and in Houston when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers, and spent his final season with the Dallas Cowboys...
for 17 yards set up a wobbly 36-yard field goal by 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 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 and had no time to put it back on, with the clock running out. With only 16 seconds remaining in the game, Steve Christie
Steve Christie
Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...
, the Bills' kicker, made a 41-yard field goal to put Buffalo in the lead, 16–15.
Moments later, Christie kicked off, and Titans player Lorenzo Neal
Lorenzo Neal
Lorenzo LaVonne Neal is an American football fullback who played in the NFL from 1993–2009. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL Draft...
received. Neal handed the ball off to Titans tight end Frank Wycheck
Frank Wycheck
Frank John Wycheck is a former American football tight end in the National Football League. Wycheck attended Archbishop Ryan High School in Northeast Philadelphia. Drafted in sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft out of the University of Maryland by the Washington Redskins...
, who then lateraled
Lateral pass
In American football, a lateral pass or lateral, officially backward pass , occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to any teammate behind him or directly next to him...
the ball across the field to another Titans player, Kevin Dyson
Kevin Dyson
Kevin Tyree Dyson is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Oilers 16th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Utah....
, who then ran down the sidelines for a 75-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. The play was named Home Run Throwback by the Titans and was developed by Special Teams Coordinator Alan Lowry
Alan Lowry
Alan Lowry is the special-teams coordinator for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League.He completed his 25th season in the NFL, the last 11 with the Titans.-College career:...
.
- Official review
Per the instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
rules, the play was reviewed by referee Phil Luckett
Phil Luckett
Phil Luckett was an official in the National Football League . His officiating uniform number was 59. He entered the NFL as a field judge in 1991, then became a referee in 1997 after Red Cashion and Howard Roe announced their retirements, and returned to the back judge position in 2001...
since it was uncertain if the ball had been a forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
, 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.
- Aftermath
The victory, in front of a franchise-record crowd at Adelphia Coliseum
LP Field
LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
, allowed the Tennessee franchise to advance to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs for the first time since 1993. Subsequent victories over the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
and Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
sent the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
to face the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, where they lost by a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
.
It could be said that the game served as revenge for the Titans/Oilers franchise for The Comeback
The Comeback (American football)
The Comeback was a NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers played January 3, 1993. It featured the Bills recovering from a 32-point deficit to win in overtime, and it remains the largest comeback in NFL history...
, where the Bills came back from a 32-point deficit to defeat the Houston Oilers, 41–38, in overtime.
For the Bills, it led to the firing after 13 seasons of special teams coach Bruce DeHaven
Bruce DeHaven
Bruce DeHaven is an American football coach who is currently the special teams coach of the Buffalo Bills of the NFL. DeHaven is most known for being the special teams coach of the Bills from 1986 to 1999. He was their special teams coach when, most notably, Scott Norwood missed a 47 yard field...
. One year later, Phillips was fired (partly due to his failure to lead the Bills past the first round of the playoffs during his tenure) and replaced by Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams
Gregg Williams
Gregg Williams is the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints and the former head coach of the Buffalo Bills. Considered one of the most respected defensive minds in the game, Williams is known for running aggressive, attacking 4-3 schemes that put heavy pressure on opposing...
. It was added to the list of infamous moments in Buffalo sports history, joining Wide Right
Wide Right (Buffalo Bills)
Wide Right or 47 Wide Right describes kicker Scott Norwood's missed 47-yard field goal attempt at the end of Super Bowl XXV on January 27, 1991.-The field goal attempt:...
and No Goal
No goal
No goal is a call made by referees in various goal-scoring sports to indicate that a goal has not been scored. It is commonly used to disallow an apparent goal, such as when the ball or puck has entered the net but should not count as a score due to some foul or infraction.Because the decision...
.