Music City Miracle Memories

We're just a couple days away from Wild Card weekend - so it got me thinking, what was the best NFL playoff game (not including the Super Bowl)?

Sorry Buffalo Bills fans, I'm going with the Music City Miracle.

THE SET-UP: In a wild card playoff game in 2000, the Bills looked like they were headed to victory against the Tennessee Titans.

The Bills held a 1 point lead with only 16 seconds remaining.  A kickoff was fielded by the Titans’ Lorenzo Neal.  Neal handed the ball to Frank Wycheck, who then turned and threw a lateral pass across field to Kevin Dyson who ran the next 75 yards for a touchdown and the win in one of the most exciting plays in NFL history.

Titans won, 22-16 and the Bills haven’t been to the playoffs since.  Even if you're not a fan of either team, you can probably still remember where you were when the Music City Miracle took place.

I’VE NEVER SEEN AN ENDING LIKE THAT: One team went from the depths of despair and all of a sudden switching to a state of euphoria.  It was amazing to see one team’s season end with that play and other team’s season continue.  It’s why the last second shot in college basketball is so good but you rarely see those last second plays in football (Desean Jackson of the Eagles vs. the Giants being an exception).  The quick and sudden finality of it all is the drama that we all love.

TO THIS DAY, THERE’S STILL CONTROVERSY ABOUT THAT PLAY:  Did Wycheck throw a forward pass?  Bills fans will tell you “yes” while Titans fans say “no way”.  

There was no replay back then to prove otherwise.  In fact, this was one of the plays that led to replay in the NFL.

So as we get ready for 4 Wild Card games this weekend, I wonder if there will ever be anything like the Music City Miracle again?