Fansided

Top 30 plays in NFL history

By Jarrett Bailey

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 30: Running back John Riggins #44 of the Washington Redskins runs 43 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as tight end Clint Didier #86 of the Redskins and defensive back Glenn Blackwood #47 of the Miami Dolphins pursue the play during Super Bowl XVII at the Rose Bowl on January 30, 1983 in Pasadena, California. The Redskins defeated the Dolphins 27-17. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 30: Running back John Riggins #44 of the Washington Redskins runs 43 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as tight end Clint Didier #86 of the Redskins and defensive back Glenn Blackwood #47 of the Miami Dolphins pursue the play during Super Bowl XVII at the Rose Bowl on January 30, 1983 in Pasadena, California. The Redskins defeated the Dolphins 27-17. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
24 of 30
Next
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson (87) takes a kickoff return 75 yards for a touchdown during the AFC Wildcard Playoff, a 22-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills on January 8, 2000, at Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bills scored a field goal with 16 seconds left in the game, seemingly putting the game out of reach. On the ensuing kickoff, Titans fullback Lorenzo Neal fielded the ball and handed off to tight end Frank Wycheck, who then lateralled the ball to Dyson. After some review to verify that it was indeed a lateral and not a forward pass (which would have nullified the touchdown), the ruling on the field stood, and the so-called ‘Music City Miracle’ was born. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images)
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson (87) takes a kickoff return 75 yards for a touchdown during the AFC Wildcard Playoff, a 22-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills on January 8, 2000, at Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bills scored a field goal with 16 seconds left in the game, seemingly putting the game out of reach. On the ensuing kickoff, Titans fullback Lorenzo Neal fielded the ball and handed off to tight end Frank Wycheck, who then lateralled the ball to Dyson. After some review to verify that it was indeed a lateral and not a forward pass (which would have nullified the touchdown), the ruling on the field stood, and the so-called ‘Music City Miracle’ was born. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images) /

7. The Music City Miracle

Was it a lateral? Did the long, cross field pass go forward? Fans from both sides of the aisle will argue for their respective teams here. If you’re a Titans fan, you will say the ball clearly went backwards and that it was a legal play. If you are from Buffalo, you will say that the ball went forward as you squirt yourself with mustard and jump through a burning table because bad things always happen to Bills fans.

Fandom aside, this play was insane. The Bills had just kicked a field goal to take a 16-15 lead in the AFC Wildcard game with 16 seconds left on the clock. Buffalo’s decision to not take the clock down further would prove to be pivotal.

On the ensuing kickoff, Frank Wycheck threw a cross-field lateral to Kevin Dyson, who caught the ball and ran into the end zone for a touchdown. The Titans would end up going to the Super Bowl to face the Rams. For Buffalo, this would end up being their last playoff game for nearly 20 years. Buffalo had also decided to start Rob Johnson over Doug Flutie in the Wildcard game, a move that wasn’t popular in the eyes of the fans.

This was the catalyst for a Super Bowl run for the Titans, and twenty years of abysmal football for the Bills.

Home/NFL