| January 01, 2004 | « Previous Story | HOME | Next Story » | Posted at 05:59 PM |
GM John Butler and the Buffalo Bills rolled the dice in 1999. While the salary cap brought labor stability to the NFL that no other professional team sport could match, it destabilized the concept of team dynasties in the league. Retaining quality depth became more difficult. Some franchises rolled the salary cap dice, bringing in high profile players with the expectation of winning this year, not building for the future. The downside usually meant that the teams needed to be dismantled within 2 –3 years. The Bills nucleus of their championship years was aging, and Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith were all in the final season of their current deals. The Bills chose to stave off cutting these popular veterans and make one last charge to a Championship.
Departing the Buffalo Bills in the offseason was fan favorite Chris Spielman, who in 1996 broke the Bills team record with 206 tackles in a season. The Cleveland Browns expansion club gave Spielman an opportunity to finish his career in his home state. Unfortunately, Spielman suffered a neck injury 2 games into the preseason forcing him to retire. The Browns selected two Buffalo Bills in the expansion draft, DB Ray Jackson and FB Clarence Williams. RB Darick Holmes signed on with Green Bay. WR Quinn Early signed on with the Jets, TE Lonnie Johnson was released.
The NFL draft brought in a bumper crop for the Bills. The Bills selected CB Antoine Winfield from Ohio State in the first round. WR Peerless Price we selected in Rd 2, RB Shawn Bryson (3), LB Keith Newman (4), TE Bobby Collins (4), LB Jay Foreman(5), S Armon Hatcher (6), TE Sheldon Jackson (7), and DE Bryce Fisher (7).
In the 1999 preseason schedule, the Bills played a rare 3 games on the road with only a single home game. The Bills went 3-1 winning at Seattle, 24-10. The y then moved on to Washington and dropped a close one to the Redskins 20-19. The Bengals were road game #3 and the Bills handed them a 30-3 defeat. The long preseason road trip ended with a 16-14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the newly remodeled and named Ralph Wilson Stadium. Doug Flutie would retain the starting QB job.
Indy opened the scoring on their second drive of the game when a 50-yard pass from Peyton Manning to E.G. Green set up a 1-yard Edgerrin James TD run. Early in the 2nd, Buffalo got on the board when Steve Christie hit a 36-yard FG. Midway through the 2nd, Indy increased its lead to 14-3 when Manning capped a 7-play, 65-yard drive with a 5-yard TD pass to Marvin Harrison. Just before the half, Buffalo advanced to the Indy 11 before settling for another Christie FG (29 yards) that made the score 14-6 at intermission.
The Colts increased their lead to 21-6 halfway through the 3rd quarter when Manning and Harrison hooked up for another TD, this one a 24-yard strike that was preceded by runs of 40 and 24 yards by James. The Bills responded on the next series by marching 60 yards in 8 plays and pulled to within 7 points on a 6-yard pass from Doug Flutie to Andre Reed, followed by a successful 2-point conversion.
That was as close as Buffalo would get as a 35-yard Mike Vanderjagt FG put Indy ahead 24-14 early in the 4th. The Bills created chances to get back in it by forcing turnovers on the next two Colts possessions. They reached the Indy 31 with 3:35 remaining and down by 10 when Flutie's pass was intercepted by CB Tony Blevins, who returned it 74-yards for the game-breaking TD.
Buffalo was without the services of RB Thurman Thomas, who suffered a liver/kidney injury on the game's first play from scrimmage. He would miss the next 10 games.
The Bills moved to 1-1 with a convincing 17-3 win over the Jets on Sunday night. The game was the team's 1999 home opener and the first regular season contest played at the newly-renovated Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The game was scoreless for most of the first half although Buffalo twice penetrated the NYJ 30 before ending the drives with unsuccessful FGs (44 & 45 yards). After the second miss, the Jets marched deep into Bills territory and faced a 4th and goal from inside the 1 when NT Ted Washington and LB Sam Cowart stuffed FB Jerald Sowell for no gain. Following the stand, the Bills marched 99 yards, ending the drive with a 1-yard Antowain Smith TD run that put the Bills up 7-0 with :39 to play in the half. Key plays on the drive included a 24-yard Flutie scramble and a 12-yard run to the 1 by Smith that was aided significantly by a Flutie block on Jets LB Mo Lewis.
After sending the Jets 3-and-out on the opening drive of the 2nd half, the Bills increased their lead to 14-0 when Flutie capped an 8-play, 54-yard drive with a 24-yard bootleg run for a TD. New York got on the board on their next drive when John Hall's 31-yard FG ended an 8-play, 59-yard drive. However, Buffalo would allow the Jets no closer and the Bills running game successfully ground out the clock. Steve Christie's 35-yard FG with 2:05 remaining provided the final margin of victory.
The Bills advanced deep into Eagles territory on each of their first three possessions and came away with three Steve Christie field goals to jump out to a 9-0 lead. The third of those FGs was set-up when LB Gabe Northern sacked Eagles QB Doug Pederson, forcing a fumble that DE Phil Hansen scooped up and returned to the Philly 4-yard line.Midway through the second quarter, the Eagles reached the Buffalo 20 for their best scoring chance of the afternoon. However, Pederson again fumbled while being sacked, this time by Bruce Smith, and Hansen returned it 19 yards to the Eagles 48. Five plays later, Doug Flutie connected with TE Jay Riemersma on a 15-yard scoring strike that put the Bills up 16-0. The lead grew to 19 on the final play of the half when Christie nailed his fourth FG of the day.
The Bills defense continued to blank the Birds in the second half, allowing them past midfield just once. The offense, meanwhile, put its final points on the board when Antowain Smith scored on a 4-yard run late in the third to cap an 8-play, 60-yard drive. Rob Johnson replaced Flutie for the final quarter and played two series before exiting in place of Alex Van Pelt when Johnson was injured on a sack.Nine different players caught passes for the Bills, including veteran WR Andre Reed who collected yet another career milestone. With his 3rd reception of the day, the future Hall-of-Famer notched career catch #900, joining Jerry Rice and Art Monk as the only NFL players ever to reach that plateau.
Buffalo posted its first shut-out since 1992.The shutout was the 18th in team history and Buffalo held opponents without a TD in consecutive games for the sixth time ever.
On Buffalo's first series of the game, they drove deep into Miami territory before Steve Christie's 26-yard FG put the Bills up 3-0. A Buffalo turnover on a fumbled exchange gave Miami the ball at the Buffalo 12 on its next drive but the Dolphins came away with just 3 points on a 30-yard Olindo Mare FG. Another Mare FG on the next Miami drive put the Dolphins ahead 6-3 before Christie knotted it with a 52-yard FG early in the 2nd quarter. The game's first TD came later in the quarter when LB John Holecek sacked Dan Marino, forcing a fumble that LB Gabe Northern scooped up and returned 59 yards for the score. Just before halftime, Miami reached the Bills 8 but was forced to settle for another FG that cut the Buffalo lead to 13-9.
After each offense was held in check in the 3rd quarter. Miami again reached the Bills 8 but again was kept out of the end zone and came away with another Mare FG that cut the lead to 1. On its next drive, though, Buffalo marched 80 yards in 6 plays, starting with a spectacular 40-yard reception by Eric Moulds and ending with a 6-yard TD pass from Doug Flutie to Moulds. Three plays later, Holecek stepped in front of a Marino pass and returned the INT 35 yards to set up another Christie FG that put the Bills up 23-12 midway through the 4th. The comfortable lead was short-lived, though, as Brock Marion returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards to the Buffalo 4, setting up a 9-yard O.J. McDuffie TD reception. Prior to that play, the Buffalo D had not allowed a TD in more than two games – over 12 quarters. Miami trailed by just 5 points when they took over at their own 33 with 2:59 to play but four straight Marino incompletions turned it over on downs to the Bills with 2:25 left. Buffalo gained one first down, enabling them to run out the clock and preserve the win. The victory was Buffalo's first in Miami since 1994, snapping a 5-game winless streak there.
The Buffalo defense held Pittsburgh to 255 total yards and just 48 rushing while limiting Jerome Bettis to 24 yards on 13 carries. Offensively, Doug Flutie enjoyed an outstanding day completing 21 of 32 passes for 261 yards, 3 TDs and no INTs while adding another 39 yards on 7 rushes. His favorite target was once again Eric Moulds who had 6 receptions for 122 yards and a 49-yard TD.
The day got off to a rough start for the Bills when Antowain Smith fumbled it over to the Steelers at the Buffalo 12 on the first offensive play from scrimmage. Three plays later, Kordell Stewart hooked up with Hines Ward on a 12-yard scoring pass that put Pittsburgh ahead 7-0. Buffalo came right back on its next drive, marching 69 yards in 14 plays and capping the drive with a 2-yard pass from Doug Flutie to Sam Gash on a 4th-and-1 play. After sending the Steelers 3-and-out, the Bills struck again when Flutie hit Eric Moulds on a 49-yard TD play. Midway through the 2nd quarter, the Bills went up 17-7 when Steve Christie's 29-yard FG capped a 12-play, 79-yard drive. The Steelers answered with a long drive of their own and pulled to within 3 points when Stewart and Troy Edwards connected on a 17-yard TD pass.
Defense dominated most of the 3rd quarter but the Bills reached the end zone late in the stanza when Flutie hit Jay Riemersma with an 8-yard TD toss that put Buffalo up 24-14. The drive was set-up when LB Sam Rogers picked off a Stewart pass at the Buffalo 38 and returned his first career INT to the Steelers 38. The Steelers closed to within a FG with 2:44 to play when Bettis' 1-yard run ended a 10-play, 78 yard drive that was aided by two Buffalo penalties. The Steelers never got the chance to pull closer because strong running by RB Jonathan Linton led to two first downs that allowed the Bills to run out the clock.
The Raiders made several key plays throughout the afternoon, starting with a Darrien Gordon INT off of Flutie on the game's first play. Tyrone Wheatley scored from 3 yards out 6 plays later to put the Raiders up 7-0. The Bills answered quickly, though, as Antowain Smith raced 52 yards for the game-tying score. Oakland went up by 3 on their next drive as Husted's 25-yard FG capped a 12-play, 64-yard drive. Husted's 32-yarder on the next Raiders possession gave Oakland scores on its first three drives and upped the lead to 13-7 early in the 2nd quarter, a score that would remain until halftime.
Oakland opened the 2nd half with a 9-play, 72-yard drive that ended with an 11-yard Wheatley TD run. Buffalo narrowed the lead to 20-14 early in the 4th when Flutie and Eric Moulds hooked up on a 12-yard TD pass. The score was set up the play before when Kevin Williams caught a 20-yarder from Flutie on 4th-and-2. Oakland later chewed 6:34 off the clock with a 15-play, 58-yard drive that reached the Buffalo 14 before Husted's missed FG gave Buffalo one final chance. The Bills had taken over at their own 23 with :59 left. Buffalo moved to the Oakland 29 with :15 to go thanks to a 30-yard pass from Flutie to Peerless Price and a 14-yarder to Andre Reed. The outcome was not determined until the final play when Doug Flutie's 24-yard toss into the end zone was intercepted by Eric Turner, spoiling Buffalo's last-minute comeback bid.
The Bills dug themselves an early hole out of which they were unable to climb and fell to 4-3 with their 2nd straight loss. Seattle scored on its first 3 possessions and 5 of its first 6 to take a 23-0 lead. Buffalo outscored the host Seahawks 13-3 in the 2nd half but it was not enough to recover from the early deficit. The Bills were missing 5 starters due to injury- WR Eric Moulds, TE Jay Riemersma, LG Ruben Brown, LB John Holecek, and DE Phil Hansen.
The Seahawks returned the opening kickoff 54 yards and scored 5 plays later on Jon Kitna's 7-yard TD pass to Derrick Mayes. A pair of Todd Peterson FGs preceded another Kitna-to-Mayes TD, this one a 43-yarder midway though the 2nd quarter. Peterson's 3rd FG of the half gave Seattle a 23-0 lead before Steve Christie's 50-yard FG on the final play before intermission put Buffalo on the board.
Buffalo held Seattle scoreless in the 3rd quarter and narrowed the gap to 23-9 with an 18-yard TD pass from Doug Flutie to rookie Peerless Price (the PAT failed due to a bad snap). The TD was a career first for Price, who started in place of the injured Eric Moulds (hamstring). Buffalo was unable to capitalize on a successful onside kick following the Price TD and Peterson's 4th FG of the day put Seattle up 26-9 in the 4th. Buffalo answered with a 9-play, 79-yard scoring drive that ended on a 1-yard TD grab by TE Jay Riemersma. It was the only time that Riemersma was on the field, as a groin injury kept the starting TE from most of the action. Trailing by 10 with 7:32 left, the Bills were unable to pull closer as their next drive ended with a Flutie fumble and the subsequent one when Buffalo turned it over on downs. Rookie WR Peerless Price filled in admirably for Moulds, finishing with a game-high 106 receiving yards on 4 catches.
The Bills rallied from a 10-3 fourth quarter deficit to claim a critical 13-10 win at Baltimore thanks to scores on their last two possessions. Both drives were set-up by turnovers created by the Buffalo defense. The Bills took their only lead of the game with 1:35 to play on RB Jonathan Linton's 5-yard TD reception from Doug Flutie, who shrugged off a difficult day to make several key plays in the final quarter. The win improved the Bills record to 5-3 at the season's midway point.
The Ravens jumped out early and took a 10-0 first quarter lead. The first score came on a 7-yard TD pass from Tony Banks to former Bills WR Justin Armour that capped a 10-play, 50-yard drive while the second was a 37-yard Matt Stover FG that was set-up by a Flutie INT. The Ravens had a chance to make it 13-0 late in the second quarter but Pat Williams blocked Stover's 51-yard try. The miss gave the Bills their best field position of the afternoon and they advanced from their own 42 to the Ravens 7 before Steve Christie's 25-yard FG made it 10-3 with :40 left in the half.
The Buffalo D, which blanked Baltimore in the final 3 quarters, allowed just 4 first downs and 77 total yards (27 rushing) in the 2nd half. The offense, meanwhile, penetrated the Ravens 40 twice in the third quarter but both drives ended with Flutie INTs.
With 13:00 to play and down by 7, LB Gabe Northern hit Banks while throwing to force a Kurt Schulz INT and 26-yard return to the Ravens 34. The turnover led to a 40-yard Christie FG that made the score 10-6 with 6:21 left. Northern then came up with another huge play on the next series when he chased down Banks from behind and stripped the QB, forcing a fumble that LB Sam Rogers returned to the Ravens 45 with 3:35 remaining to give Buffalo a chance for victory. Things looked bleak for the Bills when they faced a 4th-and-15 at the Ravens 39 but Flutie scrambled 17 yards to keep the drive alive with just over 2:00 left. Two straight completions to Andre Reed then moved the ball to the 5, setting up the game winning TD toss from Flutie to Linton, the RB's first career TD catch. The defense then finished the job by forcing the Ravens to turn it over on downs on their final drive to preserve the win.
Though the Bills dominated the contest, it was Washington who took an early lead when Davis' 8-yard run capped a 66-yard game-opening drive. Buffalo answered with a 23-yard Steve Christie FG on its first possession. Following a missed 55-yard FG try by the 'Skins, the Bills took the lead when Flutie ended a 10-play, 55-yard drive with a 6-yard pass to TE Bobby Collins, the rookie's first pro TD. After Brett Conway's 41-yard FG tied it at 10, the Bills claimed a 17-10 lead with :18 left in the half when Smith ran it in from a yard away. Key plays on the drive included a 34-yard catch by TE Jay Riemersma and an 8-yard Flutie scramble on 4th-and-5 from the Washington 23.
Smith opened the 2nd half scoring with a 10-yard TD run. Eric Moulds, who returned after missing the previous 2 games with a hamstring injury, then upped the lead to 31-10 with a 14-yard scoring pass from Flutie. On the other side of the ball, Buffalo's D shut down the high-powered 'Skins offense and on 3 consecutive drives sent them 3-and-out two times and forced them to turn it over on downs on the third. Washington narrowed the deficit to 31-17 midway through the 4th quarter on a Brad Johnson to Albert Connell TD but FS Henry Jones recovered the ensuing onside kick try and Christie's 20-yard FG provided the game's final points.
The Bills racked up season high totals with 34 points and 413 total net yards (204 rush. & 209 pass.). The Buffalo defense, meanwhile, limited a Redskins team that entered the contest with per game averages of 34.6 points and 386.9 total yards to just 17 and 279, respectively. They also held Stephen Davis, the NFL's leading rusher, to only 33 yards on 9 carries. Overall, Buffalo enjoyed a 41:00 to 19:00 edge in time of possession.
On a blustery autumn afternoon in Orchard Park, the Bills improved to 7-3 with a thoroughly dominating victory over the Dolphins that gave Buffalo its first season sweep of Miami since 1994. Buffalo came out of the gate quickly as rookie CB Antoine Winfield intercepted Damon Huard on the game's 3rd play and returned it to the Miami 22, setting up a 31-yard Steve Christie FG. The Bills upped the lead to 9-0 with Christie FGs (43 & 23) on their next 2 possessions. While Miami was sent 3-n-out on their first 4 drives (INT and 3 punts), Buffalo scored on each of its first 4, the last of which came when RB Jonathan Linton capped an 11-play, 71-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run. It was the 1st rushing TD allowed by Miami all year and its 1st overall TD allowed in 15 quarters. The drive included 3 Flutie completions for 3rd down conversions, including a 34-yarder to TE Jay Riemersma. Miami got its only score of the day just before halftime when Olindo Mare hit a 30-yard FG
The second half was no better for Miami, whose deepest penetration was the Buffalo 49. They spent most of the half deep in their own end thanks in large part to a pair of Chris Mohr punts that pinned the Fish at their own 1 and 3, respectively. The only score of the 2nd half came in the 3rd quarter when Flutie connected with Eric Moulds on a 53-yard TD pass over the middle on 3rd-n-1. The grab gave Moulds TD catches in each of his last 5 games, tying the 35-year-old club record for most consecutive games with a TD reception (Elbert Dubenion, 1964).
Offensively, the Bills rolled up 336 total yards on a defense that was allowing just 255.0 per game and rushed for 179 yards against the NFL's #2 run defense that was giving up just 80 per game. Defensively, the numbers were just as impressive for the Bills. Miami entered the game averaging 319.9 total yards per game but were held to just 101 – the 3rd lowest total ever by a Bills opponent. Miami also came in with per game offensive averages of 99.1 yards rushing and 220 passing but were limited to 60 and 41, respectively. The Dolphins had just 6 first downs, their lowest total in team history and the second lowest figure ever allowed by a Bills defense.
A key reason for Miami's inability to get untracked was DE Bruce Smith, who notched 2 sacks and caused headaches all afternoon for the Dolphins offense.
The Jets began the 2nd half beginning their first two drives at the Buffalo 39 & 43. The Bills defense, however, held them to just three points. Trailing 17-0 with 6:57 to play in the 3rd, the Bills took over at their own 34 and advanced to the NYJ 2 before Flutie found Peerless Price with a 2-yard scoring pass. The Jets took their 10-point lead into the 4th quarter. With just under 7 minutes to play, they elected to go for it on 4th-and-1 from the Buffalo 38 but Curtis Martin was stuffed for no gain. The Bills then advanced to the NYJ 10 thanks to 5 completions and a 15-yard Flutie run on 4th-and-2. However, on 1st-and-goal from the 10 with just over 4 minutes remaining, Flutie's pass attempt was batted down at the line of scrimmage, deflected off one lineman, bounced off the back of another and into the hands of NT Jason Wiltz. The Jets then picked up a couple of first downs and never let the Bills offense back onto the field.
For most of the game the Bills were without RB Antowain Smith, who suffered a turf toe injury the week before vs. Miami and missed all but a handful of plays in the Jets game. Fellow RB Jonathan Linton was also limited due to a knee injury suffered vs. Miami. Thurman Thomas was still out of action with his lacerated kidney.
Buffalo opened the scoring on its 2nd offensive series with a 28-yard Steve Christie FG into a stiff wind. The 70-yard drive was aided significantly by a 42-yard pass interference penalty called on Pats FS Chris Carter. The 3-0lead seemed to be in jeopardy early in the 2nd quarter when the Pats advanced to the Buffalo 24. A 21-yard Bledsoe-to-Ben Coates pass appeared to set NE up with a 1st-and-goal at the 3 but an offensive pass interference penalty called on Coates brought the play back. On the very next play, CB Ken Irvin halted the drive when he intercepted Bledsoe at the 16. With 1:09 to play before halftime, Buffalo increased its lead to 10-0 when Doug Flutie beat a Patriots blitz to connect with Eric Moulds, who beat CB Steve Israel on the 54-yard scoring play.
On the 2nd series after intermission, the Bills increased their lead to 17-0 following a 3-play, 80-yard drive. One play after Flutie found rookie TE Bobby Collins for a 45-
Among the keys to the Buffalo win was a smothering defense that sacked Drew Bledsoe 6 times, forced a pair of turnovers inside the Buffalo 20, and shut out the Pats until the game's final 3 minutes. In a game pivotal to the playoff hopes of both teams, the Bills moved to 8-4 while New England dropped to 6-5.
Buffalo opened the 2nd half by advancing deep into NYG territory but the drive ended on a missed 48-yard try by Christie. From there, the Giants moved to the Buffalo 4 before Blanchard's 21-yarder made it 16-10. The Giants seemed ready to increase their lead early in the 4th when they reached the Buffalo 16 but DT Shawn Price deflected a Collins pass into the air and DE Marcellus Wiley intercepted and returned it 52 yards to the New York 22. Six plays later, Jonathan Linton's 2-yard run up the middle put Buffalo up 17-16 with 9:34 left. The Bills then stopped the Giants on their next two drives. With just over 2:00 remaining and the Bills needing a first down to run out the clock, they faced a 4th-and-1 at the NY 36 but Linton was stopped for no gain, turning it back to the Giants with 2:09 left. In 9 plays, they advanced to the Buffalo 31 before lining up for the game-winning FG with :45 left.
The Bills struck first on the game's opening possession, moving 67 yards in 6 plays and capping the drive with a 15-yard TD pass from Doug Flutie to Eric Moulds. Key plays on the drive included completions of 24 and 19 yards to Jay Riemersma and Andre Reed, respectively. After the defense sent Arizona 3-and-out on its first two possessions, Buffalo increased its lead when Jonathan Linton's 6-yard TD run ended a 12-play, 80-yard drive. Early in the 2nd, the Cardinals got on the board with a long TD drive that resulted in a 1-yard Mario Bates run. Just before halftime, another Bates TD run - this one from 2 yards out - knotted the score at 14 at halftime.
Despite the absence of RB Antowain Smith (turf toe) the Bills running game gained 159 yards on 41 carries and was a major reason Buffalo was able to control the ball for nearly 23 of 30 second-half minutes. Overall, the Bills enjoyed a 376 to 178 edge in total yards of offense and were particularly effective on 3rd down (12-17 for 71%).
On the game-opening drive, New England advanced to the Buffalo 26 but came away empty when Vinatieri's 44-yard try fell short. From there, the Bills moved 44 yards, thanks largely to a 31-yard Thurman Thomas run, and Christie put them up 3-0 with a 39-yarder. The lead stood until late in the half when the Pats tied it on Vinatieri's 38-yard FG on the final play of the first half.
The Pats won the coin toss and received the kickoff to open OT. They moved to the Bills 26 but Vinatieri again failed to end it when his 44-yard attempt was short. Flutie, who was a perfect 7-for-7 in the OT period, later moved the Bills to the NE 6 to set-up Christie's game-winner.
The Bills closed the regular season in impressive fashion with a thoroughly dominant performance against the AFC East leading Colts, who saw their 11-game winning streak come to an end. Buffalo entered the game with a wild card spot already clinched and rested several starters, including QB Doug Flutie, FB Sam Gash, C Jerry Ostroski, and DE Phil Hansen. Rob Johnson got his first start of the year in place of Flutie.
The defense limited the potent Indy offense to just 226 total yards, including just 50 rushing by Edgerrin James and just 182 passing yards for Peyton Manning. The effort helped the Bills D finish with the NFL's #1 overall defense for the first time since 1980. Also impressive was Buffalo's offensive line, which was largely responsible for the Bills gaining a season-high 419 yards and holding the Colts without a sack.
Enjoying a memorable and historic day was WR Andre Reed who reached several career milestones. The future Hall-of-Famer passed Art Monk to rank 2nd all-time in career receptions, passed Steve Largent to rank 4th all-time in career receiving yardage, and recorded his 50th catch of the year to give him his 13th career season with 50+ catches tying Jerry Rice for the NFL record.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Titans got on the board first when DE Jevon Kearse forced a Rob Johnson fumble out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety. Following the free kick, the Titans capped a 5-play, 28-yard drive with a 1-yard Steve McNair TD run.
Momentum appeared to shift Buffalo's way later in the quarter when Phil Hansen forced an Eddie George fumble and Kurt Schulz recovered at the Buffalo 42. Three plays later on 3rd-and-10, Johnson connected with Peerless Price on a 27-yard completion to the Titans 31 with 1:53 to play but field judge Al Jury ruled that Price bobbled the ball though TV replays indicated otherwise. Following the Buffalo punt, Tennessee faced a 3rd-and-10 when a McNair run was stopped a yard short of the first down. The Titans were lined up to punt it back to the Bills with :38 left when the replay booth intervened. After a delay of 5:20, Luckett changed the spot of the ball to give the Titans a first down. They then advanced to the Buffalo 27 before Al Del Greco missed a 45-yard FG as the half expired. However, officials called a rare defensive holding penalty on the Bills and the ensuing 40-yarder on the half's final play gave Tennessee a 12-0 lead at intermission.
Longtime Buffalo Bills special teams coach Bruce DeHaven, a fixture on the Buffalo sidelines since 1986, was made a scapegoat and was fired after the game. 1999 Draft-
1999 Stats- 1999 Results Giants 19, Bills 17
The Bills came out of the gate quickly as Doug Flutie and Eric Moulds connected on a 36-yard pass play on the team's first offensive snap. That pass set up a 50-yard Steve Christie field goal. The Giants tied the score when Corey Blanchard capped an 8-play drive with a 42-yard FG. Early in the 2nd, Blanchard's 21-yard FG gave New York a 6-3 lead. That Giants drive started at the Buffalo 28 following a Flutie sack and lost fumble but the Bills defense forced the visitors to settle for just a FG after they reached the 4. Buffalo reclaimed the lead just after the 2:00 warning on a 23-yard catch and run by Thurman Thomas The future Hall-of-Famer returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a liver and kidney injury on the first offensive play in the season opener at Indy. Following the Thomas TD, however, NY responded by moving 67 yards in 1:48 and scoring on a 14-yard Kerry Collins-to-Amani Toomer pass with :08 remaining in the half.
Bills 31, Cardinals 21
The Bills upped their record to 9-5 with a 10-point Sunday night win in their first-ever visit to Arizona. While the Buffalo victory improved its own playoff chances, it eliminated the Patriots, Jets and Chargers from contention.
After sending the Cards 3-and-out on the opening drive of the 2nd half, Buffalo chewed up most of the 3rd quarter with a 15-play drive that took 9:17 off the clock and ended when Steve Christie nailed a 33-yard FG. The Bills opened that possession with 12 straight running plays that moved the team from its own 25 to the Cards 11. Buffalo's next drive ended on a Flutie interception but not before again taking more than 5 minutes off the clock. Clinging to a 3-point lead in the 4th quarter, the Bills embarked upon a 13-play, 78-yard drive that culminated in a 4-yard Riemersma TD reception with 3:01 to play.Down by 10, the Cards came right back and made things interesting when Jake Plummer connected on a 26-yard TD pass to Rob Moore with 1:55 left. Bills SS Henry Jones put the game out of reach, however, when he controlled the ensuing onside kick and returned it 37 yards for a TD.
Bills 13, Patriots 10 (OT)
After a scoreless 3rd quarter, the teams entered the 4th still knotted at 3 when the game took a bizarre turn. Following a Jonathan Linton run, lineman Chad Eaton got up from the pile with the ball and raced 30 yards to the Buffalo 14. After an officials conference and replay review, the ruling was a fumble recovery and that Eaton somehow emerged from the pileup untouched by any Bill. One play later, Terry Allen rushed 14 yards for a TD that put the Patriots up 10-3 with 12:15 to play. The Bills went on to tie it later in the quarter when Linton scored on a 1-yard run to cap an 8-play, 59-yard drive – 56 of those yards came via four Flutie passes. New England had a chance to win it at the end of regulation when they moved to the Buffalo 15 with :06 left but Vinatieri's 33-yard FG try was wide right.
Crucial to the Bills victory was the play of QB Doug Flutie, who completed 15 of 18 passes for 151 yards in the 4th quarter and OT combined. That included a game-ending streak of 12 straight completions for 124 yards. While Flutie finished hot, the Buffalo defense spent the better part of the afternoon harassing his QB counterpart, Drew Bledsoe. The Bills sacked him six times – including two each for Bruce Smith and Sam Rogers - and limited the Pats to just 67 net passing yards.
Bills 31, Colts 6
Indy opened the scoring with a 27-yard Mike Vanderjagt drive on its opening drive but Antowain Smith's 21-yard run on the next series put Buffalo up 7-3. The lead grew to 11 on 23-yard Johnson to Peerless Price TD that was originally ruled out of bounds but reversed by replay. After another Vanderjagt FG, Jonathan Linton capped an 82-yard drive with a 3-yard TD run just before halftime. Buffalo shut Indy out in the 2nd half and added to the lead with a 1-yard pass from Johnson to rookie TE Bobby Collins and a 19-yard Steve Christie FG – both in the 4th quarter.
AFC Wild Card Playoff
Titans 22, Bills 16
Coach Wade Phillips stunned fans and media alike announcing Rob Johnson as the starter for the Wild Card game following the impressive win over the Colts. Flutie had started 25 of the last 27 games for the Bills, compiling a with Rob Johnson starting both meaningless season ending games the past 2 seasons. While Johnson played well in the defeat, the decision divided the fans, locker room, media, and even some club officials long after the game was played. Flutie had compiled a 17-8 record as a starter.
Buffalo opened the 2nd half with a 44-yard Antowain Smith run on the first play from scrimmage and three plays later, Smith scored on a 4-yard run to pull the Bills to within 12-7. That score remained until early in the 4th when Smith capped a 9-play, 65-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run and the Bills led 13-12 after an unsuccessful 2-point try. Tennessee then re-claimed the lead with 1:48 to play on Del Greco's 26-yard FG. Down 15-13, the Bills took over at their own 39 with 1:41 to play, no timeouts., and playing with a patch-work offensive line due to injuries. Johnson then led the team on a game-winning march to the Tennessee 23, thanks to a 14-yard pass to Price, a 12-yard run by Jonathan Linton and a 9-yard pass to Price. On the play before the final completion to Price, Johnson lost his shoe and was unable to replace it because the clock was ticking down but still executed the crucial play shoeless. Steve Christie's 41-yard FG with :16 left appeared to give Buffalo the upset victory but on the ensuing kickoff, Frank Wycheck fired a suspicious looking cross-field lateral to Kevin Dyson that he returned 75 yards for the game-winning TD. The legality of the TD was confirmed following a video replay review by referee Phil Luckett. The improbable and bizarre ending ensured the game's place as one of the most memorable in NFL history.
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