2000: Eddie George & Titans Beat Colts in Peyton Manning’s Postseason Debut

The two teams that met in the AFC Divisional playoff game on January 16, 2000 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis had both gone 13-3 during the 1999 regular season and were on the upswing.

The host Colts, champions of the AFC East under Head Coach Jim Mora, had been in the AFC Championship game as recently as the 1995 season, but had gone 3-13 in both 1997 and ’98. Spurring the turnaround was second-year QB Peyton Manning, the first overall draft pick in 1998 who was rapidly developing into a star; rookie RB Edgerrin James, who ran for 1553 yards and caught 62 passes; and fourth-year WR Marvin Harrison, NFL leader in receiving yards with 1663 on his 115 catches. Tight ends Ken Dilger and Marcus Pollard combined for 74 receptions. However, the defense was vulnerable against the run and the secondary intercepted only nine passes.

The visiting Tennessee Titans, under the guidance of Head Coach Jeff Fisher, had not been in the postseason since they were still the Houston Oilers back in 1993. The Titans placed second in the AFC Central and won an exciting, last-minute Wild Card playoff contest over the Buffalo Bills that came to be referred to as the “Music City Miracle”. The offense, directed by QB Steve McNair, was conservative and featured RB Eddie George (1304 yards). TE Frank Wycheck was the leading receiver (69 catches) while WR Kevin Dyson provided the downfield speed. The defense was key to the team’s success and featured rookie DE Jevon Kearse, aka “The Freak”, with his 14.5 sacks and included DT Josh Evans, CB Samari Rolle, and SS Blaine Bishop.

There were 57,097 in attendance for the first Colts home playoff game since the franchise had relocated to Indianapolis. Neither offense was able to score a touchdown in the first half, although they had opportunities. In the first quarter, the Colts had a first down at the Tennessee 25 yard line, but Manning threw two incompletions and the drive stalled. They had to settle for a 40-yard field goal by Mike Vanderjagt and led by 3-0 after one period of play.

Tennessee’s Al Del Greco kicked a 49-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter to tie the score. Indianapolis once again drove into Titans territory, reaching the 22, but lost yardage due to penalties and again had to go with a Vanderjagt field goal, again from 40 yards.

Tennessee again tied the score on a 37-yard Del Greco field goal. With time running out in the first half, the Colts put together their longest drive of the game, going 66 yards in 12 plays. It also included their longest play, a 33-yard pass completion to WR E.G. Green, but he broke his leg on the play and the game was stopped for about five minutes, which hindered the club’s momentum. After reaching the Tennessee 16 with eight seconds remaining in the half, Indianapolis once more turned to Vanderjagt, who kicked a 34-yard field goal. The Colts took a 9-6 lead into halftime.

On the third play of the second half, Eddie George (pictured at top), who had gained just 38 yards on 9 carries in the first half, ran 68 yards for a touchdown. It not only gave the Titans the lead at 13-9, but changed the momentum of the game as the Tennessee defense, which had played well, stepped up even further. The Titans held the Colts to just 51 yards passing and six rushing in the third quarter.


Five minutes into the fourth quarter, it appeared the Colts had made a big, game-changing play when WR Terrence Wilkins returned a punt an apparent 87 yards to the Tennessee three. However, while the officials on the field didn’t see it, he had stepped out of bounds in front of the Tennessee bench. Coach Fisher had difficulty notifying the officials that he wanted to challenge the ruling on the field (he didn’t have the red flag issued by the league with him) and had to use a timeout, but it proved to be worth it. Upon review, the replay confirmed that Wilkins did go out of bounds (pictured at left) and the ball was brought back 63 yards to the Indianapolis 33.

The deflated Colts went three-and-out and punted, much to the displeasure of the fans who had been cheering wildly one moment and were booing the next. WR Derrick Mason returned the kick 19 yards for the Titans to the Indianapolis 42 and the resulting drive culminated in a 25-yard Del Greco field goal. Instead of the Colts potentially retaking the lead, Tennessee extended its margin to 16-9.

On the next Indianapolis possession, Kearse deflected a third-down pass by Manning, forcing another punt. A fourth field goal by Del Greco put Tennessee up by 19-9, which meant Indianapolis would now need to score twice in the 4:19 remaining to retake the lead.

The Colts had to give up the ball on downs on their next possession, but got a break when George fumbled and DE Mark Thomas recovered. Indianapolis finally scored a touchdown on a 15-yard bootleg by Manning with 1:51 left, but with no timeouts left. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by WR Yancey Thigpen of the Titans, thus sewing up the 19-16 Tennessee win and sending the club to its first AFC Championship game in 20 years.

Total yardage was practically even, with Tennessee gaining just four yards more than the Colts (309 to 305) while Indianapolis led in first downs (19 to 13). The fumble by Eddie George was the only turnover of the game, although there were 16 penalties (9 by Tennessee, 7 flagged against Indianapolis).


Peyton Manning (pictured at right) wasn’t sacked but threw under pressure all game, and it showed in the statistics as he completed fewer than half of his passes – he was successful on 19 of 42 throws for 227 yards and no TDs as well as no interceptions. Marvin Harrison was limited to 5 catches for 65 yards while WR Jerome Pathon also had 5 receptions, for 44 yards. Edgerrin James ran for 56 yards on 20 carries, averaging just 2.8 yards per attempt.

For Tennessee, Eddie George was the star on offense as he gained 162 yards on 26 carries, including the long scoring run. Steve McNair completed 13 of 24 passes for 112 yards and ran for 35 yards on 7 attempts. No receiver for the Titans caught more than three passes (George was one of them), and the leader in yards was WR Chris Sanders with 38 on his two receptions. Jevon Kearse deflected two passes, but had no sacks. Craig Hentrich averaged 52 yards per punt, resulting in half of the Indianapolis drives starting from inside the 20 yard line.

Afterward, Eddie George recounted a conversation he had prior to the game with Coach Fisher. “He asked me to relive draft day back in 1996,” George said. “He told me to remember that he drafted me because he felt I could lead this team to where we are now. He challenged me to live up to expectations.” The former Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State responded accordingly.

“We just came up short against a very good team,” Jim Mora said. “We had trouble making a play, particularly making big plays. It was a struggle all day, both sides of the ball.” The Colts had been a big-play team all year, but failed to make big plays against the Titans.

As to the big play that wasn’t, the punt return brought back upon review, Ken Dilger said, “I wouldn't say it took the heart out of us but I do think it deflated us a little.”

The Titans, after winning two close games in the playoffs, handily defeated Jacksonville for the AFC Championship. They lost to the Rams in a closely-fought Super Bowl. Tennessee went on to reach the postseason in three of the next four seasons, making it as far as the conference title game once more.

The Colts went to the playoffs again in 2000 under Mora, who ended up winless in six playoff games as a NFL head coach (he was far more successful in the USFL, where his Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars teams made it to the title game all three years and won the last two). With Manning at quarterback, Indianapolis would become a regular participant in the postseason from 2002 on.

1993: Bills Overcome 32-Point Deficit, Beat Oilers in Overtime

The Buffalo Bills, under Head Coach Marv Levy, had been AFC Champions in 1990 and ’91 and went 11-5 in 1992 to finish second in the AFC East (to Miami, due to the conference record tiebreaker). They had lost the Super Bowls following those previous conference titles, and their road to another shot required them to host the Houston Oilers on January 3, 1993 in the Wild Card playoff round.

The team’s veteran core was still intact. RB Thurman Thomas ran for 1487 yards and caught 56 passes for 626 more to lead the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2113) for the fourth straight year. WR Andre Reed caught 65 passes for 913 yards and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fifth consecutive season. OT Will Wolford and G Jim Ritcher anchored a solid offensive line. Defensively, DE Bruce Smith, LB Cornelius Bennett, CB Nate Odomes, and SS Henry Jones all had Pro Bowl years. However, QB Jim Kelly had slumped toward the end of the season, and a knee injury in the last game forced him to miss the playoff contest against Houston – backup QB Frank Reich (pictured above) would be starting.

The Houston Oilers, who finished second in the AFC Central with a 10-6 record, were also not recent strangers to the postseason – they had qualified for the playoffs for the sixth straight year. However, they had not made it beyond the divisional round in any of those seasons, leading the club to gain a reputation for choking in big games. Coached since 1990 by the low-key Jack Pardee, they utilized a run-and-shoot offense that was run effectively by 36-year-old QB Warren Moon (pictured below left) and included three wide receivers that were chosen for the Pro Bowl in Haywood Jeffires, Curtis Duncan, and Ernest Givins. RB Lorenzo White ran for 1226 yards and caught 57 passes. But while they could run up points, the defense was prone to blowing leads – a factor that would come into play in classic fashion in the playoff game at Buffalo.


There were 75,141 fans present at Rich Stadium, and for the first half of the contest they had little to cheer about. The Oilers took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards in 14 plays, culminating in a three-yard touchdown pass from Moon to Jeffires. Buffalo responded with a 10-play drive that led to a 36-yard field goal by Steve Christie and the score was 7-3 after one quarter.

Houston took control in the second quarter. They finished off another long, 12-play drive, again covering 80 yards, with Givins hauling in four passes along the way for 41 yards. It was WR Webster Slaughter finishing off the possession, however, as Moon threw to him for a seven-yard TD. Buffalo went three-and-out, and the Oilers again drove to a touchdown. This time it took only five plays to go 67 yards and Moon threw a 26-yard scoring pass to Duncan. It was 21-3 with just over four minutes remaining in the half.

Buffalo was able to put together a drive in its next possession, but after getting to the Houston 32, Reich threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-four and the Oilers took over on downs. Moon capped an eight-play drive with his fourth touchdown pass of the day, covering 27 yards to Jeffires, and Houston took a big 28-3 margin into halftime.

The Bills received the second half kickoff, and four plays later Reich, throwing out of the shotgun formation, was intercepted by safety Bubba McDowell, who returned it 58 yards for another Houston touchdown. The score was now 35-3, and it seemed as though the Oilers had the game well in hand.

Buffalo put together a scoring drive, converting a third-and-15 situation (Reich pass to Reed for 16 yards) and fourth-and-two (RB Kenneth Davis running for five yards) along the way. Davis ran for a one-yard touchdown and the score was now 35-10.

The Bills executed a successful onside kick, and four plays later Reich threw to WR Don Beebe for a 38-yard touchdown that made it 35-17. Houston went three-and-out on its next possession, and following a short punt the Bills moved swiftly down the field on yet another scoring drive. Reich completed passes of 18 yards to WR James Lofton, 39 yards to Beebe, and 19 to Davis before hitting Reed for a 26-yard touchdown. Houston’s margin was now down to 35-24, and Buffalo wasn’t done yet in the third quarter.

The Oilers got the ball back, and Moon was intercepted by Henry Jones, who returned it 15 yards to the Houston 23. Reich threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Reed on a fourth-and-five play, and with yet another successful Christie PAT, it was now a four-point game at 35-31.

The reeling Oilers were unable to get anything going on their next possession, as Moon completed one of three passes and was sacked once (he fumbled, but Houston recovered). The decision by the Bills to abandon the six-defensive back prevent defense of the first half and return to their standard alignment was proving effective.

Having scored 28 points in the third quarter, Buffalo’s offense finally stalled to begin the fourth period and the Bills went three-and-out. Houston’s offense began to move, with Moon hitting on six passes, including one to Givins for 27 yards. An apparent interception was wiped out by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Bruce Smith, but after getting to the Buffalo 14, a field goal attempt was botched when Montgomery, the holder for placekicks as well as punter, fumbled the snap.

The Bills drove down field, going 74 yards on a possession that featured a 35-yard run by Davis. Reich again threw to Reed for a 17-yard touchdown, and Buffalo was ahead by 38-35, having scored 35 unanswered points since the interception return by McDowell early in the third quarter.

With three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Moon once more led the Oilers on a methodical drive that covered 63 yards in 12 plays. Al Del Greco kicked a 26-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score at 38-38 and send the game into overtime.

Houston won the toss for the overtime period, but on the third play Moon was intercepted by Odomes, who returned it to the Houston 35 (a facemask penalty on Jeffires moved the ball another 15 yards closer). Following two short runs by Davis, Christie kicked a 32-yard field goal at just over three minutes into OT and Buffalo, having made the biggest comeback in NFL history, came away with a 41-38 win.

Houston outgained the Bills (429 yards to 366) and had more first downs (27 to 19), but the inability to stop Buffalo’s attack in the second half and the interception in overtime sealed the Oilers’ fate.

Frank Reich completed 21 of 34 passes for 289 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Andre Reed (pictured below) caught 8 passes for 136 yards and scored three of the TDs. Kenneth Davis led the Bills in rushing with 68 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown (Thurman Thomas, who left the game in the third quarter due to a hip injury, had 26 yards on 11 attempts).


Warren Moon went to the air 50 times with 36 completions for 371 yards and four touchdowns against two big interceptions. Ernest Givins caught 9 passes for 117 yards while Haywood Jeffires, Webster Slaughter, and Curtis Duncan all grabbed 8 apiece (for 98, 73, and 57 yards, respectively). Lorenzo White ran for 75 yards on 19 carries.

For Reich, the big comeback was not a first – playing at the college level in 1984, he had led Maryland to a 42-40 win over Miami after trailing 31-0 at halftime. Asked afterward if he thought back to that earlier comeback, he replied, “Many times. As a football player, you gear your mind to not thinking in terms of how far behind you are. We're so geared to the game not being over until the final whistle blows.”

“I've never seen momentum change like that in my life,” said a disappointed Warren Moon afterward. “We had control of this ball game like no other team has had control of the ball game.”

The Bills won their next two games, over Pittsburgh in the Divisional playoff and Miami for the AFC Championship; however, their futility in the Super Bowl continued as they lost by a 52-17 margin to the Dallas Cowboys.

1979: Injury-Wracked Oilers Upset Chargers in Divisional Playoff Game

Coming into the AFC Divisional playoff game at San Diego Stadium on December 29, 1979, the odds were not favorable for the visiting Houston Oilers. The team, coached by O.A. “Bum” Phillips, had finished second in the AFC Central with an 11-5 record, good enough to secure a wild card spot. They also won the Wild Card playoff against Denver the previous week, but it was at high cost. QB Dan Pastorini and WR Ken Burrough had gone down with groin and tailbone injuries, respectively, that would keep them out of the game at San Diego (Burrough would come in during the second half, but was used solely as a decoy). Even more significant was the loss of the consensus league MVP, RB Earl Campbell, who had run for 1697 yards and scored 19 touchdowns during the season and would also be unavailable due to a groin injury.

The San Diego Chargers had prospered in their first full season under offensive-minded Head Coach Don Coryell, going 12-4 to win the AFC West. The explosive passing attack was led by QB Dan Fouts, who set a new league record with 4082 yards through the air and included outstanding receivers in WRs John Jefferson and Charlie Joiner as well as TE Bob Klein (rookie TE Kellen Winslow played well until lost seven games into the season with a broken leg). The defense was solid, too, and it seemed certain that they would defeat the crippled Oilers.

All seemed to be going to plan when San Diego scored on its first possession of the game, driving 81 yards in 11 plays. Highlights were a 34-yard pass from Fouts to TE Greg McCrary to the San Diego 43 and, three plays later, a completion to Jefferson for 17 yards to the Houston 26. RB Clarence Williams capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.

However, another San Diego drive into Houston territory during the first quarter ended when Oilers SS Vernon Perry intercepted a Fouts pass at his own 18 to shut down the potential scoring threat.

Midway through the second quarter, Perry made a big play on special teams when he blocked a 26-yard field goal attempt by San Diego’s Mike Woods, then picked up the ball and ran 57 yards before being forced out of bounds at the San Diego 28. Five plays later, Toni Fritsch kicked a 26-yard field goal to make the score 7-3.

Before the half ended, Perry struck again, intercepting a second pass; he lateraled to FS Mike Reinfeldt (pictured at top), who picked up seven yards to the San Diego 38 yard line. On the fourth play of the Houston possession, QB Gifford Nielsen ran 18 yards to the San Diego four, and after two more running plays got the ball down to the one. Nielsen threw an incomplete pass to stop the clock and, at that point, Fritsch kicked a field goal. However, the Chargers were penalized for having 12 players on the field and, with the ball moved half the distance, Coach Phillips gambled. He took the points off the board and the Oilers went for it with fourth down and less than a yard to go with 19 seconds left on the clock. It paid off when RB Boobie Clark took a pitchout and found running room to his left to score a touchdown that put Houston ahead, 10-7, at halftime.

The Chargers regained the lead on their first possession of the third quarter. Starting at the San Diego 35, Fouts completed passes of 20 yards to Joiner and 16 to Klein, and with the help of a roughing the passer penalty, the ball was at the Houston 14. Williams ran for six yards and then RB Lydell Mitchell finished off the drive with an 8-yard TD run.

Later in the period, CB J.C. Wilson intercepted a Fouts pass at the San Diego 45. RB Rob Carpenter, who was filling in for Campell although playing hurt himself, was thrown for a one-yard loss and Nielsen threw an incomplete pass. Facing a third-and-13 situation, Nielsen connected with WR Mike Renfro over the middle, who proceeded to break a tackle and run for a 47-yard touchdown. There was 2:05 left in the third quarter, but that would prove to be the end of the scoring.

San Diego had two more shots in the fourth quarter, and both ended in Perry interceptions. With 3:18 left in the game, Perry picked off his third pass at the Houston 35 and his last interception came on a desperation pass by Fouts intended for Jefferson with two seconds remaining in the game. The Oilers came away with a stunning 17-14 win.

The Chargers won the statistical battle, outgaining Houston (380 yards to 259) and accumulating more first downs (25 to 15). However, they also turned the ball over five times (all by interceptions) to just one suffered by the Oilers.

Vernon Perry was the star, intercepting four passes, a NFL playoff-record. He also had the blocked field goal and return that was one of the contest’s most significant plays. Perry had gone undrafted out of Jackson State and played two years with the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes before joining the Oilers in ’79. He had intercepted just three passes during the regular season.

“We knew when we signed him as a free agent out of Canada that the kid was a player,” Coach Bum Phillips said of Perry. “If the Canadian League never does anything else for the NFL, they did something for us.”

“We played the pass all the time,” said Perry. “I was surprised he (Fouts) kept coming at me, but I'm glad that he did because I got four of them (interceptions).”


Offensively for the Oilers, second-year QB Gifford Nielsen (pictured at left) performed ably in place of Pastorini, completing 10 of 19 passes for 111 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Campbell-less Oilers still gained 148 yards on the ground, with Rob Carpenter leading the way with 67 yards on 18 carries. Carpenter also caught four passes for 23 yards, while Mike Renfro, with his one long 47-yard TD catch, was the team’s receiving yardage leader.

As for San Diego, Dan Fouts threw for 333 yards as he completed 25 of 47 passes, but he had no touchdown passes and gave up the five interceptions. Bob Klein caught 5 passes for 41 yards while Charlie Joiner had 81 yards on four receptions and John Jefferson was right behind with 70 yards on four catches as well. The Chargers gained only 63 yards on 19 rushing attempts, with Lydell Mitchell gaining 33 yards on 8 carries with a TD and Clarence Williams accumulating 30 yards on 11 rushes, also with a score.

“I've been around football 31 years, and I've never seen a team with more character,” summed up Bum Phillips regarding the Oilers.

“We just made too many mistakes, that's all,” Dan Fouts said from the San Diego perspective. “We didn't play very well and they did.”

The Oilers lost the following week in the AFC Championship game to the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers, despite a 75-yard Vernon Perry interception return for a touchdown. San Diego went to the postseason in each of the next three seasons, making it as far as the conference championship game in the next two, but never made it to the Super Bowl during the Coryell era.

1961: George Blanda Throws 7 TD Passes Against NY Titans

The Houston Oilers, defending champions of the American Football League, had gotten off to a rough start in 1961. They were 1-3-1 after five games, and George Blanda (pictured above), the 33-year-old quarterback who had revived his pro football career in ’60 while leading the club to the title, was benched for two games.

However, owner Bud Adams fired Head Coach Lou Rymkus at that point and replaced him with Wally Lemm. There was an immediate turnaround, and by the time the Oilers hosted the New York Titans at Jeppesen Stadium on November 19, they had reeled off four straight wins. Blanda was back at the helm. In the preceding four contests, he had passed for 1076 yards (including 464 in a game at Buffalo alone) with 11 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.

The Titans, coached by legendary QB Sammy Baugh, were 5-4 coming into the game. While the offense was capable of providing some excitement, in particular due to the presence of split end Art Powell and flanker Don Maynard, the defense was porous, especially the defensive backfield. Having started off 3-1, New York was in danger of falling out of contention in the Eastern Division.

There were 33,428 fans in attendance at the small venue as Houston took command quickly and decisively. Blanda tossed his first touchdown pass, of 28 yards to flanker Charley Hennigan, at the conclusion of an 80-yard drive early in the first quarter. With 4:40 remaining in the opening period, Blanda tossed a six-yard TD pass to HB Billy Cannon to conclude a six-play possession that covered 31 yards. Before the first quarter was over, the Oilers scored again as Blanda threw another pass to Cannon that covered 78 yards for a third touchdown.

The Titans offense didn’t threaten until midway through the second quarter. Flanker Don Maynard put New York on the board, making an outstanding catch on a four-yard pass from QB Al Dorow, but DE Don Floyd blocked the extra point attempt.


Blanda poured it on as he connected with split end Bill Groman for a 66-yard TD and with Cannon once more for a six-yard score. The tally at the end of the first half was 35-6 and the veteran quarterback had set a new AFL record with five touchdown passes.

Three minutes into the third quarter, Blanda threw for his sixth touchdown, connecting with Groman on a 46-yard play. He tossed his seventh, tying the NFL record held at that point by Sid Luckman of the Bears and Philadelphia’s Adrian Burk, in the fourth quarter on a play that covered 11 yards to Groman.

Dorow, who was constantly harassed by the aggressive Houston defense, tossed a second TD pass, of 11 yards to TE Thurlow Cooper, to salvage a slight bit of pride for the Titans. Houston won by a final score of 49-13.

The Oilers rolled up 555 yards, to 347 for New York, and the Titans further hurt their cause by turning the ball over four times, as opposed to just once by Houston. There was plenty of aggressive play on both sides, and several fights broke out, including one that cleared both benches. Altogether, 18 penalties were called, resulting in 193 yards (11 for 128 yards on Houston, 7 for 65 yards on the Titans). Three players were ejected.

In throwing for seven touchdowns, George Blanda completed 20 of 32 passes for 418 yards and was picked off once. Three Houston receivers gained over 100 yards – Bill Groman led the group with 5 catches for 152 yards and three TDs, followed by Charley Hennigan, who caught 8 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, and Billy Cannon added 122 yards on 7 receptions with three scores. Cannon added another 41 yards on 14 rushes, behind FB Charley Tolar, who gained 58 yards on 11 carries, and FB Dave Smith with 49 yards on six attempts.

For the visitors, Al Dorow went to the air 47 times and had 21 completions for 278 yards with two TDs and three interceptions. HB Dick Christy led the club with 7 catches for 103 yards out of the backfield. FB Bill Mathis ran for 68 yards on 14 carries.

It was another big performance by the defending champions as they surged back into the Eastern Division race. Ultimately, the Oilers went undefeated the rest of the way, winning the division with a 10-3-1 record and again beating the Chargers for the AFL title. The Titans ended up in third place at 7-7.

The offense in particular achieved many superlatives. George Blanda threw 36 touchdown passes, exceeding the existing NFL record of 32, and also led the AFL in passing yards (3330), yards per attempt (9.2, almost two yards per pass better than the runners-up), yards per completion (17.8), and percentage of TD passes (9.9). Considering he had actually missed two full games due to being benched, it was an amazing overall performance. Blanda was selected as AFL Player of the Year by the Associated Press and UPI.


Bill Groman, with his three touchdown catches against New York, caught a TD pass in his 8th consecutive game. While he was shut out the next week, he ended up with 17 touchdown receptions to not only lead the league but tie the existing NFL record. Groman caught 50 passes for 1175 yards.

Charley Hennigan set a single-season record with 1746 receiving yards that not only was never beaten in the AFL, but wasn’t exceeded in the NFL until 1995. He ranked second in both receptions (82) and receiving touchdowns (12).

Billy Cannon led the AFL in rushing with 948 yards on 200 carries and was also the league’s all-purpose yardage leader with 2043. The 1959 Heisman Trophy-winner out of LSU scored a total of 15 touchdowns (6 rushing, 9 receiving). As his performance against the Titans demonstrated, Cannon was a potent pass receiving threat out of the backfield and caught 43 passes for 586 yards.

2007: Rob Bironas Kicks 8 FGs as Titans Nip Texans

In his first two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, placekicker Rob Bironas had demonstrated that he had a strong leg and the ability to make kicks in the clutch. While there had been occasional accuracy issues, his 78.9 % success rate on field goals was solid. In his third year, 2007, his memorable performance on October 21 served notice that he had reached the level of the league’s premier kickers.

The Titans were 3-2 as they traveled to Houston to take on the Texans at Reliant Stadium. Tennessee, under 14th-year Head Coach Jeff Fisher, was coming off of an 8-8 season and seeking improvement under second-year QB Vince Young. However, Young had suffered a quadriceps injury the week before in a loss to Tampa Bay and 34-year-old veteran Kerry Collins was starting in his place. Houston was under second-year Head Coach Gary Kubiak and had a new quarterback in Matt Schaub, obtained from Atlanta during the offseason.

The Titans started off the scoring on their first possession as Bironas boomed a 52-yard field goal. The clubs traded fumbles and then Houston went three-and-out and punted. But on Tennessee’s first play, Collins fumbled when sacked by LB DeMeco Ryans, who picked up the loose ball and ran 26 yards for a touchdown that gave the Texans a 7-3 lead.

On Houston’s next possession, Schaub suffered an ankle injury and left the game. His replacement, Sage Rosenfels, threw an interception on his first play to give the Titans good field position at the Texans’ 38 yard line. The resulting drive stalled at the seven and Bironas kicked his second field goal, of 25 yards, to narrow Houston’s lead to 7-6, which was the score at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was all Tennessee as Bironas kicked field goals of 21, 30, and 28 yards and RB LenDale White scored on a one-yard touchdown run. Meanwhile, Schaub had returned to the lineup, but the Texans were forced to punt three times and lost a fumble. A hip injury near the end of the quarter knocked Schaub out of the game for good, and Bironas’ fifth field goal as time expired staked the Titans to a 22-7 lead at the half.

Rosenfels started the third quarter by throwing an interception, and that set up a sixth Bironas field goal of 43 yards seven plays later. After another three-and-out possession by Houston, Tennessee’s offense again marched downfield on a 12-play, 73-yard drive that ended with RB Chris Henry scoring on a four-yard run. With the score at 32-7, and the Texans’ offense having accumulated only 34 total yards, the game appeared to be a rout.

But as the third quarter wound down, Rosenfels began completing passes and early in the fourth period he completed a seven-yard touchdown throw to WR David Anderson. With a successful two-point conversion on a Rosenfels pass to WR Andre’ Davis, the Tennessee margin was narrowed, if ever so slightly, to 32-15.

Now it was the turn of the Titans to not move the ball. After a 28-yard run by White to start the next possession, Tennessee could go no further and punted. However, Craig Hentrich’s kick pinned the Texans down at their two yard line.

A 53-yard pass completion to Davis was nullified by a penalty, but completions by Rosenfels of 40, 23, and 8 yards to WR Kevin Walter, plus a 15-yard toss to RB Ahman Green, got the ball down the field and set up a six-yard Rosenfels-to-Walter touchdown pass. With the successful PAT, Houston was now only ten points behind at 32-22.

Tennessee went three-and-out on its next possession, but the Titans got a break when Anderson muffed Hentrich’s punt and it was recovered by Tennessee CB Reynaldo Hill at the Houston 33. Five plays later, the Titans were forced to punt again and the Texans took over at their 12 yard line.

With 4:30 left on the clock, Rosenfels immediately went to the air and was intercepted by LB Keith Bulluck. Four plays later, Bironas kicked his record-tying seventh field goal from 29 yards out.

The score was now 35-22 with under four minutes remaining. The Texans advanced from their 25 to the Tennessee 43, converting two third downs along the way, but at the two minute warning faced a fourth-and-five situation. Rosenfels completed a 12-yard pass to TE Owen Daniels to keep the drive alive and then followed up with a 24-yard completion to David Anderson down to the Tennessee seven. On the next play, Rosenfels connected with TE Jeb Putzier for the seven-yard touchdown, and with the extra point the score was 35-29.

Houston successfully executed an onside kick, recovered by LB Zac Diles at his own 34 yard line. Four plays later, Rosenfels completed a 53-yard pass play to Davis for a touchdown, and with Kris Brown’s successful point after, the Texans were ahead, 36-35, capping an amazing comeback.

There were still 56 seconds remaining, however, as the Tennessee offense returned to the field. Collins completed passes of 17 and 46 yards to WR Roydell Williams, and LenDale White’s six-yard run to the Houston 11 set up a last-play 29-yard field goal attempt for Bironas. The kick was successful, the Titans pulled out the 38-36 win, and Rob Bironas set a new single-game record with eight field goals in as many attempts.

Tennessee had 23 first downs to 18 for the Texans and also gained the most total yards with 422 to Houston’s 333. The chief disparity came in rushing yards, as the Titans piled up 155 on 39 carries to the Texans’ 39 on 12 attempts, but that reflected the need for Houston to resort heavily on the passing game in catching up in the second half.

Kerry Collins completed 25 of 42 passes for 280 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions - while he performed capably, the failure to reach the end zone after getting in scoring position set the stage for Bironas to set the field goal mark. LenDale White ran for 104 yards on 27 carries with a TD, while Chris Henry added 57 yards on 11 attempts and a touchdown as well. Roydell Williams gained 124 yards on 5 pass receptions and TE Bo Scaife caught 6 passes for 49 yards. CB Nick Harper intercepted two passes as part of an outstanding day on defense.


In relief of Matt Schaub, Sage Rosenfels (pictured above) went to the air 35 times and completed 22 of those passes for 290 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions (all four TD passes came in the fourth quarter, which tied an NFL record). Kevin Walter caught 6 passes for 97 yards and a TD to lead the club while Andre’ Davis added four receptions for 88 yards and a score. Ahman Green gained all 39 of Houston’s rushing yards on 11 carries and contributed 5 pass receptions for 32 more.

Tennessee went on to finish the regular season with a 10-6 record to place third in the highly-competitive AFC South and claim the second wild card spot. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to San Diego. Houston was in fourth with an 8-8 tally – it was the franchise’s first non-losing year.

In kicking eight field goals, Rob Bironas doubled his field goal total for the season to date. He also set a record for points scored by kicking only, with 26. The previous record of seven field goals in a game had first been set by Jim Bakken of the Cardinals in 1967 and was tied by Minnesota’s Rich Karlis in 1989, Chris Boniol of the Cowboys in 1996, and Billy Cundiff, also of Dallas, in 2003. Cincinnati’s Shayne Graham kicked seven in a game a few weeks after Boniol set the new mark.

Bironas ended up kicking a league-leading 35 field goals in 39 attempts for an 89.7 % success rate (fifth in the NFL). His 133 points ranked fourth. He was a consensus first-team All-Pro selection and was chosen for the Pro Bowl.

1991: Oilers Defeat Dolphins in Turnover-Filled Game

The game on October 20, 1991 at Joe Robbie Stadium featured the host Miami Dolphins, 3-4 under 22nd-year Head Coach Don Shula, against the Houston Oilers of Head Coach Jack Pardee, sporting a 5-1 record. Both teams were known for their flashy passing offenses, led by quarterbacks Dan Marino and Warren Moon, respectively. However, while the Oilers were playing like contenders with their “run-and-shoot” attack, Miami was having far too many problems on defense and with the running game.

Moon tossed an interception to end Houston’s first possession and the teams traded punts before the Dolphins put together a scoring drive of 57 yards on nine plays highlighted by a 39-yard pass play from Marino to WR Mark Clayton. Pete Stoyanovich kicked a 34-yard field goal and Miami was ahead 3-0 after one quarter.

After the quiet first quarter, the second quarter turned wild with a total of seven turnovers. First, Moon was intercepted for a second time, by safety Bobby Harden who returned the pickoff 17 yards to the Houston 48. However, on Miami’s first play, Marino went long and was intercepted by safety Bubba McDowell (pictured above), who ran it back 23 yards to the 47.

The Oilers went three-and-out, and Greg Montgomery’s punt went into the end zone for a touchback. Marino and the Dolphins began to move down the field, but a 13-yard completion to TE Greg Baty was fumbled and recovered by Houston’s safety Bo Orlando at the Miami 49.

Three plays later, it was Moon intercepted a third time, with safety Louis Oliver, who had accounted for the first quarter pickoff, grabbing it at his eight yard line and returning it to the 12. But now it was Marino’s turn to give up another interception, also on the third play of the possession, but far costlier because CB Darryl Lewis returned it 33 yards for a touchdown.

The Dolphins went three-and-out after receiving the ensuing kickoff, but on Houston’s first play RB Lorenzo White took a pass from Moon two yards behind the line of scrimmage and fumbled when hit by LB E.J. Junior. Harden recovered for Miami at the Houston 27 yard line. The Dolphins gave the ball up once more when McDowell intercepted Marino a second time at the Houston three.

The Oilers didn’t get far and punted with under two minutes remaining in the half. The Dolphins got a break when Montgomery’s first kick, of 62 yards, was nullified by a penalty and the second, shorter punt of 46 yards was returned by WR Scott Miller for 17 yards to give Miami good field position at the Houston 34. Four plays later Marino fired a 19-yard touchdown pass to Clayton running a slant pattern.

The Oilers got the ball back with 39 seconds remaining and, after two carries by RB Allen Pinkett and a pass from Moon to WR Ernest Givins got the ball to the Miami 39, Ian Howfield’s 56-yard field goal attempt was short. The eventful second quarter concluded with the Dolphins leading by 10-7.

Things calmed down in the third quarter. Howfield tied the game with a 26-yard field goal but Stoyanovich responded with a 46-yarder to keep Miami in front by a 13-10 margin after three periods.


In the fourth quarter, Houston finished off a 16-play march down the field that resulted in a one-yard touchdown pass from Moon to WR Curtis Duncan. Although there was 9:30 remaining, that proved to be the end of the scoring. A promising Miami drive to the Oilers’ one yard line ended with a fumble into the end zone by RB Sammie Smith that was recovered for a touchback by Houston CB Cris Dishman. The Dolphins never got another chance as Houston controlled the ball for the final three minutes of the game and came away with the 17-13 win.

Houston outgained the Dolphins, 282 yards to 275, and had 23 first downs to Miami’s 16. Of the total of nine turnovers, five were committed by the Dolphins and four by the Oilers, with most occurring in the comedy of errors that was the second quarter.

Warren Moon (pictured above left) had a mediocre day (for him), completing 21 of 35 passes for 171 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Ernest Givins caught 6 passes for 55 yards while WR Drew Hill gained 63 yards on 5 receptions. Lorenzo White accounted for 74 of Houston’s 120 yards on the ground, on 17 carries. Bubba McDowell had two of the defense’s three interceptions.


Dan Marino (pictured at right) also had a hard day, going to the air 40 times with 19 completions for 229 yards, also with a TD and three picked off. WR Mark Duper caught four passes for 79 yards (running backs Tony Paige and Sammie Smith also had four receptions apiece, for 45 and 23 yards, respectively). Sammie Smith gained 40 yards on 10 carries, but had the costly fumble (as would too-often be the case during his disappointing stint in Miami). Louis Oliver (pictured at bottom) picked off two passes.

The Oilers went on to win the AFC Central with an 11-5 record, and after a win over the Jets in the Wild Card round, lost a close contest to Denver in the Divisional playoff. Miami finished third in the AFC East with an 8-8 tally.

Warren Moon had far many better passing days operating out of the “run-and-shoot” as he ended up leading the NFL in passes (655), completions (404), yards (4690), and, more unfortunately, interceptions (21). His 23 touchdown passes ranked fifth.

Dan Marino was second to Moon in passes (549), completions (318), and yards (3970). However, he tossed more TD passes (25), fewer interceptions (13), and had a better overall passer rating (85.8 to 81.7). Both quarterbacks were named to the Pro Bowl and, of course, eventually ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1975: Goal-Line Stand Preserves Bengals Win Over Oilers & “White Shoes” Johnson

The matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Oilers on October 5, 1975 at the Astrodome promised to be a good one. Both AFC Central teams had won their first two games heading into the Week 3 contest. Cincinnati, under 67-year-old founding Head Coach Paul Brown, was coming off of a disappointing 7-7 season in ’74 after having won the AFC Central with a 10-4 mark in 1973. QB Ken Anderson (pictured at right), a precision passer who led the NFL in that category in ’74, was off to another fine start.

Meanwhile, the Oilers were on the rise under a new head coach, Bum Phillips. After back-to-back 1-13 records in 1972 and ’73, they had risen to 7-7 under the guidance of Sid Gillman, who chose to turn over the head coaching duties to Phillips, a veteran assistant coach who had most recently been Houston’s defensive coordinator; later he also inherited Gillman’s position as general manager.

The first quarter was scoreless. Cincinnati finally got on the board in the second quarter when Anderson tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to RB Lenvil Elliott. However, Houston WR Billy “White Shoes” Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 64 yards and RB Fred Willis (a former Bengal) capped the possession with a dive into the end zone from a yard out to tie the score.

Johnson struck again before the half when he returned a 53-yard punt by David Green for 30 yards to set up a 37-yard field goal by Skip Butler that gave Houston a 10-7 halftime lead.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati missed opportunities to score further in the first half as Anderson tossed an interception and FB Boobie Clark fumbled the ball away on the Houston 19 yard line.

There was just one score in the third quarter, but it was once again a big play by Houston’s Johnson as he returned a punt for a 63-yard touchdown. The Oilers were up 17-7 thanks to the heroics of the 5’9”, 170-pound wide receiver/kick returner from Widener who had set up both first half scores and directly produced the third.

However, Houston turnovers set up two fourth quarter touchdowns by the Bengals. First, CB Ken Riley recovered a fumble deep in his own territory and returned it 43 yards. Six plays later, RB Stan Fritts caught a pass from Anderson for a 17-yard touchdown that narrowed the Oilers’ margin to three points. Then, LB Al Beauchamp recovered a fumble at the Houston 41 on the Oilers’ next possession. Anderson tossed another TD pass, of six yards to WR Isaac Curtis, seven plays later. With less than nine minutes remaining to play, the Bengals were now ahead by 21-17.


The lead hardly appeared to be safe when the Oilers, thanks to a long pass interference penalty, found themselves with a first-and-goal situation at the Cincinnati one yard line. In the key defensive stand of the game, the Oilers attempted four straight runs into the center of the line and came up empty. Bengals MLB Jim LeClair (pictured at right) made two of the tackles on his own in the goal-line stand, and assisted on the other two. With 5:18 remaining in the game, Cincinnati took over on downs.

On the first play after the change of possession, Anderson was tackled in the end zone for a safety that narrowed the Bengals’ lead to two points. But later Riley intercepted a pass to thwart Houston’s last effort, and Cincinnati escaped with a 21-19 win.

Ken Anderson said afterward, “The only thing we didn’t want to do was panic. We were only down by 10 and you can come back from that.” The Bengals led in total yards (262 to 176) and first downs (18 to 13). They lost 107 yards on seven penalties and Anderson was sacked seven times for a loss of 34 more, but the Oilers suffered five critical turnovers.

Anderson completed 19 of 28 passes for 210 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Neither club ran the ball effectively, and of Cincinnati’s 86 yards on 37 carries (2.3-yard average), Boobie Clark contributed the most with 29 yards on 13 attempts; he also caught the most passes with 5, for another 29 yards. Stan Fritts added 28 yards on 8 carries and Lenvil Elliott 27 yards on 6 rushes. Elliott also had the most receiving yards, with 49 on three catches that included a TD.

The biggest contributor for the Oilers had been Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, who had 263 yards in kick returns for the day (136 on four kickoffs and 127 on six punts); he added another 19 yards on two pass receptions. QB Dan Pastorini was successful on 11 of 23 passes for 93 yards with two of them intercepted. Rookie FB Don “Jaws” Hardeman ran for a team-leading 33 of Houston’s 83 rushing yards, on 16 carries. WR Ken Burrough led the receivers with four catches for 47 yards.

In the highly competitive AFC Central, Cincinnati went on to win its first six games and finished with an 11-3 record, second to the 12-2 Steelers and good enough for a wild card spot in the playoffs. In Paul Brown’s last game as a head coach, they lost a close Divisional playoff contest to Oakland. Houston recovered to win its next four games and came in third with a very respectable 10-4 tally, the club’s best since 1962.

Ken Anderson again led the NFL in passing with a 93.9 rating and also topped the league with 3169 yards and 8.4 yards-per-pass attempt. His 60.5 completion percentage ranked second, as did his low 2.9 percentage of interceptions.

As this game exemplified, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson (pictured below) in his second year had established himself as one of the most exciting players in the league. He ranked fourth in the league with his 1820 all-purpose yards and was the top punt returner with a 15.3-yard average on 40 returns, which included three touchdowns.

1994: Rookie Marshall Faulk Spurs Colts to Win Over Oilers

The Indianapolis Colts had used their second overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft to choose RB Marshall Faulk of San Diego State, a fast 5’10”, 207-pounder with toughness and solid receiving skills. Faulk wasted no time in having an impact as he led the Colts to a big win in the season opening game on September 4, 1994 against the Houston Oilers at the RCA Dome.

Indianapolis, coming off a 4-12 record in ’93, had not only added Faulk, as well as LB Trev Alberts, in the first round of the draft, but had also revamped much of the team. In taking on the Oilers, Head Coach Ted Marchibroda’s club was up against the defending AFC Central champions, but Houston was a team in transition, especially having lost QB Warren Moon by a trade to the Vikings, G Mike Munchak to retirement, and defensive ends William Fuller and Sean Jones to free agency (gone also was defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, who had openly feuded with offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride).

Faulk opened the scoring late in the first quarter on a one-yard run, following a series in which the Colts drove 47 yards in seven plays and the rookie running back carried the ball on six of them.

Indianapolis ripped the game open in the second quarter. First, LB Tony Bennett recovered a fumble by Houston QB Cody Carlson and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown. On their next possession, the offense moved 56 yards in eight plays capped by a touchdown pass of four yards from QB Jim Harbaugh to WR Floyd Turner. Houston’s WR Travis Hannah fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which was recovered by the Colts at the Oilers’ 22 yard line, and five plays later Harbaugh connected with Turner again for a nine-yard TD.

No sooner did the Houston offense get on the field when, on the first play, Carlson threw a pass that was intercepted by FS Ray Buchanon, who returned it 22 yards. It took just four plays for Faulk to score his second touchdown of the game, running up the middle from two yards out, and the Colts went into halftime with a 35-0 lead. The 28-point second quarter tied a club record (since broken).

Faulk led off the second half scoring ten minutes into the third quarter with an 11-yard touchdown run before Houston finally scored three late TDs. The final tally was 45-21.

Faulk ended up running for 143 yards on 23 carries with three touchdowns in his regular season debut. He also caught one pass for 31 yards, which was the longest pass play of the day for the Colts (who didn’t have much need to go to the air) and made him the team’s receiving yardage leader for the game. Jim Harbaugh, a veteran free agent signee from the Bears, completed 9 of 12 passes for 105 yards with two TDs and an interception.

Indianapolis outrushed the Oilers, 182 yards to 79. Houston gained the most total yards (374 to 288), a deceiving figure since the Oilers were far behind and went to the air often at a point when the outcome had long been decided. There was plenty of sloppy play throughout – the teams combined for 23 penalties, which were almost evenly divided (12 by the Oilers, 11 by the Colts).

The ineffective Cody Carlson (11 of 22 for 129 yards with an interception) gave way to backup Bucky Richardson who threw 35 passes with 19 completions for 203 yards and three touchdowns. WR Webster Slaughter had 9 receptions for 77 yards, while WR Haywood Jeffires gained 99 yards on 8 catches with two touchdowns. RB Gary Brown rushed for 39 yards on 10 carries.

The big opening day win did not signal a huge turnaround for the Colts, who lost their next three contests, but overall they improved to an 8-8 record that placed them third in the AFC East. The loss did portend bad tidings for Houston, however, as the Oilers went on to a 2-14 finish that was the worst in the NFL.

Marshall Faulk ended his rookie campaign with 1282 yards on 314 carries for a 4.1-yard average and 11 touchdowns while also catching 52 passes for 522 yards and a TD. The rushing total ranked third in the AFC, as did Faulk’s 1804 all-purpose yards, and he was chosen as Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. Over the course of his 12-year career with two teams, he would come to be recognized as one of the most productive all-around running backs (receiver out of the backfield as well as runner) in pro football history with an eventual total of 19,172 yards (12,279 rushing, 6875 receiving).

2006: Texans Draft Mario Williams 1st Overall Ahead of Bush & Young

After steadily progressing in their first three seasons in the NFL, the Houston Texans dropped to a league-worst 2-14 record in 2005. Head Coach Dom Capers and his staff were dismissed, and offensive-minded Gary Kubiak was hired in his place.

However, with the first pick in the NFL draft on April 29, 2006 the Texans opted for help on defense and made official the selection of North Carolina State DE Mario Williams as their choice (he had actually been signed to a contract the night before).

The decision drew criticism from both commentators and fans. At a draft party held at Reliant Stadium, many of the attendees booed the selection of Williams and began chanting “Reg-gie! Reg-gie!” in reference to Reggie Bush, the star running back and Heisman Trophy winner from USC. There had also been sentiment for picking a local favorite, QB Vince Young from Texas. They ended up being the next two players drafted, by the Saints and Titans, respectively.

Not all of the reviews were critical, to be sure. As one scout said, “I like the Texans’ pick of Mario Williams over Reggie Bush. If you tell me I can have a great running back or I can have a great defensive end, I’ll take the defensive end every time. He’ll have a longer career, he’s on the field for more plays, and defensive ends are harder to find than running backs.”

The 6’7”, 295-pound Williams had chosen to leave school early to enter the draft, but was considered by scouts to be ready for the NFL. In 2005, he had recorded 62 tackles (24 of them for a loss) and 14.5 sacks over the course of 12 games. Moreover, he filled a clear need for a Houston defense that had ranked next to last in the league, including 32nd against the run and 24th vs. the pass (to be sure, they ranked 30th in total offense as well). New defensive coordinator Richard Smith was replacing the 3-4 scheme favored by Capers with a 4-3 alignment, and Williams seemed a good fit for the revamped defensive line.

Initially, the critics appeared to be vindicated by the results of the 2006 season. While the team’s record improved to 6-10, Williams suffered through an injury-marred and inconsistent campaign and recorded just 4.5 sacks. Meanwhile, Bush proved to be a potent complement to power runner Deuce McAllister, accumulating 1523 all-purpose yards (742 on 88 pass receptions alone) as the Saints ranked first in team offense and made it to the postseason. Vince Young showed great promise with the Titans, passing for 2199 yards and running for another 552 while being selected Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press.

The Houston offense ranked 28th in the NFL. QB David Carr, the first player ever drafted by the club in 2002, continued to be mired in mediocrity. RB Ron Dayne led the team in rushing with 612 yards. A revamping followed in the offseason.

However, the situation for Williams, especially in comparison to Bush and Young, shifted significantly from 2007 onward. Healthy and playing with greater confidence, he tied for third in the league in sacks with 14. In ’08, he had another 12 sacks, was a first team All-NFL selection of The Sporting News and second team pick by the AP, and went to the Pro Bowl for the first time. That was followed up in 2009 with another Sporting News first team All-NFL pick and second Pro Bowl invitation.

Reggie Bush failed to build upon his fine rookie season and his performance was decidedly uneven. While a dynamic player with outstanding outside running ability and good receiving skills out of the backfield who contributed to a championship team, he had durability issues and did not fulfill the hopes that he could be an every-down running back – let alone an elite performer. He averaged just 3.7 yards-per-carry in his first three seasons (although he also caught 213 passes). Strictly a role player, his numbers in all categories declined in 2009 - but his postseason performance was solid, in particular an impressive showing against Arizona in the NFC Divisional playoff.

Vince Young struggled in his second season and was benched for virtually all of his third; brought back into the starting lineup midway through the ’09 campaign with favorable results, his career is at an uncertain stage.

While all three careers are very much in progress, after four seasons, the selection of Williams in the top spot of the first round in ’06 has looked more justified with each passing year.

2000: Titans Come Up a Yard Short, Fall to Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV

The Rams had not been very successful since moving from Los Angeles to St. Louis in 1995; in fact, they had had nothing but losing records since getting to the NFC Championship game following the ’89 season. Dick Vermeil, who had last coached in the NFL with the Eagles in 1982, became the head coach in 1997 but, in two seasons, had compiled a mediocre 9-23 tally.

It didn’t appear that 1999 would be any better when QB Trent Green, who they were counting upon to start after signing him away from the Redskins as a free agent, went down for the year with a knee injury in the preseason. Replacing him was Kurt Warner (pictured above), a 28-year-old unknown with an arena football and NFL Europe background who had appeared in one game in ’98 as a backup to Tony Banks and Steve Bono. What occurred became the stuff of pro football legend as Warner proceeded to pass for 4353 yards and a league-leading 41 touchdowns while compiling a top-ranked 109.2 passer rating. Veteran Pro Bowl WR Isaac Bruce hauled in 77 passes for 1165 yards and 12 TDs, while rookie WR Torry Holt added 52 catches for 788 yards. RB Marshall Faulk, acquired from the Colts in the offseason, contributed 1381 rushing yards, with a 5.5 yards-per-carry average, along with a team-leading 87 pass receptions for another 1048 yards.

The Rams roared through the ’99 schedule, piling up 526 points in winning the NFC West with a 13-3 record. They defeated Minnesota in the Divisional playoff round and then got past Tampa Bay, 11-6, in a tense, hard-fought NFC Championship game.

Their opponent in Super Bowl XXXIV was the Tennessee Titans, another team that had relocated in the preceding decade. Formerly the Houston Oilers, the club had moved to Tennessee in 1997 and, after a couple of nomadic years moved into its new home, Adelphia Coliseum, with a new name, the Titans, for ’99. Through all the moving and related distractions, Head Coach Jeff Fisher gathered together the pieces of a winning football team. In 1999, Tennessee came in second in the AFC Central with a 13-3 tally, good enough to earn a wild card spot in the postseason.


The Titans operated a conservative offense guided by QB Steve McNair (pictured at right) and the running of RB Eddie George (1304 yards). TE Frank Wycheck led the receiving corps (69 catches, 641 yards). The rugged defense featured rookie DE Jevon Kearse (aka “The Freak”), CB Samari Rolle, and SS Blaine Bishop. They defeated Buffalo in stunning fashion in the Wild Card playoff, and proceeded to beat the Colts and Jaguars in the Divisional and AFC Championship contests, respectively.

There were 72,625 fans present at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome on January 30, 2000 for the Super Bowl matchup. St. Louis moved the ball with ease in the first half, amassing 294 yards and driving inside the Tennessee 20 yard line on each possession but coming away with just three field goals. On the first drive, holder Rick Tuten bobbled the snap to thwart a field goal attempt, and placekicker Jeff Wilkins, who was successful on kicks of 27, 29, and 28 yards, also missed a 34-yarder.

The Titans threatened to score just once in the half, but Al Del Greco missed a 47-yard field goal attempt following a 42-yard drive. Tennessee amassed just 89 yards of offense, but was down only 9-0 at the half.

In the first possession of the second half, the Titans made it into field goal range but Del Greco’s 47-yard attempt was blocked by CB Todd Lyght. The Rams turned around and moved once more deep into Tennessee territory, highlighted by a 31-yard pass completion from Warner to Bruce. Warner tossed a nine-yard touchdown pass to Holt and St. Louis was ahead 16-0 and seemed to be in control.

However, the Titans offense came alive, scoring 16 points in under 14 minutes to tie the game. A 23-yard scramble by McNair set up Tennessee’s first score of the game, a one-yard rush by George. The try for a two-point conversion failed. But after the Rams were forced to punt, the Titans came right back with a 13-play, 79-yard drive that was capped by another short Eddie George touchdown run.

Once again, the Titans defense forced St. Louis to punt, and Tennessee again capitalized as Del Greco booted a 43-yard field goal to knot the score at 16-16 with just over two minutes remaining. It didn’t stay tied for long - on their next play, Warner fired a long pass to Bruce; hit as he was throwing, the ball was a bit underthrown but the wide receiver adjusted, and breaking a tackle he streaked into the end zone to complete the 73-yard touchdown play.

With 1:54 left in the fourth quarter, the Titans took over on their 12 yard line and proceeded to drive down the field. On third-and-five at the St. Louis 26, McNair barely avoided a sack and hit WR Kevin Dyson with a pass that gained 16 yards. There were now just six seconds left and the ball ten yards away from the end zone as McNair threw one last pass on a slant to Dyson who caught it in full stride at the three. Rams LB Mike Jones grabbed Dyson and tackled him a yard short of the goal line as time ran out (pictured at bottom). The Super Bowl had come within a yard (and successful extra point) of going into overtime; as it was, the Rams capped their remarkable season with a 23-16 win.


The Rams outgained the Titans with 436 yards to 367. Most of that was accounted for by the game’s MVP, Kurt Warner, who set a Super Bowl record with 414 yards on his 24 completions out of 45 passes thrown, including two touchdowns. Isaac Bruce gained 162 yards on 6 catches with a TD, while Torry Holt added 7 receptions for 109 yards and a score and Marshall Faulk (pictured at left) caught five for 90 yards. The Rams gained just 29 yards on the ground, with Faulk rushing for 17 yards in 10 carries.

Eddie George rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns on 28 attempts, while Steve McNair added 64 yards on 8 carries. McNair also completed 22 of 36 passes for 214 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions (neither team suffered a turnover). TE Jackie Harris was Tennessee’s top pass receiver with 7 catches for 64 yards.

Dick Vermeil retired, having finally won a championship (although he returned to coach the Chiefs in 2001). The Rams were back in the postseason in 2000 as a wild card entry, losing in the first round, and returned to the Super Bowl in ’01, when they were upset by the Patriots. Kurt Warner’s career was derailed by a hand injury and he lost his starting job to Marc Bulger; he would eventually return to the Super Bowl with the Arizona Cardinals following the 2008 season. As for the Titans, they improved to 13-3 in 2000 but were upset by Baltimore in the Divisional playoff round.