1999 Buffalo Bills season

The 1999 Buffalo Bills season was the 30th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL) and 40th overall. It would be the final season that Bruce Smith, Andre Reed, and Thurman Thomas — the last three players remaining from the Bills' Super Bowl teams — were on the same team together. All three were released at the end of the season due to salary cap issues.

1999 Buffalo Bills season
Owner	Ralph Wilson
General manager	John Butler
Head coach	Wade Phillips
Home field	Ralph Wilson Stadium
Results
Record	11–5
Division place	2nd AFC East
Playoff finish	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Titans) 16–22[note 1]
Pro Bowlers	FB Sam Gash G Ruben Brown
← 1998 Bills seasons 2000 →

The Bills surrendered only 229 points (14.3 points per game), the lowest total in franchise history in a 16-game season, and second-fewest in the league.^{[note 2]} Buffalo's 2,675 passing yards and 4,045 total yards allowed were both the fewest totals in the NFL in 1999.

The Bills finished in second place in the AFC East and finished the National Football League's 1999 season with a record of 11 wins and 5 losses. The Bills qualified for the postseason for the eighth time in the decade. They would lose to the Titans 22–16, in the game called "Music City Miracle".

The team would not make the playoffs again until 2017, where they were defeated by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild-Card round. They also would not have another 10 win season until 2019.

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1999 NFL draft

1999 Buffalo Bills draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	23	Antoine Winfield *	CB	Ohio St
2	53	Peerless Price *	WR	Tennessee
3	86	Shawn Bryson	RB	Tennessee
4	119	Keith Newman	OLB	North Carolina
4	122	Bobby Collins	TE	North Alabama
5	156	Jay Foreman	ILB	Nebraska
6	194	Armon Hatcher	S	Oregon St
7	230	Lamount Jackson	QB	Kansas
7	248	Bryce Fisher	DE	Air Force
Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Undrafted free agents

1999 Undrafted Free Agents of note

Player	Position	College
Tony Akins	Wide Receiver	Northeast Louisiana
Reginald Allen	Wide Receiver	Central Michigan
Bill Kushner	Punter	Boston College

Personnel

Staff

1999 Buffalo Bills staff

Front office President – Ralph Wilson Executive vice-president/general manager – John Butler Vice-president of football operations – Wade Phillips Director of pro personnel – A. J. Smith Director of player personnel – Dwight Adams Head coaches Head coach – Wade Phillips Assistant to the head coach – Max Bowman Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Joe Pendry Quarterbacks – Turk Schonert Running backs – Bishop Harris Receivers – Charlie Joiner Tight ends – Max Bowman Offensive line – Carl Mauck Offensive quality control – Chris Dickson

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Ted Cottrell Defensive line – John Levra Linebackers – Chuck Lester Defensive backs – Bill Bradley Special teams coaches Special teams – Bruce DeHaven Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning coordinator – Rusty Jones

Roster

1999 Buffalo Bills roster

	Quarterbacks  7 Doug Flutie 11 Rob Johnson 10 Alex Van Pelt Running backs 33 Sam Gash FB 31 Lennox Gordon 35 Jonathan Linton 23 Antowain Smith 34 Thurman Thomas Wide receivers 89 Kamil Loud 86 Jeremy McDaniel 80 Eric Moulds 81 Peerless Price 83 Andre Reed 82 Kevin Williams KR/PR Tight ends 84 Bobby Collins 88 Sheldon Jackson 85 Jay Riemersma		Offensive linemen 66 Victor Allotey G 79 Ruben Brown G 63 Bill Conaty C 70 John Fina T 77 Robert Hicks T 74 Jamie Nails G 60 Jerry Ostroski C 72 Joe Panos G 69 Marcus Spriggs T 61 Dusty Zeigler G Defensive linemen 90 Phil Hansen DE 91 Shawn Price DE 78 Bruce Smith DE 92 Ted Washington NT 75 Marcellus Wiley DE 93 Pat Williams NT		Linebackers 96 Dan Brandenburg OLB 56 Sam Cowart ILB 51 Joe Cummings ILB 55 Jay Foreman OLB 52 John Holecek ILB 98 Sean Moran ILB 53 Keith Newman OLB 99 Gabe Northern OLB 58 Marlo Perry ILB 59 Sam Rogers OLB Defensive backs 29 Keion Carpenter FS 25 Donovan Greer CB 20 Henry Jones SS 22 Daryl Porter CB/S 24 Kurt Schulz FS 28 Thomas Smith CB 26 Antoine Winfield CB Special teams 76 Ethan Albright LS  2 Steve Christie K  9 Chris Mohr P		Reserve lists 38 Shawn Bryson RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 95 Bryce Fisher DE (Reserve/Military) 27 Ken Irvin CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 21 Manny Martin CB/S (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad 39 Raion Hill S 53 active, 4 inactive, 1 practice squad Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Attendance
1	September 12	at Indianapolis Colts	L 14–31	0–1	56,238
2	September 19	New York Jets	W 17–3	1–1	68,839
3	September 26	Philadelphia Eagles	W 26–0	2–1	70,872
4	October 4	at Miami Dolphins	W 23–18	3–1	74,073
5	October 10	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 24–21	4–1	71,038
6	October 17	Oakland Raiders	L 14–20	4–2	71,113
7	October 24	at Seattle Seahawks	L 16–26	4–3	66,301
8	October 31	at Baltimore Ravens	W 13–10	5–3	68,673
9	November 7	at Washington Redskins	W 34–17	6–3	78,721
10	November 14	Miami Dolphins	W 23–3	7–3	72,810
11	November 21	at New York Jets	L 7–17	7–4	79,285
12	November 28	New England Patriots	W 17–7	8–4	72,111
13	Bye
14	December 12	New York Giants	L 17–19	8–5	72,527
15	December 19	at Arizona Cardinals	W 31–21	9–5	64,337
16	December 26	at New England Patriots	W 13–10 (OT)	10–5	55,014
17	January 2	Indianapolis Colts	W 31–6	11–5	61,959
Note: Intra-divisional games are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 0 6 8 0 14 • Colts 7 7 7 10 31 Date: September 12 Location: RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: indoors (dome) TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, and Mark May

^[1]

Week 2

1 2 3 4 Total Jets 0 0 3 0 3 • Bills 0 7 7 3 17 Date: September 19 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 8:20 p.m. Game weather: 62 °F (16.7 °C), wind 5 mph (8.0 km/h) Television network: ESPN

^[2]

Week 3

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 0 0 0 0 0 • Bills 9 10 7 0 26 Date: September 26 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 60 °F (15.6 °C), wind 7 mph (11 km/h; 6.1 kn) TV announcers (Fox): Curt Menefee and Brian Baldinger

^[3]

Week 4

1 2 3 4 Total • Bills 3 10 0 10 23 Dolphins 6 3 0 9 18 Date: October 4 Location: Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida Game start: 9:00 p.m. Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), wind 13 mph (21 km/h; 11 kn) Television network: ABC

^[4]

Week 5

1 2 3 4 Total Steelers 7 7 0 7 21 • Bills 7 10 7 0 24 Date: October 10 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), wind 8 mph (13 km/h; 7.0 kn) Referee: Ed Hochuli TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist, Dan Dierdorf, and Bonnie Bernstein

^[5]

Week 6

1 2 3 4 Total • Raiders 10 3 7 0 20 Bills 7 0 0 7 14 Date: October 17 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), wind 12 mph (19 km/h; 10 kn) Referee: Johnny Grier TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Sam Wyche

^[6]

Week 7

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 0 3 6 7 16 • Seahawks 13 10 0 3 26 Date: October 24 Location: Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Game start: 1:15 p.m. Game weather: indoors (dome) Referee: Tom White TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, and Armen Keteyian

^[7]

Week 8

1 2 3 4 Total • Bills 0 3 0 10 13 Ravens 10 0 0 0 10 Date: October 31 Location: PSINet Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), wind 4 mph (6.4 km/h; 3.5 kn)

^[8]

Week 9

1 2 3 4 Total • Bills 3 14 14 3 34 Redskins 7 3 0 7 17 Date: November 7 Location: Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, Washington, D.C. Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), wind 14 mph (23 km/h)

^[9]

Week 10

1 2 3 4 Total Dolphins 0 3 0 0 3 • Bills 9 7 7 0 23 Date: November 14 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), wind 19 mph (31 km/h; 17 kn)

^[10]

Week 11

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 0 0 7 0 7 • Jets 0 14 3 0 17 Date: November 21 Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 58 °F (14.4 °C), wind 8 mph (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)

^[11]

Week 12

1 2 3 4 Total Patriots 0 0 0 7 7 • Bills 3 7 7 0 17 Date: November 28 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 39 °F (3.9 °C), wind 16 mph (26 km/h; 14 kn)

^[12]

Week 14

1 2 3 4 Total • Giants 3 10 3 3 19 Bills 3 7 0 7 17 Date: December 12 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 30 °F (−1.1 °C), wind 6 mph (9.7 km/h; 5.2 kn)

^[13]

Week 15

1 2 3 4 Total • Bills 14 0 3 14 31 Cardinals 0 14 0 7 21 Date: December 19 Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona Game start: 6:20 p.m. Game weather: 57 °F (13.9 °C), wind 4 mph (6.4 km/h; 3.5 kn) Referee: Johnny Grier TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, and Solomon Wilcots

^[14]

Week 16

1 2 3 4 OT Total • Bills 3 0 0 7 3 13 Patriots 0 3 0 7 0 10 Date: December 26 Location: Foxboro Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 29 °F (−1.7 °C), wind 18 mph (29 km/h; 16 kn)

^[15]

Week 17

1 2 3 4 Total Colts 3 3 0 0 6 • Bills 7 14 0 10 31 Date: January 2 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game weather: 44 °F (6.7 °C), wind 14 mph (23 km/h; 12 kn) Referee: Bob McElwee TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist, Dan Dierdorf, and Bonnie Bernstein

^[16]

Standings

AFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
(2) Indianapolis Colts	13	3	0	.813	423	333	L1
(5) Buffalo Bills	11	5	0	.688	320	229	W3
(6) Miami Dolphins	9	7	0	.563	326	336	L2
New York Jets	8	8	0	.500	308	309	W4
New England Patriots	8	8	0	.500	299	284	W1

Playoffs

AFC Wild Card

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 0 0 0 16 16 • Titans 0 12 0 10 22 Date: January 8 Location: Adelphia Coliseum, Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 12:30 p.m. EST Game attendance: 66,672 Game weather: Cloudy, 58 °F or 14.4 °C Referee: Phil Luckett TV announcers (ABC): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, and Solomon Wilcots

Main article: Music City Miracle

The Music City Miracle is a famous play in the NFL Wild Card Playoffs involving the Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills that took place on January 8, 2000 (following the 1999 regular season) at Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee.

Going into the game, Bills coach Wade Phillips created a stir by starting quarterback Rob Johnson, rather than Doug Flutie, who had started 15 games and led the team to the playoffs. Late in the fourth quarter, the stage was set for an exciting finish. Tennessee received the ball with 6:15 remaining. Titans receiver Isaac Byrd's 16-yard punt return and five carries from Eddie George for 17 yards set up a wobbly 36-yard field goal by Del Greco. The Titans took a 15–13 lead with 1:48 to go. On the ensuing drive, with no timeouts remaining, Bills quarterback Johnson led the Bills on a five-play, 37-yard drive to the Titans' 24-yard line. On the last two plays from scrimmage, Johnson played with only one shoe on, as he had lost one and had no time to put it back on, with the clock running out. With only 16 seconds remaining in the game, Steve Christie, the Bills' kicker, made a 41-yard field goal to put Buffalo in the lead, 16–15.

Moments later, Christie kicked off, and Titans player Lorenzo Neal received. Neal handed the ball off to Titans tight end Frank Wycheck, who then lateraled the ball across the field to another Titans player, Kevin Dyson, who then ran down the sidelines for a 75-yard touchdown. The play was named Home Run Throwback by the Titans and was developed by Special Teams Coordinator Alan Lowry.

Official review

Per the instant replay rules, the play was reviewed by referee Phil Luckett since it was uncertain if the ball had been a forward pass, which is illegal on a kickoff return. However, the call on the field was upheld as a touchdown, and the Titans won the game 22–16.

Aftermath

The victory, in front of a franchise-record crowd at Adelphia Coliseum, allowed the Tennessee franchise to advance to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs for the first time since 1993. Subsequent victories over the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars sent the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV to face the St. Louis Rams, where they lost by one yard.

It could be said that the game served as revenge for the Titans/Oilers franchise for The Comeback, where the Bills came back from a 32-point deficit to defeat the Houston Oilers, 41–38, in overtime. For the Bills, it led to the firing after 13 seasons of special teams coach Bruce DeHaven. One year later, Phillips was fired (partly due to his failure to lead the Bills past the first round of the playoffs during his tenure) and replaced by Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. It was added to the list of infamous moments in Buffalo sports history, joining Wide Right and No Goal.

Buffalo would go on to miss the playoffs for seventeen seasons following the Music City Miracle, finally snapping its drought in 2017. Then the Bill lost in the Wild Card round to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and again to the Houston Texans in 2019, before finally ending the streak of playoff losses to AFC South opponents against yet another AFC South opponent, the Indianapolis Colts, in 2020.

Notes

1. This game is also known as the Music City Miracle
2. Jacksonville allowed 217 points

References

1. "Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts — September 12th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
2. "New York Jets at Buffalo Bills — September 19th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
3. "Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills — September 26th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
4. "Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins — October 4th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
5. "Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills — October 10th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
6. "Oakland Raiders at Buffalo Bills — October 17th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
7. "Buffalo Bills at Seattle Seahawks — October 24th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
8. "Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens — October 31st, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
9. "Buffalo Bills at Washington Redskins — November 7th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
10. "Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills — November 14th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
11. "Buffalo Bills at New York Jets — November 21st, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
12. "New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills — November 28th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
13. "New York Giants at Buffalo Bills — December 12th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
14. "Buffalo Bills at Arizona Cardinals — December 19th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
15. "Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots — December 26th, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
16. "Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills — January 2nd, 2000". Pro-Football-Reference.com.

External links

• 1999 Buffalo Bills at Pro-Football-Reference.com