>> TENNESSEE COMES INTO THE PLAYOFFS ON A TREMENDOUS ROLL -- 13 WINS, THE MOST EVER FOR A WILD-CARD TEAM. A PERFECT 8-0 AT HOME. AND, JOE, IN THE LAST TWO GAMES TO CONCLUDE THE REGULAR SEASON, THE OFFENSE HAS RACKED UP MORE THAN 40 POINTS A GAME. >> WELL, MIKE, THEY'VE DONE IT BY GETTING BACK TO THEIR IDENTITY, AND THAT'S RUNNING THE FOOTBALL. WHEN YOU'VE GOT A BACK LIKE EDDIE GEORGE, HE IS WHERE IT ALL STARTS. RUN FOR OVER 1,300 YARDS THIS YEAR, AND THAT'S WHERE THE FOUNDATION OF THIS OFFENSE IS BUILT. THEN YOU ADD STEVE McNAIR'S ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO RUN THE FOOTBALL. IT CREATES A BIG PROBLEM FOR THE BUFFALO BILLS. BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S GONNA BE THE LEGS OF EITHER OF THOSE MEN THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS GAME. I BELIEVE IT'S GONNA BE THE ARM OF STEVE McNAIR. HE'S GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A BIG DAY THROWING THE FOOTBALL. >> WELL, THE BILLS FINISHED AT 11-5, BUT 10 OF THOSE WINS WERE ENGINEERED BY DOUG FLUTIE. AND WHILE HE RESTED IN THE SEASON'S FINALE LAST WEEK, ROB JOHNSON STOLE THE QUARTERBACK JOB WITH A TREMENDOUS PERFORMANCE AGAINST THE COLTS. AND, PAUL, SAY WHAT YOU WILL. THIS IS A COURAGEOUS DECISION BY WADE PHILLIPS. >> WELL, MIKE, THAT TELLS YOU HOW MUCH WADE PHILLIPS BELIEVES IN ROB JOHNSON. BUT IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE HE BASES THE CHANGE ON THREE PRACTICES AND A MEANINGLESS FOOTBALL GAME. THE QUESTION IS, HOW WILL ROB HANDLE THE PRESSURE IN A MUST-WIN FOOTBALL GAME? I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT THE ENVIRONMENT HERE. IT'S HOSTILE. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS, CAN HE HANDLE THE BLITZING DEFENSES? >> THE PLAYOFFS ARE SET TO BEGIN IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. ADELPHIA COLISEUM. [ CROWD CHEERING ] STEVE CHRISTIE HAS IT TEED UP AT THE 30, WILL KICK OFF FOR BUFFALO. ISAAC BYRD IS DEEP TO RECEIVE WITH DERRICK MASON. BYRD, 83, MASON, 85. [ CROWD CHEERING ] AND THE PLAYOFFS ARE UNDER WAY. MASON FROM THE 10. HURDLES HIS WAY OUT ACROSS THE 30. FOR TENNESSEE'S OFFENSE, STEVE McNAIR PLAYING HIS BEST BALL HEADING INTO THE PLAYOFFS. HE'S THROWN 12 TOUCHDOWN PASSES, EIGHT INTERCEPTIONS. EDDIE GEORGE HAD HIS FOURTH STRAIGHT 1,000-YARD SEASON AND ANOTHER PRO BOWL. HE STARTS WITH NEAL, DYSON, THIGPEN, AND WYCHECK, THE TIGHT END. UP FRONT, HOPKINS, THE LEGENDARY BRUCE MATTHEWS, WHO WAS JUST SELECTED FOR HIS 12th PRO BOWL, ALONG WITH LONG, OLSON, AND RUNYAN. STEVE McNAIR IN HIS FIFTH YEAR OUT OF ALCORN STATE. TWO BACKS IN THE BACKFIELD TO START, GEORGE THE DEEP MAN. EDDIE GEORGE BEHIND NEAL. POUNDED AS HE GOT TO THE 34. FOR BUFFALO'S TOP-RANKED DEFENSE, UP FRONT, HANSEN, WASHINGTON, AND BRUCE SMITH LOOKING FOR A RECORD 13th SACK IN THE POSTSEASON. EXCELLENT LINEBACKERS WITH ROGERS, HOLECEK, SAM COWART, WHO HAD A SENSATIONAL YEAR AND LED THE CLUB IN TACKLES, AND NORTHERN. THE SECONDARY HAS WINFIELD AND SMITH AT THE CORNERS, JONES, AND KURT SCHULZ, WHO LED THE CLUB WITH THREE INTERCEPTIONS THIS SEASON. BRUCE SMITH WITH 12 POSTSEASON SACKS, TYING THE ALL-TIME RECORD OF REGGIE WHITE. PLAY-ACTION. McNAIR. PLENTY OF TIME. NOW PRESSURE! SMITH SLOWED HIM UP, AND THEN HE WAS DRILLED BY PHIL HANSEN. >> GOOD JOB BY BUFFALO'S DEFENSE. HE WANTED TO GO DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD TO FRANK WYCHECK. THEY DIDN'T LET HIM OFF THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE VERY EASILY, AND IT MADE IT HARD. THERE'S WYCHECK, 89. THEY BUMP HIM A LITTLE BIT. HE HAS TO GO BY THE LINEBACKERS. THERE'S REALLY NO PLACE FOR McNAIR TO GO. YOU SEE THE REST OF THE COVERAGE. THEY ROLL UP THE CORNERS. HE LOOKS LIKE HE'S OPEN, BUT YOU SEE THE SAFETY BEHIND HIM. AND ON THIS SIDE, WINFIELD JUST MIRRORS YANCEY THIGPEN. >> BRUCE SMITH GOT A HALF A SACK ALONG WITH HANSEN ON THAT PLAY. HE IS THE POSTSEASON ALL-TIME LEADER. McNAIR ON THIRD DOWN. INTENDED FOR DYSON. COVERED BY SMITH. AND IT'S THREE AND OUT FOR THE TENNESSEE TITANS. >> WELL, OBVIOUSLY THAT ISN'T WHAT THE TITANS WANTED TO DO. BUT JEFF FISHER TOLD US THEY'RE GONNA COME OUT RUNNING THE FOOTBALL. THE FIRST PLAY THEY DID RUN WITH EDDIE GEORGE. THEN THEY'RE GONNA GO TIGHT END, WHICH THEY TRIED TO DO, THEN OUTSIDE. >> WELL, PART OF WHAT YOU DO IN A GAME LIKE THIS IS EARLY ON, YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT THE OTHER TEAM IS GONNA DO. YOU WANT TO GET A FEEL FOR HOW THEY'RE GONNA HANDLE YOUR FORMATIONS AND THE PEOPLE THAT YOU WANT TO GET THE BALL TO. >> CRAIG HENTRICH, WHO'S HAD ANOTHER OUTSTANDING YEAR, PUNTING TO KEVIN WILLIAMS. THEY ALMOST GOT THERE. WILLIAMS FROM THE 31. MAKES THE FIRST MAN MISS. TRYING TO GET TO THE OUTSIDE. AND OUT OF BOUNDS AT THE 34. A LOT OF RUNNING FOR A 3-YARD RETURN. THE BILLS' QUARTERBACK, ROB JOHNSON, THE SURPRISE CHOICE TO START THIS GAME, ONLY THE NINTH OF HIS FIVE-YEAR CAREER. IN THE BACKFIELD, SMITH, SAM GASH, THE FIRST PRO BOWL RUNNING BACK WITHOUT A SINGLE CARRY IN THE SEASON, MOULDS, REED, AND THE TIGHT END RIEMERSMA. UP FRONT, THE UNIT REALLY BANGED UP, ESPECIALLY BOTH TACKLES AND THE CENTER. THEY'LL START WITH FINA, BROWN, OSTROSKI, ZEIGLER, AND SPRIGGS. [ CROWD CHEERING ] AND THE CROWD REALLY INTO IT. >> I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF THEY TRY AND GO UP TOP EARLY WITH ROB JOHNSON. >> JOHNSON ON FIRST DOWN. WANTS THE SCREEN. AND HE IS BURIED! JOSH EVANS! THEY HAD THURMAN THOMAS IN ON FIRST DOWN. WANTED TO SET UP THE SCREEN, BUT IT WASN'T THERE. >> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A GUY THAT'S BEEN PLAYING MOST OF THIS YEAR -- DUSTY ZEIGLER, NUMBER 61. BUT HE BLOWS RIGHT BY HIM. HE GOES RIGHT TO HIS OUTSIDE. NEVER SLOWS DOWN. AND EVANS MAKES THE SACK. >> THAT'S ALSO THE ONE THING THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN TO ROB JOHNSON LAST WEEK. HE DIDN'T GET TOUCHED MUCH BY THE COLTS. >> AND THEY DID THIS, AND IT WASN'T A BLITZ. IT WAS JUST STRAIGHT DEFENSE. >> DOUG FLUTIE. ALL HE CAN DO FOR NOW -- SIT AND WATCH. JOHNSON INTO TRIPLE COVERAGE. INTENDED FOR MOULDS. THE TITANS DEFENSE UP FRONT -- JEVON KEARSE -- 14 1/2 SACKS. NO ROOKIE HAS EVER HAD MORE. THE OTHERS -- EVANS, FISK, AND HOLMES. AT LINEBACKER, EDDIE ROBINSON LEADS THE TEAM IN TACKLES. HE STARTS WITH WORTHAM AND BOWDEN. IN THE SECONDARY, WALKER AND ROLLE AT THE CORNERS, BISHOP AND MARCUS ROBERTSON THE SAFETIES. ROBERTSON PLAYING WITH 150 STITCHES IN HIS FACE. THAT GUY IS "THE FREAK." THAT'S HIS NICKNAME, SAID LOVINGLY. IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED HIM PLAY ALL YEAR, YOU'LL PROBABLY FIND OUT WHY. JOHNSON UNDERNEATH. AND THE GAIN WILL TAKE IT UP TO ABOUT THE 37-YARD LINE. PEERLESS PRICE, THE ROOKIE OUT OF TENNESSEE, MAKES THE CATCH, BUT FAR SHY OF A FIRST DOWN. >> YEAH, BUT THAT THROW RIGHT THERE WAS A VERY GOOD THROW, JOE, AND IT'S SOMETHING HE NEEDED. ROB JOHNSON HAD TO GET A RECEPTION. >> THERE'S NO QUESTION. JEFF FISHER IS GONNA HAVE TO KEEP THE PRESSURE UP OUTSIDE TO MAKE SURE THE RECEIVERS DON'T GET FREE RELEASES, 'CAUSE ROB JOHNSON<i> CAN</i> THROW THE BALL WELL. >> MOHR WITH THE LOWEST AVERAGE IN THE NFL IN YEARS. THE NET IS ONLY 33.9. AND HE IS PUNTING TO MASON. MASON FROM THE 19. GOT A BLOCK. JUST DRAGGED DOWN AT THE 32-YARD LINE AFTER A 13-YARD RETURN. MARLO PERRY WITH A SAVING TACKLE. TENNESSEE WILL START ITS SECOND POSSESSION AT ITS OWN 32-YARD LINE. BRUCE SMITH WITH A HALF-SACK EARLY IN THIS BALLGAME. PART OF THE NFL's TOP-RANKED DEFENSE -- FOURTH AGAINST THE RUN, FIRST AGAINST THE PASS, FIRST OVERALL, AND SECOND IN POINTS ALLOWED -- ONLY 14.3 POINTS A GAME. THREE OF THOSE ARE NEW CLUB RECORDS. >> AND NOBODY'S GOING TO HAWAII. >> NOT A SINGLE PRO BOWLER. >> [ LAUGHS ] BUT, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MATTER TO THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE PLAYING SO WELL. >> WADE PHILLIPS 21-11 IN TWO YEARS GOING INTO THIS POSTSEASON. EDDIE GEORGE OFF THE RIGHT SIDE AGAIN. THE LAST GAME WE DID HERE WAS AGAINST THE RAIDERS. I DON'T REMEMBER EDDIE GEORGE RUNNING TO THE RIGHT. HE RAN TO HIS LEFT ALL NIGHT LONG. >> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. AND I THINK THEY WILL EVENTUALLY GET OVER THERE BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT BRAD HOPKINS AT 305, YOU'VE GOT BRUCE MATTHEWS AT 305 BASICALLY GOING UP AGAINST WHERE BRUCE SMITH LIVES, AT 275. SO I WOULD THINK THAT THEY WILL EVENTUALLY WORK THEIR WAY BACK TO RUNNING LEFT. >> WELL, STEVE McNAIR TOLD US ON THURSDAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THEY WANT TO DO IS THE FIRST TWO SERIES OF DOWNS, FEEL OUT WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO. >> LITTLE TRAP FOR GEORGE. DRIVING TACKLERS DOWNFIELD ACROSS THE 40, ABOUT A YARD SHY OF A FIRST DOWN. >> THIS IS THE ONE THING WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT EDDIE GEORGE, WHAT HE DOES. WHEN HE GETS TO A DEFENDER, HE UNLOADS ON THEM. YOU'D BETTER NOT -- EVEN BRUCE SMITH SAID, "DON'T SIT AND WAIT ON THIS GUY." >> WATCH WHAT BRUCE MATTHEWS AND KEVIN LONG DO. RIGHT HERE. YOU'RE GONNA GET THE DOUBLE TEAM. I DON'T EVEN HAVE A DRAWER BIG ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO DRAW, BUT THAT'S TED WASHINGTON. YOU SEE THE DOUBLE TEAM. AND HE'S THE GUY THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTROL IN THE MIDDLE IF THEY WANT TO RUN THE FOOTBALL. AND YOU NEED TWO PEOPLE. >> THIRD AND A YARD. PLAY-ACTION BY McNAIR. UNDER PRESSURE. JUST SORT OF FLIPS IT OVER THE MIDDLE. IT WAS INTENDED FOR THIGPEN, BUT HE WAS WELL COVERED BY WINFIELD. >> WHEN HE SEES THIS PLAY, HE'S GONNA FIND OUT THAT HE HAS ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD. ONCE HE STEPS TO HIS LEFT -- I'M TALKING ABOUT McNAIR -- THERE'S NOBODY AROUND HIM. THE BILLS HAD ALREADY STOPPED. ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS WAIT. >> THE ONE THING I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED WITH -- ON BOTH THIRD DOWNS, STEVE McNAIR REALLY HAS CHOSEN TO STAY IN THE POCKET. HE HAS A GREAT ABILITY TO RUN, BUT YET HE'S CHOSEN TO TRY AND DISCIPLINE HIMSELF. I THINK HE'S JUST GONNA HAVE TO GO BACK AND RUN THE FOOTBALL WHEN HE GETS THE OPPORTUNITY. >> HENTRICH TO KICK TO KEVIN WILLIAMS. HE IS 12th IN THE NFL IN PUNT RETURNS. LOW LINE DRIVE. WILLIAMS CAN'T GET THERE, THOUGH, AND IT TAKES A BIG BOUNCE FOR TENNESSEE. THEY GET A BREAK ON THE ROLL. A 46-YARD KICK. ONLY A 2-YARD RETURN. BARRON WORTHAM HAD TO CHASE HIM OUT OF BOUNDS. BILLS START FROM THEIR 15. [ WHISTLE BLOWING ] THURMAN THOMAS. THEY'LL WHISTLE THE PLAY DEAD. >> PRIOR TO THE SNAP, FALSE START. OFFENSE, NUMBER 61. 5-YARD PENALTY. REMAINS FIRST DOWN. >> PHIL LUCKETT RUNNING THE CREW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE POSTSEASON. THE MOVEMENT WAS CALLED ON DUSTY ZEIGLER, THE RIGHT GUARD. AND CARL MAUCK, WHO IS AS EXPRESSIVE AS ANYBODY IN THIS GAME OR ANY OTHER. >> I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE A BIG PROBLEM FOR BUFFALO. THE NOISE HERE WILL CREATE PROBLEMS FOR CARL'S OFFENSIVE LINE TO BE ABLE TO HEAR. >> JOHNSON LOOKS LEFT AND RIGHT. NOW HAS TO RUN. BEING CHASED BY KEARSE. AND THROWS INCOMPLETE. INTENDED FOR ANDRE REED. ROB JOHNSON CAME OUT OF SOUTHERN CAL. HE WAS DRAFTED BY THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS WITH A FOURTH-ROUND CHOICE IN '95. PLAYED ONLY SIX GAMES THERE. HAD ONE START. HE WAS SENSATIONAL -- 20 OUT OF 24, 294 YARDS AND TWO TOUCHDOWNS. THAT GOT HIM THE TRADE TO THE BUFFALO BILLS FOR A FIRST AND A FOURTH AND A $25 MILLION CONTRACT. HE STARTED IN '98 BUT THEN WAS INEFFECTIVE AND WAS INJURED AS WELL. REPLACED BY FLUTIE AND DID NOT REALLY PRESENT MUCH OF A FACTOR UNTIL LAST WEEK AND NOW IN THE PLAYOFFS. THURMAN THOMAS ON THE DRAW. TO THE 19-YARD LINE. THEY STARTED AT THE 15. SO IT'LL BE THIRD AND 6. >> THE BUFFALO BILLS ARE GONNA HAVE TO TRY AND RUN THE FOOTBALL A BIT. YOU CAN'T ASK ROB JOHNSON TO GO BACK AND JUST THROW EVERY PLAY. THEY CAN'T ALLOW TENNESSEE'S DEFENSIVE LINE, LINEBACKERS, AND BACKS TO JUST BLITZ FREELY. >> AND IF YOU'RE GONNA RUN, JOE, YOU GOT TO GET SAM GASH IN THE BALLGAME. THERE'S A REASON THAT THIS GUY WENT TO THE PRO BOWL WITHOUT CARRYING THE BALL. THAT'S BECAUSE HE CAN BLOCK. PUT HIM IN. >> AND DURING THE REGULAR SEASON, THEY WERE EIGHTH IN THE NFL IN RUSHING OFFENSE. THIRD AND 6. NEITHER TEAM WITH A FIRST DOWN AS YET. JOHNSON TO MOULDS! BEAUTIFUL THROW AND CATCH. THE COVERAGE BY DAINON SIDNEY. IT WHISTLED RIGHT BY HIS HELMET. A GAIN OF 17. >> DAINON SIDNEY HAS HIS BACK TO ROB JOHNSON. HE IS TRYING TO MIRROR ERIC MOULDS. YOU'LL SEE HIM. HE'S THE OUTSIDE RECEIVER. HE'S NOT EVEN LOOKING FOR THE BALL. THAT'S CONFIDENCE -- TO BE ABLE TO THROW THE BALL AND PUT IT IN THE PERFECT SPOT, OVER SOMEBODY'S BODY AND HANDS. >> IF HE'S LOOKING, THAT'S NOT A COMPLETION. JOHNSON -- KEARSE FROM BEHIND! LOOSE BALL! TENNESSEE HAS IT! >> HE JUST RAN RIGHT BY JOHN FINA. FINA DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE. >> 10 TIMES DURING THE REGULAR SEASON, THE FREAK FORCED A FUMBLE. HE DID IT AGAIN. ANOTHER HUGE PLAY. >> WELL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT HIM -- HE GETS ON THE OUTSIDE SHOULDER OF FINA. LOOK AT THIS. HE RUNS RIGHT BY HIM. IT'S JUST NO CONTEST. AND FINA'S HOLDING HIM. THIS GUY IS SOME KIND OF PLAYER, MAN. >> ROB JOHNSON TOLD US LAST NIGHT -- I ASKED HIM, "ARE YOU CONCERNED WITH JEVON KEARSE?" HE SAYS, "NO. IT'S UP TO MY OFFENSIVE LINE TO TAKE CARE OF HIM." IF I'M ROB JOHNSON, I JUST GOT CONCERNED WITH JEVON KEARSE. >> KEARSE NORMALLY LINES UP AT THE LEFT DEFENSIVE END. THIS TIME THEY PUT HIM ON THE RIGHT. DURING THE SEASON, AS WE TOLD YOU, HE HAD 10 FORCED FUMBLES. THE '98 DEFENSE, BEFORE HE ARRIVED AS A ROOKIE, HAD NINE ALTOGETHER. >> WHAT'S THE RECORD IN A PLAYOFF GAME FOR SACKS? >> COULDN'T TELL YOU. >> THREE? >> WE'LL LOOK IT UP. >> PAUL, A LOT. >> WELL, HE MAY GET A LOT. >> THEY PROBABLY GOT IT AGAINST ME. [ LAUGHTER ] >> HE MAY GET A LOT. >> ROB JOHNSON'S GONNA HAVE TO BE AWARE. FINA'S NOT 100%. YOU'VE GOT GUYS UP FRONT THAT JUST REALLY AREN'T 100%. HE'S GOT TO BE AWARE OF WHERE JEVON KEARSE LINES UP. >> FIRST BIG BREAK OF THE BALLGAME. FIRST AND 10, TENNESSEE, AT THE BUFFALO 29. EDDIE GEORGE. BUFFALO DID A NICE JOB OF STRINGING OUT THE PLAY, AND HE ONLY PICKS UP ABOUT 3. SAM COWART ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE. >> SAM COWART AND HOLECEK, NUMBER 52 -- THE LINEBACKERS, 56 AND 52 -- THESE GUYS ARE VERY, VERY ACTIVE. >> WE TALKED ABOUT WADE PHILLIPS MAKING THIS DECISION. HE HAS PULLED THE TRIGGER BEFORE. HE CHANGED THE DEFENSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON TO GET SAM COWART ON THE FIELD. SO HE IS USED TO MAKING THE KIND OF DECISIONS THAT DISRUPT THINGS. >> BUT IT IS NOT THE SAME WHEN YOU CHANGE A LINEBACKER AND YOU CHANGE A QUARTERBACK. VERY DIFFERENT. >> THINK QUARTERBACKS ARE VISUAL? >> YEAH. >> [ LAUGHS ] >> GEORGE. FLEA-FLICKER. McNAIR ALMOST INTERCEPTED! RIGHT THROUGH COWART'S HANDS. BOY, THAT WAS A POOR THROW BY McNAIR. >> ONE OF THE THINGS, TALKING TO BRUCE SMITH AND THE DEFENSE OF THE BUFFALO BILLS -- ONE THING, AND SCHULZ TOLD US -- "WE HAVE TO BE VERY PATIENT WITH McNAIR, BECAUSE NOT ONLY CAN HE THROW BUT HE CAN RUN." LOOK AT THE DEFENSIVE SECONDARY. THEY JUST STAY. COWART GETS DEEP. HE KNOWS WHERE HE HAS TO BE, NUMBER 56. AND HE ALMOST GETS THE INTERCEPTION. THAT'S PATIENCE. >> THIRD AND 6. RUSH ON McNAIR. THROWS LOW AND INCOMPLETE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A FIRST DOWN, BUT JACKIE HARRIS COULDN'T COME UP WITH IT. SO THEY'LL HAVE TO SETTLE FOR A FIELD-GOAL TRY AFTER GETTING TREMENDOUS FIELD POSITION ON THE FUMBLE. >> AND I THINK WHAT YOU SEE IN THESE OFFENSES EARLY IN THIS FOOTBALL GAME IS JUST THE INTENSITY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS FOOTBALL GAME. THERE ARE SOME NERVOUS PLAYERS OUT ON THAT FIELD. McNAIR'S NOT THROWING THE BALL WITH THE FREEDOM WE'VE SEEN HIM THROW IT. >> AL DEL GRECO, ONE OF THE BEST KICKERS IN NFL HISTORY, HAS HAD ANOTHER TERRIFIC YEAR -- 21 OUT OF 25. THIS WILL BE A 44-YARD FIELD-GOAL TRY. HENTRICH IS THE HOLDER. AND DEL GRECO HOOKED IT. IF YOU'RE A BUFFALO FAN, THIS IS THE WORST PICTURE YOU COULD SEE. BOTH STARTING TACKLES, HICKS AND FINA, ON THE SIDELINE, AND BUFFALO HAS THE BALL. THEY HAVE JUGGLED THAT OFFENSIVE LINE, AND THEY'VE GOT TO BLOCK KEARSE. >> THEY'VE GOT TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO HANDLE JEVON KEARSE. >> WAIT TILL HE GETS SOME EXPERIENCE. >> HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY YET. THE OTHER THING ABOUT ROBERT HICKS, NUMBER 77 -- HE TOLD US YESTERDAY IF HE COULD PLAY WHEN HE WENT ON THE FIELD, HE'D BE STARTING. OBVIOUSLY THAT LEG IS BOTHERING HIM. HE'S GOT AN ANKLE SPRAIN. >> ANTOWAIN SMITH IS IN THERE IN BACK OF GASH. BUFFALO TRYING TO GO TO THE GROUND. ANTOWAIN SMITH SLIPS ONE TACKLE AND GETS IT OUT TO THE 39. >> WELL, IF YOU'RE GONNA RUN THE BALL, PUT 33 IN THE BALLGAME. AND WE WERE TOLD THAT IF THEY'RE GONNA RUN, THEY'RE GONNA RUN TO JEVON KEARSE, 'CAUSE HE ONLY WEIGHS, HE TOLD US NOW, ABOUT 255. YOU'VE GOT SPRIGGS OUT THERE. SAM GASH BLOCKS ON THE INSIDE. SPRIGGS HOLDS ON. SPRIGGS IS LEARNING. [ LAUGHS ] LEARN HOW TO USE YOUR HANDS. >> GREGG WILLIAMS, THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR. HE WILL PUT A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. >> SECOND AND 5. "I" FORMATION AGAIN. BLITZ COMES. HELD HIM TO A YARD. THEY CAME WITH A RUN BLITZ STRAIGHT UP THE MIDDLE. >> ONE OF THE FIRST GUYS TO HIT HIM IS BLAINE BISHOP. AND HE IS REALLY THE HEART AND SOUL OF THIS DEFENSE. HE'S PLAYING WITH A CAST ON HIS THUMB. HE HAD THE PINS REMOVED. YOU SEE THE RIGHT THUMB. HE'S HAD THE PINS OUT, SO HE FEELS A LITTLE BIT BETTER, A LITTLE BIT STRONGER WITH THAT RIGHT HAND. HE'S THE GUY THAT SETS THE TONE FOR THE DEFENSE. >> THEN YOU'VE GOT MARCUS ROBERTSON OUT THERE WITH NO FACE. >> YEAH. THAT'S A PRETTY TOUGH GROUP. [ LAUGHS ] >> HERE COMES THE BLITZ. JOHNSON UNLOADS, AND IT'S COMPLETE. IT'LL BE A FIRST DOWN AT THE 50-YARD LINE. THE TOSS CAUGHT BY PEERLESS PRICE. HE WAS COVERED BEAUTIFULLY, AND JOHNSON STUCK IT IN THERE. >> SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT THE DECISION TO START ROB JOHNSON, BUT HE'S MADE A COUPLE OF REALLY FINE THROWS. WATCH THIS ONE TO PRICE. A LITTLE QUICK HITCH. YOU HAVE TO THROW IT TO THE OUTSIDE SHOULDER OR IT JUST DOESN'T GET COMPLETED. >> JEVON KEARSE -- LOOK AT THIS. THEY TRIED A LITTLE STUNT INSIDE. BUT LOOK AT JAMIE NAILS, NUMBER 74, THE TACKLE -- THE GUARD, ACTUALLY. GETS IN, MOVES HIM OUT OF THE HOLE. THAT'S AN EXCELLENT BLOCK. >> NAILS IS IN AT GUARD, AS ZEIGLER HAS MOVED OUT TO LEFT TACKLE. THURMAN THOMAS. HIT HARD AFTER A GAIN OF 3. JOHNSON ON SECOND AND 7. NOW HAS TO SCRAMBLE. BROUGHT DOWN BY SAMARI ROLLE, THE SECOND-YEAR CORNER OUT OF FLORIDA STATE. >> EVERY TIME YOU SEE A QUARTERBACK DO WHAT HE DOES AND McNAIR DOES, JOHNSON, YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S EXCELLENT COVERAGE DOWNFIELD. >> SAMARI ROLLE TOOK OVER THE CORNER JOB THIS YEAR. DARRYLL LEWIS RELEASED JUST BEFORE THE START OF THE SEASON. AND SAMARI ROLLE SAID YESTERDAY HE WAS REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT IT. HE DIDN'T WANT ANYONE IN THE ORGANIZATION TO THINK THEY HAD MADE A MISTAKE. WELL, THEY DON'T. HE'S HAD A TREMENDOUS YEAR AT THE CORNER. THIRD AND 5. JOHNSON BOBBLES THE SNAP. THROWS TO MOULDS. AND HE GOT IT. SAMARI ROLLE WAS RIGHT THERE. AND THE PASSES THAT ROB JOHNSON HAS COMPLETED, JOE, HE'S REALLY HAD TO BE ON TARGET. >> THAT'S WHAT I SAID. HE'S REALLY THROWN THE BALL WELL. AND I LIKE THE JOB THAT JOE PENDRY IS DOING CALLING THE OFFENSIVE PLAYS. HE'S GIVING HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE THROWS. BUT HE'S ALSO GIVING HIS BIG GUYS A CHANCE TO MAKE A PLAY ON THE BALL. AGAIN, IF THAT THROW WAS A LITTLE BIT TO THE RIGHT, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN COMPLETE. HE'S PUTTING THE BALL EXACTLY WHERE HE HAS TO. >> HE'S HIT 4 OUT OF 6 FOR 50 YARDS, ALL TO WIDE RECEIVERS SO FAR. MOVEMENT UP FRONT AS REED CAME IN MOTION. >> REED CAME IN MOTION. ROB JOHNSON TOOK A LOOK AT HIM AND SAID, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" AND THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE LINE GOT UP AND ASKED HIM WHAT <i> THEY</i> WERE DOING. >> FALSE START. OFFENSE, NUMBER 74. 5-YARD PENALTY. REMAINS FIRST DOWN. >> THAT'S JAMIE NAILS, WHO'S REALLY TOO BIG TO MISS. >> I ACTUALLY THINK THAT ROB JOHNSON WANTED TO AUDIBLE. AND ONCE YOU START YOUR CADENCE, WHEN IT'S LOUD LIKE THIS, THE LINEMEN HEAR PIECES OF SOUND. THEY DON'T HEAR THE WHOLE THING. SO WHEN HE LEANS TOWARD THE RIGHT TO AUDIBLE, THEY THINK IT'S A SNAP COUNT. THEY TAKE OFF. >> THE BILLS HAVE TOLD US THAT JOHN FINA HAS NOT SUSTAINED ANY ADDITIONAL INJURIES. HE HAD A BAD KNEE COMING INTO THIS GAME. HICKS, WITH A BAD ANKLE, WASN'T ABLE TO START AT ALL. SMITH. TO THE TENNESSEE 40. THAT WILL LEAVE THEM WITH A THIRD AND 3. OR SECOND AND 3. EXCUSE ME. >> JEVON KEARSE -- WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH NUMBER 90 IS -- SEE HOW THEY GET HIM GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION? THEY JUST DO THAT AND JUST PUSH HIM DOWN THE FIELD. AGAIN, HE ONLY WEIGHS ABOUT 255 POUNDS NOW. IF HE WANTS TO GO INSIDE, LET HIM GO INSIDE, BUT JUST TAKE HIM DOWN. >> CHECK THE DOWN AND DISTANCE. SECOND AND 13, OF COURSE, AFTER THE MOTION PENALTY SET THEM BACK. >> THEY'VE GOT TO HURRY UP. THEY ONLY HAVE 7 SECONDS. >> THERE'S FINA TALKING IT OVER. HE AND HICKS ON THE SIDELINE. JOHNSON AGAINST A BLITZ. THAT ONE IS TIPPED. IT WAS INTENDED FOR MOULDS, BUT A LINEMAN GOT A HAND ON IT. AND TENNESSEE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO APPLY THE PRESSURE. >> ROB JOHNSON LAST WEEK AGAINST THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS THREW A LOT OF QUICK PASSES LIKE WE'VE SEEN HIM THROW IN THIS FIRST QUARTER. I WATCHED THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS' DEFENSIVE LINE. THEY NEVER REALLY GOT THEIR HANDS UP OR THEIR LINEBACKERS BLITZING. THIS ONE HITS SAMARI ROLLE RIGHT IN THE HEAD. AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL. IF THE BILLS WANT TO THROW SHORT ROUTES, THE TITANS DEFENSIVELY WILL RUSH, WAIT TILL HE STARTS TO THROW, AND THEN GO UP AND TRY AND KNOCK IT DOWN. NOW, DOUG FLUTIE, BECAUSE OF HIS HEIGHT, WOULD PRESENT A PROBLEM. BUT ALSO, DOUG MOVES AROUND A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN ROB. >> THIRD AND 13. [ WHISTLE BLOWING ] PRESSURE ON JOHNSON. AND THEY'LL WHISTLE THE PLAY DEAD. KENNY HOLMES WAS COMING FROM THE BLIND SIDE. BUT THE PLAY WILL NOT COUNT. >> IT'S AGAINST BUFFALO. >> PRIOR TO THE SNAP, FALSE START. OFFENSE, NUMBER 61. 5-YARD PENALTY. REMAINS THIRD DOWN. >> THIRD FALSE START AGAINST BUFFALO. LET'S GO TO SOLOMON WILCOTS. >> YEAH, MIKE. BUFFALO'S TWO STARTING TACKLES, JOHN FINA AND ROBERT HICKS, CONTINUE TO TRY TO LOOSEN UP ON THE SIDELINE TO SEE IF THEY CAN GET BACK INTO THE GAME. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PLAY. BUT FACED WITH THE SPEED AND QUICKNESS OF JEVON KEARSE, IT MAY MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO GET BACK INTO THE GAME TODAY. >> ALL RIGHT, SOLOMON. ROBERT HICKS TOLD US LAST NIGHT IT HURTS HIS MOBILITY WITH THAT BAD ANKLE. YOU NEED ALL YOU CAN GET AGAINST KEARSE. SAMARI ROLLE ON THE BLITZ. AND HE'S GOT JOHNSON. AND A FLAG IS DOWN AT THE END OF THE PLAY. IT MAY BE A HOLD AS WELL AS THE SACK. >> WELL, THEY'LL REFUSE THE HOLD BECAUSE THAT BALL WILL BE AT THE 49-YARD LINE. BUT SAMARI ROLLE -- YOU TALK ABOUT TIMING SOMETHING PERFECTLY. >> HOLDING. OFFENSE, NUMBER 79. THE PENALTY IS DECLINED. FOURTH DOWN. >> THAT'S RUBEN BROWN. BUT SAMARI ROLLE, NUMBER 21, JUST TIMED THIS THING PERFECTLY. >> HERE'S SAMARI. HE'S GONNA TAKE OFF, AND HE'S GONNA TIME THE SNAP COUNT PERFECTLY. YOU SEE HIM LEAVE. THE SAFETY SLIDES OVER. AND ROB JOHNSON IS NOT GONNA OUTRUN SAMARI ROLLE. >> IT WAS LIKE HE WAS IN A TRACK STANCE. >> AND HE WAS. >> [ LAUGHS ] >> THE TITANS HAVE THREE SACKS IN THE FIRST THREE POSSESSIONS IN THE FIRST QUARTER. FAIR CATCH MADE AT THE 12. A PUNT OF 35 AND NO RETURN. IF YOU LIKE DEFENSE, YOU HAVE TO BE LOVING THIS. CARL MAUCK, THE OFFENSIVE LINE COACH FOR THE BILLS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO GOES WHERE. HE IS ALREADY WITHOUT BOTH OF HIS STARTING OFFENSIVE TACKLES, MUCH TO THE DELIGHT OF JEVON KEARSE, WHO ALREADY HAS ONE SACK AND A FORCED FUMBLE. >> BUT SOMETHING -- I MEAN, I WOULD EXPECT SOME OTHER GUYS ON THAT DEFENSIVE LINE AND LINEBACKERS ARE GONNA GET SOME SACKS BECAUSE OF WHAT JEVON KEARSE IS CREATING. >> THE TITANS HAVE HAD THE BALL FOR THREE DRIVES. THEY ONLY HAVE 6 YARDS IN TOTAL OFFENSE SO FAR AGAINST THE LEAGUE'S NUMBER-ONE DEFENSE. EDDIE GEORGE OFF THE LEFT SIDE. NOTHING DOING. 0-0, FIRST QUARTER. ONLY 1:52 TO GO. MIKE PATRICK, JOE THEISMANN, PAUL MAGUIRE, SOLOMON WILCOTS, OUR ENTIRE CREW WITH YOU FROM ADELPHIA COLISEUM IN NASHVILLE. McNAIR. DRAW PLAY TO GEORGE. NO RUNNING ROOM AGAINST THIS BUFFALO DEFENSE. THERE IS A MARKER DOWN. >> PHIL HANSEN, NUMBER 90, LEANED INTO THE NEUTRAL ZONE. AND WHETHER HE GOT BACK OR NOT -- I DON'T THINK SO. >> AND YOU'RE RIGHT, PAUL. HE DID NOT. >> TEDDY COTTRELL, THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR OF THE BUFFALO BILLS. DONE A GREAT JOB. >> OFFSIDE. DEFENSE, NUMBER 90. 5-YARD PENALTY. REPEAT SECOND DOWN. >> ALREADY THE FOURTH PENALTY AGAINST BUFFALO. THREE MOTIONS, AN OFFSIDE, AND THEY HAD A HOLDING DECLINED. >> I DON'T EXPECT A LOT BY HIS DEFENSE. THEY DON'T DO A LOT OF BLITZING. YOU DON'T SEE GUYS GETTING CAUGHT LEANING. THEIR OFFENSE IS REALLY WHERE THE PROBLEMS WILL BE IN PENALTIES. >> SO SECOND AND 5 AS THEY REPEAT THE DOWN. PLAY-ACTION BY McNAIR. JACKIE HARRIS. >> YOU GOT HOLECEK, NUMBER 52, ON A TIGHT END, JOE. THAT'S TOUGH. >> WELL, WITH THE DESIGN OF THE DEFENSE OF THE BUFFALO BILLS -- THEY PLAY THEIR CORNERS UP CLOSE TO THE WIDE RECEIVERS AND THEIR SAFETIES BACK. YOU'D EXPECT THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL THROWING THE BALL, IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE TO THE TIGHT ENDS. A LITTLE PLAY-ACTION. YOU SEE JACKIE SLOW-BLOCK AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, THEN GO INTO THE VOIDED AREA. IF THE CORNERS ARE ROLLED UP AND THE SAFETIES ARE BACK, IT'S GONNA BE UP TO THE LINEBACKERS TO BOTH HAVE TO PLAY RUN AND THEN TRY AND CATCH UP WITH THE TIGHT ENDS IN THE PASS GAME. >> AND 14 MINUTES INTO THE GAME, THE TITANS HAVE THEIR FIRST FIRST DOWN. McNAIR THROWS. INCOMPLETE. DYSON WAS IN THE AREA, BUT HE WAS COVERED. >> THERE'S A LATE FLAG ON THIS PLAY. IF THAT BALL WOULD'VE BEEN THROWN ON TARGET, SAM COWART, NUMBER 56, WOULD'VE HAD AN INTERCEPTION -- OR AT LEAST AN ATTEMPT AT ONE. >> MIGHT HAVE HAD TO FIGHT ONE OF HIS OWN PLAYERS FOR IT. >> [ LAUGHS ] >> THERE IS NO FOUL FOR ILLEGAL CONTACT. INCOMPLETE PASS. SECOND DOWN. >> BEEN A TOUGH START FOR STEVE McNAIR, ALTHOUGH AT HOME THIS SEASON, HE HAS BEEN EXCEPTIONAL. 11 OF HIS 12 TOUCHDOWN PASSES HAVE COME HERE, HIS QUARTERBACK RATING NEARLY 100. >> BUT I ALSO THINK THAT'S A LITTLE MISLEADING, BECAUSE FIVE WERE IN ONE FOOTBALL GAME. HE MISSED A LOT OF THE EARLY PART OF THE YEAR BECAUSE OF THE BACK SURGERY, AND NOW HE'S JUST REALLY STARTING TO GET INTO HIS OWN. I STILL THINK HE'S GOT SOME SETTLING DOWN TO DO IN THIS GAME. >> HE'S ONLY HIT ONE OF HIS FIRST SIX. WYCHECK ON A TIGHT END TOSS WITH NO BLOCKING IN FRONT UNTIL LATE, AND HENRY JONES UP QUICKLY TO MAKE A STOP. SO BUFFALO'S DEFENSE DOING EVERYTHING THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO, AS ADVERTISED. >> HOW CAUTIOUS WE GET IN THE PLAYOFFS. >> AFTER THIS FIRST QUARTER, I THINK YOU'LL SEE THE CHANGE. >> AFTER A SCORELESS FIRST QUARTER HERE AT A SOLD-OUT ADELPHIA COLISEUM, TENNESSEE HAS THE BALL AT ITS OWN 29, FACING A THIRD AND 8. NOT MUCH OFFENSE. THE TITANS HAVE BEEN HELD TO A TOTAL OF 17 YARDS SO FAR. McNAIR WANTED GEORGE. THEN GOES OVER THE MIDDLE. WYCHECK. TIGHT END SCREEN. AND FRANK WYCHECK TO THE 43-YARD LINE. THE PRO BOWLER, WHO HAD 69 CATCHES DURING THE REGULAR SEASON. >> THIS IS A PLAY THAT YOU ADD FOR THE PLAYOFFS. THEY LOVE TO SWING EDDIE GEORGE OUT TO THE RIGHT. THEY DO THAT. THE DEFENSE RUNS. YOU DELAY THE TIGHT END IN THE MIDDLE. >> LOOK AT THE BLOCKING IN THE MIDDLE. EVERYBODY'S UPFIELD AND TO THE OUTSIDE. HE'S GOT THREE BLOCKERS IN FRONT OF HIM. THAT'S JUST A GREAT PLAY. TALKING ABOUT WYCHECK -- AFTER HE CATCHES THE BALL, HE'S ONE OF THE BETTER RUNNERS ON THIS FOOTBALL TEAM, EVEN THOUGH HE PLAYS TIGHT END. >> IT'S JUST A LITTLE DUNK. YOU HAVE TO THROW SOMETHING DIFFERENT UP IN THE PLAYOFFS, THINGS THAT TEAMS HAVE NOT SEEN. >> GOT AN INJURED BILL. >> 0-0, SECOND QUARTER. MARLO PERRY THE INJURED BUFFALO BILL, AND THEY HAVE THE CART OUT FOR HIM. HERE'S HOW HE WAS HURT. >> WATCH THIS. NUMBER 75 IS BENJI OLSON. HE CATCHES HIS KNEE, AND BRUCE MATTHEWS IS UP ON TOP. AND HE CUTS HIM AT THE KNEES, AND HE WENT DOWN LIKE A ROCK. >> PERRY IN HIS FIFTH YEAR OUT OF JACKSON STATE. AN EXCELLENT COVER LINEBACKER. AND THEY'VE GOT THAT LEFT KNEE PROTECTED. WE'LL TRY TO GET AN UPDATE ON HIS CONDITION AS SOON AS WE CAN. WAVING TO THE CROWD AND HIS TEAMMATES. >> THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE BUFFALO BILLS HAVE ON THAT DEFENSIVE SIDE OF THE BALL. THEY HAVE GREAT DEPTH BOTH AT LINEBACKER AND DEFENSIVE LINE. ONE OF THE BIG AREAS THAT THEY'VE IMPROVED IS THE DEPTH BEHIND BRUCE SMITH. >> WYCHECK THE MAN IN MOTION. NOW SETS UP IN THE BACKFIELD. EDDIE GEORGE. RUNS INTO HIS OWN MAN AS THEY PUSH KEVIN LONG BACK IN THE BACKFIELD. IF YOU JUST JOINED US, HERE'S A RECAP OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF ACTION. JEVON KEARSE HAD THE BIGGEST PLAY OF THE GAME SO FAR. THE ROOKIE DEFENSIVE END WITH A SACK ON ROB JOHNSON. FORCED A FUMBLE. SET UP A FIELD-GOAL TRY, BUT THEY COULDN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE, AS DEL GRECO WAS WIDE LEFT FROM 44 YARDS. THAT'S REALLY BEEN THE ONLY SCORING OPPORTUNITY IN THIS GAME. SECOND AND 8 HERE. JOHNSON NAMED THE SURPRISE STARTER AFTER HIS PERFORMANCE AGAINST THE COLTS IN THE SEASON FINALE. McNAIR. SHORT SET. UNDER PRESSURE. JACKIE HARRIS. HOW HE GOT THAT ONE IN THERE, I'M NOT SURE. >> HOW HE GOT IT<i> OFF,</i> I'M NOT SURE. HE GETS PRESSURE FROM OUTSIDE. I MEAN, THIS IS THE STRENGTH OF STEVE McNAIR. AND YOU'D SAY, "OKAY. A GUY IS BIG. BUT HOW QUICK IS HE?" WATCH THE PRESSURE. HERE THEY COME ON THE OUTSIDE. THAT'S HOLECEK INSIDE. HE PULLS IT DOWN, THEN FIRES IT. AND LOOK AT THE GRAB BY HARRIS IN FRONT OF JONES. IT'S NOT A BIG COMPLETION, BUT IT'S TWO EXCELLENT PLAYS JUST TO GET ONE. >> SHOWING YOU STRENGTH. >> HE WAS THE NUMBER-ONE DRAFT CHOICE, OUT OF ALCORN STATE, IN 1995. SAT FOR A WHILE TO LEARN, AND IT HAS PAID OFF. >> THEY'VE GOT THIGPEN IN THE SLOT. >> McNAIR WITH TIME. UNDERNEATH. AND IT'S DYSON. BROKE TWO TACKLES TO GIVE HIMSELF A SHOT AT THE FIRST DOWN, BUT THEY GOT HIM A YARD AND A HALF SHY. >> THERE IS A REASON WHY THE BUFFALO BILLS ARE NUMBER ONE IN PASS DEFENSE. AND IT JUST SHOWS. AT THE END OF THIS PLAY, DYSON GETS HIT BY TWO GUYS. BUT HENRY JONES KEEPS THIS FROM BECOMING A FIRST DOWN. WATCH THE PLAY. NUMBER 87 IS DYSON. IF HE -- AFTER THE BANG RIGHT HERE, SAM COWART AND HENRY JONES. NOW WATCH THIS. THEY GET BACK UP AND THEY MAKE THE PLAY AND DO NOT ALLOW HIM -- THAT'S ANTOINE WINFIELD, THEIR NUMBER-ONE DRAFT CHOICE, MAKING THE TACKLE. >> AND KURT SCHULZ SAYS HE'S THE BEST TACKLER ON THIS TEAM, AT 5'8", 180. BEAUTIFUL PUNT BY HENTRICH TO KEVIN WILLIAMS. WILLIAMS WILL LET IT GO. AND THEY DOWN IT INSIDE THE 5. BEAUTIFUL KICK BY HENTRICH. 44 YARDS. THE BIG STORY ALL THIS WEEK -- WADE PHILLIPS' DECISION TO BENCH DOUG FLUTIE AND GO WITH ROB JOHNSON AT QUARTERBACK. PAUL, YOU LIVE IN BUFFALO. WHAT'S THE REACTION BEEN? >> WELL, THE NEWSPAPERS WANT FLUTIE. ALL THE RADIO STATIONS WANT JOHNSON. THE PLAYERS DON'T CARE, MICHAEL. ALL THEY WANT IS SOMEONE TO PLAY WELL. >> THE THING IS, TOO, FROM MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE -- THIS IS WHY YOU NEVER LET A BACKUP TAKE ANY SNAPS IN PRACTICE. YOU DON'T WANT THE COACH, ON A WHIM OR WHATEVER HIS GUT FEELING IS, TO MAKE A DECISION AND MAKE A CHANGE. >> THE BILLS START DEEP IN THEIR OWN TERRITORY AND GET IT OUT ACROSS THE 5. THE MOVE BY WADE PHILLIPS, REALLY UNPRECEDENTED. EXCEPT FOR INJURY, THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. IN '75, RON JAWORSKI STARTED FOR JAMES HARRIS. THIS IS A LIST OF QUARTERBACKS THAT REPLACED AN EVERY-GAME STARTER IN THE REGULAR-SEASON FINALE AND THEN THE FIRST PLAYOFF GAME. '90 -- CODY CARLSON FOR WARREN MOON. THE OILERS LOST AFTER MOON INJURED A THUMB. AND JAY SCHROEDER WENT OUT FOR TODD MARINOVICH. THE RAIDERS LOST THAT GAME AFTER SCHROEDER HAD INJURED AN ANKLE. BUT FLUTIE IS HEALTHY. IT HAS NEVER BEEN SIMPLY A COACH'S DECISION. JOHNSON STUMBLES, AND KEARSE HAS HIM! IT'S A SAFETY! >> JOE, HERE IS A DECISION BY A QUARTERBACK WHERE HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A TIME-OUT. >> HERE IS ALSO THE PROBLEM THAT'S GONNA FACE WADE PHILLIPS AND ROB JOHNSON ALL DAY. THE NOISE IS SO LOUD. HE'S GOT TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE CENTER TO TRY AND AUDIBLIZE, THEN GET BACK UNDER QUICKLY. THE SNAP COMES BACK LOW. HE TRIPS OVER THE RUNNING BACK. AND YOU GIVE JEVON KEARSE THAT MUCH OF AN OPPORTUNITY, HE'S GONNA GET YOU. DOUG FLUTIE TOLD ME, "THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE'RE GONNA HAVE IS COMMUNICATION, AND THAT'S GONNA BE ROB'S BIGGEST PROBLEM." AND THAT'S BEEN IT RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE OF THE LOUDNESS. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'VE GOT TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE HUDDLE SO QUICK. YOU TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT A QUARTERBACK DOES -- CALLING THE PLAY IN THE HUDDLE. GETTING YOUR TEAM IN AND OUT OF THE HUDDLE. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT I THINK DOUG FLUTIE DOES SO VERY WELL. >> ONE OTHER THING. COULD YOU TAKE THIS PLAY BACK ALL THE WAY, WHERE HE HAD TO GO UP AND DOWN BOTH SIDES OF THE LINE? TIME IS RUNNING OUT, AND ALL HE SHOULD HAVE DONE IS TAKE A TIME-OUT. LOOK AT THIS. HE JUST RUNNING ALL OVER THE PLACE. THEY'RE DOWN TO -- LOOK AT THIS. >> 2-0, TOP OF THE SECOND. THE TITANS ON TOP OF THE BILLS. [ LAUGHTER ] JEVON KEARSE HAS TWO SOLO HOME RUNS. >> LOOKING LIKE MARK McGWIRE NOW. JUST KNOCKING THEM OUT. >> TWO SACKS, THAT WAS HIS SECOND FORCED FUMBLE, AND A SAFETY. MASON AND BYRD DEEP TO RECEIVE. NOW VERY SHORT TO RECEIVE. MASON! LOOKING FOR A BLOCK. INSIDE THE 30. A 42-YARD RETURN. >> AND WHAT SETS UP THIS OPPORTUNITY? IT'S REALLY THE COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS THAT ROB JOHNSON IS HAVING WITH THE NOISE. WATCH HOW HE MOVES FROM SIDE TO SIDE ON THE LINE. NORMALLY YOU WOULD BE UNDER THE CENTER. HE'S GOT TO GO ALL THE WAY OUT AND TALK TO THE TACKLE ON THE LEFT. THEN YOU GO OUT AND TALK TO THE TACKLE ON THE RIGHT. NOW YOU LOOK AT THE CLOCK. YOU RUSH. YOU DON'T GET THE SNAP. YOU TRIP OVER A LINEMAN'S FEET, AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA OUTRUN JEVON KEARSE. >> SPRIGGS DOESN'T EVEN GET OUT OF HIS STANCE. JEVON KEARSE -- HE HAS TWO SACKS, TWO FORCED FUMBLES, AND IT'S NOW 2-0, JEVON KEARSE. >> TENNESSEE WITH ANOTHER GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY. BRUCE SMITH IS OFFSIDES. FREE PLAY FOR EDDIE GEORGE. AND HE FUMBLES! BUFFALO HAS IT! BUT THERE IS A FLAG DOWN, AND BRUCE SMITH BEING OFFSIDE WILL KILL THE PLAY. HENRY JONES MADE THE HIT THAT SHOOK IT LOOSE. >> OFFSIDE. DEFENSE, NUMBER 78. 5-YARD PENALTY. REPEAT FIRST DOWN. >> YOU KNOW, THE NOISE FACTOR -- WHEN THE BUFFALO BILLS ARE ON OFFENSE, I CAN UNDERSTAND THE MOTION. BUT WHEN YOU'RE ON DEFENSE -- WATCH NUMBER 78, BRUCE SMITH. HE'S OFFSIDE, NOT EVEN MAKING AN ATTEMPT TO GET BACK. AND EDDIE GEORGE FUMBLES THE BALL. THE BILLS GET IT, BUT THEY DON'T GET A CHANCE TO KEEP IT. THE NOISE FACTOR IS NOTHING WHEN TENNESSEE HAS THE BALL. >> HENRY JONES PUT A SHOULDER PAD RIGHT ON THE BALL AND KNOCKED IT LOOSE. SAME PLAY. EDDIE GEORGE. TO THE 20. >> OFFSIDE AGAIN. >> BILLS JUMP OFFSIDES AGAIN. >> PAT WILLIAMS. >> PRIOR TO THE SNAP, ENCROACHMENT. DEFENSE. THE 5-YARD PENALTY RESULTS IN A FIRST DOWN. >> THE BILLS ARE THE TEAM THAT HAS THE OVERWHELMING EDGE IN PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE MAKING THE INEXPERIENCED MISTAKES. >> BUT LET ME TELL YOU. YOUR QUARTERBACK DOESN'T. AND IF YOU'RE GONNA WIN FOOTBALL GAMES, ESPECIALLY IN THE PLAYOFFS, YOUR QUARTERBACK HAS TO PLAY SOUND AND WELL. RIGHT NOW ROB JOHNSON IS STRUGGLING. >> SO IS STEVE McNAIR. >> NONE OF WHICH EXPLAINS THE THREE OFFSIDES CALLS ON BUFFALO. DRAW PLAY TO EDDIE GEORGE. NEAR THE 10. RIGHT NOW TENNESSEE WITH A CHANCE TO IMPROVE ON THAT 2-0 LEAD. THEY FACE A SECOND AND 6 AT THE 11. >> THIS IS WHERE THE TIGHT ENDS BECOME SO VITAL TO THIS OFFENSE. >> EDDIE GEORGE OFF THE RIGHT SIDE. >> WHAT A BLOCK BY JACKIE HARRIS. YOU SAID ABOUT THE TIGHT ENDS -- NOT ONLY CATCHING THE BALL, JOE, BUT BLOCKING. >> THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I MEANT, PAUL. THEY CAN DO BOTH. BOTH OF THEIR TIGHT ENDS HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET DOWN THE FIELD, BUT THEY BOTH BLOCK VERY WELL. >> JACKIE HARRIS IS NUMBER 88. AND WATCH HIM GET ON THE OUTSIDE. HIS JOB IS TO SEAL. HE'S ON THE CORNER, WINFIELD. HE SEALS HIM. PUSHES HIM DOWN. EDDIE GEORGE JUST MAKES THE CUT OFF THE PLAY. >> YOU SEE EDDIE GET TO THE OUTSIDE. THAT'S JACKIE HARRIS. LARRY BROWN OVER THERE AS WELL. FRANK WYCHECK. ALL THREE TIGHT ENDS LINED UP TO THE RIGHT. >> FIRST AND GOAL. BRUCE SMITH AND COMPANY TRYING TO DIG IN. EDDIE GEORGE. JUST SHY OF THE 1. >> THIS IS WHERE THE VALUE, I THINK, OF A STEVE McNAIR COMES IN. AND THEY'RE GONNA GO NO HUDDLE. THEY'RE NOT GONNA GIVE THE BILLS A CHANCE TO REALLY RECOGNIZE. LOOK FOR THE QUARTERBACK SWEEP ON THIS ONE. >> THERE IT IS. NAKED BOOT. TOUCHDOWN. GREAT CALL, JOE. SAM ROGERS IS IRATE. HE SAYS HE WAS HELD ON THE PLAY. >> WELL, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS LES STECKEL, WHO'S THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR, REALLY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF CONCEIVING WHAT HE WANTED TO DO. WHAT YOU DO IS YOU RUN A PLAY REAL QUICK, THEN YOU COME BACK, RUN A SIMILAR FORMATION SO TO THE DEFENSE IT LOOKS THE SAME. NOW YOU FAKE INSIDE TO LORENZO NEAL. AND McNAIR WINDS UP WALKING INTO THE END ZONE. HERE'S THE FAKE INSIDE. NOW HE GETS HOOKED. HE DOES GET HELD, POSSIBLY, A LITTLE BIT. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER. >> DEL GRECO FOR THE POINT AFTER. 9-0 TITANS. 7:55 TO GO, FIRST HALF OF PLAY. A SAFETY AND A TOUCHDOWN. THERE IS RALPH WILSON, THE AFFABLE OWNER OF THE BUFFALO BILLS. WADE PHILLIPS WENT TO HIM WITH THE DECISION, AND MR. WILSON OKAYED IT. HE WAS VERY HIGH ON ROB JOHNSON'S FINAL-GAME PERFORMANCE AND AGREED WITH THE DECISION. >> LOOK OUT. >> KEVIN WILLIAMS. CAN'T GET TO THE WIDE SIDE! CUT DOWN BY ISAAC BYRD. >> WE TALKED ABOUT WHY ROB JOHNSON WAS INSERTED INTO THIS OFFENSE. IF TENNESSEE PLAYS MAN-TO-MAN, BUFFALO STILL HAS THE ABILITY TO GO DOWN THE FIELD. >> THEY HAVE THE RUN PACKAGE IN RIGHT NOW, WITH ANTOWAIN SMITH AND SAM GASH. SMITH. TO THE 27 AND ACROSS IT. >> YOU KNOW, GUYS, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT JEVON KEARSE AND THE EXCEPTIONAL ATHLETE THAT HE IS AND THE PLAYS THAT HE'S MADE. BUT YOU LOOK AT THESE OTHER GUYS UP FRONT -- HENRY FORD'S HAVING ONE OF HIS BEST YEARS. THEY BRING IN A JASON FISK FROM MINNESOTA. JOHN THORNTON PLAYS. JOSH EVANS. THEY'RE ALL VERY UNSELFISH. THEY'RE HAPPY FOR JEVON'S SUCCESS, BUT THESE GUYS HAVE ALSO RAISED THEIR LEVEL OF PLAY. >> JEFF FISHER SAID LAST YEAR THE DEFENSIVE LINE WAS A WEAKNESS. NOW IT IS A STRENGTH. THURMAN THOMAS CHECKS IN ON SECOND AND 5. THURMAN WILL GET A CARRY. NIFTY MOVE AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE TO GET AWAY FROM FORD, AND HE'LL PICK UP A COUPLE BEFORE BARRON WORTHAM, THE MIDDLE LINEBACKER, BROUGHT HIM DOWN. >> JAMIE NAILS LOST HIS HELMET. >> THAT'S A BIG HAT TO GO ON THE GROUND. >> [ LAUGHS ] PUT A DENT. >> THURMAN THOMAS DID NOT PLAY LAST WEEK AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS. WADE PHILLIPS WAS CONCERNED ABOUT ANTOWAIN SMITH'S HEALTH, SO HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE'D HAVE THURMAN HEALTHY FOR THIS ONE. AND LAST NIGHT, PAUL, WHEN YOU ASKED HIM, "WILL THURMAN PLAY?" HE SAID, "YEAH. A LOT." >> AND CARRY THE BALL A LOT. >> JOHNSON TO THROW. JUST OVER THE FINGERTIPS OF KEVIN WILLIAMS. HAD HIM AND MISSED HIM. >> BOY, YOU TALK ABOUT RESPECTING A DEFENSIVE END -- JEVON KEARSE. RIEMERSMA, NUMBER 85, IS A TIGHT END. HE'S GONNA BLOCK. THEN THURMAN THOMAS IS GONNA BLOCK. HERE'S RIEMERSMA ON JEVON KEARSE. HE GOES INSIDE. THURMAN CHIPS HIM. NAILS WASN'T OUT THERE. HE WAS BEING THROWN OFF HIS OWN BLOCK. >> AND ROB JOHNSON HAS GOT KEVIN WILLIAMS RUNNING OPEN DOWN THE FIELD. HE GETS BY MARCUS ROBERTSON. THESE ARE THE PASSES THAT HE HIT IN THE ONE GAME THAT HE PLAYED. >> THE MEANINGLESS GAME. >> MOHR TO PUNT IT AWAY. AND DERRICK MASON WAITS FOR IT AT HIS OWN 30. VERY, VERY SHORT. MASON COMES UP. BOBBLED THE BALL. GOT IT BACK. TENNESSEE GETS THE BALL BACK. VERY FORTUNATE. THE PUNT -- 27 YARDS. THAT'S THE ROOKIE NICKNAMED THE FREAK, JEVON KEARSE. YES, HE'S HAVING A GOOD TIME. YOU WOULD TOO IF YOU HAD TWO SACKS, TWO FORCED FUMBLES, AND A SAFETY IN LESS THAN A HALF. >> I THINK YOU'VE GOT TO ADD SOMETHING -- IT'S "THE FREAK, SIR." >> YES, IT IS. >> HE LOVES THE NAME. THE GUY COMES WALKING IN YESTERDAY SUCKING ON A LOLLIPOP. HE'S HAVING A GREAT TIME. >> McNAIR FUMBLES THE SNAP. AND MISSES WYCHECK. THAT ONE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE FROM THE GET-GO. >> I THINK THIS IS A VERY CRITICAL PERIOD IN THE GAME FOR THE TENNESSEE TITANS. YOU'VE RIDDEN THE EMOTION OF THE SAFETY AND A TOUCHDOWN. NOW YOU'VE GOT TO COME OUT AND REALLY KEEP THE INTENSITY UP. YOU CAN'T RELAX, BECAUSE THE BUFFALO BILLS ARE JUST TOO GOOD. THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING JEFF FISHER'S GOT TO BE CONCERNED WITH. THEY CAN'T COME OUT AND THINK THEY CAN JUST NOW SETTLE IN AND GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS. >> I WANT TO SEE THEM THROW ONE TO YANCEY THIGPEN. >> THEY WON'T. I DON'T THINK THEY'LL THROW TO THE WIDE RECEIVERS IN THIS GAME. BUFFALO WON'T LET THEM. >> GEORGE ON THE DRAW. BOUNCES OFF A TACKLER. AND THEN BROUGHT DOWN BY A GANG AS HE REACHED THE BUFFALO 47-YARD LINE. >> YOU MENTIONED THROWING TO THIGPEN. THIGPEN COMING BACK FROM INJURY IS WHAT REALLY OPENED UP THE PASSING GAME FOR THIS BALL CLUB. >> WE TALKED ABOUT THE VALUE OF BLAINE BISHOP DEFENSIVELY AS A LEADER GOES. YANCEY THIGPEN PROVIDES THAT SAME LEADERSHIP TO THE RECEIVING CORPS. THEY'RE A VERY YOUNG GROUP OF GUYS, AND THEY COUNT ON HIM TO BE OUT THERE. PLUS I THINK HE'S MADE STEVE McNAIR MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT. >> THIRD AND 5 FOR TENNESSEE. CHRIS SANDERS, NUMBER 81, IN AS A THIRD WIDE RECEIVER. McNAIR FLUSHED. AND THEY GOT HIM! BRUCE SMITH RODE HIM DOWN. A SACK AND A HALF FOR THE ALL-PRO. >> THAT WAS JUST OUTSTANDING COVERAGE. AND BRUCE SMITH -- YOU KNOW, HERE'S ANOTHER GUY THAT HAS NEVER REALLY STOPPED WHEN HE PLAYS. LOOK AT THIS. HE COMES ALL THE WAY DOWN THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE INSIDE. AND WATCH THIS. HE DOESN'T QUIT. HE SEES McNAIR COME BACK OUT TO HIM, GETS HIS BALANCE, AND MAKES THE TACKLE FOR A SACK. >> HENTRICH TO KICK TO WILLIAMS. ONCE AGAIN TENNESSEE SQUANDERS EXCELLENT FIELD POSITION. HENTRICH HANGS ANOTHER ONE VERY HIGH. WILLIAMS. FAIR CATCH JUST OUTSIDE THE 11. 4:51 TO GO, FIRST HALF. BUFFALO REALLY NEEDS SOMETHING GOOD TO HAPPEN ON OFFENSE. >> I THINK THEY HAVE TO REALLY GO -- I THINK THEY HAVE TO TRY AND RUN THE FOOTBALL. IT'S THE EASIEST WAY FOR THE LINEMEN TO COMMUNICATE. I DON'T THINK YOU CAN ALLOW ROB JOHNSON TO GO TO THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, LOOK AT A LOT OF THINGS, AND TRY AND CHANGE PLAYS. >> THE CROWD ON ITS FEET AGAIN, ENCOURAGING KEARSE AND THE DEFENSE. [ CROWD CHEERING ] THURMAN THOMAS. HE IS SWAMPED. FLAGS ARE DOWN. KEARSE AND WORTHAM LED THE CHARGE. >> THIS GUY'S MOTOR RUNS ALL THE TIME. >> THEY MIGHT REFUSE THIS. THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA REFUSE THIS PENALTY BECAUSE IT'S A LOSS AND THERE REALLY ISN'T FAR TO GO BACK. >> YOU'RE ONLY GONNA GET HALF THE DISTANCE ANYWAY, SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL TAKE THE PLAY. >> HOLDING. OFFENSE, NUMBER 79. THE PENALTY IS DECLINED. SECOND DOWN. >> THAT'S PRO BOWLER RUBEN BROWN, WHO WAS VOTED TO HIS FOURTH STRAIGHT PRO BOWL. >> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SIZE OF BUFFALO'S OFFENSIVE LINE VERSUS THE SPEED OF THE TENNESSEE TITANS. RIGHT NOW, SPEED IS WINNING OUT. >> JOHNSON UNDER PRESSURE. A MARKER DOWN. AND HE THROWS IT AWAY. THERE IS NO RHYTHM RIGHT NOW FOR THE BILLS ON OFFENSE. >> THIS ONE'S GONNA GO AGAINST THE BILLS AGAIN. >> FALSE START. OFFENSE, NUMBER 61. HALF THE DISTANCE TO THE GOAL. REPEAT SECOND DOWN. >> THAT'S DUSTY ZEIGLER AND THE FOURTH MOTION PENALTY ON BUFFALO'S LINE. >> IT'S THE SUBTLE THINGS WHEN YOU CHANGE QUARTERBACKS. AFTER THE OFFENSIVE LINE HAS BEEN USED TO THE RHYTHM OF A DOUG FLUTIE -- AND REALLY, ROB HASN'T HAD A CHANCE TO PRACTICE WITH THEM THAT MUCH. WHATEVER WADE SAW, I'M SURE HE LIKED, BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE PART OF THE QUARTERBACK POSITION THAT DOUG FLUTIE HAD ESTABLISHED IN COMMUNICATING WITH HIS TEAM OVER THE YEAR. >> SECOND AND 17. JOHNSON MISSED RIEMERSMA. >> WELL, WE TALKED ABOUT JEVON KEARSE. AND THEY'RE ONLY GONNA GIVE HIM ONE FORCED FUMBLE ON THIS PLAY UNTIL THEY LOOK AT THE RULING AGAIN. BUT JEVON KEARSE IS GIVING YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT HE DOES. THERE'S FINA. FINA HAS A BAD KNEE. SO HE GETS AROUND AND HE CAUSES A FUMBLE THERE. NOW HERE'S THE SACK IN THE END ZONE -- 2 POINTS. I MEAN, THIS GUY -- THE THING I LIKED WAS BRUCE MATTHEWS TALKED ABOUT HIM. HE SAID, "I'VE SEEN GUYS WITH HIS ABILITY. I'VE SEEN GUYS AS FAST AS HIM. I'VE SEEN GUYS DO ALL THE THINGS, BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYBODY THAT DOES IT CONSTANTLY." >> AND THIS IS ONE PLACE WHERE ROB JOHNSON'S GONNA HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH THE FOOTBALL. YOU DON'T WANT TO TURN IT OVER DEEP IN YOUR OWN END HERE. >> THIRD AND 17. JOHNSON TO PRICE. THAT'S SHORT OF A FIRST DOWN. AND HE IS BELTED OUT OF BOUNDS BY BLAINE BISHOP, THE STRONG SAFETY. >> THAT WAS A GOOD THROW. UNFORTUNATELY, PRICE DIDN'T GET BEYOND THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, WHERE HE HAD TO BE TO GET THE FIRST DOWN -- TO BEYOND THE FIRST-DOWN MARKER. AND PRICE PAID THE PRICE. >> AND WHAT PRICE WAS THAT? >> BLAINE BISHOP. [ LAUGHTER ] THAT WAS ABOUT A $400 HIT. >> CHRIS MOHR, WHO GOT OFF A WOEFULLY SHORT ONE THE LAST TIME, NEEDS A BIG ONE HERE. NICE PUNT THIS TIME. A HIGH SAILER FOR MASON. MADE THE FIRST MAN MISS BUT NOT THE SECOND. BROUGHT DOWN AT THE 40. A 43-YARD KICK. A 2-YARD RETURN. THIS OFFENSE STARTED SLOWLY FOR BOTH BALL CLUBS. TENNESSEE GOT A BREAK WHEN JEVON KEARSE GOT A SACK IN THE END ZONE FOR A SAFETY. AND THEN THEY ADDED THE TOUCHDOWN. BRUCE MATTHEWS -- 12 STRAIGHT PRO BOWLS. EIGHT AT GUARD, FOUR AT CENTER. HE'S PLAYED 264 GAMES, A RECORD FOR OFFENSIVE LINEMEN, AND DOESN'T SHOW ANY SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN IN HIS 17th YEAR. HE'S JUST A MARVEL. McNAIR THROWS SHORT. COMPLETES IT UP AT THE 45. OF COURSE, THE MATTHEWS CLAN, CLAY AND BRUCE, DON'T WANT TO BE ON THIS LIST. ALONG WITH GARY ANDERSON, THEY HAVE PLAYED THE MOST GAMES IN NFL HISTORY WITHOUT PLAYING IN A SUPER BOWL. THIS YEAR, HOWEVER, IT IS WIDE OPEN. AND THEY THINK THEY HAVE A SHOT. >> ONE THING I LIKE ABOUT BRUCE MATTHEWS -- IT'S ANYWHERE ON THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. YOU WANT TO PLAY HIM? JUST PLUG HIM IN. IF SOMEBODY GETS HURT, YOU CAN MOVE HIM ANYWHERE YOU WANT. AND HE CAN PLAY IT. >> EDDIE GEORGE. AND THE BILLS FLY TO THE BALL, AND THEY'LL STOP HIM ABOUT 2 YARDS SHY OF A FIRST DOWN. SAM ROGERS THE FIRST MAN IN ON THE TACKLE. >> YOU KNOW, JUST WATCHING FILM ON BRUCE MATTHEWS, YOU WATCH HIS FEET AND YOU SEE WHAT HE DOES. HE'S GONNA BE ON A DOUBLE TEAM. HE'S 74. WILLIAMS IN THE MIDDLE. YOU SEE HIM? SEE HOW HE TURNS HIS BODY? THERE'S JUST ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT WILLIAMS CAN COME DOWN THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, EVEN THOUGH THE DOUBLE TEAM IS ON. HE PUTS HIS BODY IN A POSITION WHERE YOU CAN'T MAKE A PLAY. >> THAT'S THE LOOK HE ALWAYS HAS ON HIS FACE. HE IS JUST A VERY PLEASANT PERSON WHO LOVES PLAYING THIS GAME. THIRD AND 2. McNAIR TO THE SHOTGUN. DRAW PLAY TO GEORGE. HAS TO CUT IT OUTSIDE. ROOM TO RUN. LOST THE BALL! BUFFALO HAS IT! THE SECOND FUMBLE FOR EDDIE GEORGE. THE FIRST WAS WIPED OUT BY A PENALTY. SHAWN PRICE WAS THE MAN WHO KNOCKED IT AWAY. >> HE MAKES THE FIRST DOWN EASILY. BUT IN FIGHTING FOR THE EXTRA YARDS, TRYING TO CUT IN, THE BALL JUST GETS AWAY FROM HIS BODY. IT'S A LITTLE BIT CHILLY, BUT IT'S NOT THAT COLD, FOLKS. HERE'S THE MOVE INSIDE. THEN OUTSIDE. HE'S GOT THE FIRST DOWN NOW. NOW HE GETS THE BALL AWAY. IT JUST GETS NICKED. AND HE WINDS UP TURNING IT OVER. YOU'LL SEE. SCHULZ GETS A LITTLE BIT OF A HAT ON HIS HAND. THE BALL COMES FLYING OUT. >> BUFFALO REALLY NEEDS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE HERE. 2:25 TO GO IN THE HALF. THEY'RE DOWN 9-0. THEY NEED SOMETHING OFFENSIVELY. AND JOHNSON THROWS INCOMPLETE. THAT PASS WAS SHORT. INTENDED FOR THE BACKUP TIGHT END, BOBBY COLLINS. >> WHAT YOU SACRIFICE WHEN YOU SWITCH QUARTERBACKS IF YOU'RE THE BUFFALO BILLS IS YOU SACRIFICE THE MOBILITY AND THE IMPROVISATIONAL SKILLS OF DOUG FLUTIE. ROB JOHNSON -- HE CAN MOVE AROUND, YES. BUT DOUG FLUTIE CAN MOVE AROUND TO GET THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD AND MAKE PLAYS. AND WITH THIS KIND OF A PASS RUSH, YOU DON'T WANT TO JUST BE A STATIONARY TARGET. >> HE'S BEEN UNDER CONSTANT PRESSURE. AND THE PASSES HE'S COMPLETED HAVE HAD TO BE RIGHT ON THE MONEY. UNDER PRESSURE. THEY GET HIM AGAIN. >> THIS DEFENSIVE LINE, ALL THEY'RE DOING IS TEEING OFF AND GOING. THEY'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT RUN OR ANYTHING. HENRY FORD, NUMBER 92, COMES FROM THE OUTSIDE. HE GETS BLOCKED. BUT ROB JOHNSON CAN SEE HIM OUT OF THE CORNER OF HIS EYE, KNOWING THE PRESSURE IS THERE. >> WHEN YOU GO NAKED IN THE BACKFIELD, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ANY BACKS IN THE BACKFIELD, THE DEFENSIVE LINEMEN HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. >> EXACTLY. >> THE FORMATION'S REALLY DICTATING WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO. >> FIVE FIRST-HALF SACKS. THIRD AND 11 FOR THE BILLS. >> BLITZ. >> JOHNSON. PRICE GOT HIS HANDS ON IT AND JUGGLED IT GOING OUT OF BOUNDS. PRICE THINKS HE CAUGHT IT. >> BOY, WAS THAT A GREAT THROW. >> IT WAS A GREAT THROW, AND IT'S A NICE JOB BY THE OFFICIAL OF BEING RIGHT ON IT. AS PRICE HEAD TOWARDS THE SIDELINES, YOU CAN SEE HE DOES NOT HAVE CONTROL OF THE BALL. ROB JOHNSON STEPPING UP. SAMARI ROLLE. LOOK. HE'S JUST NOT QUITE GOT IT. SEE? JUST QUITE GETS AWAY FROM HIM. TRYING TO MAKE IT. JUST NOT SURE. THE BALL'S NOT TUCKED AWAY. AND THE OFFICIAL, YOU CAN SEE, IS RIGHT BEHIND HIM. >> JUST REMEMBER -- YOU HAVE TO HAVE CONTROL OF THE BALL. AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT. >> I'LL TELL YOU WHAT. THAT'S GONNA BE REVIEWED, BECAUSE HIS KNEE HIT DOWN IN BOUNDS, AN HE NEVER LOST POSSESSION OF THAT FOOTBALL. >> I DON'T KNOW WHETHER HE HAD TOTAL CONTROL. THAT'S THE THING THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT. >> IT'S CONTROL. >> WE GET A LOOK AT FOUR DIFFERENT REPLAYS AND KEEP CHANGING YOUR MIND. MOHR TO KICK TO MASON. FAIR CATCH AT THE 22. SO THE BILLS HAD GREAT FIELD POSITION. COULDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH IT. AND NOW TENNESSEE HAS IT BACK AGAIN WITH 1:46 TO GO. AND WADE PHILLIPS' OFFENSE HAS SIMPLY BEEN SUFFOCATED TODAY. AND THE BILLS HAVE JUST KILLED THEMSELVES WITH PENALTIES. >> AND THEY'RE OFFENSIVE PENALTIES. IT'S NOT LIKE YOU MAKE A PERSONAL FOUL THAT GIVES SOMEBODY A CHEAP 15 YARDS. IT'S BEEN FORCING THEIR OFFENSE TO WIND UP IN FIRST AND 15, SECOND AND 13 ALL THE TIME. ROB JOHNSON REALLY HASN'T HAD A CHANCE TO WORK IN A MANAGEABLE YARDAGE YET. >> I LOOK AT THIS SCORE -- 9-0. JEFF FISHER TOLD US ON FRIDAY, "YOU KNOW, DON'T GET TOO CARRIED AWAY WITH THESE OFFENSES, NOW. THIS GAME COULD END UP LIKE A 9-3, 9-6 BALLGAME." >> WELL, WE'VE GOT THE 9. >> [ LAUGHS ] EDDIE GEORGE. EXCUSE ME. IT'S RODNEY THOMAS WHO HAS CHECKED IN FOR EDDIE GEORGE IN THE FINAL 1:45. >> BOY, BRUCE SMITH JUST MADE A GREAT PLAY AS A DEFENSIVE END. HE JUST HELD HIS GROUND, MADE THE RUNNING BACK, RODNEY THOMAS, RUN BACK TO THE OUTSIDE, AND HE LOST 2 YARDS ON THE PLAY. >> AND YOU KNOW EDDIE GEORGE ISN'T HAPPY. >> HE WANTS TO BE THE GUY IN THERE ON EVERY CARRY. TENNESSEE BEING VERY CONTENT TO LET THE CLOCK RUN. ACROSS THE 30 GOES RODNEY THOMAS. McNAIR TO THROW ON FIRST DOWN. AND JUST THROWS IT AWAY. >> WELL, THAT'S KIND OF UNUSUAL. THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOBODY -- NOT A RECEIVER ON THIS SIDE OF THE FIELD. >> THE REASON WHY IS THAT WAS A SCREEN THAT WAS SET UP. AND RODNEY THOMAS GETS CAUGHT IN THE WASH CALLED THE DEFENSIVE LINE OF THE BUFFALO BILLS AND CAN'T EVER GET OUT. ALL THE RECEIVERS ARE TO ONE SIDE -- THE RIGHT. ALL THE RECEIVERS ARE TO YOUR LEFT AS YOU LOOK AT THIS. RODNEY'S TRYING TO SNEAK THROUGH. HE GETS TACKLED AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. BUT STEVE McNAIR DOES A SMART THING. HE GETS OUTSIDE THE BOX SO HE WON'T GET CALLED FOR INTENTIONAL GROUNDING. >> 49 SECONDS ON THE SECOND-QUARTER CLOCK. McNAIR THROWS SHORT. INCOMPLETE. INTENDED FOR DYSON. THOMAS SMITH WITH THE COVERAGE. WHOO. CROWD WANTED A FLAG. >> THOMAS SMITH, HE TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY, "I CAN COVER. I'M GONNA GET ME AN INTERCEPTION IN THIS GAME." LOOK AT THOMAS SMITH ON DYSON. IS THIS PASS INTERFERENCE? YES, IT IS. WHEN HE GOT THAT LEFT ARM AROUND -- I'M SORRY. YOU CAN'T TOUCH THE GUY. >> REMEMBER, THE BUFFALO BILLS ARE ONLY ONE PLAY AWAY, A BIG PLAY AWAY FROM BEING RIGHT -- NOT THAT THEY'RE OUT OF THIS GAME, BUT RIGHT BACK IN IT. SO TENNESSEE CAN'T GIVE THEM TOO MUCH TIME. >> McNAIR, WHO HAS ONLY HIT 6 OF 14 PASSES, FACES A THIRD DOWN. NOW HE WANTS TO RUN. HENRY JONES TOOK HIM OUT OF BOUNDS. HE STRETCHED FOR THE MARKER AND DIDN'T GET THERE. >> WHOA. QUITE A JOB BY THE OFFICIAL COMING UP AND MARKING IT REAL QUICK. LOOKED LIKE McNAIR MIGHT HAVE REACHED PAST THE FIRST-DOWN MARKER. >> HE TRIED TO STRETCH IT OUT. >> IF YOU WANT TO REALIZE HOW FAST McNAIR IS -- WHEN YOU SEE HIM TRY TO RUN TO THE OUTSIDE, THIS GUY CAN PICK IT UP. AND HE IS BIG. >> WATCH, PAUL. WATCH THIS. LOOK AT THE END OF THE PLAY. LOOK AT WHERE THE BALL IS. DOES HE STEP OUT OF BOUNDS? IS THAT RIGHT FOOT OUT OF BOUNDS? >> THEY MARKED IT PROPERLY. >> GOOD CALL. >> THEY'LL KICK IT AWAY. 38 SECONDS TO GO IN THE HALF. >> I THINK THEY MIGHT WANT TO -- THEY MIGHT BE TAKING A LOOK AT THIS. >> WE ARE REVIEWING THE RULING ON THE FIELD. >> NOW, KEEP IN MIND -- I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD UNDERSTAND. BECAUSE WE'VE SAID SOMETHING, THE INSTANT REPLAY BOOTH CANNOT HEAR US. >> NOR DO THEY WANT TO. >> I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WADE'S MAD ABOUT -- THEY DIDN'T REVIEW HIS PLAY. >> HERE'S WHERE THE MARKER IS. RIGHT THERE. NOW, DOES HIS FOOT GO OUT RIGHT THERE? HIS RIGHT FOOT'S IN BOUNDS. OKAY? NOW, THE BALL HITS PAST THE MARKER. IN MY OPINION, THAT'S A FIRST DOWN. I THOUGHT POSSIBLY HIS RIGHT FOOT MIGHT HAVE GONE OUT OF BOUNDS. >> THIS ONE DOESN'T SHOW IT. THE OTHER ONE IS TRUE, BECAUSE THE FIRST-DOWN MARKER IS AT THE 43-YARD LINE. IF YOU LOOK AT IT THIS WAY -- THE 43. LOOK WHERE THE BALL IS. >> WATCH HIS RIGHT FOOT. >> HIS RIGHT FOOT'S IN. HE STRETCHES THE BALL OUT. AND LOOK WHERE THE BALL LANDS. THE BALL LANDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE 43-YARD LINE. THAT'S A FIRST DOWN. THE BALL'S GOING AT THE 43-YARD LINE. [ LAUGHS ] THIS IS AMAZING. >> OH, THEY MOVED THE BALL BUT IT'S STILL SHORT? IS THAT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING? >> WHAT I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND IS HOW THEY DECIDED ON THAT PARTICULAR SPOT FOR THE BALL. NOTHING HITS THE GROUND BUT THE BALL. >> THAT BALL SHOULD BE ON THE 43 1/2-YARD LINE. AND THEY'RE GONNA GET A FIRST DOWN ANYWAY. LOOK AT THIS. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? >> I THINK WHAT THEY DID WAS SAYING, "WHERE DID THE BALL CROSS THE SIDELINE?" BECAUSE IT HIT OUT OF BOUNDS. YOU CAN'T SPOT IT WHERE IT HIT OUT OF BOUNDS. >> BUT THE GUY -- BUT STEVE McNAIR WAS STILL IN BOUNDS. >> ARE YOU KIDDING ME? >> THINK HOW THEY SPOT A PUNT OUT OF BOUNDS. THE OFFICIALS TRY TO LINE IT UP DIAGONALLY FROM ONE TO THE OTHER. I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE DOING WITH THE SPOT OF THAT BALL. >> I DON'T THINK THEY INTENDED 3:45 TO MAKE A DETERMINATION. >> I DON'T EITHER. BUT ISN'T THE IDEA TO GET IT RIGHT -- 3:45 OR NOT? >> NOW, DO YOU THINK THE BILLS THINK HE GOT IT RIGHT? >> I THINK THEY DID. >> [ LAUGHS ] >> ESPECIALLY IN A PLAYOFF GAME. >> JACKIE HARRIS IS THE TIGHT END. HE'S THE GUY YOU GOT TO LOOK FOR DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOOTBALL FIELD. >> AND RODNEY THOMAS IS STILL THE RUNNING BACK. WE HAVE HAD NO REPORT ON EDDIE GEORGE. AND THREE OF THE BILLS ARE ACROSS THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. LET'S SEE IF THEY WERE DRAWN. HARD TO IMAGINE ALL THREE OF THEM ANTICIPATED THE SNAP COUNT THAT WELL. >> WELL, WHEN ONE GOES, THE OTHERS GO WITH HIM. >> PRIOR TO THE SNAP, ENCROACHMENT. DEFENSE, NUMBER 90. >> PHIL HANSEN GOES FIRST. THEN BRUCE SMITH AND OTHERS GO RIGHT IN BEHIND HIM. >> ESPECIALLY IN A 2-MINUTE DRILL, BECAUSE YOU'RE BASICALLY IN A RHYTHMIC CADENCE AS A QUARTERBACK. THIS TIME, STEVE McNAIR JUST CHANGED IT UP. THERE'S THE PENALTIES. >> FOUR OFFSIDES, FOUR FALSE STARTS IN THE FIRST HALF FOR THE BILLS. THEY ARE JUST KILLING THEMSELVES WITH LITTLE MISTAKES. AND THERE IS THE FORMER HEISMAN WINNER OUT OF OHIO STATE. STILL 38 SECONDS TO GO IN THE HALF. McNAIR TO THIGPEN. YANCEY THIGPEN GETS OUT OF BOUNDS. IT'S A FIRST DOWN. BLITZ COMING. McNAIR UNLOADS. AND IT'S INSIDE THE 35, TO THE 33. CHRIS SANDERS. 27 SECONDS ON THE CLOCK. QUARTERBACK DRAW. McNAIR INSIDE THE 30. QUARTERBACK DRAW BY McNAIR. IT'S GONNA TOUGH TO GET THE FIELD-GOAL TEAM ON HERE. >> NO, HE'LL JUST STAND UP AND SPIKE IT. IF THEY'LL LET HIM UP. >> IF THEY'LL LET HIM. >> HE CAN SPIKE IT. HE'S GOT TIME. >> HAS ENOUGH TIME. IF HE RUNS THAT BALL ANOTHER 10 YARDS, THEY'RE OUT OF TIME. >> I WOULD THINK SO, BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA LAY ON HIM. >> I DIDN'T LIKE THE DECISION. I DIDN'T LIKE THE CALL AT THE END OF THE GAME THERE. LET HIM THROW IT AWAY. I MEAN, YOU'RE MUCH BETTER OFF. PUT IT IN HIS HANDS, BUT TELL HIM, "THROW IT AWAY." >> BESIDES THAT, THEY ALMOST RIPPED HIS SHIRT OFF. >> SO NOW DEL GRECO WILL COME IN TO TRY FROM 45 YARDS. 0 FOR 1 IN THIS GAME. >> 0 FOR 2. >> HOOKED IT AGAIN. SO THE TITANS HAD A CHANCE FOR A BIG LEAD. AS IT IS, THE END OF THE FIRST HALF WILL HAVE A SCORE OF 9-0. THERE IS A PENALTY FLAG DOWN. WILL THIS BE ANOTHER CHANCE? >> IF IT'S ON THE DEFENSE, IT WILL BE. >> HOLDING. DEFENSE, NUMBER 99, WHO PULLED THE PLAYER ASIDE TO ALLOW A TEAMMATE TO SHOOT THROUGH AND ATTEMPT TO BLOCK THE KICK. >> GABE NORTHERN. >> THIS IS A 5-YARD PENALTY WITH AN AUTOMATIC FIRST DOWN. WE WILL EXTEND THE HALF FOR AN UNTIMED DOWN. >> YOU DON'T SEE IT CALLED VERY OFTEN, BUT WHEN A DEFENSIVE PLAYER ON A KICK RUSH WINDS UP GRABBING SOMEBODY, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS. RIGHT THERE. WATCH THAT. SEE HIM GRAB HIM AND PULL HIM DOWN? WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS GET HENRY JONES THROUGH THE SLOT TO MAKE A BLOCK. AND THAT'S WHAT THE OFFICIALS ARE LOOKING AT. >> AND THAT'S A GOOD CALL. SO DEL GRECO GETS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, THIS TIME FROM 40. >> IF HE DOES MISS IT, IT WON'T BE LEFT. >> DEL GRECO KNOCKS IT THROUGH. SO THE BILLS WITH ANOTHER MISTAKE THAT COST THEM 3 MORE POINTS. THAT'S THE END OF THE FIRST HALF, WITH THE SCORE THE TITANS 12, THE BILLS 0. READY TO START THE SECOND HALF IN NASHVILLE WITH THE TITANS THROWING A SHUTOUT AT THE BILLS, 12-0. A TOUCHDOWN, A FIELD GOAL, AND A SAFETY. CRAIG HENTRICH PREPARING TO KICK OFF TO KEVIN WILLIAMS, WHO WAITS AT HIS 5. AND THE BILLS COULD CERTAINLY USE A BIG KICKOFF RETURN -- ANYTHING TO GIVE THEM AN OFFENSIVE SPARK. HIGH BUT SHORT. WILLIAMS FROM THE 14. LOWERS HIS HEAD AND TAKES IT OUT OVER THE 35. LET'S CHECK IN WITH SOLOMON WILCOTS. >> YEAH, MIKE. AT HALFTIME, TALKED TO WADE PHILLIPS. HE SAYS THE REASON WHY HIS OFFENSE STRUGGLED IN THE FIRST HALF IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MANY INJURIES ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE THAT THEY CAN'T GET ANY CONTINUITY. NOW, I ASKED HIM AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE'LL SEE DOUG FLUTIE IN THE SECOND HALF IN REPLACEMENT FOR ROB JOHNSON. WELL, GUYS, I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU WHAT HE SAID TO ME. IT WAS NOT KIND. >> [ LAUGHS ] >> ALL RIGHT, SOLOMON. HE'S HEARD THAT QUARTERBACK QUESTION ONE TOO MANY TIMES THIS WEEK. >> WELL, LIKE I SAID, HE ALSO TOLD US LAST NIGHT THAT HE MADE THE DECISION AND HE MADE THE DECISION WITH THE PLANS ON HAVING ROB JOHNSON PLAY THIS FOOTBALL GAME FOR HIM. >> AND IN ROB JOHNSON'S DEFENSE, WITH THE LACK OF PROTECTION HE'S HAD, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE BACK THERE. ANTOWAIN SMITH COMES OUT AS THE RUNNING BACK. SAM GASH, THE PRO BOWL FULLBACK, IN FRONT OF HIM. SMITH. HAS A SEAM! ANTOWAIN SMITH! 30. 20 AND OUT OF BOUNDS. MARCUS ROBERTSON CHASED HIM OUT OF BOUNDS, AND SMITH COMES UP GIMPY AFTER A RUN OF 44. >> AND YOU GOT TO BELIEVE THAT THAT'S WHAT THE BUFFALO BILLS OFFENSIVE LINEMEN WANT. THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO RUN THE FOOTBALL. THEY'RE MUCH BIGGER THAN TENNESSEE DEFENSIVELY. HE STARTS TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FORMATION. THEY CAVE IT DOWN. THEY DO A GOOD JOB. BLAINE BISHOP COMES UP TO TRY AND MAKE THE TACKLE. AND MARCUS ROBERTSON, WHO REALLY HASN'T PRACTICED MUCH, WAS GOING BACK INTO PASS COVERAGE. >> THAT WAS THE BILLS' FIRST FIRST DOWN IN OVER 19 MINUTES. JONATHAN LINTON IS THE NEW RUNNING BACK. JOHNSON TO THROW. FIT IT IN TO GASH SOMEHOW AND GOT IT DOWN TO THE 12-YARD LINE. ANOTHER NICE THROW ON THE RUN BY JOHNSON. THE FIRST-HALF STATISTICS TOTALLY DOMINATED BY TENNESSEE. THE BILLS ONLY WITH 30 YARDS ON THE GROUND, ONLY 34 MORE PASSING AS OPPOSED TO 120 TOTAL YARDS FOR TENNESSEE. AND THE TENNESSEE DEFENSE HAD FIVE SACKS. BUT THE BILLS ARE DOWN BY ONLY 12. JONATHAN LINTON. CUTS IT BACK. INSIDE THE 10, NEAR THE 6. >> FIRST DOWN. YOU'RE RIGHT, JOE. THIS IS WHAT THE BILLS HAVE TO DO. THEY HAVE TO RUN THE FOOTBALL TO GET THOSE GUYS SPREAD OUT A LITTLE BIT SO HE CAN THROW THE FOOTBALL. >> NOT ONLY SPREAD IT OUT, BUT YOUR OFFENSIVE LINE, IN MY OPINION, IS BUILT TO BE ABLE TO RUN THE FOOTBALL. PLUS YOU'VE GOT SAM GASH, NUMBER 33, AS YOUR LEAD BLOCKER. GASH GOES IN AND DELIVERS A BIG BLOW INSIDE. HE MAKES A HECK OF A BLOCK INSIDE ON JOE BOWDEN. >> FIRST AND GOAL, BUFFALO. LINTON. MOVING THE PILE. INSIDE THE 5. >> SEE, NOW THAT YOU'VE RUN THE FOOTBALL A LITTLE BIT, NOW YOU IF YOU WANT, YOU RUN A LITTLE PLAY-ACTION DOWN HERE. RIEMERSMA GETS OUT INTO THE SECONDARY. YOUR TIGHT END CAN RELEASE. YOU CAN GET GASH INTO THE FLAT. NOW YOU CAN PUT TENNESSEE'S DEFENSE ON THEIR HEELS A LITTLE BIT. >> JOHN FINA NORMALLY THE LEFT STARTING TACKLE. ROBERT HICKS NORMALLY THE STARTING RIGHT TACKLE. AND JEVON KEARSE NOW ON THE SIDELINE FOR TENNESSEE. INJURY PROBLEMS ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE HAVE REALLY HURT THE BILLS. >> ANTOWAIN SMITH IS BACK IN THE BALLGAME. >> SMITH BEHIND GASH. TOUCHDOWN! AND JUST LIKE THAT, THE BUFFALO BILLS ARE RIGHT BACK IN IT. >> AND THEY GOT BACK IN IT BY RUNNING THE FOOTBALL. CERTAINLY JEFF FISHER'S DEFENSE LET THEM GET CREASED FOR A BIG ONE EARLY. >> WELL, ANTOWAIN SMITH HAD THE BIG RUN DOWN HERE, BUT HE GETS AN OUTSTANDING BLOCK ON THE OUTSIDE -- COUPLE OF BLOCKS ON THE OUTSIDE. AND YOU SEE SAM GASH GO THROUGH THE HOLE, NUMBER 33, WHO WAS THE BLOCKING FULLBACK AND REALLY HAD NO ONE TO BLOCK. >> IN THE FIRST HALF, THE BILLS GAINED 64 YARDS -- THE ENTIRE HALF. THEY GOT 62 ON THAT DRIVE. 12:28 TO GO FROM NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. AND THE BUFFALO BILLS FINALLY DOING SOMETHING ON OFFENSE, AND IT HAS THEM BACK WITHIN 5 POINTS IN THIS BALLGAME. MASON FROM THE 3. HAS A SEAM. THEN RACKED AS HE GOT TO THE 33. LET'S GO TO SOLOMON WILCOTS. SOLLY, WHAT DO YOU HAVE? >> YEAH, MIKE. THE WORDS OF JEFF FISHER TO HIS TEAM AT HALFTIME WERE PRETTY PROPHETIC. HE SAID THAT 12 POINTS WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH TO WIN THIS BALLGAME. SAYS HE WANTS MORE BIG PLAYS IN THE PASSING GAME FROM STEVE McNAIR HERE IN THE SECOND HALF. IF YOU WONDER WHY EDDIE GEORGE WAS NOT IN THE GAME AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF, WELL, JEFF FISHER SAYS BECAUSE HE WAS DINGED AND DAZED, AND THE DOCTORS DID CLEAR HIM TO GO BACK INTO THE BALLGAME. NOW, HE IS BACK IN THE GAME AS WE SPEAK, AND HE SAYS THAT HE IS NOT WORRIED ABOUT EDDIE GEORGE'S TWO FIRST-HALF FUMBLES. HE'S IN THE GAME RIGHT NOW, GUYS. >> ALL RIGHT, SOLOMON. I'D WANT HIM IN THERE MYSELF. AND, OF COURSE, RODNEY THOMAS PLAYS A LOT IN THE 2-MINUTE DRILL ANYWAY. BLITZ COMING. THEY PICK IT UP. NOW McNAIR HAS TO SCRAMBLE. GOES DOWN. THEY THROW THE PASS INCOMPLETE. WILL THEY RULE HIM DOWN OR NOT? >> WELL, HE'S GOT BRUCE SMITH ALL OVER HIM. THEY'RE GIVING BRUCE SMITH THE SACK HERE. >> I THOUGHT HE WAS IN THE GRASP AND CONTROL. >> THEY GAVE HIM THE SACK. BRUCE SMITH ON HOPKINS. LOOK AT IT HERE. BRUCE SMITH COMES TO THE OUTSIDE, AND HE'S GOT STEVE McNAIR, AND HE'S GOING DOWN. THEY'RE GIVING HIM THE SACK. THAT'S A GOOD CALL. >> 2 1/2 SACKS IN THIS GAME FOR BRUCE SMITH. 14 1/2 FOR HIS CAREER. THAT IS AN NFL RECORD. HE CAME IN TIED WITH REGGIE WHITE. EDDIE GEORGE TRYING TO GET TO THE OUTSIDE. AND AGAIN THE BILLS DO AN EXCELLENT JOB OF STRINGING HIM OUT AND MAKING HIM GO SIDELINE TO SIDELINE. >> SUCH A TOUGH PLACE TO RUN WHEN THE CORNERS ARE UP AROUND THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. AND BOTH THOMAS SMITH AND ANTOINE WINFIELD ARE GUYS WHO CAN COME UP AND WILL SUPPORT THE RUN. WINFIELD NOT THE BIGGEST GUY, AT 5'8", BUT HE'LL STILL COME UP AND PLAY CLOSE TO THE LINE, AS WELL AS THOMAS SMITH. I THINK IF TENNESSEE WANTS TO RUN THE FOOTBALL, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO RUN AT THE EDGES. THEY CAN'T GO OUTSIDE. >> THIRD AND 17. CHRIS SANDERS IN AS AN EXTRA WIDE RECEIVER. McNAIR FLOATS IT OVER THE HEAD OF THIGPEN. AND WADE PHILLIPS FIRED UP ON THE SIDELINE AS HIS DEFENSE FORCES A THREE-AND-OUT. >> BOY, WAS THAT EXCELLENT COVERAGE BY THOMAS SMITH. >> THIS IS WHERE I THINK PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT EARLIER. A VETERAN TEAM -- GETTING DOWN DOESN'T REALLY AFFECT THEM. A YOUNG TEAM THAT'S UP -- MAYBE THE EMOTIONS OF BEING AHEAD MAKES YOU FEEL YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN YOU ARE. >> THEY'VE CERTAINLY TAKEN THE CROWD OUT OF IT HERE. KEVIN WILLIAMS WAITS ON HENTRICH'S PUNT. LOW AND SHORT, BUT HE GETS A GOOD BOUNCE AGAIN. [ WHISTLE BLOWING ] 42-YARD KICK WITH A LOT OF ROLL INCLUDED. JOE WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE. IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS. REED, SMITH, AND THOMAS -- THEIR 18th GAME AS STARTING TEAMMATES IN THE POSTSEASON. ONLY RICE, BARTON, AND SAPOLU FOR THE 49ers HAVE MORE -- 19 AS STARTERS. AND ANDRE REED NOT ON THE FIELD RIGHT NOW. THERE'S THURMAN THOMAS. HE HAS PLAYED SPARINGLY. AND BRUCE SMITH WITH 2 1/2 SACKS. SMITH. NOTHING THERE THIS TIME. ANDRE REED CERTAINLY CAUSED A RUCKUS IN BUFFALO THIS WEEK. ON HIS WEBSITE, HE CRITICIZED JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY IN SIGHT -- THE BILLS ORGANIZATION, DOUG FLUTIE -- HE SAYS HE'S NOT TALKING TO HIM -- OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOE PENDRY. AND JUST RIPPED EVERYBODY. HE SAID, "PEOPLE AROUND HERE THINK I'M RETIRING AND THAT LAST SUNDAY WAS MY LAST GAME. IT WASN'T. AT THIS POINT, I JUST WANT TO GO WHERE I'M APPRECIATED AND RESPECTED, AND I HAVEN'T HAD THAT HERE." AND I DON'T KNOW WHY ANDRE REED WOULD THINK HE WAS NOT RESPECTED IN BUFFALO. >> OR APPRECIATED. >> JOHNSON. KEARSE AFTER HIM AGAIN. THROWS AND INCOMPLETE. WAS INTENDED FOR GASH. SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT ANDRE REED HAD SAID WERE THAT EVEN AS HE SET THE RECORDS THAT THEY WEREN'T EVEN ROUTES. AND HE TALKED ABOUT FLUTIE -- "YOU MAY HAVE HEARD I'M NOT ON SPEAKING TERMS WITH HIM. DOUG HAS CHANGED AS A PERSON OVER A YEAR. JOE PENDRY HAS HAD A PLAN FOR ME FROM DAY ONE." HE DOESN'T SAY WHAT THAT IS. "YOU DON'T DO THAT TO PEOPLE BECAUSE IT COMES BACK TO BITE YOU." WELL, I WOULD SUGGEST YOU DON'T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT IN PUBLIC ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION THAT HAS TREATED YOU THAT WAY YOUR ENTIRE CAREER, BECAUSE<i> THAT</i> COMES BACK TO BITE YOU. JOHNSON. OFF THE HANDS OF ERIC MOULDS, AND THEY'LL HAVE TO PUNT. >> OH, HE HAD TO GET RID OF THAT THING IN A HURRY, BECAUSE THEY WERE COMING. >> PAUL, AGAIN, I HATE TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT BECAUSE YOU LIVE IN BUFFALO. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING THAT WAS DISRESPECTFUL FROM THAT ORGANIZATION TO ANDRE REED? >> NO. YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ONE TIME THERE WAS A CONTRACTUAL PROBLEM. THEY BROUGHT ANDRE REED BACK, AND ANDRE WAS VERY HAPPY WITH IT. THEY'RE TALKING. THERE'S ANDRE AND DOUG FLUTIE TALKING RIGHT THERE. THEY ALLOWED HIM TO BECOME NUMBER TWO, PASS CATCHING. THIS GUY HAS HAD A GREAT CAREER THERE. WHY KNOCK IT AT THE END? I'M SORRY. >> WILLIAMS COMES UP TO TAKE IT AT THE 31. >> OH! >> CHECK IT. DERRICK MASON. AND HE'S DRILLED AFTER A 2-YARD RETURN. THE PUNT OF 38 YARDS. AND THE OFFICIAL GOES DOWN AS WELL. THE TITANS WITH A 5-POINT LEAD OVER THE BILLS. 9:55 TO GO, THIRD QUARTER. THE MOMENTUM HAS BEEN CHANGING HERE TOWARD BUFFALO'S SIDE. >> AND REALLY, OFFENSIVELY, THE TENNESSEE TITANS HAVEN'T GENERATED MUCH AT ALL. THEY'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RUN THE FOOTBALL WITH EDDIE GEORGE, AND STEVE McNAIR HAS BEEN TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE THROWING THE BALL. >> GEORGE. TO THE 39. >> YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SAID, JOE -- IF YOU'RE GONNA ATTACK THE CORNERS OF THIS DEFENSIVE LINE. BUT JEFF FISHER TOLD US THE OTHER DAY, "YOU KNOW, WITH WASHINGTON IN THE MIDDLE, THE BIG GUYS THAT THEY HAVE, WE JUST DON'T WANT TO RUN UP IN THERE." I THINK YOU HAVE TO AT LEAST TRY IT. WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT YOUR GUYS CAN DO UP FRONT. YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT THIS TIME. THERE'S WASHINGTON. LOOK AT HIM COMING DOWN THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. AND GEORGE IS ALREADY BY HIM. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY THAT BAD OF AN IDEA TO TRY TO RUN UP THE MIDDLE AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE. >> I'LL TELL YOU WHAT. TED WASHINGTON THINKS IT'D BE A GREAT IDEA. >> [ LAUGHS ] >> THE OTHER THING, TOO, IS WITH A GUY LIKE TED WASHINGTON, THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO HANDLE HIM -- TWO WAYS. NUMBER ONE, DOUBLE-TEAM HIM. THE OTHER THING -- MAKE HIM MOVE. MAKE HIM TRY AND GET GOING. WATCH THIS. THERE'S THE BLOCK. NOW YOU GOT TO MAKE HIM MOVE. MAKE HIM MOVE. SEE IF HE CAN GET OUT. HE'S JUST NOT AGILE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO FLOW DOWN THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. IF YOU CAN MAKE HIM MOVE, IT'LL CREATE SOME CUTBACK OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDDIE GEORGE. >> HENRY JONES, THE GREAT SAFETY, IS LIMPING OFF THE FIELD. >> BOY, AND THAT'S A BIG BLOW TO THEM. JONES A NINE-YEAR VETERAN, AND THEY ARE THIN IN THE SECONDARY FOR SAFETIES ANYWAY. THEY'LL MEASURE FOR THE FIRST DOWN. >> THEY DON'T HAVE THIS ONE. >> BY HOW MUCH, PAUL? >> BY ABOUT HALF THE BALL. THEY GOT IT. >> [ LAUGHS ] >> IT'S A NEW YEAR. YOU WERE GREAT. REGULAR SEASON, YOU WERE OUTSTANDING. >> HEY, I CHANGED. >> YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN RIGHT THIS MILLENNIUM. >> [ LAUGHS ] >> TENNESSEE'S APPROACH HAS GOT TO BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN BUFFALO'S. BUFFALO CAME OUT RUNNING THE FOOTBALL. I THINK TENNESSEE'S GOT TO COME OUT AND OPEN IT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE. TERRIFIC OPPORTUNITY FOR A PLAY-ACTION PASS. MAYBE YOU TAKE YOUR SHOT DOWN THE FIELD NOW OR YOU TRY AND GET IT TO WYCHECK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOOTBALL FIELD. >> KEEP AN EYE ON NUMBER 22. HE'S THE NEW SAFETY, DARYL PORTER. BLITZ COMING. AND THEY HAD MOVEMENT UP FRONT. THAT WILL BE THE FIRST PENALTY ON TENNESSEE. >> PRIOR TO THE SNAP, FALSE START. OFFENSE, NUMBER 72. 5-YARD PENALTY. REMAINS FIRST DOWN. >> THEY HAD BEEN MISTAKE-FREE THROUGH 2 1/2 QUARTERS. AND CONSIDERING IT'S THE FIRST PLAYOFF GAME FOR MANY OF THESE PLAYERS, I THINK THEY'VE ACQUITTED THEMSELVES VERY WELL. >> YEAH, BUT IT HASN'T GOTTEN DOWN TO THAT TIME YET. >> IT'S GETTING THERE, ISN'T IT? >> IT'S APPROACHING. YOU'RE IN THE SECOND HALF NOW. >> EDDIE GEORGE. PICKING HIS WAY ACROSS THE 40, TO ABOUT THE 43. SECOND AND 10. McNAIR AS THIGPEN WAS TANGLED UP WITH GABE NORTHERN. AND THERE'S THE FLAG. AND ANOTHER IN THE BACKFIELD. >> THEY'RE GONNA GET BRUCE SMITH FOR ROUGHING THE PASSER. AND ALSO YOU'RE GONNA GET A HOLDING PENALTY AT ABOUT THE 47-YARD LINE. SO THEY GOT TWO. >> McNAIR VERY SLOW TO GET UP. >> BRUCE SMITH -- WHAT, 2 1/2 SACKS ALREADY IN THIS GAME? >> 2 1/2. >> WELL, ON THIS LAST PLAY... >> WADE PHILLIPS CAN'T BELIEVE THE CALLS. >> HE MAKES A GREAT MOVE ON HOPKINS. >> THERE IS NO FOUL FOR DEFENSIVE PASS INTERFERENCE. HOWEVER, PERSONAL FOUL. ROUGHING THE PASSER. DEFENSE, NUMBER 78. 15-YARD PENALTY. AUTOMATIC FIRST DOWN. >> ALL RIGHT. FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE GONNA SEE BRUCE SMITH ON BRAD HOPKINS. WATCH THIS MOVE HE MAKES. BOOM. BACK TO THE INSIDE. THAT'S AN OUTSTANDING MOVE. NOW, I DON'T -- YOU WHAT THEY'RE CALLING? HELMET TO HELMET. >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> HELMET TO HELMET. ANY TIME THAT HAPPENS -- THERE IT IS. I DON'T KNOW. HOW DO YOU AVOID THAT? >> WELL, YOU GO A LITTLE LOWER AND THEN THEY ACCUSE YOU OF GOING AT THE KNEES. I MEAN, THEY'VE MADE IT TOUGHER FOR DEFENSIVE LINEMEN, FOR DEFENSIVE BACKS TO BE ABLE TO JUST GO ALL AFTER PEOPLE. >> AND WHEN YOU'RE DEFENSE AND YOU'RE PLAYING AGAINST A GUY BY THE NAME OF McNAIR, YOU KNOW HOW BIG AND STRONG THIS GUY IS, AND YOU'VE GOT TO TACKLE HIM HIGH AND HOLD ON TO THIS GUY. I THINK THAT'S A TERRIBLE CALL. >> TEN PENALTIES AGAINST BUFFALO. HENRY JONES IS BACK IN FOR THE BILLS. GEORGE OFF THE RIGHT SIDE. BEHIND LORENZO NEAL TO THE 40. AND THE PUSHING AND SHOVING GETTING MORE FREQUENT AFTER THE PLAYS AS THE TENSION BUILDS. >> TENNESSEE LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE STARTING TO GAIN A LITTLE MOMENTUM -- AIDED, OF COURSE, BY THE PENALTIES. BUT THEY'RE MANAGING TO PUSH BUFFALO'S DEFENSIVE LINE AND LINEBACKERS BACK A LITTLE BIT, WHERE THEY<i> CAN</i> GAIN 3 AND 4 YARDS. I STILL FEEL LIKE McNAIR'S GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SOME PLAYS WITH HIS ARM FOR TENNESSEE TO BE EFFECTIVE OFFENSIVELY. >> AND HE HAS NOT THROWN THE BALL WELL TODAY. >> NO MATTER WHAT TENNESSEE DOES OFFENSIVELY, THE BUFFALO BILLS, THE NUMBER-ONE DEFENSE IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, THEY DON'T GET OUT OF WHAT THEY DO. THEY JUST PLAY THEIR BASIC DEFENSE ALL THE TIME. >> AND WELL. >> YES. VERY. >> McNAIR AGAIN OFF THE RIGHT SIDE. THEY OBVIOUSLY THINK THEY'VE FOUND SOMETHING IN THE FILM, SCOUTING THE BILLS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE RUN PREDOMINANTLY TO THE RIGHT. >> WELL, LARRY BROWN DID NOT BLOCK GABE NORTHERN, NUMBER 99. AND YOU HAVE TO BLOCK GABE NORTHERN. HE'S THE GUY THAT STOPS THIS PLAY. WATCH ON THE END OF THE SCREEN HERE. LOOK AT THE BLOCK ON GABE NORTHERN. HE JUST TAKES BROWN BACK INTO THE BALLCARRIER. NOW EDDIE GEORGE HAS TO MAKE A DECISION, AND IT'S THE WRONG DECISION. HE TAKES A LOSS. >> NORTHERN, A VERY QUICK OUTSIDE LINEBACKER WHO HAD 3 1/2 SACKS THIS SEASON. THIRD AND 7 NOW. TENNESSEE HAS ONLY CONVERTED 2 OF 10 THIRD DOWNS. BLITZ COMING. McNAIR WITH TIME. ALMOST INTERCEPTED -- AND NOW IT IS! ANTOINE WINFIELD WITH THE INTERCEPTION OFF THE TIP OF KURT SCHULZ! >> THEY TRY AND RUN KEVIN DYSON ON AN UNDERNEATH PATTERN, DRAG HIM ABOUT 6, 7 YARDS UP THE FIELD. HE WASN'T EVEN ANYWHERE NEAR THE FIRST DOWN EITHER. >> KURT SCHULZ TIPPED THE BALL THAT CREATED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE INTERCEPTION. AND THE BILLS, DOWN BY 5, HAVE IT AT THEIR OWN 46 AS McNAIR TALKS IT OVER WITH THE OFFENSIVE COACHES. ANTOWAIN SMITH BEHIND GASH. BUT HE'S BURIED. >> MIKE, STEVE McNAIR LOOKS LIKE HE'S REALLY ALMOST TRYING TO GUIDE THE BALL SO MUCH. BUT KURT SCHULZ MAKES AN EXCELLENT PLAY. THAT'S SCHULZ. THAT'S EDDIE GEORGE. HE'S COMING UP AND GOT HIM MIRRORED. WHEN McNAIR TRIES TO THROW THE BALL OVER THERE, SCHULZ JUST KEEPS AN EYE ON McNAIR. HE'S GOT GEORGE. GEORGE HAS TO BLOCK. SO HE JUST KEYS THE EYES AND ALLOWS WINFIELD TO MAKE THE PLAY. >> SECOND AND 11. ROB JOHNSON. GOOD PROTECTION. AND KEARSE GOT A HAND UP. >> HE DOESN'T MAKE MUCH OF AN IMPACT FOR A ROOKIE, DOES HE? >> WELL, HE'S ON ROBERT HICKS, WHO IS THE STARTING TACKLE, BUT HE HAS A HIGH ANKLE SPRAIN. AND HE GOES INSIDE OF HICKS TO MAKE THE BLOCK. WATCH THIS. ROBERT HICKS IS GONNA BLOCK HIM. HE GOES BACK INSIDE. THEY CHIP HIM WITH ANTOWAIN SMITH, BUT HE STILL GETS HIS HAND UP. HE'S CHIPPED THERE. AND THEN HE GETS HIS HAND UP. IS THAT ANY GOOD? >> HOW ABOUT AN 84-INCH WINGSPAN? WHEN HE SPREADS THOSE ARMS OUT, IT'S 84 INCHES. HE CAN SWAT DOWN EVEN THE HIGHEST PASSES. >> THURMAN THOMAS IS IN. JOHNSON HAS HIT ONLY ONE OF HIS LAST SIX THROWS. >> HERE THEY COME. >> HOLMES. GOT HIM. KENNY HOLMES, WHO HAD FOUR SACKS DURING THE REGULAR SEASON. AND FOR THAT TITAN DEFENSE, SIX SACKS OF ROB JOHNSON THIS AFTERNOON. >> WELL, FOUR OF THE SACKS ARE JUST BY REGULAR DEFENSE. THERE ARE TWO SACKS THAT ARE ON BLITZES. ON THAT LAST TIME, STEVE JACKSON, NUMBER 24, IS THE ONLY DEFENSIVE BACK. ON THE TOP SIDE, HE'S GONNA COME. SO WHEN HE COMES IN, YOU HAVE TO PICK HIM UP WITH A TIGHT END. AND THEN HOLMES GETS IN. THAT'S A GREAT PLAY. >> BUT WHAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE IS GOOD COVERAGE IN THE SECONDARY. IT ALLOWS THOSE GUYS UP FRONT TO COME HARD. >> BEAUTIFUL PUNT THIS TIME. MASON. GOT AWAY FROM A COUPLE OF GUYS AND THEN PAID FOR IT AFTER A 46-YARD BEAUTY FROM CHRIS MOHR. BUT ADAMS, THE TITANS' OWNER, WHO BROUGHT THE TEAM HERE ON A VERY CIRCUITOUS ROUTE FROM HOUSTON. THEY PLAYED IN MEMPHIS. THEN THEY PLAYED AT VANDERBILT STADIUM. AND THEY FINALLY GOT THE NEW STADIUM. >> THEY WENT THROUGH CIRCUITOUS. >> WHAT ROUTE IS THAT -- CIRCUITOUS? >> IT'S WESTERN TENNESSEE SOMEWHERE. >> CAN YOU SPELL THAT WORD? >> YES, I CAN. >> THAT'S TERRIFIC. I LOVE THAT. >> EDDIE GEORGE ON THE DRAW. CUTS IT OUTSIDE. AND JUST -- JUST MISSED BREAKING A HUGE ONE. RODNEY THOMAS CHECKS IN AT RUNNING BACK ON SECOND AND 1. THOMAS WILL GET THE CARRY. BEHIND NEAL. PICKS HIS WAY FOR A FIRST DOWN. HOLECEK IN ON THE STOP FOR BUFFALO. >> YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT SAM GASH, WHO GOES TO THE PRO BOWL WITH THE BUFFALO BILLS AS A BLOCKING FULLBACK. WELL, LORENZO NEAL, NUMBER 41 -- HE IS BUILT ABOUT A HALF A SECOND OFF THE GROUND. WATCH NUMBER 41 GO UP INTO THIS HOLE. NOW UNLOAD. NOW! BANG. TO YOUR KNEES. HOLECEK GOES DOWN. BUT HOLECEK STILL MAKES THE TACKLE. >> OF THE TWO STARTING FULLBACKS IN THIS GAME, THERE'S A TOTAL OF TWO CARRIES BETWEEN THEM, AND NEAL HAS BOTH OF THEM. >> TWO CARRIES FOR 1 YARD THIS YEAR. >> FOR THE SEASON. >> THOMAS ON THE DRAW. THIS TIME GRABBED BY THE ANKLES BY JOHN HOLECEK. NICE TACKLE. HOLECEK AND COWART ARE TWO OUTSTANDING INSIDE LINEBACKERS. >> I THINK YOU CAN COMFORTABLY SAY THAT AS FAR AS A GROUP GOES, AS A LINEBACKING CORPS, THIS COULD BE THE BEST IN FOOTBALL. >> YEAH. THEY'RE TERRIFIC. >> WITH NORTHERN OUTSIDE AND ROGERS OUTSIDE, WITH THEIR SPEED AND COWART AND HOLECEK INSIDE. I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT FOUR GUYS WHO PLAY VERY WELL TOGETHER. >> WELL, THEY CHANGED THE DEFENSE TO PUT COWART ON THE FIELD. THEY WENT TO A 3-4. THEY HAD STARTED LAST YEAR IN A 4-3. EDDIE GEORGE IS BACK IN ON SECOND AND 10. GEORGE. BOY, DID HE TAKE A SHOT WHEN HE GOT TO THE LINE THAT TIME. >> WELL, HOLECEK'S THERE AGAIN. SAM COWART AND TED WASHINGTON. I MEAN, I SAID YOU COULD TRY -- <i> I</i> SAID YOU COULD TRY TO RUN UP IN THE MIDDLE. BUT THAT WAS A LITTLE DRAW... >> I TOLD YOU. >> ...THAT ENDED UP RUNNING INTO A WALL. >> WELL, YOU CAN JUST HEAR TED WASHINGTON AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE SAYING, "BRING IT ON." >> THERE'S TEDDY COTTRELL, THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR. THEY DON'T DO A LOT OF THINGS FROM A DISGUISE STANDPOINT. BUT HIS GUYS ARE VERY DISCIPLINED IN WHERE THEY HAVE TO BE WHEN THEY PLAY THIS DEFENSE. >> THIRD AND 7 FOR TENNESSEE. EDDIE GEORGE ON A LITTLE SWING. SENSATIONAL TACKLE BY DONOVAN GREER. UP FROM THE CORNER, AT 5'9", 178 AND JUST WHACKED THE BIG RUNNING BACK. >> WELL, HE DOES. BUT RUNYAN, NUMBER 69, IS OUT FRONT. BUT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH GUYS. WATCH THIS. GEORGE CATCHES THE BALL. AS HE MAKES THE TURN, LOOK WHO'S THERE. THERE'S GREER. BOOM. GOES DOWN LOW. MAKES THE TACKLE BY HIMSELF. THAT'S PRETTY. >> FIRST CATCH FOR EDDIE GEORGE. IT'S FOURTH AND 7. THEY'LL PUNT IT AWAY. RETURNABLE KICK TO WILLIAMS. TRYING TO GET TO THE OUTSIDE. 40-YARD PUNT, A 4-YARD RETURN. >> DEFENSIVELY, JEVON KEARSE HAS BEEN THE STORY FOR THE TENNESSEE TITANS. HE'S BEEN A ONE-MAN WRECKING CREW UP FRONT AGAINST THAT BUFFALO OFFENSIVE LINE. THEY REALLY HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT A WAY TO CONTAIN HIM. THERE HE GOES AROUND FINA. FORCES THE FUMBLE. NOW HE COMES AROUND THE OTHER SIDE. GETS THE SAFETY AND A FORCED FUMBLE AND A SACK. AND HERE, WHEN HE DOESN'T GET TO ROB JOHNSON, HE'S SWATTING THE BALL BACK IN HIS FACE. >> HE HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN CREDIT FOR THAT SECOND FORCED FUMBLE. THEY SAID THE WHISTLE BLEW WHEN HE WAS MAKING THE TACKLE. IT WAS GOING TO BE A SAFETY. SO HE DOESN'T GET THE SECOND FORCED FUMBLE. >> I THINK IF THEY REVIEW THAT, THEY'RE GONNA GIVE IT TO HIM, BECAUSE THAT BALL WAS COMING OUT. >> JONATHAN LINTON -- OR SMITH, RATHER. ANTOWAIN SMITH THE RUNNING BACK. TO THE 40. >> RIGHT HERE IS WHERE YOU'VE GOT TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SIZE OF AN ERIC MOULDS GETTING DOWN THE FIELD, TOO. >> INSTEAD THEY GO TO SMITH. PICKS HIS WAY FOR MAYBE A YARD AND NO MORE. 15 MINUTES TO GO IN THE FIRST GAME OF THE PLAYOFFS. THE TITANS CONTINUE TO LEAD THE BILLS, 12-7. BUFFALO, THIRD AND 4 FROM ITS OWN 41. THURMAN THOMAS IN AS THE RUNNING BACK. PLAY-ACTION -- NICE -- BY ROB JOHNSON. NOW HE'S GOT TO GET THE FIRST DOWN ON HIS OWN, AND HE DOES. BOY, THAT WAS A PRETTY FAKE, AND THEN HE GOT IT ON HIS OWN. >> HE RAN A BOOTLEG OUT THERE. SAMARI ROLLE REALLY SAVES A BIGGER PLAY FOR ROB JOHNSON. BUT SAMARI ROLLE COMES UP AND MAKES THE PLAY. WATCH THIS FAKE TO THURMAN THOMAS. THEY'RE ALL GONNA GO WITH THURMAN THOMAS. EVERYBODY DOWN THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. KENNY HOLMES, THE DEFENSIVE END, WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY OUTSIDE. AND THEN SAMARI ROLLE MAKES THE TACKLE. >> ROB JOHNSON NOT AS ELUSIVE AS FLUTIE. YOU SEE ROLLE COMING OFF. AND THAT LOOKS LIKE A SHOULDER INJURY, THE WAY THAT ARM IS JUST HANGING THERE. JOHNSON TO THROW. MOULDS! GOT IT! THAT'S THE BIG PLAY THEY WANTED, AND THAT'S WHY ROB JOHNSON'S IN THERE. >> AND THAT'S A HECK OF A THROW. THAT'S WHERE SAMARI ROLLE WAS GONNA BE, AND THAT'S DENARD WALKER WHO WINDS UP BEING THE GUY IN COVERAGE. THEY LIKE THIS MATCHUP. THEY FELT LIKE WALKER HANDLED JIMMY SMITH OF THE JAGUARS, HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLES ERIC MOULDS. MOULDS JUST RUNS BY HIM WITH A LITTLE MOVE. JOHNSON PUTS IT OUTSIDE. >> ALL RIGHT. DUSTY ZEIGLER. HE JUST GETS ENOUGH OF JEVON KEARSE. AND THAT'S NOT A HOLD. HE'S GOT HIM TURNED. THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT BLOCK. >> SAMARI ROLLE IS BACK IN THE LINEUP FOR TENNESSEE. LINTON. INSIDE THE 15. THINK BACK TO THE FIRST HALF. TENNESSEE TOTALLY DOMINATED THIS BALLGAME AND MISSED SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO PUT POINTS ON THE BOARD. >> BUT THEY DOMINATED IT DEFENSIVELY. OFFENSIVELY, THEY REALLY HAVE BEEN JUST AS EFFECTIVE IN THE SECOND HALF AS THE FIRST. THEY'VE REALLY STRUGGLED. THEY'VE NOT GONE DOWN THE FIELD WITH IT. WHEN YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO DOWN THE FIELD, IF YOU LEAVE A TEAM IN, ONE MISTAKE CAN PUT YOU BEHIND OR LET THEM GET REAL CLOSE AGAIN. >> ROLES HAVE BEEN REVERSED BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND HALF. JOHNSON. QUICKLY OUT IN THE FLAT TO COLLINS. NOT MUCH THERE. >> EDDIE ROBINSON, NUMBER 55, THE LINEBACKER. SAMARI ROLLE IS BACK IN THE GAME. JEVON KEARSE WAS OUT THAT PLAY. HE'S BACK IN THE GAME. >> DOWN HERE, I LIKE MY MATCHUP WITH DENARD WALKER ON ERIC MOULDS. I LIKE ERIC MOULDS DOWN HERE BECAUSE THE DEFENSIVE BACKS OF THE TITANS HAVE NOT BEEN LOOKING AT ROB JOHNSON. THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE RECEIVERS. >> AND NOW JOHNSON WANTS A TIME-OUT TO TALK IT OVER. IT'S A HUGE PLAY. THIRD AND 7. TENNESSEE LEADS BY 5, BUT THE BILLS ARE DRIVING. >> I LIKE ERIC MOULDS DOWN HERE, GUYS. I THINK THAT HE'S A BIG GUY. HE CAN MAKE A PLAY. THE DEFENSIVE BACKS, AS I MENTIONED, OF THE TITANS HAVEN'T REALLY KEPT AN EYE ON HIM. HE'S IN THE SLOT. AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO WORK THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD AGAINST DENARD WALKER. HE'S THE GUY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, RIGHT HERE. GOT THE LITTLE STICKY FINGER ON IT. >> JOHNSON LOOKS THAT DIRECTION. INTENDED FOR MOULDS. BUT SAMARI ROLLE WAS ALL OVER HIM, AND THERE IS A FLAG DOWN. ROUGHING THE PASSER. THE DRIVE STAYS ALIVE. >> ONE THING ABOUT -- YOU PROTECT THE HEAD OF EVERYBODY. >> PERSONAL FOUL. ROUGHING THE PASSER. DEFENSE, NUMBER 90. HALF THE DISTANCE TO THE GOAL WITH AN AUTOMATIC FIRST DOWN. >> HE DOESN'T AGREE WITH IT, BUT JEVON KEARSE ROUGHING THE PASSER. HERE HE COMES ON THE OUTSIDE -- OR INSIDE. EXCUSE ME. >> OH. >> LOOK AT HIS HANDS. DOES HE HIT HIM IN THE FACE? >> HELMET TO HELMET AGAIN. I GUARANTEE YOU. HE CAN'T BELIEVE IT. IT WAS THE SAME CALL THEY MADE AGAINST BRUCE SMITH. HE GOT HIS HELMET ON ROB JOHNSON'S FACE MASK. >> FIRST AND GOAL FROM THE 7. SMITH. UP THE MIDDLE. >> GONNA BE SHORT. >> TO THE GOAL LINE. REMEMBER THE LAST TIME THEY WERE DOWN IN A GOAL-TO-GO SITUATION, THEY RAN THE BALL VERY WELL. >> A GOOD JOB BY THAT OFFENSIVE LINE. THEY'RE COLLAPSING DOWN INSIDE. AND EDDIE ROBINSON'S GONNA HAVE TO MAKE THE TACKLE ONE-ON-ONE. YOU GET ANTOWAIN SMITH, AT 225, WITH A HEAD OF STEAM. >> LOOKED LIKE HIS KNEE WAS DOWN. >> LOOK WHERE THE BALL IS WHEN HIS KNEE GOES DOWN. THERE'S HIS KNEE. NOW HE STICKS THE BALL OVER THE END ZONE. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT CALL. >> SECOND AND GOAL. SMITH THE DEEP MAN. HE'LL GET THE CARRY. NO. NO SIGNAL. IT'S THIRD DOWN. >> I'LL TELL YOU, THEY'D FOOL EVERYBODY IF THEY GAVE THE BALL TO SAM GASH. [ LAUGHS ] >> THEY'D FOOL EVERYBODY IF ROB JOHNSON MAKES A FAKE. AND THIS IS SOMETHING -- NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM ROB, BUT GAME EXPERIENCE -- DOUG FLUTIE PROBABLY WOULD SEE THIS AND TAKE THE BOOTLEG IN NAKED WITHOUT EVER TELLING ANYBODY. ROB JOHNSON, I THINK, HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP THE BALL IN HIS HAND, MAKE A FAKE, AND HE SHOULD GO IN UNTOUCHED. >> WHAT ABOUT THE OLD QUARTERBACK SNEAK? >> THIS ALSO LOOKS LIKE FOUR-DOWN TERRITORY IF THEY DON'T MAKE IT HERE. SMITH. TOUCHDOWN! >> THAT WAS EASY. >> WALKED IN BEHIND SAM GASH. EXCELLENT BLOCKING UP FRONT. AND THE BILLS HAVE STUNNED THIS CROWD AND TAKEN THE LEAD. >> YOU TALK ABOUT THE SIZE OF THAT OFFENSIVE LINE. WHEN YOU GET IN THE TRENCHES LIKE THIS, THIS IS WHERE THE SIZE PAYS OFF. JERRY OSTROSKI, THE CENTER, NUMBER 60. WATCH THE BIG GUY IN THE MIDDLE. NUMBER 60. THERE'S THE HOLE HE CREATES. >> BOY, THAT'S A GREAT JOB BY OSTROSKI. >> RUBEN BROWN AND OSTROSKI. THOSE TWO GUYS. >> THEY WILL GO FOR 2, LEADING BY A POINT, 13-12. THEY HAVE PUT THE PRESSURE SQUARELY BACK ON TENNESSEE. THURMAN THOMAS IS IN ON THE 2-POINT TRY. JOHNSON. INCOMPLETE. INTENDED FOR WILLIAMS. IF YOU WERE WITH US IN THE FIRST HALF, YOU SAW THE DOMINATION BY THE TENNESSEE TITANS. BUT THEY ONLY CAME OUT OF HALFTIME WITH A 12-0 LEAD. NOW IT'S TURNED COMPLETELY AROUND. >> IT'S ADJUSTMENTS YOU MAKE AT HALFTIME. THE BUFFALO BILLS CUT THEIR PENALTIES FROM NINE PENALTIES TO ONE PENALTY. AND THE OTHER THING, JOSEPH -- THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO RUN THE BALL. >> THAT'S BEEN A BIG KEY. I DON'T THINK YOU CAN LINE UP WITH A NAKED BACKFIELD LIKE THEY DID AND JUST EXPECT ROB JOHNSON TO COMPLETE PASSES. THEY'VE GOTTEN TO A MORE BALANCED ATTACK. AS FAR AS TENNESSEE GOES, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE GENERATE ANY KIND OF OFFENSE DOWN THE FIELD. ALL THEIR PASSES HAVE BEEN SHORT. AND WADE PHILLIPS SAID TO US, "I DON'T BELIEVE THAT STEVE McNAIR CAN BEAT US THROWING THE FOOTBALL." SO FAR, WADE'S BEEN ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. >> ISAAC BYRD ACROSS THE 30. 10:58 TO GO IN THE FIRST PLAYOFF GAME. >> I'VE YET TO SEE STEVE McNAIR GET INTO ANY KIND OF RHYTHM OFFENSIVELY. I THINK HE'S MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN HE RUNS THE FOOTBALL AND THEN STARTS TO THROW. THEY'VE GOT TO GET HIM INVOLVED IN THE OFFENSE AND REALLY START HIM BY LETTING HIM RUN A LITTLE BIT. >> PLAY-ACTION. GEORGE OPEN IN THE FLAT. BUT IMMEDIATELY HIT BY THOMAS SMITH. >> THE BUFFALO BILLS DEFENSIVELY, TO PUT THEIR PHILOSOPHY VERY SIMPLE, IS, "WE WILL GIVE YOU 3-, 4-, 5-YARD RUNS AND/OR COMPLETIONS. BUT WE FEEL IF YOU KEEP THE BALL FOR 12 OR 13 PLAYS, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE A MISTAKE. AND WE'RE GONNA CAPITALIZE ON IT." THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN THIS GAME. >> McNAIR HAS THROWN IT ONLY FOUR TIMES THE ENTIRE SECOND HALF. COMPLETED TWO. HAD ONE PICKED. IT'S SECOND AND 7. McNAIR WITH TIME. WYCHECK LEAPING TO TRY TO GET A FIRST DOWN. >> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KURT SCHULZ TOLD US YESTERDAY -- AND IT'S WHAT TENNESSEE DOES -- HE SAID, "THEY DO NOT THROW LONG PASSES. THEY THROW EVERYTHING SHORT AND HOPE EVERYBODY CAN PICK UP SOME EXTRA YARDAGE." HERE'S A GUY, WYCHECK, THAT'S GOING TO THE PRO BOWL. HE CATCHES THE BALL. AND THEY SAY AFTER THE CATCH HE MAKES THINGS HAPPEN. HE ENDS UP GETTING A FIRST DOWN. BUT HE DOES THAT ON A SHORT PASS AND THEN PICKS UP 4 EXTRA YARDS FOR THE FIRST DOWN. >> BOY, HE HAS GREAT HANDS, TOO. OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. DRAW PLAY TO EDDIE GEORGE. ACROSS MIDFIELD AND JUST RIPPED. >> THAT WAS KURT SCHULZ, THE GUY I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT. I MEAN, THIS GUY -- [ LAUGHS ] HE CAME INTO THE MEETING YESTERDAY, AND ALL HE HAD WAS A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE, AND HE SAID, "YEAH. IT'S GONNA BE A HITTING GAME." >> BUT YOU CAN'T GET TO THE SECONDARY TILL YOU GET THE DOUBLE TEAM UP FRONT ON PAT WILLIAMS. AND THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN... >> BOOM. HE'LL JUST UNLOAD ON YOU. >> IF EDDIE GEORGE HAD A SLIGHT CONCUSSION BEFORE, THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT HE'S GOT RIGHT NOW. >> SECOND AND 2. THE TITANS DRIVING TO TRY TO REGAIN THE LEAD. GEORGE AGAIN. PAT WILLIAMS WITH THE STOP. >> WE TALKED ABOUT STEVE McNAIR AND THE WAY HE'S THROWING THE FOOTBALL. HE HAS NOT THROWN THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD AT ALL. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PASS CHART, THE AMAZING THING ABOUT IT IS JUST TWO PASSES OVER 15 YARDS. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN UNDER 15 YARDS, PREDOMINANTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD, WHERE MY PERSONAL FEELING IS YOU CAN GET IN A LOT MORE TROUBLE. I THINK THEY HAVE TO START WORKING THE BALL OUTSIDE AND HAVE TO TAKE SOME SHOTS DOWN THE FIELD. >> THREE TIGHT ENDS ON THIRD AND SHORT. EDDIE GEORGE OFF THE RIGHT SIDE. DID NOT MAKE IT! WHAT A TACKLE BY COWART, AND WINFIELD CAME UP TO HELP. >> AND WHAT A DECISION JEFF FISHER'S GOT TO MAKE NOW. DO YOU GO FOR IT OR DO YOU PUNT IT? >> AND HERE COMES THE PUNT TEAM. >> THIS IS A GUY THAT WADE PHILLIPS SAID HE GOT ON THE FIELD LAST YEAR AS A ROOKIE AND NOBODY SAID ANYTHING ABOUT IT -- SAM COWART. LOOK AT NUMBER 56. WATCH HIM COME DOWN THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. HE READS THE PLAY, BEATS THE BLOCKERS, AND MAKES THE TACKLE. >> SENSATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAY. AND TENNESSEE WILL KICK WITH 7:40 TO GO IN THE BALLGAME. LOW SNAP. HIGH, FLOATING KICK. WILLIAMS MAKES THE FAIR CATCH JUST OUTSIDE THE 15. WELCOME BACK TO ADELPHIA COLISEUM. 13-12, BILLS. THEIR WORST STARTING POSITION OF THE HALF -- THEIR OWN 16. THURMAN THOMAS. LOST HIS FOOTING AND WENT DOWN. HE SAW EDDIE ROBINSON COMING RIGHT UP THE GAP. AND THURMAN IS HURT. HERE'S A GUY WHO MISSED 11 GAMES THIS YEAR. PLAYED ONE PLAY IN THE OPENER AND SUFFERED A BRUISED LIVER AND KIDNEY WHEN HE TOOK A SHOT TO THE SIDE. >> HE THROWS THE BRAKES ON RIGHT HERE. HE SEES EDDIE ROBINSON. HE TRIES TO THROW THE BRAKES ON, AND HE LOSES HIS FOOTING. AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT HE HURTS WHEN HE HITS THE GROUND. HE JUST THROWS THE HEELS IN, AND THEY DON'T HOLD. TRYING TO CHANGE DIRECTION. SLIDES. GETS HIMSELF CAUGHT IN AN AWKWARD POSITION. >> BECAUSE ROBINSON DIDN'T FALL ON HIM THAT HARD. HE JUST COVERED HIM. >> THE BILLS HAVE REALLY TURNED IT AROUND IN THE FOURTH QUARTER. ROB JOHNSON WAS IN THIS GAME BECAUSE HE WAS A BETTER DOWNFIELD THROWER THAN DOUG FLUTIE. AND THIS IS HIS BIGGEST PLAY, TO ERIC MOULDS. AND THEN JEVON KEARSE CALLED FOR A PENALTY HERE, ROUGHING THE QUARTERBACK. KEPT THE DRIVE ALIVE, AND ANTOWAIN SMITH RAN IT IN TO GIVE BUFFALO A 13-12 LEAD. THEY ARE STILL TENDING TO THURMAN THOMAS. SECOND AND 11. JONATHAN LINTON IS IN AS THE TAILBACK. AND LINTON GETS THE CARRY. HAS ROOM ON THE RIGHT SIDE. BUT JEVON KEARSE JUST BURIED HIM. >> I DON'T KNOW HOW JONATHAN LINTON HOLDS ON TO THIS FOOTBALL. BECAUSE ACTUALLY, HE DOES NOT SEE JEVON KEARSE. JEVON KEARSE IS GOING UPFIELD FIRST. KEARSE UP FIRST. BACK TO THE INSIDE. WATCH THE SPEED. NOW WATCH THE HIT. BACK IN AND WHAM! >> I WILL TELL YOU, THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD HAS HAD NEW TURF PUT DOWN, AND IT IS TIGHT. AND YOU SEE THE RUNNING BACKS AS WELL AS THE DEFENSIVE PEOPLE SLIPPING. >> THIRD AND 8. JOHNSON HAD IT BATTED DOWN. REACHING IN WAS EDDIE ROBINSON. >> WELL, THEY JUST TOOK AWAY ALL THE LANES. >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM OUR GOALPOST CAM, THERE'S NO PLACE TO THROW THE FOOTBALL. QUARTERBACKS NEED LANES TO THROW THE BALL INTO. EDDIE ROBINSON'S ALMOST GOT A GIMME GOING UP. AND IF HE'S NOT THERE, SAMARI ROLLE LOOKED LIKE HE WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE. >> ISAAC BYRD WAITS INSIDE THE 40 FOR MOHR'S PUNT. BEAUTIFUL HIGH FLOATER. BYRD AT THE 39. DOWN THE SIDELINE AND KNOCKED OUT AT THE 45. ONE STEP AWAY. BUT THERE IS A FLAG DOWN ON THE PLAY. WHAT GREAT FIELD POSITION IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR TENNESSEE. BUT WILL IT COME BACK? PHIL LUCKETT TRYING TO SORT IT OUT. >> THAT'S ANOTHER WAY YOU CAN TELL IT'S A PLAYOFF GAME. IN A REGULAR-SEASON GAME, WHEN A PENALTY'S CALLED ON A PLAY LIKE THAT, GUYS DON'T HUDDLE AROUND THE OFFICIALS. TODAY EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. >> IT'S GONNA BE -- ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT IT'S AGAINST BUFFALO? >> THERE IS NO FOUL ON THE PLAY. THE BLOCK IN QUESTION WAS DETERMINED TO BE LEGAL. FIRST DOWN. >> A SELLOUT CROWD OF MORE THAN 66,000 HERE FOR THE FIRST PLAYOFF GAME EVER AT ADELPHIA COLISEUM, A BUILDING WHERE THIS CLUB WENT UNDEFEATED DURING THE REGULAR SEASON -- 8-0. AND THIS FRANCHISE HAS NOT WON A POSTSEASON GAME SINCE THEY WERE IN HOUSTON -- DECEMBER 29, 1991. AND THEY NEED AT LEAST A FIELD GOAL TO DO IT HERE. McNAIR. TO JACKIE HARRIS. TRIED TO TRICK THEM UP A LITTLE BIT. FAKED THE FLANKER SCREEN AND THEN THREW IT BACK TO THE TIGHT END. >> YOU SAW THEM DO A SIMILAR THING WHEN THEY FAKED THE SWING PASS TO EDDIE GEORGE IN THE FIRST HALF. MANAGED TO GET QUITE A FEW YARDS OUT OF IT. THIS TIME, BUFFALO WAS READY FOR IT. >> YOU SEE ROB JOHNSON THROW THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD TO ERIC MOULDS. AND I'M LOOKING AT THE BUFFALO BILLS. ON THAT PLAY RIGHT THERE, BOTH CORNERS WERE COVERING MAN-TO-MAN, AND THEY DON'T EVEN <i> LOOK</i> DEEP. >> McNAIR UNDERNEATH. SOMEHOW CAUGHT BY WYCHECK! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! >> IT HIT HOLECEK. >> IT BOUNCES OFF OF HOLECEK. THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE. WHAT A GREAT PRESENCE OF MIND BY FRANK WYCHECK. >> THIS GUY HAS THE BEST HANDS. >> THIS FALLS IN THE CATEGORY OF UNBELIEVABLE. NEITHER ONE IS REALLY LOOKING. McNAIR THROWS THIS ONE. IT BOUNCES OFF OF HOLECEK'S LEFT ELBOW, THEN WYCHECK'S RIGHT HAND, HIS LEFT HAND, AND THEN THE RECEPTION. WOW. >> ISN'T THAT SOMETHING? >> INCREDIBLE. >> THIRD AND 2. HUGE PLAY HERE. CAN THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT BREAK? McNAIR. QUARTERBACK DRAW. >> OH. >><i> JUST</i> TRIPPED. >> WE HAVE SEEN THREE PLAYS BY THE BUFFALO BILLS IN THE SECOND HALF WHERE THEY HAVE GOTTEN THE ANKLES -- WHETHER IT'S A RUNNING BACK OR A TIGHT END. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. THEY JUST TRIP HIM UP. >> IT WAS PHIL HANSEN, JOE, THAT DID IT AGAIN. >> SEE WHERE THE CORNERS ARE UP? SEE HERE? THE PLACE THAT HE'S GONNA RUN IS UP THE MIDDLE -- OR IF THEY WANT TO RUN IN REGULAR FORMATIONS, WILL BE AT THE EDGES. THERE IS NOBODY HERE. ONE LITTLE QUICK PLAY. PHIL HANSEN HAS DONE A TERRIFIC JOB MAKING SAVING TACKLES FOR THE BILLS. >> FIRST DOWN, TENNESSEE. 4:11 AND COUNTING. EDDIE GEORGE. TO THE 30. AL DEL GRECO ON THE SIDELINE. HE HAS HIT 1 OF 2. ONE OF THE BEST CLUTCH KICKERS EVER. ACTUALLY MISSED ANOTHER, BUT IT WAS WIPED OUT BY A PENALTY. >> BUT HE'S ALSO SAYING, "WOULD YOU GET IT DOWN BY THE 10, PLEASE? CLOSER TO THE 10." >> HE'S SAYING, "GET IT IN THE END ZONE. LET'S NOT EVEN BOTHER." >> [ LAUGHS ] THAT'S RIGHT. >> "I'LL JUST STAY OVER HERE AND STAY WARM." ROB JOHNSON KNOWING NOW HE MAY NEED ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO PUT POINTS ON THE BOARD. >> WITH LORENZO NEAL IN THERE, YOU'VE GOT TO FIGURE THIS IS GONNA BE SOME KIND OF RUNNING PLAY. >> GEORGE. UP THE MIDDLE TO THE 25. FROM HERE, IT WOULD BE 42 OR 43 YARDS. >> REMEMBER THE TWO FUMBLES EDDIE GEORGE HAD IN THE FIRST HALF? LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SECOND HALF. AND HE KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO CONTROL THE BALL. WATCH HIS HANDS. BOTH HANDS ARE ON THE BALL. HE IS NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES AT ALL. HE KNOWS HE'S GONNA GET POPPED UP IN THAT MIDDLE. THAT'S SMART RUNNING. >> 97 YARDS RUSHING ON 26 CARRIES FOR THE PRO BOWL RUNNING BACK, EDDIE GEORGE. AGAIN. 5 MORE. OVER 100. >> THE BILLS ONLY HAVE TWO TIME-OUTS. AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU, THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE THEY CAN LET THIS THING GO ALMOST TO THE 2-MINUTE. >> YOU TALK ABOUT THE SIZE OF TED WASHINGTON, THOUGH, PAULIE. WATCH WHAT HE DOES. WATCH THE LITTLE BIT OF HELP HE GETS ON PAT WILLIAMS. THE FACT THAT HE'S JUST ABLE TO STAY WITH PAT ALLOWS EDDIE TO PICK UP THE FIRST DOWN. KEVIN LONG DOES A NICE JOB. >> 2:20 TO GO. EDDIE GEORGE. GETS 3. AND TENNESSEE SEEMS VERY CONTENT TO PLAY THIS FOR A FIELD GOAL. BUFFALO WILL NOW USE A TIME-OUT, STOP IT AT THE 2:05 MARK. >> OBVIOUSLY. EDDIE GEORGE, HE GETS INTO A RHYTHM. WE SAW IT IN THE OAKLAND GAME HERE. HE GETS HIMSELF INTO A RHYTHM. IT TOOK HIM 3 1/2 QUARTERS TO GET THERE, BUT HE'S IN THAT THING. GIVE HIM THE BALL. >> THIS GUY IS SUCH A TERRIFIC RUNNING BACK. AND EVERY TIME WE SEE HIM, I'M STUNNED AT THE SIZE OF HIS LEGS. I MEAN, HE JUST HAS ENORMOUS PINS. >> LOOK AT HIS ARMS, HIS HANDS. >> 27 CARRIES, 102 YARDS. SECOND AND 7. THREE TIGHT ENDS IN THE LINEUP. GEORGE AGAIN. LOWERS HIS HEAD. GETS ALMOST TO THE 15-YARD LINE. COWART AND COMPANY AGAIN MAKE THE TACKLE. AND WE HAVE REACHED THE 2-MINUTE WARNING. ONLY 2 MINUTES TO GO IN THE GAME. BILLS UP BY 1, BUT THE TITANS ARE DRIVING. ALREADY IN FIELD-GOAL POSITION. WADE PHILLIPS, WHO MADE THAT CONTROVERSIAL DECISION TO REPLACE DOUG FLUTIE WITH ROB JOHNSON. JEFF FISHER DIDN'T HAVE THAT KIND OF PRESSURE ON HIM THIS WEEK. JUST THE PRESSURE OF THE FIRST PLAYOFF GAME EVER IN NASHVILLE FOR THIS FRANCHISE. THIRD AND 5. BUFFALO, ONE TIME-OUT LEFT. McNAIR ON THE ROLL. STAYS IN BOUNDS. AND HORSE-COLLARED OVER THERE. >> YOU KNOW THE WORST PART ABOUT THIS PLAY? THIS PLAY LOSES 2 YARDS. >> IT DOESN'T MATTER DOWN THIS CLOSE, THOUGH. THE SMART THING THAT STEVE McNAIR DID WAS HE STAYED IN BOUNDS AND FORCED THE BILLS TO USE THEIR LAST TIME-OUT. IF I'M THE TENNESSEE TITANS, I LIKE THIS SITUATION. IF I MAKE THE FIELD GOAL, I FORCE THE BUFFALO BILLS TO GO INTO A FORMATION WITH SPREAD WIDE RECEIVERS AND PROBABLY NO BACK, WHICH THEY HAVE YET TO BE ABLE TO BLOCK THE RUSH OF THE TITANS. >> DEL GRECO CAN GIVE HIS BALL CLUB THE LEAD. THEY ARE DOWN 13-12 WITH 1:53 TO GO. OFFICIALLY HE IS 1 OUT OF 2 TODAY. DURING THE REGULAR SEASON, 21 OUT OF 25. THE BALL IS SPOTTED AT THE 18. IT WILL BE JUST OVER 35 YARDS. 16-YEAR VETERAN OUT OF AUBURN. GOT IT. [ CROWD CHEERING ] AL DEL GRECO COMES THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH. THE TITANS ARE UP 15-13. >> AND THE TENNESSEE TITANS CANNOT GET THAT COMFORTABLE FEELING IN THEIR STOMACH. >> OH, NO. >> 1:48 IS A LOT OF TIME. BUT HERE'S THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE. ROB JOHNSON HAS LOOKED GOOD IN PRACTICE. ROB JOHNSON PLAYED WELL AGAINST THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS LAST WEEK. I DON'T THINK HE'S REALLY RUN A 2-MINUTE DRILL AT THIS LEVEL. AND WHEN THE BILLS HAVE TO SPREAD OUT THAT FORMATION TO TRY AND THROW, HE'S BEEN PUT UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE ALL DAY BY THE TENNESSEE DEFENSE. >> HIS FAVORITE TARGET WHEN HE HAS GONE DOWNFIELD HAS BEEN ERIC MOULDS. [ CROWD CHEERING ] AND NOW ALL THE PRESSURE GOES TO THE BUFFALO OFFENSE. MOULDS HAS CAUGHT THREE PASSES FOR 62 YARDS. >> AND I THINK IT MIGHT JUST GET A LITTLE LOUD FOR THEM TO COMMUNICATE, TOO. >> YOU THINK? >> I THINK SO. >> KEVIN WILLIAMS IS DEEP TO RECEIVE THE KICK FROM HENTRICH. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING THROUGH HIS MIND? ROB JOHNSON I'M TALKING ABOUT. I THINK HE'S FINE. I KNOW HE'S CALM. >> I DO TOO. I THINK HE SAYS, "HEY, THIS IS WHY I'M HERE." >> I AGREE. WILLIAMS FROM THE 5. ACROSS THE 30. HENTRICH TAKES HIM OUT OF BOUNDS AT THE 39. EXCEPTIONAL RETURN THAT GIVES BUFFALO TREMENDOUS FIELD POSITION. LET'S GO TO SOLOMON WILCOTS. SOLLY? >> YEAH, MIKE. AT THE MOST CRUCIAL TIME IN THE BALLGAME, THE BILLS WILL BE WITHOUT ONE OF THE MOST VERSATILE RUNNING BACKS IN THE HISTORY OF THE NFL. THURMAN THOMAS IS OUT WITH A SPRAINED RIGHT KNEE. HE WILL NOT RETURN TO THE BALLGAME, MIKE. >> ALL RIGHT, SOLLY. THANKS VERY MUCH. THAT'S A TOUGH BREAK FOR BUFFALO. ONE OF THEIR VETERAN STARS. JOHNSON. COMPLETE TO THE 48-YARD LINE. NICE THROW. PEERLESS PRICE. >> NOW, KEEP IN MIND -- HE ONLY IS GONNA NEED ABOUT 25 MORE YARDS TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KICK THE FIELD GOAL. >> CLOCK RUNNING. BUFFALO WITH NO TIME-OUTS LEFT. OVER ERIC MOULDS. GOOD COVERAGE BY DAINON SIDNEY. >> THE ONE THING I THINK ABOUT IS BRETT FAVRE. BRETT FAVRE SAYS IN A 2-MINUTE DRILL, ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS GET FIRST DOWNS, KEEP MOVING THE BALL, KEEP MOVING THE CHAINS. YOU ALWAYS HAVE PLENTY OF TIME. THEY STARTED OUT WITH 1:48, JOE. THEY'RE DOWN TO 1:14. THEY HAVE PLENTY OF TIME. >> THERE'S NO REASON TO BE IN A HURRY. AND TENNESSEE, ON THE OTHER HAND, REALIZING THAT, THEY'RE NOT LAYING OFF THE WIDE RECEIVERS. THEY'RE PUTTING THEM UP IN PRESS COVERAGE, AND THEY'RE MAKING THE RECEIVERS WORK FOR EVERY YARD. >> BLITZ COMING. DRAW PLAY! LINTON! HE'S TO THE 36. FROM HERE, IT WOULD BE A 53-YARD TRY. THEY ARE CLOSING IN ON IT FOR CHRISTIE. AND PLENTY OF TIME LEFT. >> NOW YOU'RE IN A COMFORT ZONE IF YOU'RE ROB. YOU DON'T NEED TO HURRY. YOU CAN REALLY TAKE YOUR TIME. YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO TAKE A SACK. >> JOHNSON. GETS TO THE 33. TELLS HIS TEAMMATES THEY WANT TO SPIKE THE BALL AND KILL THE CLOCK. HE LOST HIS SHOE. HE DOESN'T NEED IT, THOUGH. GOT TO KILL THE CLOCK. NOW HE'S GONNA TAKE THE BALL. WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS ALL THE WRAPPING ON HIS ANKLE HAS COME LOOSE. THROWS TO THE SIDELINE. COMPLETE. CAN THEY GET OUT OF BOUNDS? AND PRICE DOES! PEERLESS PRICE SOMEHOW GOT OUT OF THE TACKLE AND GOT OUT OF BOUNDS WITH 20 SECONDS LEFT! >> [ LAUGHS ] >> THERE'S THE MIRACLE. THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A MIRACLE PLAY. ONE SHOE. ROB JOHNSON DECIDES NOT TO GROUND IT. SCRAMBLES. MUST GET BETTER TRACTION WITH THE ONE SHOE. DOES A GOOD JOB OF SCRAMBLING. PRICE MAKES THE BIG RECEPTION AND FIGHTS TO GET OUT OF BOUNDS. >> THE GAME IS ON THE LINE. CHRISTIE IS ON. AND TENNESSEE WILL CALL A TIME-OUT WITH 20 SECONDS LEFT. APPARENTLY THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE CHANCE TO HAVE A PLAY IN BOUNDS WHERE THEY COULDN'T SET UP THE FIELD-GOAL TRY. >> OR HE GOT HIS SHOE ON. BUFFALO HAS AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A GREAT SECOND-HALF COMEBACK AND WIN THIS FOOTBALL GAME. >> CHRISTIE FROM 41 YARDS. HE'S HIT 25 OF 34 THIS YEAR. FOR THE GAME. HE GOT IT! STEVE CHRISTIE FROM 41 YARDS! FIRST THEY HAD THE GREAT KICK RETURN THAT GAVE THEM THE FIELD POSITION. AND THEN ROB JOHNSON MADE A COUPLE OF BIG PLAYS TO GET THEM DOWN HERE FOR CHRISTIE TO KICK. >> WADE PHILLIPS LOOK LIKE A GENIUS? >> YES, HE DOES. >> [ LAUGHS ] >> CHRISTIE GETS ALL OF THIS ONE. RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. >> AND THE UNDERDOG BUFFALO BILLS, LED BY ROB JOHNSON, HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD WITH 16 SECONDS TO GO. WADE PHILLIPS, WHO WAS UNDER SO MUCH FIRE THIS WEEK FOR HIS DECISION -- WHICH WE SAID NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT IS A COURAGEOUS THING TO DO, TO MAKE A CHANGE AT THIS POINT IN TIME. IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE BY A COACH'S DECISION. AND THE TENNESSEE TITANS ARE JUST CRUSHED. 16 SECONDS LEFT. THEY STILL HAVE A PRAYER, BUT NOT MUCH MORE. >> WELL, THEY HAVE TWO TIME-OUTS. AND THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD NOT DO IS SQUIB-KICK THIS THING SHORT. >> NO. I'D KICK IT DEEP. I WOULD MAKE THEM USE AS MUCH OF THE CLOCK AND TAKE MY CHANCES ON A RETURN AS OPPOSED TO SQUIB-KICKING IT, LET THEM GET IT WITH ABOUT 12 SECONDS TO GO AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR A PLAY. >> DYSON AND BYRD ARE DEEP. TAKEN BY NEAL. HE GIVES IT TO WYCHECK. WYCHECK. THAT LOOKED LIKE A FORWARD PASS. TAKEN BY DYSON. DYSON DOWN THE SIDELINE! DYSON'S GONNA GO ALL THE WAY! AND THERE WAS NO FLAG! [ CROWD CHEERING ] NO FLAGS ON THE PLAY. IT IS A TOUCHDOWN. BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT REPLAY. >> ALL THAT'S MISSING IS THE BAND. >> THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S THE ONLY THING MISSING. >> BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU SOMETHING. THE REASON THAT WADE PHILLIPS WAS SO UNDER CONTROL IS THAT HE THINKS WHEN THEY LOOK AT THIS THAT THIS IS A FORWARD PASS. THIS IS NOT A LATERAL. >> TAKE A LOOK AT IT FROM THE BEST ANGLE I CAN GIVE YOU. YOU SEE WYCHECK START TO THE RIGHT. NOW, IS DYSON BEHIND HIM? THAT'S THE QUESTION. >> NO. IT'S A FORWARD PASS. >> THIS IS WHERE HE IS. THIS IS WHERE HE IS. BUT HE STEPS BACK. >> THAT'S A FORWARD PASS. >> I'LL TELL YOU WHY IT'S GONNA BE HARD TO TELL. BECAUSE THE BALL IS RIGHT ON THE LINE. YOU CAN'T LOOK AT THE BODY OF THE PEOPLE. WATCH IT AGAIN. >> HERE THEY COME. HERE COMES THE OFFICIALS. >> NOW, HE'S ON THE LINE, OKAY? HE'S ON THE LINE, AND HE CATCHES IT ON THE LINE. I DON'T KNOW. I GOT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. I THINK IT'S A LOT CLOSER CALL. >> WE CAN GO BACK TO THE OTHER ANGLE. >> HE'S ON THE LINE. AND YOU WATCH WHERE IT'S CAUGHT. IT'S CAUGHT ON THE LINE. >> OH, IS THAT CLOSE. >> NO. I'M SAYING IT'S REAL CLOSE. IT'S A LOT CLOSER WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT THAN WE THOUGHT, MIKE. I AGREE WITH YOU -- AND PAUL AS WELL. >> FROM THAT ANGLE, THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A LATERAL. >> IT'S A LATERAL. >> THAT IS AMAZING. >> BECAUSE HE'S IN FRONT OF THE LINE. AND LOOK AT THIS. >> THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. YOU HAVE TO SEE WHERE HE THROWS THE BALL FROM. YOU CAN'T LOOK AT THE BODIES. >> IT'S WHERE THE BALL IS TO WHERE THE BALL GOES. >> THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. THE BALL IS ABOVE THE LINE A LITTLE BIT. THIS BALL IS ABOVE THE LINE A LITTLE BIT. I THINK IT'S TOUGH TO CALL. I GOT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. SEE? THE BALL IS RELEASED FROM ABOUT A HALF-YARD IN FRONT OF THE 25. AND IT'S CAUGHT IN ALMOST THE SAME SPOT, MIKE. >> I THINK THAT IS A LATERAL. I INITIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A FORWARD PASS. BUT YOU LOOK AT THOSE TWO ANGLES ON THAT REPLAY, THAT LOOKS LIKE A DIRECT LINE. AND THERE WAS NO PENALTY. SO THEY HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING TO OVERTURN IT. LOOK AT PHIL LUCKETT. HE IS SURROUNDED DOWN THERE. >> IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE IS PHIL LUCKETT. >> I'M GONNA TELL YOU ONE THING. >> AND WHAT AN UNBELIEVABLE FINISH TO THIS GAME. >> WELL, THE REASON THAT WADE PHILLIPS WAS SO CALM IS BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS TRULY A FORWARD PASS. LOOK AT WHERE THE BALL IS. >> NOW, THE BALL IS UP IN FRONT OF THE LINE. WATCH WHERE DYSON CATCHES IT. >> ON THE LINE. >> SO AS I LOOK AT THAT, I GOT TO SAY IT'S A LATERAL. >> I HAVE TO SAY THE SAME THING. >> BUT THIS IS THE BEST LOOK. WATCH WYCHECK. YOU SEE HE RUNS DOWN THE LINE. THE BALL'S UP FRONT. AND YOU'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE BALL IS. DYSON MAKES -- GUYS, IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE IT MIGHT BE A LATERAL. >> YOU KNOW WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE A LATERAL MORE THAN ANY OTHER TIME? IF WE CAN GO BACK AND WATCH WHEN HE THROWS THE BALL BACK. HE THROWS IT BEHIND HIM. HE'S NOT THROWING THE BALL FORWARD. IF YOU LOOK AT WYCHECK'S ARM AND HIS BODY MOTION, HE IS THROWING THE BALL BACK. HERE THEY COME. >> THE RULING ON THE PLAY STANDS. IT WAS A LATERAL. TOUCHDOWN. >> WOW. WOW. >> WHAT AN INCREDIBLE PLAY. >> MIKE, WHEN IT HAPPENED, YOU LOOKED AT US AND YOU SAID YOU CAN'T BELIEVE IT. IT'S GOT TO BE FORWARD. BUT NOW WE HAVE SEEN THE VALUE OF INSTANT REPLAY. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> AND IT VINDICATES EVERY DECISION TO HAVE IT, 'CAUSE THESE ARE THE TYPE OF SITUATIONS YOU NEED IT IN. >> I'M TELLING YOU, THE FIRST THING I DID -- WE HAD THE CAMERA ON WADE PHILLIPS, AND IT REALLY LOOKED LIKE HE WAS TOTALLY CONVINCED THAT THIS THING WAS A FORWARD PASS. LOOK AGAIN. WATCH WHERE HE THROWS THE BALL, JOE. HE'S THROWING IT BACKWARDS. >> THAT IS CORRECT. >> THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS IT DETERMINES. >> WHAT A DEVASTATING WAY FOR BUFFALO TO LOSE THE LEAD AFTER THEY HAD DRIVEN FOR A WINNING FIELD GOAL. AND ON A TRICK PLAY. ON THE KICKOFF. >> REMEMBER WE SAID SPECIAL TEAMS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE IN BIG GAMES? WE DIDN'T QUITE EXPECT THAT. >> DEL GRECO FOR THE POINT AFTER. >> THAT'S A SHOCKER. I MEAN, ALL THESE GUYS -- IT IS SO DEVASTATING TO ALL OF THOSE GUYS ON THE BUFFALO BILLS AND THE COACHING STAFF. THEY GOT 3 SECONDS, BUT IT'S OVER. >> BUT KEEP IN MIND WHAT TENNESSEE DID. THE GUY WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO GET THE KICKOFF DIDN'T EVEN GET IT. LORENZO NEAL HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO GET IT TO WYCHECK SO HE COULD LATERAL THE BALL. >> WATCH THE KICKOFF. LORENZO NEAL IS GONNA BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN. HE GETS THE KICK AND GIVES IT TO FRANK WYCHECK BEHIND HIM. WYCHECK TURNS AND THROWS BEHIND HIM, BE IT EVER SO SLIGHTLY. AND THEN LOOK AT THE WALL THEY'VE GOT UP FRONT. CHRISTIE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT IS EVEN CLOSE. >> AND THEY HAD THREE GUYS TO BLOCK HIM. AND JEFF FISHER KNOWS HE HAS PULLED ONE OUT OF THE HAT. >> STEVE McNAIR CAN'T BELIEVE IT EITHER. >> THE FAVORITES HAVE APPARENTLY SURVIVED TO PLAY ANOTHER DAY. THERE ARE 3 SECONDS LEFT. >> REMEMBER A FEW GAMES AGO, FRANK WYCHECK THROWING A TOUCHDOWN PASS? >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU QUALIFY THIS ONE. I THINK HE JUST THREW ANOTHER ONE. ALAN LOWRY, THE SPECIAL-TEAMS COACH. >> UNBELIEVABLE. >> HOW LATE AT NIGHT DO YOU SIT UP AND DESIGN THOSE? >> WELL, IF THEY WORK, YOU STAY UP AS LONG AS YOU NEED TO. NOW THE BILLS, WITH 3 SECONDS LEFT. THEY WILL TRY THEIR OWN VERSION. LOOSE BALL. STILL ALIVE. <i> STILL</i> ALIVE! AND NOW TENNESSEE COVERS IT AT THE 45. IT IS OVER. THE TITANS BEAT THE BILLS. [ CROWD CHEERING ] ONE OF THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE ENDINGS IN THE HISTORY OF THE NFL.
I was a little young to remember the Superbowl loses. This was my first true sports heartbreak. Too bad the bills poured on the heartbreak for nearly two decades after too. But the organization is looking on the up n up for sure.
It was a forward pass.
I’m still unsure if Frank Wycheck threw that pass forward. Great play tho. Crazy that they won this game on the last play and then go on to lose the Super Bowl getting stopped at the 1 on the last play
Why didn't the Tennessee Titans attempt a 2-point conversion after the Music City Miracle touchdown?
I was 6 at the time and was so excited seeing our team pull it off. I have a vivid memory of my dad cheering when it happened, and a few weeks later when we were one yard short I remember his disappointment.