The 1999 Buffalo Bills season was the 30th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL) and 40th overall. It would be the final season that Bruce Smith, Andre Reed, and Thurman Thomas — the last three players remaining from the Bills' Super Bowl teams — were on the same team together. All three were released at the end of the season due to salary cap issues.
The Bills surrendered only 229 points (14.3 points per game), the lowest total in franchise history in a 16-game season, and second-fewest in the league.[note 2] Buffalo's 2,675 passing yards and 4,045 total yards allowed were both the fewest totals in the NFL in 1999.
The Bills finished in second place in the AFC East and finished the National Football League's 1999 season with a record of 11 wins and 5 losses. The Bills qualified for the postseason for the eighth time in the decade. They would lose to the Titans 22–16, in the game called "Music City Miracle".
The team would not make the playoffs again until 2017, where they were defeated by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild-Card round. They also would not have another 10 win season until 2019.
1999 expansion draft
[edit]
Undrafted free agents
[edit]
1999 Buffalo Bills staff
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|
Front office
Head coaches
- Head coach – Wade Phillips
- Assistant to the head coach – Max Bowman
Offensive coaches
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|
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
| Week
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Result
|
Record
|
Attendance
|
| 1
|
September 12
|
at Indianapolis Colts
|
L 14–31
|
0–1
|
56,238
|
| 2
|
September 19
|
New York Jets
|
W 17–3
|
1–1
|
68,839
|
| 3
|
September 26
|
Philadelphia Eagles
|
W 26–0
|
2–1
|
70,872
|
| 4
|
October 4
|
at Miami Dolphins
|
W 23–18
|
3–1
|
74,073
|
| 5
|
October 10
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
W 24–21
|
4–1
|
71,038
|
| 6
|
October 17
|
Oakland Raiders
|
L 14–20
|
4–2
|
71,113
|
| 7
|
October 24
|
at Seattle Seahawks
|
L 16–26
|
4–3
|
66,301
|
| 8
|
October 31
|
at Baltimore Ravens
|
W 13–10
|
5–3
|
68,673
|
| 9
|
November 7
|
at Washington Redskins
|
W 34–17
|
6–3
|
78,721
|
| 10
|
November 14
|
Miami Dolphins
|
W 23–3
|
7–3
|
72,810
|
| 11
|
November 21
|
at New York Jets
|
L 7–17
|
7–4
|
79,285
|
| 12
|
November 28
|
New England Patriots
|
W 17–7
|
8–4
|
72,111
|
| 13
|
Bye
|
| 14
|
December 12
|
New York Giants
|
L 17–19
|
8–5
|
72,527
|
| 15
|
December 19
|
at Arizona Cardinals
|
W 31–21
|
9–5
|
64,337
|
| 16
|
December 26
|
at New England Patriots
|
W 13–10 (OT)
|
10–5
|
55,014
|
| 17
|
January 2
|
Indianapolis Colts
|
W 31–6
|
11–5
|
61,959
|
| Note: Intra-divisional games are in bold text.
|
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills |
0 |
6 | 8 | 0 |
14 |
| • Colts |
7 |
7 | 7 | 10 |
31 |
|
[1]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets |
0 |
0 | 3 | 0 |
3 |
| • Bills |
0 |
7 | 7 | 3 |
17 |
|
[2]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0 |
| • Bills |
9 |
10 | 7 | 0 |
26 |
|
[3]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bills |
3 |
10 | 0 | 10 |
23 |
| Dolphins |
6 |
3 | 0 | 9 |
18 |
|
[4]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers |
7 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
21 |
| • Bills |
7 |
10 | 7 | 0 |
24 |
|
[5]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Raiders |
10 |
3 | 7 | 0 |
20 |
| Bills |
7 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
14 |
|
[6]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills |
0 |
3 | 6 | 7 |
16 |
| • Seahawks |
13 |
10 | 0 | 3 |
26 |
|
[7]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bills |
0 |
3 | 0 | 10 |
13 |
| Ravens |
10 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
10 |
|
[8]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bills |
3 |
14 | 14 | 3 |
34 |
| Redskins |
7 |
3 | 0 | 7 |
17 |
- Date: November 7
- Location: Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Game start: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), wind 14 mph (23 km/h)
|
[9]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins |
0 |
3 | 0 | 0 |
3 |
| • Bills |
9 |
7 | 7 | 0 |
23 |
|
[10]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills |
0 |
0 | 7 | 0 |
7 |
| • Jets |
0 |
14 | 3 | 0 |
17 |
|
[11]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots |
0 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
7 |
| • Bills |
3 |
7 | 7 | 0 |
17 |
|
[12]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Giants |
3 |
10 | 3 | 3 |
19 |
| Bills |
3 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
17 |
|
[13]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bills |
14 |
0 | 3 | 14 |
31 |
| Cardinals |
0 |
14 | 0 | 7 |
21 |
- Date: December 19
- Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
- Game start: 6:20 p.m.
- Game weather: 57 °F (13.9 °C), wind 4 mph (6.4 km/h; 3.5 kn)
- Referee: Johnny Grier
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, and Solomon Wilcots
|
[14]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| • Bills |
3 |
0 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
13 |
| Patriots |
0 |
3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
10 |
|
[15]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts |
3 |
3 | 0 | 0 |
6 |
| • Bills |
7 |
14 | 0 | 10 |
31 |
- Date: January 2
- Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 44 °F (6.7 °C), wind 14 mph (23 km/h; 12 kn)
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist, Dan Dierdorf, and Bonnie Bernstein
|
[16]
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills |
0 |
0 | 0 | 16 |
16 |
| • Titans |
0 |
12 | 0 | 10 |
22 |
|
The Music City Miracle is a famous play in the NFL Wild Card Playoffs involving the Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills that took place on January 8, 2000 (following the 1999 regular season) at Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee.
Going into the game, Bills coach Wade Phillips created a stir by starting quarterback Rob Johnson, rather than Doug Flutie, who had started 15 games and led the team to the playoffs. Late in the fourth quarter, the stage was set for an exciting finish. Tennessee received the ball with 6:15 remaining. Titans receiver Isaac Byrd's 16-yard punt return and five carries from Eddie George for 17 yards set up a wobbly 36-yard field goal by Del Greco. The Titans took a 15–13 lead with 1:48 to go. On the ensuing drive, with no timeouts remaining, Bills quarterback Johnson led the Bills on a five-play, 37-yard drive to the Titans' 24-yard line. On the last two plays from scrimmage, Johnson played with only one shoe on, as he had lost one and had no time to put it back on, with the clock running out. With only 16 seconds remaining in the game, Steve Christie, the Bills' kicker, made a 41-yard field goal to put Buffalo in the lead, 16–15.
Moments later, Christie kicked off, and Titans player Lorenzo Neal received. Neal handed the ball off to Titans tight end Frank Wycheck, who then lateraled the ball across the field to another Titans player, Kevin Dyson, who then ran down the sidelines for a 75-yard touchdown. The play was named Home Run Throwback by the Titans and was developed by Special Teams Coordinator Alan Lowry.
Per the instant replay rules, the play was reviewed by referee Phil Luckett since it was uncertain if the ball had been a forward pass, which is illegal on a kickoff return. However, the call on the field was upheld as a touchdown, and the Titans won the game 22–16.
The victory, in front of a franchise-record crowd at Adelphia Coliseum, allowed the Tennessee franchise to advance to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs for the first time since 1993. Subsequent victories over the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars sent the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV to face the St. Louis Rams, where they lost by one yard.
It could be said that the game served as revenge for the Titans/Oilers franchise for The Comeback, where the Bills came back from a 32-point deficit to defeat the Houston Oilers, 41–38, in overtime. For the Bills, it led to the firing after 13 seasons of special teams coach Bruce DeHaven. One year later, Phillips was fired (partly due to his failure to lead the Bills past the first round of the playoffs during his tenure) and replaced by Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. It was added to the list of infamous moments in Buffalo sports history, joining Wide Right and No Goal.
Buffalo would go on to miss the playoffs for seventeen seasons following the Music City Miracle, finally snapping its drought in 2017. Then the Bill lost in the Wild Card round to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and again to the Houston Texans in 2019, before finally ending the streak of playoff losses to AFC South opponents against yet another AFC South opponent, the Indianapolis Colts, in 2020.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts — September 12th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "New York Jets at Buffalo Bills — September 19th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills — September 26th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins — October 4th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills — October 10th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "Oakland Raiders at Buffalo Bills — October 17th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills at Seattle Seahawks — October 24th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens — October 31st, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills at Washington Redskins — November 7th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills — November 14th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills at New York Jets — November 21st, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills — November 28th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "New York Giants at Buffalo Bills — December 12th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills at Arizona Cardinals — December 19th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots — December 26th, 1999". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills — January 2nd, 2000". Pro Football Reference.
