ALSO SEE
Music City Miracle: Titans stun Bills on amazing kick return

Add one to the list of miracles

Titans see finish as 'poetic justice'

Bills (11-5) at Titans (13-3)


Dyson quiets comparisons to Moss
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kevin Dyson has been compared to the player drafted behind him -- Randy Moss -- ever since he joined the NFL. Maybe the criticism will stop now that he has his own highlight that will go down in NFL history.

The Tennessee Titans receiver, drafted five slots ahead of Moss with the No. 16 pick overall in 1998, likely can top any play Moss has had with the Minnesota Vikings with his 75-yard kickoff return off a disputed cross-field lateral Saturday.

Kevin Dyson
Kevin Dyson celebrates his game-winning TD return while most folks at Adelphia Coliseum were waiting to see if the play would stand.

Dyson's return took the Titans from a devastating loss to an improbable 22-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills in an AFC wild-card game as he scored with just 3 seconds left.

Tennessee will play at Indianapolis on Sunday.

For Dyson, the return topped his previous career highlight of a one-handed touchdown catch against Arizona in the Freedom Bowl during his freshman year at Utah.

"It still hasn't hit me," Dyson said Sunday. "I'm still soaking it in right now. It probably won't hit me until the end of the season when they're showing it (with) highlights for next season."

The play was sweet redemption for Dyson and Tennessee. Team officials were criticized heavily during the 1998 season as Moss turned in a Pro Bowl season and set a rookie record with 19 touchdown catches.

Dyson had a quiet rookie season, catching only 21 passes and scoring two touchdowns.

Dyson started this season off with a bang in the season opener, and it looked like he finally had arrived. He caught nine passes for 162 yards, the best game by an Oilers-Titans receiver since Haywood Jeffires totaled 186 yards on Oct. 12, 1991.

But Steve McNair went out with back surgery for the next five games, and backup Neil O'Donnell turned more to his favorite receiver, Yancey Thigpen. Dyson didn't catch more than six passes in a game the rest of the season. When Thigpen missed five games with a sprained ankle, Dyson struggled with only 10 receptions in his absence.

Coach Jeff Fisher said he hoped Dyson's return would boost his confidence after a frustrating season.

Teammate Derrick Mason, who would have been on the field instead of Dyson if not for a mild concussion, said maybe people finally will realize that Dyson can make plays in the NFL.

"I don't see why everybody should continue to compare him to Randy Moss because they're two different players. He plays for Minnesota, and that's a wide-open kind of offense over there. We play over here, and we've kind of got a balanced offense," Mason said.

Dyson, who was Tennessee's second-leading receiver with 54 receptions this season, is too busy enjoying the attention he's now getting for his astounding return.

He spent much of Saturday night returning at least 40 telephone messages. He woke up at least three times to watch the replay of his return on ESPN, and then he watched the play again Sunday at the Titans' practice facility.

Dyson had no doubts whatsoever about the lateral immediately after the game, and he said the replays made him realize why so many people were fussing about referee Phil Luckett upholding the play, calling it "real, real close."

But he isn't changing his position.

"It was a lateral. After seeing it, I was at the 25 and he threw it right about the 25," Dyson said.


ESPN Network: ESPN.comNFL.COMABCSPORTSFANTASYINSIDERSTORE