Listen In…. This Is Why the Texans are Making the Playoffs With Wade Phillips

Long ago, a player of remarkable heart but not blessed with the physical stature that we associate with HOF NFL caliber quarterbacks, came along. He played his high school ball in the Boston suburban town of Natick, and his sandlot style and diminutive size (it is stretching it to say he is 5'-10") did not attract much attention from the NCAA big boys and he ended up accepting the only scholarship offer he received, from Boston College, no national power at the time. It's possible you may recognize the player who I am describing, as Doug Flutie; Heisman Trophy winner, the thrower of "The Hail Mary" pass, and the most decorated Canadian Football League player of all-time having won the CFL MVP a record six times. Flutie, to say the least, met resistance on all fronts when trying to gain a place in the NFL. But, I think it is inarguable that he has earned his place when it is all said and done.

Knowing that he was not highly regarded by the NFL, Doug Flutie was drafted by Donald Trump's USFL NJ Generals and signed to a contract prior to the NFL draft. Flutie ended up being selected by the NFL anyways, in the 11th round by the NFL Los Angeles Rams, but he was already under contract with the rival USFL, so that is where he toiled until they went out of business. Circumstance led to adjustment and Flutie traveled into and out of the NFL, making his debut with the Chicago Bears, then his ill-fated attempt with the New England Patriots as a picket line crossing alternative player, staying for three seasons before exiting for the CFL.

Following Flutie's twisted pro career through the USFL, NFL and CFL, he finally landed back in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills in 1998, entering the fifth game of the season after Rob Johnson exited due to injury. Our Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips was the Bill's Head Coach and appreciated the impact that Flutie had on the team, so he maintained Flutie as the starting QB for the remainder of the regular season, finishing at 10-5 and carrying the Bills to a playoff berth with their first game being against the Tennessee Titans. That is when things took a cruel and everlasting turn.

The story has since been clarified, but going into this playoff game it was reported that Phillips had replaced current starter QB Flutie with now-backup Rob Johnson to take over the reins as the starting QB for the Bills against the Titans. It has since been clarified that Phillips indeed was acting at the direction of the team's owner, Ralph Wilson, who wanted to see a return on his multi-million dollar investment in Rob Johnson. But, the damage had already been done. Team-leader and fan-favorite Doug Flutie, the ultimate over-achiever, had been relegated to holding a clipboard for the game that he had so long toiled to get to, an "NFL playoff" game. This little player-who-could now had the football taken away from him, ala Charlie Brown, and now relaying plays from the sideline was the only impact he could have on the outcome. The football gods didn't look down favorably at the Buffalo Bills that afternoon.

The play of the slow-footed Johnson was overall unspectacular, being tackled for a safety in the 1st half, getting sacked 6 times, and completing only 10-22 passes. One could only wonder how the elusive Flutie would have fared. With the teams taking turns making plays to stay in the game, it came down to a final kickoff by the Bills with only 16 seconds remaining in the game, up 16-13. The Titans, receiving the kickoff, called a play called Home Run Throwback, which involved Lorenzo Neal taking the kick, handing off to TE Frank Wychek, who would then throw a lateral pass across the field to WR Kevin Dyson, subbing for the injured Derrick Mason, who proceeded to run it down the sideline for the winning TD. The play worked to perfection and the Titans apparently won the game. The refs reviewed the play because a forward pass is illegal on a kickoff and their review determined that the replay was inconclusive to overturn the TD call. The TD was good and the Titans won! That play went down in history with Titans fans and is now called the Museum City Miracle, or something like that.

While that play was the most memorable play in all of history for the Titans, that play was devastating in equal measure for the Buffalo Bills team and anyone associated with the benching of Doug Flutie. That game is said to be the start of "The Flutie Curse" in NFL circles. The Bills, the city of Buffalo, team owner Ralph Wison and even Head Coach Wade Phillips would never win another playoff game. Finally, on January 8, 2010, Doug Flutie issued his forgiveness to Wade Phillips for benching him prior to that playoff game. Two days later, the Wade Phillips coached Dallas Cowboys won their Wild Card game and in the process vanquished the Flutie Curse on Wade Phillips once and for all! However, let all who read this know, that the Buffalo Bills still have not been forgiven and they still are victims of the Flutie Curse!

 And, that is why the Houston Texans will win a playoff game, so long as Wade Phillips is around.