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.
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| 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.