Steve McNair completed ten passes and a touchdown to Willie Davis but did not play in the second half with an elbow issue; Dave Krieg led three drives ending in points and a 23-14 Oilers win.

Neil O’Donnell, joining the Bengals off two tumultuous seasons with the NY Jets, completed twenty-four passes and a touchdown to Darnay Scott in the first quarter but was intercepted in the fourth.

The lead tied or changed seven times as McNair led three field goal drives and completed a twenty-two yard score to Eddie George, but following Drew Bledsoe’s 51-yard score to Terry Glenn (a Bledsoe interception in the second quarter was erased on back to back encroachment penalties) McNair was intercepted by Lawyer Milloy for another Patriots touchdown and 27-16 final.

Running back Mike Archie opened scoring when he made the Bengals look like meatheads on an 18-yard touchdown to Jackie Harris.

Fumbles on a double handoff in the first quarter and on the second half opening kick return led to a Bears lead but the Oilers erased a 20-10 gap to tie the game.

But scoring wasn’t completed as Steelers laterals on the kickoff were driven into their own end zone and a final Tennessee touchdown.

After sacking Jon Kitna on the Seahawks drive the Oilers got the ball back and Al Del Greco’s field goal put Tennessee up 18-17.

Kitna completed a deep pass to James McKnight and a roughing penalty added fifteen more yards; it ended on Todd Peterson’s 48-yard field goal and 20-18 Seahawks win.

With the Jaguars surging to their first AFC Central title they started Jamie Martin instead of Mark Brunell and clawed to a 10-0 lead but the Oilers scored thirteen straight points; Jonathan Quinn replaced Martin in the second half; he was intercepted at the Titans goal line but led a drive ending in a tying field goal with seven minutes to go.

After an exchange of punts McNair in the final two and a half minutes completed three passes for 33 yards and ran three times for eighteen more and the winning Del Greco field goal.

The Oilers led 13-5 before Randall Cunningham erupted with two touchdown throws, securing Minnesota’s run to the NFC Central title and playoff bye, while leaving the Titans to rest and regroup for next season.