The
NFL playoffs following the
2003 NFL season led up to
Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Beginning with the 2003–04 season, the NFL changed the selection procedures regarding officials for playoffs games. The league suspended the prior practice of assembling "all-star" officiating crews of highly-rated individual officials. Instead, the league began using the entire crews that were highest rated during the regular season, preserving familiarity and cohesiveness in the officiating. The "all-star" crews were later resumed, beginning with the
2005-06 Conference Championships.
Bracket
Wild Card playoffs
Saturday January 3, 2004
AFC: Tennessee Titans 20, Baltimore Ravens 17
In a defensive struggle,
Gary Anderson kicked the winning 46-yard field goal for the Titans with 29 seconds left. The winning kick was set up after a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Ravens offensive lineman
Orlando Brown forced Baltimore to punt and enabled Tennessee to start its final drive from its own 37-yard line. Titans quarterback
Steve McNair threw three interceptions. Meanwhile, the Ravens running back
Jamal Lewis, the league's regular season rushing leader, was limited to 35 yards on 14 carries.
On the Titans opening drive of the game, McNair completed passes to
Drew Bennett and
Frank Wycheck for gains of 17 and 14 yards, while
Eddie George rushed five times for 25 yards on a 10-play, 67-yard drive. Running back
Chris Brown finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown...
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