BUCS DON'T STOP; THEY'RE ON TO GREEN BAY AFTER VICTORY : TAMPA BAY 20, DETROIT 10.Byline: Thomas George Thomas George (b. 1949) is an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He was educated at St Mary's Primary and Marist Brothers College in Casino. He has worked as a bank officer, a stock and station agent, a real estate agent and a publican. The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times One team was making its sixth playoff appearance in seven seasons. The other was playing host to its first playoff game Noun 1. playoff game - one game in the series of games constituting a playoff game - a single play of a sport or other contest; "the game lasted two hours" playoff - any final competition to determine a championship in 17 years. But after the kickoff Sunday, they traded places. The Detroit Lions and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers abbr. National Football Conference Central, did it for a third time this season. Tampa Bay Tampa Bay, inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, 25 mi (40 km) long and 7 to 12 mi (11.3–19 km) wide, W Fla., separated from the Gulf by numerous small islands; it receives the Hillsborough River. St. won the first game. Detroit won the second. But this was the playoffs. And for the league's black-and-blue division, add purple to the scheme. That color fit the Lions after they were pounded physically and mentally in what was for them a taxing and trying game, and for Tampa Bay a 20-10 victory before 73,361 fans at Houlihan's Stadium. Tampa Bay will play the Packers in Green Bay next Sunday. Detroit was barely in this game. And by the end, Detroit quarterback Scott Mitchell Scott Mitchell may refer to:
Mitchell's play had been inconsistent and uninspiring uninspiring Adjective not likely to make people interested or excited Adj. 1. uninspiring - depressing to the spirit; "a villa of uninspiring design" inspiring - stimulating or exalting to the spirit , but he had plenty of company - busted assignments by the Detroit offense, from blocking schemes left, right and up the middle. After one quarter, Tampa Bay led 3-0. Then it was 10-0, 13-0 and 20-0. Detroit did not score until 28 seconds remained in the third quarter when Jason Hanson's 28-yard field goal made it 20-3. But it was an offensive start too late to matter. The Lions' Barry Sanders Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is a Hall of Fame and Heisman Trophy winning American football running back who spent his entire professional career with the Detroit Lions of the NFL. was held in check (65 yards rushing, a long of 15 yards, on 18 carries). Herman Moore Herman Joseph Moore (born October 20, 1969 in Danville, Virginia) is a former American National Football League wide receiver. He played football in high school, mostly as a kicker as well as playing at tight end. was, too (4 catches, 44 yards, a long of 15). And Mitchell (10 of 25 for 78 yards with one interception) struggled mightily. ``We came out very excited,'' Moore said. ``We just weren't moving the football. Once you hit postseason, if you lose, you're out. I guess we just didn't want to win. This is a great learning experience for us, especially the younger guys.'' But the Buccaneers Buccaneers can refer to:
``We had a meeting the other day,'' Tampa Bay defensive end Chidi Ahanotu Chidi Obioma Ahanotu (born October 11, 1970 in Modesto, California) is an American football defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. He was originally selected with the fifth pick of the sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay out of California. said, ``and asked how many guys had been in the playoffs; only two or three raised their hands. So, we knew we had to pay attention to detail to make up for it.'' Bucs quarterback Trent Dilfer Trent Farris Dilfer (born March 13, 1972 in Santa Cruz, California) is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. He previously played for the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. , who was 13 of 26 for 181 yards with a touchdown and an interception, said: ``Our head football coach - he got us ready and made up for the playoff inexperience. Him and Hardy Nickerson. Coach (Tony) Dungy got us ready by emphasizing the energy level. By telling us the importance of limiting mistakes. And by telling us to have fun. And when we are as physical as we were today, that takes care of a lot of things.'' Dungy won his first playoff game and was proud of the way his team handled the moment. He said that Tampa Bay's plan was to keep it simple on defense and stop Sanders with all 11 defenders. Make Mitchell beat them with his arm. And if he tried, blitz him up the middle on passing downs and hit him until it hurt. Linebacker Nickerson helped lead the hitting barrage. The plan worked. Lions cornerback Robert Bailey summed up his team's psyche: ``In the playoffs, you've got to be hungry. We were not hungry enough. They beat us to the punch too many times. We went out there and played this game as if we didn't know what was on the line.'' Even though it did not lead to a score, the Buccaneers might have known this was their day two minutes before halftime, when they converted on a strange 32-yard pass play. It was a play the Bucs could try again and again and it might never happen in just this manner. Dilfer dropped back to pass. Receiver Reidel Anthony ran a crossing pattern. Dilfer's pass bounced off Anthony's hands, bounced off cornerback Bailey's helmet and back into the hands of Anthony for 32 yards, to the Detroit 26. It was that kind of game for Tampa Bay. But the Bucs also created their own luck. Fullback Mike Alstott scored on a 31-yard run early in the third quarter, a run on which Lions tacklers bounced off him like toys. It was the longest run in Tampa Bay playoff history and made the score 20-0. ``I love it when guys try to tackle me high,'' Alstott said. ``The crowd today was special. It was electric. They came early and stayed late. They had new cheers. Our guys were feeding off of that.'' Bucs fans, after so many years of misery, must have been rubbing their eyes. Our team so dominant? Our team shutting down Sanders, who entered with 14 consecutive 100-yard rushing games? Our team advancing? ``We've come a long way from 0-5 in 1996,'' Dungy said, referring to his first year as the team's head coach. Tampa Bay now owns an 11-6 record this season. ``I felt we came out confident and beat a really good football team in a really big game,'' Dungy added. ``We handled ourselves well. Now we've got to get better on some little detail things and get ready to play a very good Green Bay team at Lambeau Field.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Tampa Bay quarterback Trent Dilfer, who passed for 181 yards and avoided major errors, leaps for a first down in the opening quarter. Associated Press |
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