Tampa, Florida					Thursday, September 09, 2010

The Pack Is Back But the Bucs Are Out
Sunday, November 16, 2003
TAM PA—Okay, let’s get this straight, and on paper, so we can mull over it. The Green Bay Packers came to Tampa late Sunday afternoon (Nov. 16. Fox-TV) tied with the TB Buccaneers at 4-5, each absolutely having to win to stay alive in the NFL wildcard playoff competition. Win, you are still in the hunt. Lose, you are out. The Buccaneers went into this game 5-0 over the Pack (and quarterback Brett Farve) in Raymond James Stadium here, as defending Super Bowl champions but with an offense of limited abilities and a defense of great reputation, but not this year. The Buc defense self-appointed spokesman Warren Sapp likes to talk about with such bravado, simply has not played as it did in other years, notably, as it played in 2002-03, winning the world championship in large part because of it, and because of the coaching skills of young Coach Jon Gruden who got maximum results out of a Brad Johnson quarterbacked offense. So, playing with customary (this year) early-game lethargy, and Green Bay rallying to the leadership of master quarterback Brett Farve, Tampa fell behind 0-13, or, the Packers moved ahead 13-0 on Farve’s arm and old-fashioned Vince Lombardi style hard-nosed running, offensively. Bronko Nagurski would have loved it. So, the Bucs, at the urging of a sellout RJ Stadium crowd and the pleas not to be humiliated with early elimination, plus the running of Thomas Jones and Michael Pittman, and occasional strong Johnson passing, tied the game at 13-13. The feeling seemed to be that the Bucs would save the day, the beautiful Fall day in the Seventies and of clear skies, all being televised nationally. The only thing the Buckos had to do, with the score tied at 13-13, the fourth quarter begun was to stop the Pack on its first drive, get the ball back in its possession and win by touchdown or by field goal of Martin Gramatica 20-13 or 16-13 and continue in the NFL race. Six games do remain on the schedule. Not only that, but with Tampa and Green Bay tied at 13, the Pack not only had the ball in its possession, but at its own two yard line and facing the wonderful Buc defense, the clippings said. All of a sudden, it was still 13-13 and the Pack faced a third down and 13 yards for a first down. Fox commentators Chris Collinsworth, Terry Aikman and Joe Buck seemed to feel the Bucs had things under control. So did the crowd, and wanted so to help. So did I. Wrong. There was little pass rush, or, in the Green Bay look, great pass protection for Farve. He took the shotgun snap, pounded the ball in his left hand repeatedly, looked this way and that, and with all that time, saw a receiver open down the middle. He hit him with his bullet pass, for 23 yards and the first down and notice. Collinsworth, a onetime Florida Gator, noted the Buc classic defense	in such a situation, with two deep safeties, left a gap in the middle, if there was time for the area to clear. It did. The Pack had its first down and was on its way to a bigtime win. The Fox commentators kept reminding all how good the Buc defense was, but not lately. Slowly, calculatingly, Farve took the Packers 98 yards in 17 plays for the winning TD. Along that golden brick road, Tampa defense characteristically allowed the Pack to convert four third down situations, to a first down to keep things going. Towards the end of this wonderful drive of 98 yards, the longest of the Packers all of this year, The 20-13 lead developed with 8:48 left. Now, as bad as the Buc defense seemed to Buc fans to be then, there was still plenty of time to tie it, or win it, and stay alive in this NFL race. Now, the Buc offense did what it has done so repeatedly this year—held illegally for penalties and once tripped, a rarely called infraction that was so costly. It came when the Johnson had passed for a first down and a lot of momentum. The penalty not only took the yards away, subtracted 15 more, but was a terrible letdown for the players and their boosters. And, oh, yes, a Buc tackle was called for hands to the face, inside a charger’s face mask. Kenyatta Walker had been three times penalized for that same offense a week ago, when the Bucs again lost in the final period. His misdeeds had been widely publicized, as now has the Buc defensive failures in the clutch that is the final period. The 20-13 final doomed the Bucs. They are, barring a miracle not yet dreamed up, out of NFL playoffs at 4-6, a horrific development in this proud town of the wonderful stadium and the Super Bowl experience. The Bucs, the champs, are out of it, all to early. Gruden had said weeks ago this is not the Buc team of a year ago. The misadventures of this Sunday past make that a truth with exclamation point. It simply is not a very good team. It lacks speed, lacks return talents, not enough receivers, and wonders about the quarterback, nothing new here. The wonder also is how the coach will now spend the rest of the season, preparing for 2004, or, playing on as if contending. Plenty to be done here. Wonder also is how the coach, a young man, will react himself. The team and its demise is almost mysterious. How could a defense of such achievement and pride fall so quickly? Many, like this reporter, believe part of it has been in attitude. So many have radio or television shows, seem heady, and not of the same spirit and speed, of other times. No one, can be more disappointed than the head coach himself. No one. The players will find out soon enough from a public that has been so supportive that the owners say they have a season ticket waiting list of 80,000. That was Saturday. ##
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