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Michelle Kaufman, The St.Petersburg Times, published 18 September 1989
For 59 minutes and 20 seconds Sunday afternoon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans took a roller-coaster ride down memory lane - back to 1979, when the Bucs' defense was one of the most feared in the National Football League and when folks were proud to leave Tampa Stadium wearing orange. A surprisingly aggressive Tampa Bay defense sent the Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers home wiping their brows after a 20-16 win over the Bucs.
The defensive display - four sacks, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and perpetual pressure - was only appropriate, considering Sunday's halftime was a salute to the 1979 Central Division championship team. The Bucs (1-1) led 16-13 with less than a minute to go, but 49ers quarterback Joe Montana gave his team the victory when he bootlegged 4 yards for a touchdown after a 10-play, 70-yard march that featured Montana completions of 15, 15, 11, and 12 yards and a drive-sustaining holding call against the Bucs' Donnie Elder.
“With two minutes to go, we're the best team in football,” said San Francisco running back Roger Craig, who finished the day with 16 carries for 36 yards, after gaining just 3 yards through most of the first half. “That's when Montana shows his brilliance.”
Bucs linebacker Winston Moss, who had five tackles and a sack, said of Montana: “That's a bad dude. He's as bad as they come. You never know if you're gonna win when you're playing against him.”
“They were lucky to get out of here alive,” said Bucs linebacker Ervin Randle, who had six tackles. “I think they were shocked as hell. They had to dig deep in their playbook most of the game because everything they did, we stuffed it. If they're the world champions, and that's what world champions are made of, what are we? Second-best? As we walked off the field, I told some of their guys that we'd see them in the playoffs. That's how strongly I feel about our team.”
Linebacker Kevin Murphy, who led the defense with nine tackles and two sacks, said: “We opened up a lot of eyes. Not too many people out there thought it would be this close. But in the end, close doesn't count. It only counts when you're throwing horseshoes and hand grenades.”
On the same note, a message from Bucs coach Ray Perkins to the throng of fans that leaned over the stadium railing after the game and shouted words of praise to the Bucs: Thanks, but no thanks. “I heard the fans yelling, `Way to go,' and I don't like that,” the coach said. “We lost the game. That's the bottom line. And we don't deserve pats on the back. We didn't come here to play close. That's not good enough.”
Had it not been for a controversial holding call on cornerback Elder with 51 seconds to go, Perkins may have been in a better mood after the game. With the 49ers (2-0) facing third-and-goal from the 9, Montana overthrew John Taylor on the left side of the end zone and the Bucs celebrated. But a flag was thrown by head linesman Dave Anderson.
Anderson pointed at Elder for what he felt was holding on tight end Wesley Walls. “I couldn't believe it,” said Elder. “I'm celebrating on one side of the field, and the next thing you know, a flag is thrown on the far hash mark, nowhere near where the play was. I wondered who was getting called, and then they pointed at me. I was just doing my job. I jammed the tight end. I never grabbed him.”
Perkins reserved comment on the call, saying only, “I'm going to try not to say anything about the officials this year. I may kill one, but I won't say anything about him.”
Though the 49ers ended up gaining 309 total yards and making 22 first downs, big plays from the Bucs' defense kept the San Francisco offense from exploding. Montana's second pass of the day was intercepted by Tampa Bay cornerback Ricky Reynolds, the first of his two interceptions.
The Bucs got the ball at their 31, and drove for a 23-yard field goal by Donald Igwebuike with 6:36 to go in the first quarter. The 49ers tied the game with a 47-yard field goal by Mike Cofer early in the second quarter, and took a 6-3 lead nine seconds before intermission on a 32-yard field goal.
Tampa Bay had controlled the ball for 11 minutes in the second quarter, but couldn't get on the board. Testaverde, who was 14-of-35 for 146 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, completed just one of the final 13 passes he threw in the first half. Igwebuike kicked a 44-yard field goal early in the third quarter to tie the game 6-6, and by this point, the 64,087 fans were in a frenzy.
The Bucs went ahead 9-6 on a 37-yard Igwebuike kick with five minutes left in the third quarter. San Francisco was all but in the end zone at the start of the fourth quarter when the Bucs' defense came up with the biggest play of the day. Craig, facing first-and-goal from the 1, was inches from scoring when Reynolds stripped him of the ball. Linebacker Henry Rolling came out of the pile with the ball.
San Francisco later got the ball back at the Bucs' 32, and receiver Jerry Rice scored on a 2-yard Montana pass six plays later. Rice had 122 yards on eight catches. But another big play by Reynolds put the Bucs in position to regain the lead. He snagged a Montana pass that was tipped by safety Mark Robinson, and handed the ball to the offense at the
Tampa Bay 40 with six minutes to go in the game. The ensuing drive ended with Testaverde lofting the ball 18 yards to Mark Carrier in the end zone. The Bucs had a 16-13 lead, but it didn't hold up.
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