Soul-searching week brings Bucs together Hubert Mizell, The St.Petersburg Times, published 4 October 1993 All week, Sam Wyche had chewed on Bucs behinds, the oft-beaten Tampa Bay butts that on Sundays in September had been kicked by the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants and Chicago Bears. "This is more than disappointing," a head coach growled at his 0-3 team, "it's horse manure." There was an odor."I asked Bruce Reimers if he'd rather be back in Cincinnati, his NFL home for eight seasons," Wyche recalled. "I asked Martin Mayhew if he'd prefer to be back in Washington where he started last season for the Redskins. In case after case, a veteran pro would say he absolutely preferred to be here in Tampa Bay, working to succeed with the Bucs. They clearly believed we had far more promise than 0-3 indicated. That got the attention of younger players. There was a rallying. But by then, I frankly didn't know what to believe. "A week earlier, I'd been absolutely convinced we were going to Chicago and annihilate the Bears. Instead, we commit seven turnovers and get crushed 47-17. I told our players I had no convictions about what they would do against the Lions. But, by Saturday night, I saw an uplifting. I didn't have to climb to a pulpit with my scripture. At our regular night-before gathering, I saw rookies high-fiving veterans. Everything suddenly seemed together mentally. I saw old blending with young, black with white and offense with defense. It was natural and sincere." For Sunday's first 126 seconds, the Bucs perpetuated their Chiefs-Giants-Bears ineptitudes. Detroit ran through Tampa Bay's defense like a sword slicing oleo. Barry Sanders strutted for 10 yards, then 20 and then 20 more into a Tampa Stadium end zone. Before Wyche could gulp, the Lions led 7-0. It was so easy. So Buc ugly. Same old horse... But change was coming. "Another thing we preached all week was to learn to come back after Sanders makes a big play, like such a great running back is prone to do," said Sam. "But what do you know, the post-Sanders-bomb-recovery idea did work for us." It worked better than any rational soul could've expected. Detroit scored so easily on its first possession that the Lions seemed to relax - or even chuckle - figuring Sunday would be a walkover, like the Bears' laugher seven days before. But in a rare, remarkable occurrence, the Bucs would heroically stiffen. They rebounded to play clutch defense and effective offense, mixing in a kicking game that approached Hall of Fame standards. As all the NFL world now knows, Tampa Bay fought the Lions even through the remainder of the first half, then the Bucs took on a stunning and dominant air for the final 30 minutes, knocking the blue socks off Detroit in a 27-10 runaway for Sam's formerly fruitless sons. "I feel good for players, coaches and our owner (Hugh Culverhouse)," Wyche said, "but above all I feel great for 40,000 tough, loyal Tampa Stadium fans who keep giving us a chance. When we give them anything to cheer about, there's no better NFL place to play." Wyche was by then in his private dressing room, having applauded his Bucs and expounded for media cameras, mikes and note pads. So much had changed in four hours, since the Tampa Bay coach had refused at noon - before the kickoff against the Lions - to allow tailback Reggie Cobb to accept his 1992 Bucs MVP award. "Imagine the scene," Wyche said to me, by then his solo audience. "You're handing Cobb the MVP portrait from the St. Petersburg Times. People in the stands know he's been struggling, averaging a yard and a half a carry. Some folks surely would've gotten on Reggie, causing his head to droop just minutes before the game. We didn't need to set any more negative tones." I think I understood. It seemed to work. Cobb was reborn as a yardage-gobbling runner. After gaining a putrid 68 yards on 45 carries in the three Bucs defeats, Cobb flashed back to his '92 style when the old Tennessee Vol netted 1,171 yards. Cobb took 25 stabs at the Lions and made 113 yards. Then he accepted his MVP award in post-victory privacy. Wyche's psyche was refueled by Sunday's glory. His upbeat beliefs are puffing again. But Sam couldn't be totally happy in the afterglow, due to being deeply miffed at the zebra gangs who officiate National Football League games. There was a loudly disputed play against Detroit. An official dropped a flag. Wyche had tricked the Lions by hurrying up his no-huddle offense, catching Detroit making defensive personnel changes. At least 12 Lions were on the field when the Bucs snapped the football. CBS-TV tapes proved that. No penalty would be called. Officials ate their flag. It temporarily cost Tampa Bay, but eventually it unquestionably lit an inferno beneath the former 0-3 failures. "You know what's rotten?" Wyche would say, "it's that NFL officials, who're incapable of keeping up with the no-huddle offense, have for years been trying to run the whole scheme out of the game. "I'm not saying this call against Detroit was wrong, I'm saying the whole deal is unforgivable. Clearly the no-huddle embarrasses too many NFL officials. Things happen too fast for them. Johnny Grier (Sunday's referee) said they didn't have time to count and see if Detroit had 12 players on the field. Officials think they lose control when the no-huddle is used. It started when I was coaching in Cincinnati. I've even had officials curse me out because of the no-huddle. Last season in Chicago, an umpire named Al Conway picked up the football and told our team to go screw itself." Sam Wyche was hot, but also happy. Tampa Bay won't be going 0-16. Bucs have won one in a row. Reggie Cobb has his MVP award. Tampa Stadium clientele had something to cheer about. Where there seemed to be no hope, there was suddenly a smidgen. How much? Stay tuned.