Benched Chandler rips Vinny Rick Stroud, The St.Petersburg Times, published 30 September 1991 When Chris Chandler's short run as the Buccaneers' starting quarterback ended Wednesday, his next step was out of character. Saying he's outplayed Vinny Testaverde this season, Chandler described his one-and-done ordeal against the Detroit Lions last Sunday as unfair. "It's like you get one roll of the dice, and if it's not sevens - sorry," said Chandler, who will be replaced by Testaverde on Sunday against Philadelphia. "I had my roll, I guess. "Based on the times that both me and Vinny have played in a game, I've always played better. Take this last week. Had Detroit caught every ball thrown to them (by Testaverde), they would've had three interceptions. Then what does Richard do?" What coach Richard Williamson did Wednesday was announce six changes in the starting lineup. In addition to the quarterback shuffle, Tampa Bay will start rookie safeties Tony Covington and Marty Carter in place of veterans Harry Hamilton and William Frizzell. Newly acquired Carl Carter will start at right cornerback for Pro Bowler Wayne Haddix; Jesse Solomon takes over for Eugene Marve at middle linebacker; and, on offense, Reggie Cobb will start ahead of Gary Anderson at tailback. All told, Williamson has made 11 lineup changes in five weeks. But Chandler took issue with Williamson's decision to bench him Wednesday, saying he's played harder than Testaverde. "I feel bad for the linemen because I know I'll play harder for them than he will," Chandler said. "I know that I'll get up more times than he will. I'll do more for them. That's the thing I feel bad about. A lot of times, I try to do things about those guys. I'll never say anything bad about them. I'll try to avoid sacks and throw the ball away for those guys because they're the guys who get ripped in the paper if you don't." Testaverde responded to Chandler's comments diplomatically but obliged by saying the Bucs' woes can be traced to poor play by the offensive line. "I think each player thinks he's the best, whether you're a backup or a starter," Testaverde said. "I certainly think I'm the toughest out there on the field. I'm out there taking shots. So I don't blame him for saying he thinks he can do more. We had 14 sacks in two games. That explains a lot of it. If you're going to be able to do the things you do best, you can't be on your back." For Chandler, Wednesday's demotion was another in a long series of disappointments. Three times last season, he was named the Bucs' starter - against San Diego, New Orleans and San Francisco - only to be returned to the bench a week or two later after crushing defeats. In four starts under Chandler, the Bucs have been outscored an average of 34-6. And Tampa Bay is 0-7 the past three years in games Testaverde has not started. Against Detroit, Chandler was 10-of-26 for 64 yards and was intercepted once before sustaining a concussion in the third quarter. Testaverde didn't fare much better in relief, going 7-of-13 for 54 yards and a touchdown. He also was intercepted once and had two other passes dropped by Lions defenders. When Chandler was asked if he was more competitive than Testaverde, he said, "Yeah. They determined that I couldn't play. They came over to me and said, `You don't look good. We're going to put Vinny in.' I thought I was going to go in again. I was tired and banged up, but, still, I could've went." Williamson said his decision to go with Testaverde was based on the game in Detroit. But he wouldn't commit to Testaverde beyond this week's game. "I'm going to start Vinny because I think Vinny will give us a chance to make some plays," Williamson said. "He's throwing the ball better now, better than Chris is. I didn't say whether it's week to week or whether it's beyond. I just told him he'll start Sunday. I thought Chris did pretty well under the circumstances. It's just with what happened last week, I just feel that way, and that's why I did it." Williamson said Testaverde's benching could refocus the Bucs' beleaguered quarterback. He also said he was not concerned about the club's apparent lack of continuity. "I would imagine he probably would take stock of a few things," Williamson said. "I don't know if it'll rejuvenate him. We're also searching for people who can get the job done. I think if you get the job done, the continuity will follow."