Bucs recall past, then condemn it Hubert Mizell, The St.Petersburg Times, published 29 September 1997 Arizona's defense was strangling Tampa Bay's offense. Bucs blockers often overmatched. Warrick Dunn trapped in a red cage. Even the Big Sombrero's favorite sledgehammer, Mike Alstott, kept getting nailed by Cardinals. Despite being up 12-7 at halftime, the Bucs' offense was bothered and bickering. "Arizona seemed to know what plays we were running," quarterback Trent Dilfer said, "almost before I called them in our huddle." Tampa Bay's offense, after delicious execution a week earlier against the Miami Dolphins, was grappling for poise. Searching for something positive. Anything. Mouthing among themselves. Improvement would be slow to occur. It got even uglier. Tampa Bay, while hardly deserving, led Sunday's game deep into the third quarter. Saved by a blocked punt. For four weekends, the Bucs had been the NFL's premier third-down offense. Delivering first downs 54 percent of the time. But against Arizona, they were in an 0-for-afternoon funk. Cards quarterback Kent Graham finally began to gun down a less-than-loaded Tampa Bay secondary. Bucs defense was constantly on the field. Offense kept doing a sad dance step: 1-2-3-kick. It would get even scarier. A horrifying Bucs flashback was developing. Threatening to terminate their 4-dash-0 joy ride. They'd become America's Darlings. Stars of stage, screen and print. Making two Sports Illustrated covers. But suddenly that no longer mattered. Home guys were resembling bad old Bucs. Melting in the intensifying spotlight. Taking a sobering swig of humility. "A lot of our players were having lousy days," Dilfer said, "including No. 12." Fraternal reality. Self-indictment. Dilfer, who'd climbed out of NFL statistical dungeons to become pro football's hottest QB, suffered a queasy flashback. An errant pass to the left side was intercepted by extraordinary Arizona defensive back Aeneas Williams and returned for a touchdown to put the Bucs in an 18-12 hole. But these are not the old Bucs. They kept believing they'd get back to clicking. Trusting that something good could still occur. Perhaps even kisses of good fortune. Tommy Barnhardt, the Tampa Bay punter, would trigger a grand comeback stroke. He dropped the football dead at the Arizona 5. Something remarkable was about to occur. Stuff of new Bucs. There was rebirth of defensive pressure on Graham. An interception by Tampa Bay safety John Lynch. Everything was working toward a blown last-second field goal attempt by Kevin Butler. But, to make that possible, the critical cog in a 19-18 pullout would be a Dilfer fourth-down pass. After the Lynch larceny, the Bucs accomplished little for three downs. Fourth and 6. Bucs eschewed a field goal. Offensive coordinator Mike Shula ordered "Detroit." Nah, he didn't mean the Lions, who at that moment were doing Tampa Bay a favor by upsetting Green Bay. Tampa Bay, on fourth-and-a-prayer, was going to a passing play it calls Detroit. "I had Karl Williams in the left slot," Dilfer recounted. "On the right was (tight end) Jackie Harris. They ran a criss-cross. Trouble was, Aeneas was on my main man (Karl "The Truth" Williams). Maybe my receiver got a half step. Aeneas is so tough. He seemed to be right there. Somehow the football got through. Karl made a wonderful play." In a lightning bolt for the new Bucs generation, The Truth streaked cross-field, toward the west, then got the Dilfer pass before turning south for 31 rapid yards and the touchdown that made dead birds of the Cardinals. Nobody wins pretty all the time. Winning ugly is mandatory for teams that bloom into championship contenders. Tampa Bay doesn't much figure to succeed Sunday, a must game for Green Bay. But a lot about this season hasn't figured. Bucs numbers keep getting more handsome. Among the five most recent NFL squads to begin a season 5-0, before this year, eight wound up making the NFC or AFC finals. Five reached the Super Bowl. Two won. Go figure.