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The St.Petersburg Times, published 11 October 1999
There are few things quite as painful as watching the Bucs maligned offense struggle mightily to score points this season.
It has been as discomforting as watching Shaquille O'Neal shoot free throws. Or Garo Yepremian throw a pass. Or Peter Warrick shop.
So when the Bucs finally took a fourth quarter lead over the Green Bay Packers on a 22-yard touchdown run by fullback Mike Alstott, it looked as if their Lambeau Field losing streak was over.
But on his 30th birthday, Brett Favre proved he isn't just getting older. He's getting better.
For the third time in four games, Favre pulled off an improbable fourth quarter comeback against the NFL's No. 1 defense in beating the Bucs 26-23.
Favre beat a Bucs blitz by throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman with 1:05 left in the game. The play capped off 73- yard drive that only took six plays and 40 seconds.
Favre threw for 390 yards - the third-highest total in his career, and hit Freeman on both his touchdown passes.
It was reminiscent of the two dramatic fourth-quarter comebacks Favre had pulled off against the Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings in recent weeks.
Favre's heroics handed Tampa Bay it's 10th straight defeat at Lambeau Field, where they haven't won since 1989.
It also ruined a pretty good fourth quarter comeback attempt by Bucs quarterback Trent Dilfer, who was intercepted three times and lost a fumble after being sacked by defensive end Keith McKenzie at the Tampa Bay 19 with 4:48 left in the game.
Tampa Bay's defense gave him a reprieve by pressuring Favre into a 22-yard intentional grounding penalty and Ryan Longwell was wide left on a 45-yard field goal attempt.
That gave the Bucs a chance to win the game when Alstott capped a 65-yard drive in four plays with his 22-yard run to leave the Packers trailing 23-19.
But Favre had 1:40 remaining - too much time for the Bucs.
It was more heavily contested games the Bucs have had at Lambeau. Defensive tackle Warren Sapp played with two broken bones in his left hand. Favre, who celebrated his 30th birthday, played with a bruised right thumb. Together, they engaged in hand-to-sore-hand combat. After Sapp's second of two sacks, he and Favre butted helmets in a mutual show of respect.
The Bucs followed the same formula that had led to five previous defeats under Dungy at Lambeau.
In fact, it was hauntingly similar to how the Bucs fell behind last week at Minnesota.
On the Packers first play from scrimmage, Favre completed a 51- yard pass down the right sideline to Bill Schroeder, who made the catch despite an interference penalty on cornerback Ronde Barber. It was Barber who was beaten for a TD by another No. 84 - the Vikings Randy Moss - to help put the Bucs in a 21-0 hole.
Favre needed just four plays to go 74 yards in 1:06. He put the Packers up 7-0 on a 19-yard pass to wideout Antonio Freeman.
The Bucs didn't get much help from the officials on the drive. Dungy challenged that Favre's knee hit the ground when he was hit by Chidi Ahanotu before he unloaded an incomplete pass. Replays appeared to confirm his suspicions, but referee Phil Luckett said Favre got the pass off before he was down. Dilfer had never played very well at Lambeau Field, and he did little to reverse that trend early Sunday night.
Two of the Bucs' first three possessions ended in Dilfer interceptions. Cornerback Tryone Williams intercepted a pass intended for Bert Emanuel to set up a 42-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell.
Trailing 10-0, the Bucs mounted their first real scoring threat, marching from their own 23 yard line to the Packers' 13. But on first down, Dilfer's short pass to Mike Alstott bounced off his fullback's hands and was intercepted by Packers' defensive tackle Jermaine Smith. Smith fumbled the ball when he was hit by guard Frank Middleton, but linebacker Bernardo Harris recovered at the Green Bay 8.
At least the Bucs didn't waste the field postion. Defensive end Marcus Jones sacked Favre on third down and forced a fumble that Packers tackle Ross Verba smothered. It was the eighth fumble forced by the Bucs this season, without recovering any. The punt by Louis Aguiar only traveled 24 yards, giving the Bucs a first down at the Green Bay 26. Alstott rumbled for 13 yards on first down. Two plays later, Dunn took a short pass from Dilfer, shook the tackle of Harris and faked Williams out of his shoes on the way to a 16-yard touchdown reception.
The Bucs tied the game at 10-10 on Martin Gramatica's 41-yard field goal, a play set up by Karl Williams' 30-yard punt return. Gramatica, who has not missed this season, made it 13-10 after connecting on a 36-yard field goal. The drive was aided by a 22-yard penalty on Harris for interfering with tight end Dave Moore. Alstott refused to be tackled on the drive, bouncing off tacklers on runs of 13 and 14 yards, as well as a 13-yard pass reception on first down.
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