Bucs' sad story gets even worse Hubert Mizell, The St.Petersburg Times, published 25 October 1993 If you thought the Bucs, who always seem to be succeeding themselves as the NFL's most inept franchise, couldn't possibly get worse ...well, your mind was too sporting to conjure up Sunday's pitiful Tampa Bay script against the Green Bay Packers. A 37-14 loss was misleading. It was far more lopsided. Far more Tampa Bay hopeless. What really counted, and truly pained Tampa Stadium patrons deep into another season of shortfall, was mental/physical Bucs bungling that made it easy for Green Bay to breeze ahead 30-0. By then, two-thirds of the crowd was booing, the rest celebrating. Depended on point of view. Ten thousand Packers fans - mostly Wisconsin-to-Florida transplants - viewed the Bucs as enjoyable comedy. But for 38,000 locals, it was just one more NFL tragedy on Dale Mabry. By halftime, Green Bay led 24-0 and 40 percent of the house was rushing for exits. They'd seen enough. Craig Erickson had thrown two Bucs interceptions, Tampa Bay rookie receiver Lamar Thomas had muffed two simple first-down passes, Bucs backup quarterback Steve DeBerg also had been too fruitless and Green Bay receiving whiz Sterling Sharpe was too often suckering the home team's defensive backs for touchdowns. DeBerg, the Bucs' 39-year-old pitcher, came in from coach Sam Wyche's bullpen to relieve Erickson. That was futile. DeBerg had about as much success with the Packers as Mitch Williams, the flammable Philadelphia fireman, had against Toronto in the World Series. Steve was a 4-for-11 thrower for 30 yards. So what's the good news? Tampa Bay's two biggest first-half offensive plays were crafty old pro DeBerg using a tricky snap count to draw defenders offside. For a mini-moment, it seemed the Bucs were about to make a big second-quarter play. Tight end Ron Hall got open over the middle. DeBerg threw, was preparing to grin, but then he frowned as Green Bay linebacker Johnny Holland flashed into the picture and intercepted. You get the idea. Quarterback is but one of Tampa Bay's dilemmas, but - along with head coach - it's where analytical conversations usually begin. In the constructive spirit, let's assess the Erickson-DeBerg-Erickson rotation on the latest sad Sunday for the Bucs. "Craig does a great job of preparing himself during the week, even to obsession," DeBerg said in the defeated quiet of Tampa Bay's locker room. "But what every young NFL quarterback must learn is to erase all those playbook things when he takes the field on Sunday, and concentrate entirely on just playing football. When you're amply prepared as a quarterback, the vital stuff will come to you automatically as a game takes shape. I talked with Craig on the sideline, telling him there was probably too much whirring in his mind with all the formations, audibles, Green Bay defenses and other complications. You watch videotapes all week. You study the opponent's tendencies and personnel. You devour your team's offensive game plan. But then a QB should forget it by kickoff time Sunday. He can't allow too many ghosts to nag the mind on game day. Craig Erickson is learning and I think he's going to be fine." Erickson was standing a few paces away. Discussing the same post-failure subjects as DeBerg, his reliever/mentor. Wyche had suggested that Erickson's mid-game benching was to allow the 24-year-old NFL neophyte to settle down mentally while soaking up a long view of what was happening on the field. Erickson, having seen DeBerg also struggle, returned to quarterback the Bucs with 5:07 to go in the third quarter. Green Bay had its 30-0 runaway. The day was dead for Tampa Bay, so Wyche's gang began working on its future, and its psyche. From there on, the Bucs "won" 14-7. Erickson had been a 2-for-9 flop as a first-half passer, gaining 9 yards and losing two interceptions. In his second Sunday life, the former University of Miami national championship QB completed 6 of 11 passes for 142 yards, including two touchdown missiles to former 'Canes teammate Horace Copeland. Small solace, but something. "It didn't bother me when coach Wyche switched to Steve (DeBerg) in the second quarter," Erickson would say. "There was need for a change. I had been a little desperate and a lot ineffective. In the second half, there was a lot of soul-searching going on along the Bucs' bench. I understand what Steve was telling me, that if I prepare well during the week that it'll come to me on Sundays without jamming my mind with so many thoughts that it becomes difficult to function. I'm learning, I think." It's too early to tell if Erickson will be Tampa Bay's quarterback for years to come. For 10 more games in this Bucs season now quivering at 1-5, the young man from West Palm Beach is to keep learning, keep auditioning and keep hoping a magic rabbit pops from his Buccaneer hard hat. Tampa Stadium waits, and wonders. It got better . . .