Extra-point debacle means extra frustration Ernest Hooper, The St.Petersburg Times, published 1 November 1999 The Buccaneers line up incorrectly, then take a penalty that allows the refs to review - and take away - the TD. Confusion on the field and confusion on the sideline led to a confusing and frustrating chain of events that eliminated the Bucs' best chance of erasing a two-touchdown deficit against the Detroit Lions Sunday night. The Bucs were confused about how to line up for an extra point, and Bucs coach Tony Dungy was confused about the intricacies of the NFL's new instant replay officiating system. Those two misunderstandings led to a suicidal sequence of mistakes. In a span of 10 plays, Tampa Bay went from being down by a touchdown to down and out. It all started after Bucs running back Warrick Dunn scored on an apparent 12-yard reception near the end of the third quarter. Dunn caught a pass across the middle, outraced Lions linebacker Stephen Boyd and dove into the corner of the end zone. If the Bucs had hurriedly lined up and kicked the extra point, the score would have been 17-10 and momentum would have been on the side of Tampa Bay. But the extra-point unit lined up incorrectly - too many people on the right side of the line, not enough on the left side. Dungy decided to let the play clock run down and take a delay-of- game penalty instead of snapping the ball. He deduced 5 yards wouldn't be too big of a challenge for kicker Martin Gramatica, and he also thought the penalty would negate Detroit's chances to challenge the touchdown. A challenge cannot be issued after the next play is run, but not if that play is a penalty. "It's tough for me to understand that a penalty is not a play," Dungy said. "We were lined up wrong on the field goal and we didn't want to take a timeout. I thought they could, because it looked like it was very close. I obviously don't know the rule." The break gave the Lions coaches a chance to see the replay, and they challenged. Detroit coach Bobby Ross credited strength and conditioning coach Bert Hill, who was in the press box and saw the replay on television. "That was the biggest play of the game," Ross said. While Bucs officials sitting in the press box believed the replay was inconclusive, head referee Larry Nemmers ruled the replay showed Dunn's knee touched the ground before the ball broke the plane. "As he (Dunn) was running toward the goal line, his knee hit while the ball was at the 1-yard line, which means he is down at the 1-yard line, rather than scoring a touchdown," Nemmers told pool reporter Mike O'Hara of the Detroit News. Dunn contended he scored, believing Boyd did not touch him before he dove for the end zone. "They were saying my knee was down, but I thought we were playing professional football and you have to be touched while you're down," Dunn said. "I thought I was clearly in." After the decision, the wheels came off the bus er, train. Mike Alstott was stuffed on his first carry. Then the Bucs were called for illegal procedure. That was followed by another Alstott run that started from the 7-yard line and ended with his fumble on the 2. Detroit linebacker Chris Claiborne recovered on the 1 and despite being pinned against their goal line, they converted the turnover into a 50-yard Jason Hanson field goal that virtually sealed the game for the Lions. Greg Hill made the key play, a 45-yard run from the 6-yard line.