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Roy Cummings, The Tampa Tribune, published 14 November 2005
Nearly two hours after the final gun had sounded Sunday, Bucs fullback Mike Alstott was still on the Raymond James Stadium field, running around with his son and daughters and posing for pictures in the end zone.
Who can blame him? For Alstott, Sunday was the kind of day that you want to preserve and tuck away in a scrapbook. Actually, it was that kind of a day for a lot of Bucs.
For quarterback Chris Simms, who engineered the rally that resulted in the Bucs' thrilling 36-35 victory against the Redskins, this game represented the biggest leap in his development.
For seldom-used third-year wide receiver Edell Shepherd, who caught Simms' 30-yard touchdown pass that set up the game-deciding 2-point conversion just 58 seconds left, it was something of a coming-out party. And for Bucs coach Jon Gruden, who was presented a game ball by the team captains for deciding to go for the 2-pointer, it was a day in which he may have attained a new level of respect from his players.
In the middle of it all, though, was Alstott, the aging fullback who is so loved by Bucs fans that they cried out en masse last week, asking -- even demanding -- that Gruden give him a bigger role in the offense. When Simms drove the Bucs to Redskins' 2-yard line in just five plays midway in the first quarter, it was Alstott who racked up the final yards and the touchdown that gave the Bucs their early 7-0 lead.
When Dewayne White's recovery of a Mark Brunell fumble gave the Bucs the ball at the Washington 5 early in the second quarter, it was Alstott who ran 4 yards on first down and 1 yard on second to extend the Bucs' lead to 14-3. And finally, when a penalty gave the Bucs the ball at the Redskins' 1 and put the idea of going for that 2-point conversion in Gruden's head, it was Alstott who came up with the second effort that got him into the end zone.
"He's like Gale Sayers," Simms said of Alstott. "Give him 6 inches and he'll run over everybody."
It certainly used to be that way for Alstott, a six-time Pro Bowler. He's not quite as effective a runner as he used to be, and that was evident Sunday when his nine carries produced just 21 yards. But Alstott still can produce the most important yards, and Gruden indicated for the second time in four days Sunday that he'll continue to get chances to prove that.
"We're going to try to get a lot more out of him the next seven games," Gruden said of Alstott, who ranks his 2-point conversion as one of the most memorable plays of his career. It's probably No. 2, right after winning the Super Bowl," he said. "Of all the ups and downs in my career, especially in the last three years, it's phenomenal."
Simms' play also bordered on the phenomenal. In only his fifth NFL start he completed 15 of 29 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns, with the scoring passes going to Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard and Shepherd. Simms was especially sharp throwing the deep ball, hitting Galloway on a 34-yarder and Shepherd on a 46-yarder, but it was the poise he showed in twice rallying the Bucs down the stretch that set this start apart from any other.
"Those are the kinds of games that you dream about as a quarterback," Gruden said. "His dad [Phil Simms] won many games like that, bringing those Giants from behind."
The fact that Chris Simms brought the Bucs back without Michael Clayton (scratched with a sore knee) and with little help from his running game (Bucs backs gained just 56 yards on 24 carries) is what made it stand out to others. "This was a big game for him to put in his cap," said Galloway, who caught seven of Simms' passes, gaining 131 yards. "To come back like that against the Washington Redskins defense, that's doing something."
The Redskins came into the game with the sixth-best pass defense in the league, and while Simms wasn't perfect ("There are still some throws he's go to work on," Gruden said) it was clearly his best game as a pro. "Yeah, I definitely think this was my signature game, at least to this point in my career," Simms said. "I sure hope it doesn't end up being my signature game."
It certainly wasn't a signature game for the Bucs' defense. Though it produced three takeaways, including two that led to touchdowns, the defense gave up 389 total yards, including 185 rushing. And in the second half -- when the Bucs traditionally have shut their opponents down -- they gave up one scoring drive of 73 yards and another of 76 yards.
"It wasn't our best effort," cornerback Ronde Barber said.
It may not have been the officials' best effort, either. Computer-enhanced images shown on the RJS video boards indicated that Ladell Betts stepped out of bounds near the Bucs' 40-yard line during a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but officials did not overrule the decision following a Bucs challenge. There was also plenty of debate as to whether Alstott made it across the goal line on his 2-point conversion run. Again, video replays appeared to back the Redskins' contention that the ball never got over the goal line. Once again, though, replay officials could not find enough evidence to overturn the call.
Even if they had, the Bucs might still have found a way to win Sunday. After all, when Alstott's going well, the Bucs are pretty hard to beat. They're now 42-10 when he scores a touchdown "With the Big Train back there," Simms said, "all you have to do sometimes is just give him the ball because he does the rest."
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