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Scott Smith, Buccaneers.com, published 25 November 2002
A knack for causing turnovers helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers forge the NFL’s only two 8-2 records. On Sunday, as many had predicted, turnovers also decided which of the two teams would stand alone at the top of the NFL. The winner: Tampa Bay, by a 21-7 score, thanks enormously to four interceptions off MVP candidate Brett Favre. The Bucs thus move to 9-2 and gain the early edge in the race for playoff home field advantage, a coveted prize. They also widened their NFC South division lead to one-and-half games over Atlanta (7-3-1), which leapt over a defeated New Orleans team (7-4) into second place. “That was a big win for our team,” said Head Coach Jon Gruden immediately after the game. “I’m very proud of our players.”
Tampa Bay’s go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter was scored after the first of four second-half picks, this one by CB Brian Kelly, who returned his pick to the Bucs’ 18. WR Joe Jurevicius was initially ruled out of bounds on a four-yard catch just over the goal line near the left pylon. As the Bucs lined up for a third-and-goal play, a conclusive replay on the stadium videoboards showed Jurevicius dragging his left foot in bounds and both the crowd and the Bucs’ sideline erupted in touchdown signals. Gruden threw the red flag and Referee Johnny Grier eventually agreed. Much of Grier’s very detailed description was drowned out by the crowd. Brad Johnson then hit Keyshawn Johnson for the two-point conversion to put Tampa Bay up by seven, 14-7.
Green Bay immediately answered with a scoring threat of their own, but CB Ronde Barber ended it with an interception at the Bucs’ 15-yard line. Just Barber’s second pick of the season, it was a remarkable play given that he was playing with a cast on his left hand and upper arm due to a fractured left thumb. Barber cut in front of a slant by WR Terry Glenn, bounced a low pass off his casted hand into his chest and secured it with his right arm.
In the fourth quarter, S Dexter Jackson got into the act, intercepting a Favre pass over the middle at the Bucs’ 37 and weaving back upfield for 58 yards, down to the five. The ever-competitive Favre made the tackle at the five but was flagged for a facemask penalty. Three plays later, the Bucs scored on a three-yard reception by TE Ken Dilger on third-and-goal. Dilger made a nice play to score his second touchdown of the season, coming back to catch a low, wobbly pass from a rolling Brad Johnson. Frankly, the Bucs’ quarterbacks deserved a little help after roughly half a dozen passes were dropped throughout the game. Three drops in the fourth quarter kept the Bucs from sustaining two drives.
CB Brian Kelly added his second pick of the game and his sixth of the season late in the period, ending another Green Bay scoring threat near the two-minute mark and effectively icing the game. Kelly’s six picks are a career high and the most in the NFL. Johnson helped the Bucs capitalize on their various takeaways with another very efficient afternoon, completing 15 of 25 passes for 134 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Johnson missed almost the entire first quarter after inadvertently catching a Vonnie Holliday finger through his facemask during the Bucs’ first drive of the game. Johnson was also not sacked in the game, though the Packers got backup Rob Johnson down twice during his quarter of play. “He got poked in the eye evidently and had some double-vision,” said Gruden. “That was a concern obviously. He was out for about four or five drives. But I can’t say enough about Brad Johnson. What he’s doing for this team – I don’t care what anybody says, he’s in uncharted waters now, with cracked ribs and blurred vision playing like he’s playing.”
Green Bay’s only score of the game was the result of a turnover and allowed Green Bay to take a 7-3 lead into halftime despite gaining only 107 yards of offense. Rob Johnson’s short pass to WR Keyshawn Johnson deflected out of the receiver’s hands and into those of Green Bay LB Na’il Diggs, who returned the interception to the Bucs’ 45. A penalty at the end of the play pushed the ball down to the Bucs’ 30, and six plays later, QB Brett Favre hit WR Donald Driver with a beautiful fade pass for a four-yard touchdown.
Tampa Bay’s first scoring drive of the game didn’t materialize until 23 seconds were left in the half. WR Keyshawn Johnson turned a pass over the middle into a 39-yard gain by spinning away from the first tackler and getting down to the Packers’ 20. The Bucs netted a 38-yard field goal from Martin Gramatica off the drive, with time permitting only one crack at the end zone. Tampa Bay might have had more time to punch it in, but they elected not to use their timeouts when Green Bay was draining the last two minutes of the half with three running plays. The Bucs added a field goal drive in the third quarter, ending in Gramatica’s 51-yard blast. RB Michael Pittman started the 27-yard drive with a 23-yard grab over the middle. Pittman finished the game with 50 rushing yard son 13 carries and 23 yards on two receptions. Jurevicius had his best day as a Buccaneer, catching a season-best five passes for 41 yards. His touchdown was his first since opening day.
On defense, the Bucs were led by LB Derrick Brooks’ 12 tackles, as well as Jackson’s seven tackles, one pick and one pass defensed. Barber shook off his casted hand to make three tackles, an interception and two passes defensed. DE Simeon Rice had two of the Bucs’ three sacks, giving him a total of nine sacks over his last five games and 11 for the season. The Bucs head next to New Orleans before returning home to face Atlanta the following weekend.
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