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Scott Smith, Buccaneers.com, published 29 November 2004
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers last win at Carolina, a season-turning 12-9 victory for the Super Bowl-bound 2002 team, was the result of four clutch field goals and a key turnover on special teams. Two years later, the Bucs leave Charlotte with a damaging, 21-14 loss to the Panthers, one they will remember for what could have been, particularly in regards to the kicking game.
Martin Gramatica, the hero of that 2002 win with three long fourth-quarter field goals, missed from 39 and 37 yards and had a 26-yarder blocked. Carolina had similar problems in the kicking game, but the Bucs missed a golden opportunity when CB Brian Kelly couldn’t hold onto a loose ball after a blocked kick with an open field in front of him. Two plays later, DE Julius Peppers scored on a 46-yard interception return for a 14-7 Carolina lead. Though the Bucs would tie the game with a 13-play, 66-yard drive in the fourth quarter, the Panthers would break the tie with a 73-yard touchdown drive after Gramatica’s third missed field goal in as many tries.
Rookie WR Keary Colbert, who also scored the game’s first points on a 24-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter, provided the game-winning points with 20 seconds to play when he fought off CB Torrie Cox and hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass on the right sideline. The Bucs were left with only enough time for a ‘Hail Mary’ pass from the 50-yard line, and when a creditable attempt rebounded out of the reach of WR Tim Brown, Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes took a serious blow. At 4-7, Tampa Bay is assured of being no better than a game out of the Wild Card race by the end of the weekend’s slate of games. The Panthers are also 4-7 after winning their third consecutive game.
Despite the interception, Griese had another prolific day in his sixth start as a Buccaneer. Griese completed 27 of 39 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns, his first 300-yard passing game for Tampa Bay. His favorite target all day was RB Michael Pittman, who turned a variety of screen passes and short routes into 134 yards, his first career 100-yard receiving game. Pittman’s eight catches included a 68-yard gain on a third-down screen pass and two short touchdown receptions. He also ran 18 times for 29 yards, but it was his yardage in the passing game, the second-most ever for a Buccaneer back, that made Tampa Bay’s offense go.
Griese didn’t focus only on Pittman, however. He got seven different receivers involved and got big catches from Joey Galloway, Michael Clayton and Joe Jurevicius. An acrobatic, 25-yard sideline catch in the third quarter by Jurevicius put the Bucs in scoring range, but that drive ended at the Carolina 11 on a Pittman fumble. It was miscues such as Pittman’s two fumbles that kept the Bucs from running away with the game, despite a 398-300 edge in total yards. The Bucs converted 10 of 16 third downs and posted six sustained drives but failed to score on four different drives that got to Carolina’s 23 or closer.
Carolina scored first, taking their opening possession 71 yards for a touchdown. Colbert, having a fine debut season like his Buc counterpart, Clayton, caught a third-down pass on the left sideline and eluded two tacklers to score a 24-yard touchdown. The Bucs followed with a sustained drive of their own but short-circuited at the end and failed to score. The Bucs originally decided to go for it on fourth-and-one from the 16 but were called for a false start. Gramatica then hooked his 39-yard field goal to the left of the upright.
The Bucs’ defense then forced another quick punt, but yet another long drive came up empty. This time, the drive ended at the Carolina eight and the Bucs brought Gramatica on to try a 26-yard field goal. Unfortunately, defensive end Julius Peppers broke through the middle of the line and blocked the kick, keeping the Bucs off the scoreboard. The Panthers also immediately turned around the field position, as QB Jake Delhomme went deep over the middle to WR Muhsin Muhammad for a gain of 43. On the next play, however, CB Brian Kelly intercepted a pass intended for Colbert at the 11, and the Bucs got it right on their third long drive, tying the game on an 89-yard march.
It looked as if the Bucs lost a golden opportunity when Pittman shot off the line uncovered and might have had only one defender to beat on a short catch. However, the pass was overthrown and Pittman’s disappointment upon seeing the open field was visible. It wouldn’t last long, however, as the Bucs’ most successful screen play of the season shot Pittman out into the open field. He didn’t go down until he had reached Carolina’s 21, a 68-yard gain that tied for his career long and stood as the Bucs’ longest reception of the career.
Pittman needed two tries to get his eventual touchdown to stand, too. On third-and-goal from the one, Pittman ran into the end zone for an apparent score, but it was erased by a false start. From the six, Griese threw a shovel pass to Pittman that worked perfectly, as the back weaved easily into the end zone to tie the game. Those three drives gave the Bucs a decided statistical advantage at halftime, though it wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard. The Bucs gained 236 yards in the first half, to the Panthers’ 140, and converted five of nine third-down tries.
That second-quarter momentum was short-lived. Carolina drove 45 yards on the opening possession of the third quarter but K Jeff Chandler missed a 38-yard field goal try. Unfortunately, Pittman fumbled two plays later and Carolina resumed control at the Bucs’ 31. Tampa Bay’s defense repelled that threat and DE Dewayne White blocked a 38-yard field goal attempt. Kelly had a chance to scoop the loose ball and score but couldn’t hold on. That proved important two plays later when Peppers scored in the other direction moments later. That 14-7 lead held until midway through the fourth quarter, when the Bucs drove 13 plays for 66 yards, ending in Pittman’s second touchdown catch, an eight-yarder on third-and-three. On that drive, the Bucs converted three third downs and made up for two potentially damaging penalties.
With the game tied, the Bucs forced a quick three-and-out, with DT Chidi Ahanotu sacking Delhomme at the Panthers’ 11 on third down. An 18-yard catch by Clayton on third-and-two got the Bucs down to the 22, where they played conservatively for the go-ahead field goal try. Three runs by Pittman gained just three yards, bringing on Gramatica to try the 37-yarder. Holder Josh Bidwell pulled down a high snap but Gramatica hooked the kick to the left.
That left Carolina with two minutes and no timeouts to go for the game-winning score. In a drive very reminiscent of the last-minute march that won last year’s 27-24 decision at Carolina, Delhomme completed four straight passes with a running clock, including the 40-yarder to Colbert. Delhomme completed 14 of 21 passes for 213 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, but he was sacked four times and forced to scramble often. However, RB Nick Goings, coming off an NFC Offensive Player of the Week performance against Arizona, provided a solid running game as a counter, rushing 23 times for 106 yards. The Bucs, by contrast, rushed for just 62 yards and averaged 2.2 yards per carry.
For the Bucs’ Clayton caught eight passes for 77 yards and Jurevicius added 60 yards on four receptions. Defensively, Tampa Bay was led by Kelly (seven tackles, one interception, one pass defensed) and LB Derrick Brooks (six tackles). White, a converted end, had another strong game, combining three solo tackles with a sack, a pass defensed and the blocked kick, on which he also recovered the ball. White has now had a hand in at least one sack in five consecutive games, or each outing since he was pressed into service in the middle after a string of injuries at defensive tackle.
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