Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41 New York Jets 21 Sunday 16 December 1984 at Tampa Stadium NBC COMMENTARY CREW unknown
A crazy finish as John McKay ordered his team to let the Jets score so they could get the ball back for James Wilder to try and break the NFL's record for combined rushing/receiving in a season. Lost amidst the chaos, was the Bucs' highest-ever points total (41) and Steve DeBerg throwing three TDs in a game for the first time in his Buc career. Sadly also, it was the last- ever game Lee Roy Selmon would play for the Buccaneers but no-one realised it at the time. The Jets would get their revenge the following season in the Meadowlands however.
GAME SCORING TB 8:54-1Q Ariri FG37 TB 7:07-1Q Wilder 6 run (Ariri kick) TB 6:11-2Q J.Bell 3 pass from DeBerg (Ariri kick) NYJ 1:11-2Q Dennison 5 pass from O'Brien (Leahy kick) TB 8:45-3Q Ariri FG35 TB 14:55-4Q J.Bell 13 pass from DeBerg (Ariri kick) TB 12:15-4Q Carroll 4 pass from DeBerg (Ariri kick) NYJ 3:22-4Q Paige 3 pass from O'Brien (Leahy kick) TB 1:21-4Q Wilder 4 run (Ariri kick) NYJ 0:54-4Q Hector 2 run (Leahy kick)
GAME REPORTS Click here for the gamebook and play-by-play Click here for Jim Selman's game report Click here for Tom McEwen's morning-after column
STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 79 Kaplan LDE 78 Cannon LG 72 Courson DT 76 Logan C 60 Grimes RDE 63 Selmon RG 62 Farrell LOLB 57 Browner RT 73 Heller LILB 58 Davis TE 82 Carroll RILB 52 Brantley WR 87 Carter ROLB 53 Green WR 89 House LCB 23 Castille QB 14 Thompson RCB 27 Acorn TE 82 Bell SS 33 Cotney RB 32 Wilder FS 43 Reece PLAYED 2 Ariri, 5 Garcia, 20 Morton, 24 Harvey, 29 Bright, 31 Curry, 38 Peoples, 46 Armstrong, 50 Wilson, 51 Washington, 54 Wood, 55 Spradlin, 59 Thompson, 70 Thomas, 71 Braggs, 74 Sanders, 77 Bujnoch, 81 Dixon, 83 T Bell, 84 Thomas, 85 Witte DID NOT PLAY 14 Thompson, 21 Holt, 25 Dierking, 41 Thomas, 67 Morgan, 88 Giles
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Wilder 31-103, DeBerg 1-13. JETS: Hector 10-45, Minter 10-44, O'Brien 3-2. PASSING BUCS: DeBerg 34-26-280-0-3. JETS: O'Brien 34-19-201-2-2. RECEIVING BUCS: Wilder 9-60, House 6-70, Carter 4-57, J.Bell 3-47, Carroll 2-21, Armstrong 1-18, T.Bell 1-7. JETS: Hector 6-41, Jones 4-43, Shuler 3-70, Walker 2-26, Paige 2-13, Dennison 1-5, Minter 1-3. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: Castille 1-30, Cotney 1-24. JETS: none. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Bright 1-17. JETS: Minter 5-107, Humphrey 1-22, Davidson 1-9. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Bright 1-21, Z.Thomas 1-7 JETS: Minter 1-8. SACKS BUCS: Selmon 2-17, Cannon 2-13, Green 2-10. JETS: Gastineau 2-21, Bennett 1-10, Faurot 1-10, Carter 1-9.
VIDEO CLIPS Jay Carroll had his only Buccaneer touchdown in the season finale His fellow tight end Jerry Bell scored twice replacing Jimmie Giles The famous final Jet touchdown where the defense let them score