Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6 Green Bay Packers 17 Sunday 7 December 1997 at Houlihans Stadium FOX COMMENTARY CREW Dick Stockton and Matt Millen
Again introduced on British television by Lee Roy Selmon and Gary Imlach, this was a contest that promised either an NFC Central championship to the Packers or a guaranteed playoff berth to the Bucs but it was Green Bay that realised its goal in a 17-6 defensive struggle. Tampa Bay was outgained 362-161 in total yards, but a ball-hawking defense kept the game close through the first half. Trent Dilfer suffered a badly sprained right ankle just before half-time.
STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 74 Gruber LDE 72 Ahanotu LG 64 Diaz DT 77 Culpepper C 61 Mayberry DT 99 Sapp RG 73 Middleton RDE 91 Upshaw RT 70 Odom WLB 55 Brooks TE 80 Harris MLB 56 Nickerson WR 85 Anthony SLB 50 Gooch WR 86 Williams LCB 21 Abraham QB 12 Dilfer SS 47 Lynch FB 40 Alstott FS 22 Mincy RB 28 Dunn RCB a27 Parker PLAYED 4 Walsh, 5 Husted, 7 Landeta, 19 Hunter, 23 Bouie, 25 Johnson, 31 Young, 32 Rhett, 37 Ellison, 45 Legette, 51 Singleton, 52 Bellisari, 53 Quarles, 71 Wunsch, 82 Hape, 83 Moore, 84 Thomas, 87 Davis, 90 Maniecki, 94 White, 97 Jackson DID NOT PLAY 60 Pyne, 65 Dogins INACTIVES 13 Milanovich, 20 Barber, 24 Robinson, 59 Porter, 69 Pierson, 75 Curry, 78 Jones, 88 Copeland
GAME SCORING TB 7:54-2Q Husted FG24 GB 0:04-2Q Brooks 43 pass from Favre (Longwell kick) TB 11:26-3Q Husted FG48 GB 14:08-4Q Levens 8 pass from Favre (Longwell kick) GB 7:22-4Q Longwell FG27
GAME REPORTS Rick Stroud reports from Houlihan's Stadium Reidel Anthony - his chance came and he dropped it Trent Dilfer stays on his feet Click here for the gamebook and the play-by-play
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Alstott 10-34, Dunn 12-33. PACKERS: Levens 22-54, Favre 6-13, Henderson 2-11, Brooks 1-4. PASSING BUCS: Dilfer 17-6-67-0-0. Walsh 9-4-50-1-0. PACKERS: Favre 33-25-280-1-2. RECEIVING BUCS: Williams 5-87, Thomas 2-19, Dunn 2-9, Harris 1-2. PACKERS: Levens 8-64, Freeman 5-73, Chmura 5-37, Brooks 3-71, Mayes 3-22, Henderson 1-13. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: Lynch 1-28. PACKERS: Prior 1-0. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Anthony 2-45, Williams 1-22, Rhett 1-16. PACKERS: Beebe 2-60. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Williams 1-13. PACKERS: Mayes 3-16. SACKS BUCS: none. PACKERS: Robinson 1-8, White 1-7, Joyner 1-6, Wilkins 1-2.
VIDEO CLIPS Michael Husted had a pair of fieldgoals, this one from 48 yards out John Lynch had an interception off Brett Favre Steve Walsh played the second half when Dilfer got hurt