Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0 New York Jets 31
Sunday 14 December 1997 at the Meadowlands
FOX COMMENTARY CREW Dick Stockton and Matt Millen
The Buccaneers’worst Sunday of 1997 came at the hands of a
Jets team desperate for a win to remain in the AFC playoff
picture. Little went well for the Bucs who, despite a solid
defensive unit that gave up just 234 yards and no scoring drives
of over 24 yards, surrendered their highest point total of the year
and scored their lowest. A pair of interception returns by Otis
Smith in the second half was capped by a kick return score to
open the second half.
STARTERS
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
LT
74 Gruber
LDE
72 Ahanotu
LG
60 Pyne
DT
77 Culpepper
C
61 Mayberry
DT
99 Sapp
RG
64 Diaz
RDE
91 Upshaw
RT
70 Odom
WLB
55 aBrooks
TE
87 Davis
MLB
56 Nickerson
WR
85 Anthony
SLB
50 Gooch
WR
86 Williams
LCB
21 Abraham
QB
12 Dilfer
SS
47 Lynch
TE
82 Hape
FS
22 Mincy
RB
28 Dunn
RCB
23 Bouie
PLAYED
4 Walsh, 5 Husted, 7 Landeta, 25 Johnson, 27 Parker, 31 Young, 32
Rhett, 37 Ellison, 45 Legette, 48 Jordan, 51 Singleton, 52 Bellisari, 53
Quarles, 69 Pierson, 71 Wunsch, 73 Middleton, 83 Moore, 84 Thomas,
88 Copeland, 90 Maniecki, 94 White, 97 Jackson
DID NOT PLAY
65 Dogins
INACTIVES
13 Milanovich, 20 Barber, 24 Robinson, 40 Alstott, 59 Porter, 75 Curry,
78 Jones, 80 Harris
GAME SCORING
NYJ
1:05-1Q
Hall FG32
NYJ
11:05-2Q
Smith 45 interception return (Hall kick)
NYJ
6:19-2Q
Smith 51 interception return (Hall kick)
NYJ
14:43-3Q
L.Johnson 101 kickoff return (Hall kick)
NYJ
11:56-3Q
Murrell 7 run (Hall kick)
GAME REPORTS
Rick Stroud reports from Giants' Stadium
At least the playoff berth can't be dropped
Dilfer offers no excuses
Jets use special effects to confound the Bucs
Click here for the gamebook and the play-by-play
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
BUCS: Dunn 23-88, Rhett 1-2, Dilfer 1-0.
JETS: Murrell 26-73, Sowell 7-35, Lucas 2-10, Anderson 2-3, Neal 1-3,
L.Johnson 1-0, O’Donnell 4-(-2) .
PASSING
BUCS: Dilfer 15-2-38-2-0, Walsh 7-1-8-0-0.
JETS: O’Donnell 22-14-112-1-0.
RECEIVING
BUCS: Dunn 1-22, Davis 1-16, Copeland 1-8.
JETS: K.Johnson 3-22, Baxter 2-26, Graham 2-20, VanDyke 1-18,
L.Johnson 1-12, Sowell 1-8, Brady 1-3, Murrell 1-3, Neal 1-1, Anderson 1-(-
1).
INTERCEPTIONS
BUCS: Parker 1-5.
JETS: Smith 2-96.
KICK RETURNS
BUCS: Anthony 5-97
JETS: Johnson 1-101.
PUNT RETURNS
BUCS: Williams 4-40.
JETS: Johnson 4-45.
SACKS
BUCS: none.
JETS: Terry 1-9, Ferguson 1-7, Farrior 0.5-4.5, Lewis 0.5-4.5.
VIDEO CLIPS
Anthony Parker gave the Bucs some early hope with this interception
Trent Dilfer’s scramble and pass to Warrick Dunn was about it
Alshermond Singleton had his second punt block of the season
