Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31 Chicago Bears 15 Sunday 21 December 1997 at Houlihans Stadium FOX COMMENTARY CREW Kenny Albert and Tim Green
In a near carbon copy of the 1996 season finale, Tampa Bay built an early first-half lead thanks in part to an outstanding special teams play, then used a strong running game to finish up a rout of the Bears. The running game produced 183 yards, including 153 in the second half, largely on the legs of Warrick Dunn. On the final play of the opening period, Karl Williams turned in perhaps the most exciting special teams play in team history, weaving and spinning out of multiple tackles to record a 61-yard punt return touchdown. It was the second punt return TD of Williams’ career and only the third in team history.
STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 74 Gruber LDE 75 Curry 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 83 Moore MLB 56 Nickerson WR 85 Anthony SLB 50 Gooch WR 86 Williams LCB 21 Abraham QB 12 Dilfer SS 47 Lynch TE 87 Davis FS 22 Mincy RB 40 Alstott RCB 27 Parker PLAYED 4 Walsh, 5 Husted, 7 Landeta, 23 Bouie, 25 Johnson, 28 Dunn, 31 Young, 32 Rhett, 37 Ellison, 45 Legette, 48 Jordan, 51 Singleton, 52 Bellisari, 53 Quarles, 60 Pyne, 69 Pierson, 71 Wunsch, 72 Ahanotu, 82 Hape, 84 Thomas, 88 Copeland, 90 Maniecki, 94 White INACTIVES 13 Milanovich, 20 Barber, 24 Robinson, 59 Porter, 65 Dogins, 78 Jones, 80 Harris, 97 Jackson
GAME SCORING TB 2:19-1Q Dilfer 7 run (Husted kick) TB 0:00-1Q Williams 61 punt return (Husted kick) CHI 8:52-2Q Autry 3 run (Jaeger kick) TB 0:19-2Q Williams 7 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick) TB 8:16-3Q Husted FG20 TB 3:01-3Q Rhett 5 run (Husted kick) CHI 12:53-4Q Mirer 1 run (Mirer run)
GAME REPORTS Click here for Pat Yasinskas' game review Click here for Martin Fennelly's morning-after column Rick Stroud reports from a delirious Houlihan's Stadium The Big Sombrero earns itself an encore performance Many happy returns and make them scoring ones Click here for the gamebook and the play-by-play
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Dunn 16-119, Anthony 1-23, Rhett 6-20, Alstott 5-12, Dilfer 1-7, Ellison 1-5, Walsh 3-(-3). BEARS: Autry 16-45, Carter 2-25, Hicks 2-9, Mirer 4-6, Harmon 2-6, Kramer 1-(-1). PASSING BUCS: Dilfer 18-10-94-0-1, Walsh 1-1-0-0-0. BEARS: Kramer 19-12-82-1-0, Mirer 10-6-39-1-0. RECEIVING BUCS: Williams 4-47, Dunn 3-18, Davis 1-16, Anthony 1-8, Alstott 1-5, Jordan 1-0. BEARS: Proehl 4-41, Conway 2-18, Wetnight 2-15, Engram 2-12, Carter 2- 9, Harmon 2-8, Autry 2-4, Allen 1-9, Allred 1-5. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: Johnson 1-19, Abraham 1-0. BEARS: none. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Anthony 3-90. BEARS: Smith 6-119. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Williams 6-116. BEARS: Proehl 4-30. SACKS BUCS: Sapp 2-6, Upshaw 1-2. BEARS: Mangum 1-8.
VIDEO CLIPS Trent Dilfer opened the scoring with this quarterback keeper For the second straight year, Karl Williams had a punt return touchdown Then he added a receiving score later in the half