Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 Cincinnati Bengals 23Sunday 25 September 1983 at Tampa StadiumNBC COMMENTARY CREW unknown
Playing against his former team-mates for the first time, Jack Thompson proved to be the focal point of a close contest. He completed 30 of his 40 passes for his first 300-yard game in the NFL and sparked a furious Tampa Bay comeback from a 20-0 2nd quarter deficit. James Wilder tied his team record with 11 receptions and posted a 100-yard receiving game. The Bucs got to within six on Thompson's TD pass to Kevin House, and after John Holt intercepted Ken Anderson, Thompson drove Tampa Bay to the Cincinnati 12-yard line late in the game. But his fourth down pass to Jimmie Giles was intercepted in the endzone by Robert Jackson and the Bengals ran out the clock.
GAME SCORINGCIN 11:54-1Q Riley 34 interception return (Breech kick)CIN 4:28-1Q Wilson 4 pass from Anderson (Breech kick)CIN 7:26-2Q Alexander 2 run (pass failed)TB 1:51-2Q Owens 1 run (Capece kick)TB 3:58-3Q Capece FG20CIN 13:25-4Q Breech FG24TB 9:19-4Q House 15 pass from Thompson (Capece kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICSRUSHINGBUCS: Carver 10-38, Owens 7-10, Wilder 2-2, Thompson 4-2.BENGALS: Alexander 20-61, Anderson 5-42, Wilson 2-11, Tate 3-7.PASSINGBUCS: Thompson 40-30-316-3-1.BENGALS: Anderson 20-15-168-1-1.RECEIVINGBUCS: Wilder 11-126, Carter 4-42, Carver 4-39, Giles 4-31, Owens 3-19, House 2-35, T.Bell 1-20, Obradovich 1-4.BENGALS: Alexander 3-10, Collinsworth 2-45, Nate 2-30, Curtis 2-24, Ross 2-21, Wilson 2-8, Kreider 1-8, Harris 1-12.INTERCEPTIONSBUCS: Holt 1-13.BENGALS: Riley 1-34, Griffin 1-24, Jackson 1-15.KICK RETURNSBUCS: Owens 2-45, O'Steen 2-30, Morton 1-20.BENGALS: Tate 1-20, Verser 1-18, Dinkel 1-1.PUNT RETURNSBUCS: Tyler 2-16.BENGALS: Martin 1-2.SACKSBUCS: Cannon 1-14, Hawkins 1-8.BENGALS: Edwards 2-15, Kemp 1-10.
VIDEO CLIPSJames Wilder had a nice run and catch down the near sidelineKevin House’s 4th quarter touchdown brought the Bucs to within sixBut Jack Thompson’s endzone interception saw the Bucs come up short