Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6 Chicago Bears 25 Sunday 17 September 1995 at Tampa Stadium

SCORING CHI 10:12-1Q Butler FG24 TB 10:09-2Q Husted FG23 CHI 5:48-2Q Butler FG37 CHI 0:10-2Q Butler FG22 CHI 13:35-3Q Green 7 run (Butler kick) CHI 11:55-3Q Marshall 13 blocked punt return (2pt conversion failed) TB 4:38-3Q Husted FG40 CHI 3:13-4Q Butler FG27

GAME REPORTS Click here for the gamebook and the play-by-play Don Banks reports from the home opener Hubert Mizell reflects on the same old Bucs Trent Dilfer feels the agony of defeat

The Bucs home opener in 1995 was the first live appearance of Tampa Bay on British TV. Trailing 3-0, the key play came when Courtney Hawkins just dropped the ball deep in Chicago territory and a promising drive came to nothing. The Bucs never really threatened again and two scores in a minute thanks to a Buc fumble and blocked punt, put the game away for good.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Rhett 19-66, Dilfer 2-7, Ellison 1-1. BEARS: Green 13-72, Salaam 20-55, Johnson 1-2, Kramer 1-(-1). PASSING BUCS: Dilfer 27-11-149-4-0, Weldon 7-4-39-0-0. BEARS: Kramer 38-18-207-0-0. RECEIVING BUCS: Hawkins 6-74, Copeland 2-29, Dawsey 2-29, J Harris 2-28, Thomas 1-20, Moore 1-5, Ellison 1-3. BEARS: Conway 4-56, Graham 4-53, Timpson 2-31, Green 2-18, Johnson 2-16, Wetnight 2-13, Jennings 1-11, Gedney 1-9. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: none. BEARS: Lincoln 1-32, Carter 1-15, Joseph 1-0, Woolford 1-0. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Edmonds 6-111. BEARS: Timpson 1-31. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Edmonds 3-19. BEARS: Graham 3-14. SACKS BUCS: none. BEARS: Thierry 2-11, Spellman 1-8, Flanigan 1-4.

STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 74 Gruber DE 72 Ahanotu LG 70 McRae DT 77 Wheeler C 61 Mayberry DT 99 Sapp RG 62 Beckles DE 75 Curry RT 69 Pierson LLB 51 Marts TE 81 Harris MLB 56 Nickerson TE 86 Armstrong RLB 55 Brooks WR 88 Copeland LCB 21 McGruder FB 83 Moore RCB 39 DImry RB 32 Rhett SS 27 Bussey QB 12 Dilfer FS 22 Everett PLAYED 1 Roby, 5 Husted, 11 Weldon, 26 Abraham, 28 Buckley, 29 Gant, 37 Ellison, 41 Edmonds, 44 Booty, 47 Lynch, 52 Rouse, 53 Brady, 54 Stephens, 60 Pyne, 71 Dotson, 73 Culpepper, 80 Dawsey, 85 Hawkins, 87 Thomas, 93 DuBose, 94 McIntosh DID NOT PLAY 65 Ingram, 67 Sullivan INACTIVE 15 Philcox, 25 Johnson, 35 Mayhew, 45 Stargell, 76 Dill, 81 Davis, 82 Harper, 95 Powe

COMMENTARY TEAM Joe Buck and Tim Green