Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7 Minnesota Vikings 31 Sunday 6 September 1998 at the Metrodome FOX COMMENTARY CREW Sam Rosen and Jerry Glanville
The Bucs lost their season opener in Minnesota as Brad Johnson threw four TD passes, two to rookie Randy Moss. The famed Tampa pass rush was almost non-existent and this time no-one could blame Trent who had an efficient day at the office completing his first 11 passes of the year. "This might have been a stumble" said center Tony Mayberry. "It wasn't a fall."
STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 74 Gruber DE 72 Ahanotu LG 64 Diaz DT 77 Culpepper C 61 Mayberry DT 99 Sapp RG 73 Middleton DE 91 Upshaw RT 71 Wunsch LLB 50 Gooch TE 83 Moore MLB 56 Nickerson WR 85 Anthony RLB 55 Brooks WR 87 Emanuel LCB 21 Abraham FB 40 Alstott RCB 27 Parker RB 28 Dunn SS 47 Lynch QB 12 Dilfer FS 22 Mincy PLAYED 4 Walsh, 5 Husted, 6 Barnhardt, 19 Hunter, 20 Barber, 23 Bouie, 24 Robinson, 25 Kelly, 31 Young, 37 Ellison, 41 Neal, 51 Singleton, 52 Bellisari, 53 Quarles, 54 Palmer, 69 Pierson, 80 Davis, 82 Hape, 86 Williams, 94 White, 97 Jackson, 98 Cannida DID NOT PLAY 65 Dogins INACTIVES 13 Milanovich, 26 Abdullah, 59 Duncan, 70 Odom, 75 Washington, 78 Jones, 81 Green, 90 Maniecki
GAME SCORING MIN 6:31-1Q Carter 1 pass from Johnson (Anderson kick) MIN 3:54-1Q Moss 47 pass from Johnson (Anderson kick) MIN 6:30-2Q Moss 30 pass from Johnson (Anderson kick) TB 6:06-3Q Neal 3 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick) MIN 14:57-4Q Anderson FG20 MIN 6:35-4Q Carter 19 pass from Johnson (Anderson kick)
GAME REPORTS Rick Stroud reports from the Metrodome Plenty of Bucs were at fault but not Trent Dilfer The wake-up call looks like a nightmare Twist of agony ends Emanuel's hot start Click here for the official gamebook and play-by-play
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Dunn 12-47, Alstott 7-12, Ellison 3-6, Dilfer 1-3. VIKINGS: Smith 18-90, Hoard 7-29, Johnson 2-(-2). PASSING BUCS: Dilfer 25-17-207-0-1, Walsh 12-6-53-1-0. VIKINGS: Johnson 25-15-189-1-4. RECEIVING BUCS: Emanuel 7-98, Anthony 4-58,Alstott 4-29, Williams 2-24, Dunn 2- 21, Hape 2-11, Moore 1-16, Neal 1-3. VIKINGS: Carter 5-31, Moss 4-95, Hoard 2-23, Smith 2-23, Evans 1-14, Reed 1-3. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: Mincy 1-22. VIKINGS: Hitchcock 1-38. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Anthony 5-130. VIKINGS: Palmer 1-19, Williams 1-12. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Williams 2-23. VIKINGS: Palmer 2-7. SACKS BUCS: Parker 1-8. VIKINGS: Williams 1-9.