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With the win over the Chiefs, Chucky became the winningest coach in Bucs history. Chucky talked about who he thought equally share the credit. The video is courtesy of WTSP.
Chucky also talked about paying off a bet with Philadelphia radio station WIP he made with on-air personalities over the World Series.
Joe doesn't think the Bucs should even think of using Cadillac Williams this year. Chucky seems to have other plans.
Earnest Graham is dinged up.
Warrick Dunn is banged up.
Both of the Bucs top two fullbacks are hurt.
Michael Bennett is buried so far in Chucky’s doghouse he can’t see the light of day past the cans of Alpo.
So Chucky is getting Cadillac Williams tuned up.
Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune reports the Bucs will have Cadillac in pads this week to test out his bum knee.
“I just got done meeting with him, and as I said earlier, we’ll put him in pads tomorrow,” Gruden said. “I’m sure he’s not really thrilled about enjoying his bye week like some of the other guys, but we’ll have in pads tomorrow and Wednesday.
“He had a great look in his eye. He’s very confident in his knee and what he’s put into this. We’ll see what Earnest’s and Warrick’s health status are, and we’ll make that decision next week, but there is a possibility he could help us, and that would be really exciting, I know that.”
Joe doesn’t get this. Graham is not lost for the season nor is Dunn. Bennett is a very capable back and if he isn’t, why is he wasting a roster spot? Cut him if you don’t plan to use him Chucky!!!
Joe would much rather the Bucs just keep Cadillac in the garage until next year so his knee gets plenty of rest. Don’t rush him Chucky! Either use Bennett or cut him and trade a sixth-round pick to the Steelers for Crappy Davenport and keep him away from women’s laundry baskets.
TBO.com is reporting that Chucky is the University of Tennessee's "No. 1 choice" to replace Phil Fulmer.
Woody Cummings of TBO.com is reporting that Chucky is the “No. 1 choice” to replace Phil Fulmer as the University of Tennessee’s football coach.
Fulmer announced Monday he had reached an agreement to step down as the school’s coach. He won a national championship at Tennessee, beating Florida State in January 1998.
We shouldn’t be surprised. The University of Tennessee is really hot for Gruden. Folks both inside and outside the Volunteers’ program have made it clear that Gruden is their No. 1 choice to replace Phil Fullmer as head coach.
Joe just doesn’t believe Chucky would take the job. Sure, he’s a former assistant at Tennessee and the Bride of Chucky was a former Volunteers cheerleader, which impresses Joe. But Chucky is an NFL coach. Joe can’t envision Chucky visiting parents’ houses trying to lure their sons into playing for him.
Rumors have already begun to fly that Chucky will be the next coach of the University of Tennessee Volunteers. Joe doesn't see that happening.
Here we go, it’s that time of year:
It’s not the holiday season.
It’s not Halloween season.
It’s coaching rumor season.
The rumors are starting early this season. Word out of Knoxville is that Phil Fulmer, the coach of the University of Tennessee Volunteers is reportedly out. Guess whose name popped up already as his replacement?
Yup. Chucky.
Chucky was once an assistant coach there. The Bride of Chucky was once a Volunteers cheerleader (nice draft pick there Chucky).
Frankly, Joe doesn’t put too much into these rumors. There are only a few select schools Chucky would be interested in and Tennessee is not one of them. Plus, Chucky would be a disaster as a college coach. His offense is way too complex. Look at what happened when his protege, Bill Callahan, was at Nebraska.
No, Chucky’s not leaving. At least he’s not leaving the Bucs for Tennessee.
November is when Joe starts to get serious about looking at the Bucs schedule, the NFC standings and schedules of teams in contention.
Entering Week 10, two realities have emerged.
In the NFC West, Arizona (5-3) has little chance to grab the No. 2 slot. They still have two games against Seattle, plus home games against the 49ers, Vikings and Rams. But their remaining three are against the Giants at home, and on the road in New England and Philly. Finishing 10-6 won’t get a playoff bye. …Leading the NFC North, the Bears (5-3) also have a tough schedule, and they do not have the tiebreaker edge against NFC South leaders Carolina (6-2) and the Bucs (6-3).
Sorry Bucs fans. Carolina (6-2) comes out of their bye week on Sunday to face hapless Oakland at home. Then they head to winless Detroit. That will put the Panthers at (8-2). Let’s say Carolina splits its next two road games, at Green Bay and at Atlanta. That means Carolina enters the Bucs game on Dec. 8 at (9-3). The best the Bucs can enter that game is (9-3), only after consecutive wins at home against Minnesota, at Detroit and then home against New Orleans. If the Bucs lose in Carolina, they will be one game back of Carolina with three to play. Then they’ll have to head to Atlanta on short rest for a must-win road game. If the Bucs win that game, they would have the tiebreaker edge against Carolina with comparable schedules for the final three games. …Circle that Monday night game on your schedule, Bucs fans. It’s the season.
Peter King of SI.com tries to compare Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia with Fran Tarkenton.
In another element to his “Monday Morning Quarterback” column on SI.com, Peter King tries to compare Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia to former Minnesota quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton.
From King:
No one would think of Garcia as the heir to Tarkenton, who retired in 1978 as the NFL’s all-time passing yardage leader with 47,003. Garcia will never have his those numbers or Tarkenton’s resume. While Tarkenton played right away in the NFL after getting drafted by the Vikings in 1961, Garcia had to travel an arduous path to the NFL. But lately, when I watch Garcia, I see Tarkenton.
When I saw Garcia in Dallas nine days ago, I thought: That’s one of the wiriest football players — almost gaunt — I’ve ever seen. I asked him what he weighed, and he said he was “barely tipping the scales at 190.” Which means he’s not 190. “Well, I’m between 185 and 190,” he said. “One of the trainers said something to me about it recently, that I looked a little bit light, and I mentioned it to my wife, and she said, ‘I was going to say something about that.’ There’s no more weight for me to lose.”
Tarkenton was listed at 6-0 and 190, Garcia at 6-1 and 190. Both are probably an inch and a few pounds less. In 246 career games, Tarkenton averaged 14.9 rushing yards per game. In 116 NFL games, Garcia has averaged 17.4. Average touchdown passes per game: Tarkenton 1.39, Garcia 1.32. Average passing yards per game: Tarkenton 191.1 (obviously in an era when teams ran more), Garcia 205.6.
The idea for Garcia is to avoid the rush as much as possible so he can live to play another day; he got whacked 13 times by the Cowboys in Week 8 despite slithering in and out of trouble much of the afternoon. It was the same with the whippet-like Tarkenton in the ’60s and ’70s.
“The thing I admired about Fran is how he kept plays alive,” Garcia said. “I’ve seen highlights where he ran around so much to avoid the rush that he’d end up 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage. I’m a little different. I run around, but I try to stay closer to the line. Sometimes I’m right on the verge of being over the line when I throw, but when I’m forced into running, I always try to make a play with my arm when I can. So I keep it ’til the last minute.”
That was a Tarkenton trait, too.
The biggest difference is probably the eras in which they played. Tarkenton was accepted as an NFLer right out of college, because scouts and GMs weren’t as manic about size 45 years ago; Eddie LeBaron, at 5-9, had been a highly effective quarterback for Washington and Dallas, for instance, making the Pro Bowl four times as the shortest quarterback in football. Not so in the last 15 or 20 years. Garcia had to ride the bench in Canada (behind, coincidentally, Doug Flutie in Calgary of the CFL). Bill Walsh became Garcia’s champion, telling anyone who’d listen to give the slight Garcia a shot. The 49ers finally did, and the rest is itinerant history.
Tarkenton would identify with Garcia. They both learned to make plays out of nothing. “It’s how I learned to play the game,” Garcia said. “It’s always been a game of survival for me, at all levels. It’s organized chaos.” I bet Tarkenton’s teammates in Minnesota and New York said that more than once about playing with Fran.
Not totally sure Joe would agree with King. If King suggests Garcia is like Tarkenton because of his happy feet, Joe would agree. But often Tarkenton scrambled because he was running for his life, especially his days with the New York Giants. Garcia seems at times to scramble just for the sake of scrambling.
Tarkenton also was an elite quarterback in an era when several future Hall of Fame QB’s played. Joe wouldn’t consider Garcia an elite quarterback today, when the game is populated by lousy quarterbacks. Besides, Joe can only think of three quarterbacks playing right now who would sniff the Hall of Fame (Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning).
In Peter Kings Monday Morning Quarterback column on SI.com, the longtime Sports Illustrated scribe declares Chucky to be the "Coach of the Week." Joe's not so sure.
Joe has long been a proponent of Peter King’s “Monday Morning Quarterback” on SI.com. But this week Joe isn’t so sure King wrote the column while totally sober.
King suggests Chucky is the “Coach of the Week.”
After the 30-27 overtime win in Kansas City, which made Gruden the winningest coach in Bucs history (Gruden 57 wins, Tony Dungy 56), Ronde Barber hugged Gruden at midfield and congratulated him for surpassing the coach Barber loves. Later, from the team bus, Barber said: “I told my wife before the season, ‘I’ve now played for coach Gruden longer than I played for coach Dungy,’ and we were both amazed. He told us at halftime we’d have to do something special in the second half to win.”
They did, rebounding from the biggest deficit (21 points) to win a game in club history. Gruden has the Bucs at 6-3 at the bye, and he knows what his team of veterans and young players needs. He gave them seven days off, a rarity for a team when it has a bye. Did you hear the hoarse Gruden after the game? His larynx needs a bye.
So by King’s logic, a mute would be a good coach because he couldn’t talk? Look, a “Coach of the Week” doesn’t have a gameplan that allows his team to be in such a hole as the Bucs were yesterday. In Joe’s eyes, a coach who has done his job has his team prepared. Did the Bucs look prepared in the first half?
Jim Mora of the NFL Network said it best yesterday when he suggested the Bucs did not look ready to play.
That’s hardly “Coach of the Week” material.
A little snack for Michael Bennett
Before Joe gives you coverage from Jon Gruden’s 11 a.m. news conference, he’d like to feed Michael Bennett. It’s cold and lonely this morning in that doghouse.
Joe told you Bennett was banished by Chucky. Now it seems Gruden is limiting Bennett’s food and water.
Bennett was supposed to get his chance Sunday against the Chiefs. After all, Chucky talked all week about his running back shortage. And Bennett was activated for the game.
But No. 29 only got two carries. One was a horrible call, with Chucky pitching to Bennett on 3rd and short from the Chiefs’ 5 yard line. Bennett was quickly swarmed on the play, which fooled nobody wearing red.
Joe’s hoping Chucky doesn’t do anything crazy like cut Bennett and activate Cadillac Williams. The Bucs might need Bennett as the season wears on.
NFL Network analyst Jim Mora claims the Bucs weren't ready to play Sunday.
Just in case you were stuck in an airport and couldn’t catch any of the highlights of the Bucs’ thrilling overtime win over the Chiefs, Joe has them. To be more precise, the NFL Network has them, and Joe has dug up the links.
First up, Jim Mora and Tom Waddle breakdown the highlights.
Second, Bucs fans get to hear the Bucs highlights from the great Gene Deckerhoff, and some yelling clown with the Chiefs broadcast. Joe hates that: screaming does not mean excitement. Then again, Joe would be screaming too if he was a Chiefs fan.
Lastly, the NFL Network has the Bucs postgame comments from Chucky, who has no voice. Chucky claims the “dramatic” win was the greatest comeback in Bucs history.
Tanard Jackson delivered the jump-off-the-couch moment in the Bucs win at Kansas City. It's time to vote this 23-year-old into the Pro Bowl.
The Bucs’ finest fourth-round draft pick in history added to his super-stud status today.
Free safety Tanard Jackson turned 23 during training camp. But Bucs fans know he’s been a man for well over a year now.
Just when the game at the Chiefs turned extra ugly, when Clifton Smith coughed up the football just five yards from a score, Jackson took the field with the Bucs defense and singlehandedly ripped the game from the Chiefs with a strip and a fumble recovery.
Jackson’s strip of Jamaal Charles was a throwback to the glory days of the Bucs defense, when big plays seemed to come whenever the team needed them most.
Joe knows that the greatest players in the game take charge at critical moments. So that strip and recovery was not just another good play by Jackson, or another big contribution from a Bucs defender. It was a young guy with Hall of Fame potential delivering an extraordinary moment.
Before you cast a vote for John McCain or Ralph Nader, please exercise your right to vote for Jackson for the Pro Bowl. Click on “defense” and then “free safety” and get the job done.
The blistering 70 degree temperatures in Kansas City made it tough on the Bucs, Chucky said. Thanks for the laugh, coach. Please lose the lame excuses
Joe caught Chucky’s postgame news conference, which yielded a good summary of the state of the Bucs, and a ridiculous comment.
Chucky said, “We have character, and we are in a race.”
Whether you are positive or negative about the Bucs play and their outlook right now, there is no denying that the team plays hard for each other and Coach Gruden. Weak teams would have crumbled down 24-3, as the Bucs were today.
Inside the locker room, the Bucs are excited by the big comeback. This kind of win bonds a team. They’re cruising into the bye week on a huge high. It’s not the confident swagger of a championship football team, but it’s real energy.
And that brings us to the next Gruden gem, “We were struggling, It was a hot day.”
Chucky’s come up with some stinky, funny BS this season, but this one is beyond ridiculous. C’mon, coach. You’re going to imply that the weather was a challenge and made a comeback harder?
The temperature hovered around 70 degrees through the game. That’s a fresh winter day in Tampa. And it’s likely the kickoff temperature for February’s Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.
"Man, I forgot about Brett Favre for about 20 minutes there. Great stuff."
The Bucs’ wacky win in Kansas City was a good example of why Jeff Garcia represents the Bucs’ offensive hope entering the final stretch of the season.
The Bucs beat the Chiefs under the leadership of a veteran QB who executed almost flawlessly during the Bucs’ final three possessions, plus a 2-point conversion to send the game to overtime.
But it was a hardly a great game for Garcia. Stuck in a 14-0 hole, thanks to Earnest Graham’s quick fumble and the Bucs defense leaving their game at the team hotel, Garcia needed to rise to the challenge quickly. He didn’t. He had happy feet, and he seemed afraid to go downfield. Then there was the Griese-like interception that killed a drive.
But Garcia shook it off in the second half and was a calm, creative general late in the game.
He scrambled. He extended plays. He ran the hurry-up offense. He was on target with his throws. The late red zone fumble by Graham? No worries.
The final numbers for Garcia look pretty, 31-for-43 for 339 yards, a touchdown and one interception.
Garcia didn’t play as well as that sounds. But it was a performance that should reassure Bucs fans that we have a leader in the huddle who can get it done late in a game on the road.
Garcia failed on final drives in New Orleans, Denver and Dallas (but he gets a pass in the Denver game). A loss today would have made him 0-for-4 with the game on the line.
Now he’s chalked up one big comeback. And the Bucs enter the bye week with momentum and a leader they can count on.
The Bucs plodded out 81 yards on 25 carries against the Chiefs. The Bucs sad rushing attack had no excuses today. The Chiefs had the worst run defense in the league.
Joe was OK making excuses for the Bucs’ running game entering today’s game against the Chiefs.
There was a reasonable list of excuses to throw out there:
But against the Chiefs, there were no excuses. Kansas City was the worst team in the NFL against the run, and the Bucs were desperate to establish a running game after falling down 14-0 halfway through the first quarter.
The ugly reality is the Bucs couldn’t do it. They couldn’t run the football.
They were not dominant at the line of scrimmage, and it really seemed like the Chiefs’ defense just wanted it more than Tampa Bay.
Maybe Chucky sees that our running game just isn’t there, and that’s why he has stayed away from it?
When Dunn returns healthy after the bye week, the Bucs will be out of excuses again. B. J. Askew probably will be back on the field then, too.
A real running game would be a nice addition to the offense.
Bucs 30, Chiefs 27 (OT)
Ugly game. Fun game. Lots of big plays. Game ball to Tanard Jackson for the big strip and recovery to set up Earnest Graham’s touchdown pass. Yes, that’s Earnest Graham’s touchdown pass!
The Bucs ran off the field like bank robbers today, snatching a dramatic comeback win against a crappy but scrappy Chiefs team.
We’ll take it. More from Joe soon.
Chiefs 24, Bucs 13
Nasty stuff, Bucs fans.
Joe was expecting to casually enjoy cold beer and steaming nachos as the Bucs ran the ball down the Chiefs’ throat.
Bucs (5-3) at Chiefs (1-6)
Week 9
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: FOX, WTVT Channel 13.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 107.
Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, really good football weather with a kickoff temperature forecast for 66 degrees under partly sunny skies. Temperatures are expected to rise slightly to 70 by game’s end.
Odds: Per Bodog.com, Bucs -9.
Outlook: The Bucs have to do a number of things before they are among the NFC elite. The first is to score touchdowns. The NFL isn’t soccer. Kicking a ball between goal posts is not the objective of the game. Score some touchdowns!
The Bucs have the manpower to do it. If Camella’s husband is too scared to let his receivers make plays, then get Luke McCown in there. This dinking-and-dunking is pure nonsense as is Chucky’s weak excuse that the Bucs don’t have the running backs. Even if the Bucs have both their top two fullbacks and Warrick Dunn out they still have the talent both in the backfield and up front to run the freaking ball!
This dink-and-dunk crap enables the opposing team to stay in the game and we Bucs fans know all too well what that was like last week against Dallass.
If the Bucs get the ball in the end zone this game should be a no-brainer. If the Bucs are kicking field goals in the first half, look out!
JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve Campbell awards this week's offensive line game ball to Donald Penn.
JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve Campbell reviews the Bucs’ offensive line play in Week 8.
In the 1990s, Campbell was a NCAA Division I lineman and played semipro football (he likes to say he was a tackling dummy for a future NFL defenisve tackle). His analysis appears here weekly.
One of the disadvantages of having a young offensive line is no matter how talented they are, they are going to be inconsistent. That was the case Sunday in Dallas.
To say the offense sputtered would be kind. But not all the blame should go to the offensive line. This was the textbook definition of a team loss on the offensive side of the ball.
First, Jon Gruden called a pretty poor game. I thought he gave up on the run way too early. A perfect example would be in the fourth quarter. After the Bucs kicked a field goal to make the score 13-9, the Bucs defense held Dallas to a three-and-out. After the punt, the Bucs took over on their own 43. Great field position, and time to pound the rock, right?
Nope. Garcia threw three incompletions in a row, and the Bucs punted.
Immediately after that possession, the Cowboys had another three-and-out and punted again. This time the Bucs took over on their own 42 with 11:34 left in the game. On first down, Gruden actually called a running play and Graham gained four yards. That’s a positive first down play.
But then Garcia threw a short pass for three yards and another incompletion. The Bucs offense would not see the ball again until their final drive of the game with four minutes left.
The second culprit of the poor offensive game was quarterback Jeff Garcia, who was outstanding the previous two weeks against Carolina and Seattle. Garcia resorted to his early-season happy feet ways. Like the New Orleans game, Garcia wouldn’t set his feet, sometimes with little or no pressure. This results in inaccurate passes. His sack late in the second quarter when he scrambled right was inexcusable. Garcia was out of the pocket, so he could have thrown the ball away and the Bucs would have had a 42-yard field goal attempt.
But Garcia’s sack pushed the Bucs out of Matt Bryant’s range.
On to the individual offensive line evaluations.
Donald Penn, LT: Penn was left one-on-one with pass rushing specialist DeMarcus Ware quite a bit. Ware had a sack in his tenth consecutive game, but Penn goose-egged him. I’ve said it before, but I wish I was Penn’s agent because Penn will get a big raise this offseason. Penn gets this week’s game ball.
Arron Sears, LG: Sears is playing a bit better than he was earlier in the season. Still, I don’t like his pass sets. But he’s picking it up in the run game.
Jeff Faine, C: Not the best game for Faine. Dallas defensive tackle Jay Ratliff, who is having a great year, gave him problems.
Davin Joseph, RG: Joseph was beaten by Tank Johnson early in the game on a crucial third-and-one play that was stuffed. The Bucs need more from him if he is going to be the elite guard that some people consider him to be.
Jeremy Trueblood, RT: Trueblood didn’t play all that well, and seemed to let his frustration get the best of him. I like the fire, but he needs to stay more composed.
Size doesn't matter for veteran DE Kevin Carter, who says he loves wearing Bucs colors
Yoga over the weight room?
That was the big revelation in an ESPN.com feature about Bucs DE Kevin Carter. It seems the big fella anchoring the left end is using some alternative conditioning to stay in the league at age 35.
Carter was a stellar pickup by the Bucs last year, among many by Bruce Allen.
However, Carter and the rest of the Bucs linemen must find a way to turnout a consistent pass rush. No matter how strong the Bucs defense, an average-at-best pass rush won’t get them anywhere in the playoffs.
"Yo, ESPN.com dude, I'll help you set up your VCR."
Nothing worse than a media guy who claims to be an expert but doesn’t do his homework.
Pat Yasinskas, ESPN.com’s guru of the NFC South, revealed his half-ass work habits in an interview Friday with the Fabulous Sports Babe on ESPN 1010 AM. The Babe brought in Yasinskas to talk about the Bucs and all things NFC and NFC South.
Well, Yasinskas told the Babe he hadn’t watched the Bucs-Dallas game, only highlights.
His reason? Yasinskas said he was in London for the Saints-Chargers game and didn’t get a chance. Yet he said he didn’t stay in England after the game to sightsee.
Ever hear of a VCR, Pat? How bout a DVR? How about calling your friends at ESPN to get you a tape? Or your pals at Bucs headquarters?
You cover the NFC South. That’s your whole job. Watch the damn games before you waste every Bucs fan’s time with a radio interview.
If Bruce Almighty had pulled the trigger on acquiring Brett Favre, the Bucs would have kicked the ass out of Dallass last week Joe is convinced.
Joe provides his weekly take on what almost-Bucs quarterback Brett Favre would have done had he been with the Bucs and if the Bucs are better off without him.
This one is simple: Had Brett Favre been with the Bucs, the Bucs would have whipped Dallass last week. The biggest problem with the Bucs was that they didn’t throw the ball to the end zone, instead preferring to dink-and-dunk.
There is no such issue with Favre.
Last week Favre threw for two touchdowns, including a beautiful shot to Laveranues Coles where Favre enabled Coles to make a play on a pass the defense couldn’t touch (are you reading this Mr. Carmella?) for the winning score.
Jeff Garcia didn’t sniff the end zone.
With Favre, the Bucs would have won. In the loss to Dallass, the Bucs would have been better off with Favre.
Bucs defensive end Gaines Adams wraps up Dallass quarterback Brad Johnson for a sack in last week's disgusting loss to the Cowboys.
As he does each week, Joe documents Bucs defensive end Gaines Adams’ every move on the field.
NIP: Not in the play.
NOF: Not on the field.
Dallas – 14:55
First possession
1st-10, DAL23 14:55 Johnson incomplete pass down the middle.
Adams cuts inside and is blown up by left guard Kyle Kozier.
2nd-10, DAL23 14:50 Barber rushed to the right for 1 yard gain.
Steps back then cuts inside. NIP.
3rd-9, DAL24 14:11 Johnson incomplete pass down the middle.
At left end loops inside. No pressure.
Dallas – 10:57
Second possession
1st-10, DAL21 10:57 Johnson incomplete pass to the right.
Initially steps offsides but just gets back before snap. Adams then tries a backdoor rush but gets no where near Johnson.
2nd-10, DAL21 10:48 Johnson passed to Owens down the middle for 7 yard gain.
Tries to stutter-step around left tackle Flozell Adams. NIP.
3rd-3, DAL28 10:10 Johnson incomplete pass to the right.
Blows past Flozell Adams but Kozier picks him up and tosses him aside.
Dallas – 8:07
Third possession
1st-10, DAL7 8:07 Barber rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain.
Slides inside and gets an assist.
2nd-8, DAL9 7:27 Barber rushed to the left for 1 yard gain.
Shoved inside while Barber cuts outside.
3rd-12, DAL5 6:33 Barber rushed up the middle for 8 yard gain.
At left end attempts to go around Leonard Davis and gets nowhere.
Dallas – 1:04
Fourth possession
1st-10, DAL29 1:04 Johnson passed to Witten down the middle for 8 yard gain.
Adams uses a spin move to get inside and nearly nails Johnson.2nd-2, DAL37 0:31 Barber rushed to the right for 3 yard gain.
Shoved inside and tackles Barber.
2nd Quarter
Dallas continued
1st-10, DAL40 15:00 Johnson passed to Williams to the right for 8 yard gain.
Tries to dance around Flozell Adams. NIP.2nd-2, DAL48 14:21 Barber rushed to the left for 6 yard gain.
Fights his way inside and Barber sidesteps him to get to the outside.
1st-10, TB46 13:45 Barber rushed to the right for 1 yard gain.
NOF.
2nd-9, TB45 13:06 Johnson incomplete pass to the right.
NOF.
3rd-9, TB45 13:01 Johnson passed to M. Bennett to the right for 10 yard gain.
At left end gets a good first step on Davis but Davis recovers to shove him aside just before Adams gets to Johnson.
1st-10, TB35 12:30 Johnson passed to Owens to the right for 1 yard loss..
Adams takes a step back as if he expected a pass and Barber runs right through the whole that Adams left open.
2nd-11, TB36 11:53 Barber rushed to the left for 10 yard gain.
NIP.
3rd-1, TB26 11:07 Barber rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain.
NIP.
1st-10, TB24 10:23 Johnson incomplete pass to the left.
Adams gets real good penetration but Barber picks him up just as he’s about to drill Johnson.2nd-10, TB24 10:18 Barber rushed to the left for 4 yard gain.
Tries to go outside and Barber runs inside.
3rd-6, TB20 9:38 Johnson incomplete pass to the right.
At left end Marc Columbo just pushes him away.
4th-6, TB20 9:29 N. Folk kicked a 38-yard field goal.
Dallas – 2:23
Fifth possession
1st-10, DAL41 2:23 Barber rushed up the middle for 9 yard gain.
Stands up as if waiting for the run but to no avail as Barber runs right past him inside.
2nd-1, 50 2:00 Barber rushed up the middle for 3 yard gain.
Tries an outside loop. NIP.
1st-10, TB47 1:37 Johnson passed to Owens to the left for 4 yard gain.
At left end gets no pressure.
2nd-6, TB43 1:32 Johnson sacked by Adams
Runs an inside loop and is unblocked.
3rd-12, TB49 0:47 Johnson passed to Barber to the left for 1 yard gain.. TB committed 15 yard penalty.
At left end tripped up by Columbo.
1st-10, TB33 0:40 Johnson passed to M. Bennett to the right for 5 yard gain.
At left end, drops back into pass coverage in the left flat and picks up the tackle.
2nd-5, TB28 0:33 Johnson incomplete pass to the right
At left end tries an inside stunt but there are too many blockers so he leaps to try to tip the pass.
3rd-5, TB28 0:28 TB committed 6 yard penalty
Rolls outside and gets no pressure.
1st-10, TB22 0:21 TB committed 5 yard penalty
Fullback Deon Anderson ties up Adams after he gets past the line.
1st-10, TB17 0:18 Johnson incomplete pass to the left
Put on the ground by Flozell Adams.
2nd-10, TB17 0:13 Johnson passed to P. Crayton down the middle for 13 yard gain.. TB committed 2 yard penalty
Columbo does a nice job of keeping Adams from getting any pressure with good hand checks.1st-2, TB2 0:01 Johnson passed to Williams to the left for 2 yard touchdown. N. Folk made PAT
No pressure as Johnson gets the ball off right away.
Third quarter
Dallas – 14:32
Sixth possession1st-10 Barber rushed to the left for 5 yard gain.
Stutter-steps then waits for Barber who promptly runs inside.2nd-5 Johnson passed to Barber to the right for 2 yard gain.
At left end half-asses it as he dances with Columbo. NIP.
3rd-11 Barber rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain.
Tries to run around Columbo. NIP.
4th-1 Barber rushed to the right for 2 yard gain.
NOF.
1st-10 Barber rushed to the right for 5 yard loss.
Stands up as if waiting for Barber to come to him but Barber goes outside.
2nd-11 Johnson incomplete pass down the middle
Initially gets a good jump but Columbo takes out his knees.
3rd-10 Johnson passed to Barber down the middle for 1 yard gain.
NOF.
Dallas – 7:21
Seventh possession
1st-10, DAL48 7:21 Johnson passed to Owens to the left for 12 yard gain.
Kept away with good hand checks by Columbo.
1st-10, TB40 6:40 Barber rushed to the right for 11 yard gain.
Shoved outside by Columbo.
1st-10, TB29 6:06 Barber rushed to the right for 2 yard gain.
Shoved away by tight end Martellus Bennett.
2nd-8, TB27 5:28 Johnson incomplete pass to the left
Drops into pass coverage. NIP.
3rd-8, TB27 5:23 Johnson incomplete pass to the right
At left end, tries an inside stunt but there are too many bodies. Goes right and there’s no opening. Then stands straight up and tries to bat down pass.
4th-8, TB27 5:13 N. Folk kicked a 45-yard field goal
Dallas – 0:27
Eighth possession
1st-10, DAL23 0:27 Johnson passed to Barber down the middle for 14 yard gain.
Contains right and is in a position to make a tackle on Barber but he whiffs on the Dallas running back.
4th Quarter
Dallas continued
1st-10, DAL37 15:00 Barber rushed to the left for 2 yard gain.
Owned by Flozell Adams.
2nd-8, DAL39 14:22 Johnson sacked by Adams
From a very wide split Adams flies past all blockers for the sack and nearly forced a fumble.
3rd-17, DAL30 13:50 Johnson passed to Barber to the right for 4 yard gain.
At left end stutter-steps past Columbo and gets some pressure on Adams.
Dallas – 12:33
Ninth possession
1st-10, DAL14 12:33 Johnson incomplete pass to the left
Sets up to contain outside. No pressure.
2nd-10, DAL14 12:29 Johnson incomplete pass to the right
Gets a good fast jump to the outside then stops and cuts inside.
3rd-10, DAL14 12:22 DAL committed 5 yard penalty
3rd-15, DAL9 12:22 Johnson passed to M. Bennett to the left for 6 yard gain.
At left end takes a step outside then cuts inside but there is nothing but congestion. Adams reads the play well and runs outside to get an assist.
Dallas – 9:58
10th possession
1st-10, DAL14 9:58 Barber rushed to the left for 6 yard gain.
Bottle up inside as Barber goes outside.
2nd-4, DAL20 9:18 Barber rushed to the left for 2 yard loss.
Flies in and overruns Barber.
3rd-6, DAL18 8:40 Johnson passed to Owens to the left for 11 yard gain.
At left end slides inside and gets no pressure.
1st-10, DAL29 8:21 Barber rushed to the right for 1 yard gain.
At left end contains outside and is locked up by Columbo.
2nd-9, DAL30 7:45 Johnson passed to Curtis to the left for 8 yard gain.
NOF.
3rd-1, DAL38 6:57 Barber rushed to the left for no gain.
NOF.
4th-1, DAL38 6:28 Barber rushed to the right for 1 yard gain.
NOF.
1st-10, DAL39 5:44 Barber rushed to the right for 4 yard loss.
Runs inside. NIP.
2nd-14, DAL35 5:04 Johnson sacked by R. Sims
Takes two steps inside then backs off.
3rd-19, DAL30 5:04 Johnson passed to Barber to the left for 7 yard gain.
At left end tries a spin move but gets no pressure.
