| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|  | | Tampa Bay's Damien Robinson, left, celebrated with teammates after he intercepted a pass from Jay Fiedler, who had five turnovers. |
MIAMI (AP) -- Warren Sapp sat at his locker, spitting tobacco
juice into the towel at his feet and savoring the taste of another
ugly victory.
In a game as dreary as the weather, Tampa Bay took advantage of
five turnovers by an ailing Jay Fiedler and rallied in the fourth
quarter to beat the Miami Dolphins 16-13 Sunday.
The Bucs totaled 221 yards, gave up four sacks, committed seven
penalties and nearly blew the lead at the finish.
"We call it Bucs ball," Sapp said. "It ain't always pretty.
It's not much to sell tickets for. But it's a win, and they all
count the same."
The difference was four interceptions and a fumbled snap by
Fiedler, who left the game briefly in the second quarter with a
shoulder injury.
Jamie Duncan returned an interception 31 yards for Tampa Bay's
first score, then recovered Fiedler's fumble to set up Martin
Gramatica's tiebreaking 46-yard field goal with 8:12 to go.
|
Helping Out the D
|
|
The Buccaneers, known more for defense than offense this season, have scored 74 points in their last three games to give them a franchise-record 336 for the season. And thanks to the defense those points are not being wasted, as the 2000 Bucs have outperformed the other high-scoring teams in franchise history.
|
|
|
Pts.
|
W-L
|
|
2000
|
336
|
9-5
|
|
1984
|
335
|
6-10
|
|
1989
|
320
|
5-11
|
|
1981
|
315
|
9-7
|
|
1998
|
314
|
8-8
|
An interception by Shelton Quarles at the end of the first half
led to the first of Gramatica's three field goals. Damien Robinson
made the final interception with 14 seconds left and Miami at the
Tampa Bay 30.
"I take a lot of it on my shoulders," Fiedler said. "A couple
of bad decisions, a couple of bad throws -- we kind of gave them 13
points with offensive mistakes."
The Bucs (9-5) stayed in the thick of the NFC wild-card playoff
race with their sixth win in seven games. Miami (10-4) missed a
chance to clinch an AFC playoff berth.
"This was a win against a playoff team, probably the best team
in the AFC," Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks said. "We asked
ourselves, 'Can we go on the road against a championship-caliber
team and get the win?' I think we answered that today."
Rain fell throughout the game and reduced the crowd to about
55,000, meaning there were some 20,000 no-shows for the sellout.
"Rain, soggy, nasty," said Sapp, the Bucs' Pro Bowl tackle.
"It let me know I went to work today. I've got grass all over me,
and I've got cuts I won't even feel until I get in the shower. It's
the way football was meant to be played."
|
TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
|
Question on the Buccaneers: Does this win put the Bucs back among the
title contenders?
Donahoe: This was a huge win for the Bucs today, beating a quality
opponent on the road. The difference in this game was the Bucs' defense and
the ability to convert turnovers into points. The Bucs had 13 points off
turnovers, including an interception return for a touchdown. Tampa Bay
continues to be a work-in-progress on offense. Shaun
King was efficient, though he rarely puts up big passing numbers. The
Bucs appear to be in good shape for a playoff spot -- and if they get to the
playoffs, they'll have a shot at being a title contender.
Question on the Dolphins: How much should the Dolphins be concerned
about their QB depth?
Donahoe: Jay
Fiedler tried to come back and play after being injured today, but he
was not very effective. Fiedler was responsible for five turnovers (four
interceptions and a fumble). Earlier in the year, Dolphins backup
quarterback Damon
Huard struggled when he replaced Fiedler. If Fiedler is hurt or plays as
ineffectively as he did today, it will put too much pressure on the
Dolphins' offense.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director
of football operations.
|
Fiedler blamed the weather, rather than his sore left shoulder,
as a factor in his uncharacteristically sloppy showing. Dolphins
coach Dave Wannstedt said he didn't know whether Fiedler was
hampered by the injury.
"He said he was OK," Wannstedt said. "He didn't want to come
out of the game. That's a tough one from a coaching standpoint. The
guy says he's fine, and you want to give him an opportunity."
Fiedler, who ducked into the Florida Marlins dugout at one point
to have his shoulder wrapped, finished 13-for-28 for 175 yards. He
had just nine interceptions previously this season.
"I felt comfortable I could play and perform to the level I
expect," he said.
But Fiedler committed three turnovers in the fourth quarter as
the Bucs rallied, then held on.
They tied the score 13-13 following a wild sequence that
included two third-and-long conversions, two sacks and a 45-yard
pass from Shaun King to Warrick Dunn to the 1. Gramatica's 30-yard
field goal tied it with 10:36 left.
As heavy rain fell, Fiedler fumbled the next snap and Duncan
recovered. Three plays later, Gramatica kicked his third field
goal.
"This was a typical Buccaneers win," Brooks said. "Not
pretty, but it got the job done."
Fiedler hurt his shoulder when sacked by James Cannida and
briefly left the game. He returned with 22 seconds left in the half
after Miami forced a punt, and Wannstedt made a costly decision by
electing to throw rather than run out the clock.
"I second-guessed myself on that," Wannstedt admitted. "I
just should have run the football and taken it into halftime."
Quarles intercepted the first-down pass, and Gramatica kicked a
38-yard field goal as the half ended for a 10-3 lead.
Game notes
Fiedler said he'll undergo tests on his shoulder Monday. He
missed a game Nov. 26 with a pinched nerve in his neck. ...
Dolphins CB Terrance Shaw aggravated an injury to his left knee.
... Lamar Smith rushed for 79 yards, giving him a career-best 1,016
for the season. He's just the second Miami rusher to top 1,000
yards since 1978, joining Karim Abdul-Jabbar in 1996. ... The Bucs
have scored 336 points, breaking the team record of 335 set in
1984. ... Keyshawn Johnson had the same number of catches as the
Bucs' defense -- four. They were good for 41 yards.
| |
ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
Miami Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 The Buccaneers know how to win in a clutch situation, says Dave Wannstedt.
avi: 874 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Coach Tony Dungy was proud the Bucs prevailed against a worthy Miami team.
wav: 157 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Quarterback Jay Fiedler felt responsible for the Dolphins heartbreaking defeat.
wav: 146 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Tampa Bay's John Lynch enjoyed every minute of the Bucs' muddy victory.
wav: 171 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Defensive tackle Warren Sapp says the Bucs have always been a fourth-quarter team.
wav: 102 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
 FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Keyshawn Johnson Official Site
|
