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FAB 4. Bucs Moments That Made Me Stand Up In The Press Box – Part I
The year 2020 marks my 25th season covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for you, the loyal PewterReport.com reader. As I begin this milestone season, I’m going to spend the next 25 weeks telling some never-before-told Bucs stories and recalling some of my most memorable moments in my professional journey.
Former Bucs coach Tony Dungy – Photo by: Getty Images
There is an announcement that is made before the start of every Bucs home game at Raymond James Stadium that says that there is to be no cheering in the press box. I’ll admit that I have violated that a few times in my 24 years of covering the Buccaneers.
It’s not that I have openly cheered for the Buccaneers to break that professional oath that media members take upon entering the press box. But there have been a few times where I, as someone who loves the game of football and certainly prefers to see Tampa Bay do well because our PewterReport.com audience is comprised of Bucs fans, have literally jumped out of my seat and stood up in excitement.
Not including watching Tampa Bay’s glorious wins at Philadelphia in the 2002 NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XXXVII, here are some of my most memorable moments watching the Buccaneers since 1995 – moments that literally got me out of my chair in the press box at Raymond James Stadium.
1997: Alstott’s TD Run vs. Lions In NFC Wild Card Game
In Tampa Bay’s first playoff game since 1983, the Bucs took a 13-0 lead at halftime and finished off the NFC Central rival Lions thanks to a 31-yard touchdown run up the middle by Mike Alstott to give the home team a 20-0 lead in the third quarter. That would prove to be the nail in the coffin as Tampa Bay won, 20-10.
Before I knew it, I was standing up in the press box. Everyone was standing up.
Both Alstott and Warrick Dunn outrushed Barry Sanders, who was held to just 65 yards on 18 carries. Dunn led all rushers with 72 yards on the ground, while Alstott had 68 yards, including his 31-yard galloping score that prompted Bucs Radio Network’s Gene Deckerhoff to yell, “Alstott up the gut!”
1999: Lynch’s INT vs. Redskins In NFC Wild Card Game
The Redskins took a 13-0 lead late into the third quarter and were driving for more points when Bucs Pro Bowl strong safety John Lynch made a leaping key interception of a Brad Johnson deep ball that turned the momentum around and keyed Tampa Bay’s come-from-behind, 14-13 victory at Ray-Jay. After picking off the pass, Lynch came over to the Bucs’ sidelines and spiked the ball, trying to encourage Tampa Bay’s offense out of its funk.
It worked, and I was encouraged, too. Lynch was a man on a mission that day, and had eight tackles and three pass breakups, in addition to that huge, huge, huge interception. Watch it below at the 52-second mark.
1999: Alstott’s 2-Yard TD Run vs. Redskins In NFC Wild Card Game
Yep, I stood up twice in the 1999 Wild Card Game, which was one of the most important Bucs games in franchise history. The Bucs offense drove right down the field to finally put some points on the board right after Lynch’s big interception.
Alstott scored on an amazing, never-say-die, 2-yard touchdown run to cut the Redskins’ lead from 13-0 to 13-7 late in the third quarter. “The A-Train” touchdown run only took eight seconds, but watching it live, it seemed like it took Alstott took half an hour to elude five Redskins and get into the end zone. Watch it at the 1:32 mark of the video below.
Alstott had plenty of amazing runs in red and pewter, and some of them were his shortest runs on the stat sheet. But on this momentous run, Alstott ran about 25 yards for his 2-yard score. And that touchdown made everybody at Ray-Jay get out of their seats, including yours truly.
One more note on that Wild Card win. That was an old school defensive battle as the Bucs only generated 186 total yards to the Redskins’ 157 yards. Alstott was held to only 24 yards on 15 carries, while Dunn had just 18 yards rushing on 11 carries.
2000: King’s 19-Yard Run vs. Rams On Monday Night Football
After the Bucs lost the NFC Championship Game in St. Louis in 1999, Tampa Bay would get revenge the next year on Monday Night Football at Ray-Jay in dramatic fashion, 38-35. Dunn rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning 1-yard plunge with 48 seconds left. But it was a 19-yard run by quarterback Shaun King that brought me to my feet.
After a dump off pass to Dunn, who was quickly corralled, King was positioned well behind the line of scrimmage, but in Dunn’s sight pass. Dunn had an ill-advised lateral to King, who took off down the right sidelines and picked up a key first down with 1:33 left on Tampa Bay’s game-winning drive. Great improvisation by Dunn and a great, heroic run by King.
2002: Brooks’ Pick-Six vs. Rams On Monday Night Football
The Bucs continued to extract revenge on the Rams following their NFC Championship Game defeat in 1999 by beating them on Monday Night Football in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Rams quarterback Kurt Warner threw four interceptions, zero touchdowns and was sacked five times in Tampa Bay’s big win.
The Bucs were up 19-7 with 4:21 left before a Lamar Gordon touchdown run closed the gap to 19-14. The Rams got the ball back and were driving for a go-ahead touchdown when linebacker Derrick Brooks intercepted Warner and returned the ball 39 yards for a touchdown to give the Bucs a 26-14 win with one minute left.
It wasn’t just Brooks taking that pick to the house that made me stand up. It was seeing that Warren Sapp was going to absolutely blast Warner at the 5-yard line with a key block to help escort Brooks into the end zone that made me leave my seat. Watch the Brooks-Sapp magic happen at the 1:23 mark of the video below.
I’ll finish off this list with five more memorable moments next Friday in the next SR’s Fab 5 column.
Stay tuned for another Bucs story from yesteryear in next week’s SR’s Fab 5. And if you missed my previous Bucs memories from the past 24 years of covering the team, click on the links below.
The Hook: Re-Drafting The Bucs Since 2008
Bucs' Barrett Raves About Teammates; Addresses COVID-19 Concerns
