Tampa Bay starts the way it finished last season, rewarding fans who woke up early.
By RICK STROUD
Published August 3, 2003
[Times photos: Toni Sandys]
Thomas Jones, who rushed for 43 yards on 11 carries in his first game with the Bucs, breaks through to score from 4 yards in the second quarter.
A Japanese fan has a message for Bucs fans watching on television at home.
Owner Malcom Glazer receives a samurai helmet as the team's reward for beating the Jets in the American Bowl.
A Chucky doll, complete with a Bucs T-shirt and beads, pops up from the crowd as one of the 43,601 fans shows his support.
TOKYO - They had circles under their eyes, coffee on their breath and spouses on their case.
But Tampa Bay fans who set their alarms early Saturday were rewarded, watching the Bucs clean someone else's clock.
Kicking off the new season in the same manner they ended the last one, the Bucs defeated the New York Jets 30-14 in the American Bowl in front of 43,601 fans at the Tokyo Dome.
It didn't matter that the dog had not been let out before the defending Super Bowl champions removed their starters from the NFL's preseason opener.
Even on this side of the globe, the Bucs looked like world-beaters.
"We don't care when we play, who we play or where we play," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "It's just about us going out and performing. It's five in the morning at the crib. You never get a chance to play at a time like that. You know those Tampa people were ready to go. They were in every sports bar in town, so we had to give them a show."
The Bucs fell behind 7-0 early before scoring 30 straight points, including Tim Wansley's 47-yard return for a touchdown of a fumble he caused on a sack of Jets quarterback Brooks Bollinger.
But perhaps more impressive was the efficiency of the Bucs offense in the second season under coach Jon Gruden.
Tampa Bay never punted, and all three quarterbacks - Brad Johnson, Shaun King and rookie Chris Simms - led time-consuming drives and produced easy scores.
The Bucs were 11-for-13 on third-down conversions and held the ball more than twice as long (40:39-19:21) as the Jets, outgaining them 386 yards to 180.
But Gruden cautioned Bucs fans who believed Saturday's outcome was reason to greet the team at the airport.
"I can't even remember who we played last year in the opening preseason game. No one else can, either," Gruden said. "This is exhibition football. Derrick Brooks wasn't here, (Ronde) Barber wasn't here. A lot of guys played just two to three plays, and that was the case for the Jets tonight also. But you come a long way to play football and you want to win. You want that taste in your mouth. You have a high standard. And no matter who puts the pewter and red on we expect to go out and be able to execute."
Simms threw a 4-yard touchdown to Reggie Barlow to give the Bucs a 20-7 lead 45 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Wansley's remarkable touchdown, the result of a corner blitz, was the kind of play Tampa Bay's defense thrives on.
"That's the cycle," Sapp said of Wansley's touchdown. "Sack, forced fumble, recovered fumble, touchdown. That's the cycle. No doubt about it, that's one swing for the cycle."
King, who struggled last season as the No.3 quarterback and lost 17-7 to the Steelers in his only start, looked crisp and confident again.
He relieved Johnson (4-for-8, 51 yards) after one series and directed the Bucs to 13 points. It could have been more, but a diving catch by Charles Lee that would have been a touchdown was ruled incomplete and Tampa Bay settled for a 37-yard field goal by Martin Gramatica.
"I thought he looked very comfortable," general manager Rich McKay said of King. "I think the one thing I wrote in my notes is that last year he got in one game, hadn't played much and looked very uncomfortable. And I thought tonight he looked very comfortable in the system. His reads were real quick, the ball came out fast."
King was 11-for-13 for 121 yards for an efficiency rating of 105.5. He benefited from a rejuvenated running game behind fourth-year pro Thomas Jones, who rushed 11 times for 43 yards and a touchdown.
"The offense just seems to be a lot further along, whether it's the first unit or the second unit," McKay said. "It feels more comfortable because the offense has been installed for a year, the players can actually help the younger players, as opposed to Jon having to install the system by teaching it to the players and the coaches. I just think you'll see the benefit of it."
Nobody has shown more improvement than King, who has the same system in consecutive seasons for the first time in his five NFL seasons.
"It's unexplainable. Jon asked me, "How'd you feel,"' King said. "I said, "I saw everything.' I saw everything. The game is a lot slower, but it's the preseason too."
Simms started the second half and said he had trouble catching his breath in the excitement of his first NFL game. Once he settled down, Simms completed seven of his 10 passes for 70 yards, including the touchdown strike to Barlow after an audible.
"It was fun," Simms said. "I definitely had to get used to the surroundings at first. I had a little anxious energy, and after the first three plays I couldn't catch my breath. It was like I just ran a mile. But I think that second drive I felt I was settling down, the team was settling down and I had a lot of fun out there."
The highlight for the Jets was when Bollinger connected on a 44-yard pass to Yoshinobu Imoto, a Japanese player assigned to the team by the league for the American Bowl. Bollinger threw an 11-yard touchdown to Gabe Reid just before the two-minute warning.
Japanese linebacker Shinzo Yamada did not have a tackle for the Bucs but was awarded the game ball.
"I'm very pleased to win the football game," Gruden said. "I didn't like the way it started. But we regrouped offensively and played 60 minutes, and to move the football was encouraging. Although, we had a couple of poor breakdowns in the red area that cost us points. It's good to win. We've got a long way to go. We enjoyed Tokyo tremendously, but we're ready to go home."
The Bucs left immediately after the game and were scheduled to arrive in Tampa about midnight. The world champions proved they still had the drive but were dreading the flight.
"I've kind of been looking to a phrase the last couple days: "Put your seat back and tray tables in an upright and locked position, we're making our final descent into the Tampa airport,"' King said. "I cannot wait for that to happen."
