JACKSONVILLE 17, TAMPA BAY 10: A Jaguars team among NFL's worst and a struggling rookie quarterback stun Tampa Bay.
By RICK STROUD
Published December 1, 2003
[Times photo: Bill Serne]
Bucs running back Thomas Jones powers his way into the end zone on a 5-yard run up the middle, tying it at 7 in the second quarter. It was Jones' second TD in two weeks. Photo gallery
JACKSONVILLE - Last year, the Buccaneers were the best football team in the world.
After Sunday night, they can only lay claim to being the worst NFL team in the state.
The dizzying fall from grace continued for the defending Super Bowl champions, who lost to a rookie quarterback and a rebuilding team that had won twice this season.
Jacksonville receiver Jimmy Smith made a diving catch of a 48-yard touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Byron Leftwich early in the fourth quarter to give the Jaguars a 17-10 win over the Bucs.
Smith, who eclipsed 700 catches for his career Sunday, beat cornerback Tim Wansley, who appeared to pull a hamstring on the play.
The defeat continued the Bucs' mind-boggling streak of never having won two games in a row in 2003. It likely ended any reasonable chance Tampa Bay, at 5-7, has of earning a wild-card spot.
"It's looking bleak. It may not be a possibility," safety John Lynch said of the Bucs' playoff chances. "But we need to continue to play with great emotion and we need to play for pride. You never know in this league."
At least the Bucs are not alone. Nine of the 12 teams that made the playoffs last season do not have a winning record.
Smith, who was given plenty of cushion by Wansley all night, finished with 10 catches for 136 yards. His touchdown broke a tie with 10:23 remaining.
"He had some catches, he had some curls, he had some hitches," Ronde Barber said of Smith. "He gets his long ball on a pulled hamstring, which is unfortunate, but it's part of the game. Give him credit; he caught it when he had a chance to."
The Bucs had a several chances to tie after Smith's TD.
After winning a replay challenge on an apparent fumble by Michael Pittman, the Bucs failed to pick up a first down. Needing 4 yards, quarterback Brad Johnson had consecutive pass attempts batted down, turning the ball over on downs at midfield with 3:15 left.
"They're very stout up front," Johnson said. "They batted both balls down. I tried to look away and the defenders did a great job of getting their hands up and knocking the ball down."
Coach Jon Gruden defended his decision not to punt and pin the Jags deep with two timeouts and the two-minute warning.
"Obviously, Jacksonville is a very good defensive team and in that situation, with the field position we had, we felt it was our best opportunity to advance and score," Gruden said. "There's no guarantees you get the ball back, and certainly that's a defense that's very tough to move the ball 80 yards against; I think they proved that tonight."
Even when things appeared to go right, they turned out wrong for the Bucs, who were shut out in the second half.
Instead of running out the clock, Leftwich tried to connect with Smith, and Barber made an apparent juggling interception with three minutes to play.
The Jaguars challenged the play, and officials ruled replays indicated Barber lost control when he hit the ground.
"That's ridiculous," Barber said. "I thought we went through this rule four or five years ago (in the NFC Championship Game) in St. Louis. When you've got control of the ball and hit the (expletive) ground, of course it's going to move. Whatever."
The Bucs missed a chance to take the lead late in the third quarter when Martin Gramatica missed a 45-yard field goal left. Gramatica was 4-of-10 in field-goal attempts from over 30 yards entering the game.
All week, the big debate in Jacksonville was whether coach Jack Del Rio would stick with Leftwich, who had 12 interceptions in seven starts.
But even with the world champions coming to town, Del Rio didn't pull the plug, and Leftwich had a solid performance. The first-round pick from Marshall finished 20-of-34 for 224 yards and two touchdowns.
The Jaguars outgained the Bucs 359-221 and held them to 2-of-12 on third-down conversions.
"(Smith) had a great night and I thought Leftwich had a great night throwing the ball," Gruden said. "They made some key third-down conversions and moved the ball extremely well. Certainly Jimmy Smith's big play was the decisive blow in the football game."
The Jags took a 7-0 lead when Leftwich drilled a 10-yard touchdown to tight end Kyle Brady four plays into the second quarter. The score was set up when Mike Peterson intercepted a Johnson pass intended for Charles Lee and returned it to the Tampa Bay 40.
The Bucs answered with an 11-play, 66-yard drive capped by Thomas Jones' 5-yard touchdown run with 8:12 left in the half.
Minutes later, linebacker Derrick Brooks forced Brady to fumble and Wansley recovered. That set up Gramatica's 47-yard field goal to give the Bucs a 10-7 lead.
The Jaguars tied it at 10 on Seth Marler's second field goal, a 28-yarder 12 seconds before halftime. Jacksonville could've taken the lead, but Leftwich missed receiver Kevin Johnson in the end zone on third down from the Tampa Bay 5.
The Bucs continued to stumble out of the gate, struggling in all three phases.
Jacksonville outgained the Bucs 97 yards to 3 in the first quarter as the Bucs held the ball for six plays. The margin ballooned to 208-69 by halftime.
Barber was at a loss to explain the loss, the Bucs' sixth by a touchdown or less.
"I can't tell you," Barber said. "I'm done with excuses and explanations for everything. We just didn't win an important game. It's a bottom line business. Excuses are for incompetent people, and we're not incompetant people around here. They're tools for unacceptable performances."
