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STEPHEN F. HOLDERThe offense did everything right in a scoring drive that nailed down its victory.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - It inevitably will get lost in the abundance of storylines: the snapped streaks, the playoff picture, the potential division championship.
But the Bucs' game-sealing touchdown drive was one that encapsulated this 20-10 victory over Carolina at Bank of America Stadium. It was, in itself, a story about the team's refusal to be denied and to finish what it started.
After Ronde Barber's interception gave the offense a chance to ice the critical NFC South game, it took advantage by completing a 10-play, 58-yard drive that featured three third-down conversions. It was an emphatic way of telling the Panthers their days of Bucs dominance were over.
"That drive," Barber said, "was as impressive as any drive in Bucs history."
It was an exercise in pinpoint execution as the team systematically sliced up the Panthers defense. Cadillac Williams started with three straight runs, the third a 2-yard dive on third and 1. Williams proceeded to reel off a 16-yard dash on the next play, taking the Bucs into Carolina territory behind the offensive line's laudable blocking effort.
Later, Chris Simms found wide-open Mike Alstott on third and 2 from the Carolina 23, with the fullback lumbering 12 yards before being corraled. Williams kept the Bucs perfect on third down with his 10-yard touchdown run on third and 9.
Matt Bryant's extra point pushed Tampa Bay's lead to 20-3, leaving little doubt which team had handled other.
"We were sitting there in the huddle on a third and short saying, "Look, it's us against them,"' tight end Alex Smith said. "That's when it comes down to want-to. Either you want it or they're going to take it. That whole drive was gut-check time for us."
Third downs in general require guts. And the Bucs had plenty Sunday. They finished 10-of-17 (59 percent) on third down, their best effort of the season. In fact, in the past month, the Bucs had not posted a third-down conversion rate better than 33.3 percent.
Sunday, each of Tampa Bay's four scoring drives featured at least one significant third-down conversion.
In the first quarter, Simms fired a 17-yard strike to Joey Galloway on third and 10. That drive culminated in a 14-yard touchdown run by Williams.
In the second quarter, there was Michael Clayton's 12-yard catch on third and 8 when he dropped his shoulder and broke a tackle to earn the necessary yardage. That drive was capped by Bryant's 34-yard field goal. And the third quarter saw Simms find Ike Hilliard, who fought his way to a 12-yard gain on third and 11. On the fourth-quarter scoring drive, the conversions came in bunches.
But more than yield important scores, the conversions helped keep the quick-strike Panthers offense off the field and chewed up precious time on the clock.
"With the defense that we have, keeping them rested and not having them play 60, 70 plays was huge," Hilliard said. "And it gives you more chances to score seven points instead of three points when you can do that. It speaks volumes to what we've been trying to do all year."