5 key plays worth another look

By JOANNE KORTH, Times Staff Writer
Published October 1, 2007

The Bucs came within 23 seconds of recording a shutout. For the third straight game, the defense did not give up a point in the first half. It forced two turnovers and had three sacks in holding Carolina to 236 yards of total offense. Here are five keys plays that enabled Tampa Bay's defense to dominate:

The very first play

Backup quarterback David Carr, top, started in place of injured Jake Delhomme, but the game plan didn't change. On the Panthers' first play from scrimmage, Carr dropped back and looked for speedy receiver Steve Smith deep down the right side. Cornerback Phillip Buchanon, starting in place of injured Brian Kelly, set the tone with his man-to-man coverage on the play, forcing an incompletion. "It was the first play of the game and they went deep," said Buchanon, bottom. "I was kind of expecting something like that to happen. I just played it. It's definitely a challenge going against Steve Smith. He's one of the best receivers in the league." True, but Smith was a nonfactor Sunday, finishing with five catches for 32 yards.

Stovall's downed punt

After the Bucs' second possession stalled at the Carolina 42, Josh Bidwell hit a high, arcing punt that looked like it might sail into the end zone for a touchback, until receiver Maurice Stovall flashed into the picture to bat the ball backward just before it crossed the goal line. Stovall's momentum took him into the end zone, but the ball was downed by Patrick Chukwurah at the 4. "It's something we practice a lot," Stovall said. "Bidwell had a great ball. I think it would have landed on the 2-yard line if I hadn't hit it. I knew how close I was to the end line. But I made a great play on the ball and it helped us out with hidden yardage as far as the defense."

With the Panthers pinned deep, the defense forced a punt and the Bucs' next possession started at the Carolina 48. The offense turned the excellent field position into a 14-0 lead.

Ruud's forced fumble

Middle linebacker Barrett Ruud is making a habit of separating running backs from the ball. With the Bucs leading 17-0 in the second quarter, he knocked the ball out of DeShaun Foster's hand at the end of a 5-yard reception to the Carolina 32. The Panthers recovered, but the hard-hitting play was the first indication the Bucs were hungry for turnovers. "Good things happen when you get there, if you're persistent getting to the ball and getting good contract," said Ruud, who has three forced fumbles this season. "Maybe I'll go five or six games without getting one, but if you're consistently getting there, good things are going to happen to you."

Phillips' interception

With the Bucs leading 17-0 early in the fourth quarter, safety Jermaine Phillips, above, picked off a Carr pass intended for tight end Jeff King at the Carolina 28. It was his second interception in as many games, and led to a 38-yard field goal by Matt Bryant that deflated the Panthers' comeback hopes. "He overthrew it," Phillips said of Carr. "I said, 'Man, this can't be happening.' But it happened. It was as simple as that. I was in the right position."

Back-to-back sacks

Free-agent defensive end Chukwurah, making his Bucs debut after missing the first three games with a knee injury, and rookie Greg Peterson were credited with their first full sacks on consecutive plays midway through the fourth quarter. The plays on second and third downs ended any hope of a Carolina rally. Peterson, a fifth-round pick from Division II North Carolina Central, is a North Carolina native. "I loved it," said Peterson, who shared a sack with Kevin Carter against the Rams in Week 3. "It was a long journey. I had to keep scratching and grinding. It feels real good to come from Beulaville, North Carolina, and make it to the NFL."

[Last modified October 1, 2007, 00:01:15]