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Tampa Bay tends to get buried early at the Metrodome and then fall short. It wants to do opposite on Sunday.
By RICK STROUD
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 27, 2001
TAMPA -- It's an artificial surface that favors their speed and should quicken their step.
But the field at the Metrodome might as well be made of molasses as far as the Bucs are concerned.
There's no other way to explain Tampa Bay's slow starts there in which they have been outscored 59-7 in the first half of the past three games.
To sprinkle more quicksand under the Bucs for Sunday's game, they will not have played in 21 days -- a break normally associated with college bowl games but rare in the NFL.
"Our past up there has been getting off to a slow start and digging a hole so deep that we can't climb out of it," punter Mark Royals said. "Having 21 days where you haven't played a game, you have to wonder how sharp you're going to be. It's hard to answer that question because I don't think any of us knows."
What the Bucs know is this: They can't let the 0-2 Vikings run away and hide.
Tampa Bay has won once in the Metrodome under Tony Dungy, a 28-14 victory in '97. Since then, the Bucs have played the same game in Minneapolis every year. Turn the ball over early, give up a big play or two. Fall behind, rally late and fall short.
Last season, it was receiver Keyshawn Johnson fumbling after a short reception on the first play of the game at the Vikings 27-yard line. On the next play, quarterback Daunte Culpepper went untouched for a 27-yard touchdown.
When the Bucs closed to within a field goal, Aaron Stecker fumbled a kickoff that led to a 26-yard touchdown from Culpepper to former Bucs tight end John Davis.
In '99, Tampa Bay trailed 21-0 in the first quarter before rallying with two second-half touchdowns to lose 21-14. On the fourth offensive play of the game, receiver Randy Moss caught a 61-yard touchdown from Randall Cunningham and added a 27-yarder the next series.
In '98, a 40-yard pass interference penalty on Bucs safety Charles Mincy set up the Vikings' first touchdown. A fumble by Mike Alstott led to Minnesota's second score, a 48-yard pass to Moss.
"We've got to make a conscious effort to start fast," linebacker Derrick Brooks said. "We've never been in the situation where we had two weeks off so we don't know how we're going to respond. The thing we've got to guard ourselves against is getting into the same problem we've gotten into in the past. We let them up early, we fight uphill the whole game and then we fall a play or two short of the win.
"So we have to constantly tell ourselves this week don't turn the ball over, get the early turnover, don't give up the big play early to Moss or Culpepper or (receiver Cris) Carter."
That might be especially tough this weekend for the Bucs after the cancellation of their home opener against Philadelphia because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, then a bye week. Until Wednesday, Tampa Bay players had been off four of five days.
"I don't think we can use that as an excuse," Dungy said of the layoff. "We've got to look at it as we're rested up, we're healthy, we're prepared and we've got to go up there and be ready to start fast and be sharp. ... So we've got to be sharp and we've got to get our focus back in practice this week."
Dungy said the only parallel situations he could think of were strikes during labor negotiations.
"Again, the teams that came through that real well were the teams that didn't look at it as a negative, didn't make excuses, played the hand that was dealt," he said. "We've got to play it and play well."
While the Vikings lost their opener to Carolina and fell to 0-2 with a loss at Chicago, they still are a very dangerous team.
Moss and Carter, despite their sideline antics, might be the best tandem of receivers in the NFL.
For all their problems scoring, the Vikings have averaged 330 yards. But Moss was held to one reception the first week against Carolina; Carter was held to one Sunday at Chicago.
"They're just a little bit off," Dungy said. "They're going up and down the field, but they haven't made the big throws and catches on the run and the 50-yard play that comes from it. They haven't gotten their running game going like they have in the past, and I'm sure they'll look at it."
After beating themselves the past three seasons, the Bucs are heading to the Metrodome with a different game plan.
"We're going to make them beat us," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "We don't feel like that's a better ballclub than us so right now we've got to go out and perform like it. That's what it all boils down to. It's going to come down to who has the better team."