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Bucs offense kept on the bench

Long, time-eating drives, not long throws to Randy Moss and Cris Carter, give Minnesota a huge advantage.

By RICK STROUD

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 1, 2001

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Bucs went 21 days between games before l

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ining up against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

The wait for the offense was even longer.

Unable to get off the field, the Bucs defense did more to stop quarterback Brad Johnson and company than the Vikings did.

Minnesota held the ball for enormous stretches, allowing the Bucs only three possessions in the first half.

Showing patience and precision, Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper led scoring drives of 11, 18, 12 and 11 plays that gave Minnesota an advantage of nearly 12 minutes in time of possession.

"I didn't think this team could play a game like this again," Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "Randy Moss and Cris Carter didn't beat us today. We got beat with checkdowns to a damn tight end. How far did they have to go? Ninety-what yards?"

Sapp was referring to the Vikings' winning 96-yard drive capped by Culpepper's 1-yard run.

Culpepper finished 30-of-44 for 322 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Only 10 of those completions were to Moss and Carter. Fullback Jimmy Kleinsasser led the Vikings with eight catches, running back Michael Bennett had six and tight end Byron Chamberlain had four.

"He moved away, he audibled, he got them into the right plays and was patient and every time they needed a big play, he was able to move around and get it," Bucs coach Tony Dungy said of Culpepper. The Bucs' defensive game plan was to prevent Moss and Carter from beating them deep. Even though Moss had a 39-yard reception that set up a field goal and Carter made some highlight film catches, the Bucs secondary did a pretty good job on them.

"Today, they were very patient," Bucs cornerback Donnie Abraham said. "They took their time and they completed the throws we gave them. They were just very patient.

"They have great receivers, so you want to keep those guys in front of you and not give them the plays where they can put a dagger in you. That's what we did today. We tried to limit their big plays."

Culpepper, who struggled in losses to Carolina and Chicago, said he was more careful with the football Sunday.

"The first two games, I think I tried to force things," he said. "But hitting Michael Bennett or Doug Chapman underneath is huge. We just had to show them that we can be patient, even though we do have the big-play threats down the side."

The Bucs' defensive failure on third down sealed their fate. Minnesota converted 9 of 12, including the first six of the game. The game's biggest play came when Culpepper hit Chamberlain on a 37-yard pass to set up his winning touchdown run with 1:03 to play.

"There was all of us around the ball," Abraham said. "Me, (John) Lynch and Derrick (Brooks). And somehow, he came up with the ball."

Beating the Vikings at the Metrodome is tough enough. Doing it when they have a 20-play advantage is almost impossible.

"It's difficult," Lynch said. "You don't want a team to go 96 yards on you. We talked about it in the offseason. We had done that a couple times, given up some leads in the fourth quarter, and that's not something we feel is characteristic of our defense. But it happened again."

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