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TAMPA - Before the season started Warren Sapp vowed to chase the NFL sack record.
By RICK STROUD
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 7, 2001
TAMPA -- Before the season started Warren Sapp vowed to chase the NFL sack record.
Today, he would do well just to catch Packers quarterback Brett Favre.
Sapp still is looking for his first sack of the year and there's no quarterback he likes playing against more than Favre.
This season, Favre has a running game at his disposal, tight ends who can catch, deepthreats who get open and his team undefeated.
But he hasn't gotten fat against the Bucs and Sapp.
In 13 games against the Packers, Sapp has 11 sacks, 10 1/2 knockdowns and 15 hurries. He also has set up three sacks for teammates.
"I've gone eight weeks without a sack before, so I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid," Sapp said. "But I know I'm rushing better than any time in my career. It's just the way the game is sometimes, it just don't come. But then when you get the floodgate open, you can't stop them from coming. Hey. Hopefully, it'll start with my favorite target, so I'm going to go for that."
Tampa Bay has been a difficult venue for Favre.
Last season, he was knocked out of the game with a sprained foot after a knockdown by Sapp.
In 1999, devoid of any rushing attack, Favre put it up 49 times and rushed for 12 yards on 12 carries, committing four turnovers. In '98, Favre was sacked eight times, losing two fumbles.
"He loves to jaw a little bit," Favre said of Sapp. "I know the fans and I know the TV cameras love to pick up on it. I don't particularly like it because that means I'm on the ground or something when he's talking to me."
Favre's teammates have always cautioned him not to engage Sapp in conversation. But Favre and Sapp are cut from the same competitive cloth.
"I know those guys up front don't want me to get Warren mad," Favre said. "It's hard enough to block him when he's in a good mood. When he's in a bad mood, it's much more difficult."
Sapp and Favre spent some time in the offseason golfing and have become friends off the field.
"But I know when it comes to Sunday, by kickoff he's all serious and his approach is very businesslike," Favre said. "That's what you want out of player like him and that's the way I approach things and there's mutual respect because of that and the way we play the football game. As long as I'm still playing and he's still playing, there will always be a fun rivalry."
The Bucs sacked Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper once in 44 passing attempts last week. Sapp suggests it might be a different story today.
"We're going to enjoy the challenge. Getting knocked out of first place, giving up 400-something yards, coming back home and facing Green Bay and then going to Tennessee and doing what we need to do to put ourselves in position to win a championship," Sapp said. "We're going to face a little adversity, but this team has always reacted well to adversity." HIGH PRAISE: They may be off to a slow start, but the Bucs' front four still is highly regarded. Consider these comments from Paul Wiggin, the Vikings' coordinator of scouting.
"I'm talking about the elite, elite," Wiggin said. "Just below elite and very good. The line challenges the great lines of history. The Rams, the Purple People Eaters here. Sapp's always been a great player, (Anthony) McFarland also is a great player. (Marcus) Jones is so good playing the run as a power left end and he has enough burst and Simeon (Rice) has every bit of God-given talent that Jevon Kearse has. He just doesn't have the motor that Jevon Kearse has."