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Lynch: Don't forget Alstott in offense

By ERNEST HOOPER and ROGER MILLS

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 25, 2000

TAMPA -- Pro Bowl strong safety John Lynch knows a thing or two about stopping a running back and also has an opinion on how to get one started again.

Tuesday on Jim Rome's nationally syndicated talk-radio show, Lynch said that while teammate Mike Alstott clearly has a history of fumbling, shutting him out of the game plan isn't the answer to the problem.

"The best thing to do when a guy fumbles is to give it right back to him and I think that's what we need to do," Lynch said.

Thursday, with the Bucs ahead 8-0 in the second quarter and at midfield, Alstott fumbled and the ball was recovered by Detroit's Ron Rice, who was brought down at the Bucs 37. The Lions turned that into three points and came back to win 28-14. Alstott had one carry after the fumble, with 13:58 left in the game.

"Mike, unfortunately, has fumbled in some rough times and we were in a situation last week where he was really rolling early in the game, running right through them, fumbles early and we never went back to him," Lynch said. "I think Mike Alstott's one of the better players on this team. He's been struggling holding on to the ball, but I think we have to continue to feed him because he's one of the better players on our team."

DEFENSIVELY SPEAKING: The Bucs offense hasn't been the productive force many thought it would be, but in the team's four-game losing streak, the defense hasn't look like the stingy unit it was last season.

The Bucs have been particularly mortal closing out games once they have taken the lead.

"It's been really frustrating as a defense because over the last four games we've either been tied as a team or ahead in the fourth quarter and that's been a trademark of what we've done in the past," Lynch said. "I think last year we won games when we were in the fourth quarter and were able to hold leads. We've been disappointed in ourselves as a defense in that we haven't been able to hold those leads or make plays to secure those leads in the fourth quarter."

NOT SO DIFFERENT: The Minnesota Vikings are 7-0 and have one of the most prolific offenses in the league. The Bucs are 3-4, in part because of their inconsistent offense. But quarterback Shaun King said the offenses have more in common than it appears.

"If you look at their team and you look at our team and the way things are going, we're sort of the same way they are except we aren't having the good fourth quarters they're having," King said. "They're sort of doing the same thing the first three quarters. They're playing decent, making a mental lapse here, a little mistake there, but in the fourth quarter, they're making the plays to win the game and we aren't."

King's right. Daunte Culpepper leads the league with a passer rating of 140.5. He is 40-for-55 for 647 yards and six touchdowns. Conversely, King's rating of 57.8 is among the lowest. He is 22-for-45 for 282 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

The Vikings have outscored opponents 73-58 in the fourth quarter and the Bucs have been outscored 52-34.

NUMBERS, SHNUMBERS: The Bucs not only are on a four-game losing streak but, thanks to the Vikings' unbeaten run, the Bucs stand four games off the NFC Central lead. Sunday's home game against the Vikings presents a gigantic opportunity to not only get off the skid, but close the gap.

Does this make it Must Win Game No. 4?

"The way I look at it is you try to win every game, that's how I approach it," receiver Keyshawn Johnson said. "This game means no more to me than the one in Week5. If we're 0-15 and got the 16th game, we've got to win.

"It's the difference between perception and reality. Perception is that you have to win this game because you're 3-4, but the reality is that you have to win every game, regardless of if you're 3-4, 0-7 or 7-0."

DID YOU KNOW?: Counting extra points, special teams have scored 31 of the last 37 Bucs points.

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