Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

An overeager offense kills Lynch return

By ROGER MILLS

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 14, 2000

TAMPA -- The special teams didn't have a great day against the Packers on Sunday, but coach Tony Dungy said Joe Marciano's crew wasn't entirely responsible for the penalty that negated John Lynch's 86-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter.

The offensive players were to blame. They went onto the field while the ball was live, drawing a penalty.

"The first touchdown that we gave away really wasn't the special teams' fault," Dungy said. "It was our offensive guys going on the field. That was something we talked about in our special teams meetings, and I have to take the blame for that because we didn't get the word to the offense that (the Packers) were a little lax with the ball around the end zone.

"Our offensive guys saw the ball bounce in the end zone and just started on the field, so that hurt us."

Early in the first quarter, the Bucs forced Green Bay to punt from the Bucs 39-yard line. The ball appeared headed for the end zone, but the Packers batted it back. It bobbled a bit, and Lynch picked it up at the 14 and ran it back for an apparent score.

However, players from both teams went onto the field during the play, thinking it was over. The ball is live until a player has control of it.

"It's only a touchback when they control the ball in the end zone," Dungy said. "If they touch the ball and don't control it, it's live."

And what if none of the Bucs had gone onto the field?

"That's a touchdown," Dungy said.

RUN, SMOOTHIE, RUN: Quarterback Shaun King isn't known for his fleet feet, but his 4.9-yard rushing average is best on the team. Sunday, King rushed for 13 yards on six carries, but four carries were kneel-downs.

King had a 6-yard run negated by a penalty, then had a 14-yard scamper on third and 2 in the fourth quarter that led to a 54-yard field goal.

"We tease him a little bit and had (reserve quarterback) Joe Hamilton work with him a little bit after a couple of those runs earlier in the year where he was running into the tackles," Dungy said. "He's gotten much better as the season progressed."

With Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn in the backfield, the Bucs aren't likely to call King's number often, but King's ability to get upfield hasn't been ignored by the coaching staff.

"We have some plays for him to get out of the pocket," Dungy said. "The thing that it does, as it did (Sunday), is when things break down, you can still make first downs and stay on the field, and that's the most important thing."

Asked if he has learned anything from the speedier Hamilton, King joked: "You see what Joe did in Atlanta when he started scrambling?"

Hamilton fumbled.

BUSY LYNCHES: Because the Bucs get Tuesdays off, Lynch and his wife, Linda, picked Monday to have their second child. Linda was induced and gave birth to a 7-pound, 15-ounce girl. There is one slight problem. Lynch bruised a thigh against the Packers and likely will go in today for treatment.

"John Lynch is probably the most severe," Dungy said of the injury. "(The birth is) going to curtail his treatment over here a little bit, but he should be okay."

Lynch came out late in the fourth quarter when the Packers started throwing more. The Bucs turned the duties over to backup safety Dexter Jackson.

"Dexter went in and did a pretty good job," Dungy said. "Other than hit a guy out of bounds."

WEATHER UPDATE, PLEASE: Already the talk has begun about the weather in Chicago for Sunday's game. The Bucs are 0-17 in games for which the temperature at kickoff is below 40 degrees. The midweek forecast calls for temperatures in the mid 40s, but Paul Dellegatto, meteorologist for WTVT-Ch. 13, said the temperature could be in the mid 30s, although it's too early to tell.

"We've got to check the weather," Dungy joked. "If the weather is not right, we probably don't have a chance. We may not (even go). I know we have to get ready to face all those questions. ... The last few years that we've gone up there it's been okay and we've been able to get a pretty good game played. We're anticipating the same thing."

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright