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Best and worst: Game 13

Compiled by LAWRENCE HOLLYFIELD

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 3, 2000

Best

TAMPA BAY 33, NEW ORLEANS 14, DEC. 11, 1977: The Bucs had lost by a field goal. They had lost by six touchdowns. They lost indoors and out, home and away. Over their first 26 games, they had been shut up, down and out. Finally, against a team that had known a decade of losing, the Bucs won. Dave Green kicked two field goals. Gary Huff threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Morris Owens. The defense intercepted six passes, returning three for second-half touchdowns. And Lee Roy Selmon had 12 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery in the road win. "It was the greatest victory in the history of the world," coach John McKay said afterward. Not feeling the same was Saints coach Hank Stram. "No question, this is the lowest I've ever been as a coach." He might have felt lower soon after, when he was fired. Even a man with the highest of connections took notice of Tampa Bay's win. "Playing God in the movie Oh, God makes me an authority on miracles," George Burns wrote in a telegram to McKay. "I parted the Red Sea for Moses and won the 1969 World Series for the Mets. Taking care of the Bucs on Sunday was the toughest job in my career. Do me a favor and win No. 2 on your own. Congratulations."

Worst

GREEN BAY 21, TAMPA BAY 0, DEC. 1, 1985: A record blizzard dumped 12 inches of snow before kickoff and added another 4 during the game. The temperature was 30 degrees, with 25 to 35 mile per hour winds, at kickoff. But the most chilling numbers for the Bucs came after the game. Green Bay outgained Tampa Bay 512-65 and held the Bucs -- who had to wear white in a snowstorm -- to five first downs. Other losses of note: In 1978 at Chicago, the Bucs finished with minus-7 yards passing in a 14-3 loss. ... In 1979, the Vikings blocked four kicks to win 23-22 and keep Tampa Bay from clinching its first division title. ... In 1989, Chris Jacke's 47-yard field goal as time expires gave the Packers a 17-16 win and made the Bucs the first team in NFL history to play three straight one-point games. ... In 1992, the Bucs blew a 27-3 halftime lead in a 31-27 loss to the Rams on national TV.

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