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Five things Bucs must do to reach Super Bowl XXXV

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By RICK STROUD

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 31, 2000

1. GIVE WARRICK DUNN AT LEAST 20 CARRIES: Dunn is the catalyst of the offense. And, not unlike Barry Sanders, he needs to keep getting the rock because of his explosiveness. When Dunn has had at least 20 carries in a game this season, he has averaged 173 yards rushing and the Bucs are 4-0.

2. CONVERT ON THIRD-AND-SHORT SITUATIONS: Inexplicably, the Bucs are horrible in short-yardage situations. In losses to the Jets, Redskins, Lions, Bears and Packers, the Bucs were 1-for-13 when they faced third down and 3 yards or less. Those numbers are particularly disappointing for a team with a Pro Bowl fullback like Mike Alstott.

3. WIN THE TURNOVER RATIO: The loss at Green Bay was unusual in this sense. The Bucs forced four turnovers, all in the second half, while protecting the football. Tampa Bay is 7-1 this season when winning the turnover ratio and 30-4 since Dungy arrived in 1996.

4. PUT THE BALL IN KEYSHAWN JOHNSON'S HANDS: It's not coincidence that in two of the Bucs' biggest wins, against the Vikings and Rams at RJS, Johnson had more than 100 receiving yards. But you should check out Johnson's post-season numbers. In two playoff games with the Jets in '98, he averaged eight catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. He also added an interception and a fumble recovery in brief defensive duty.

5. STOP THE RUN: A staple of the Bucs defense, shutting down an opponent's running game allows them to put teams in predictable passing situations. The Bucs set a club record with 55 sacks, led by Warren Sapp's 16.5. More telling, since '96 the Bucs are 1-14 when opponents have a 100-yard rusher.

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