Bucs' Winning Menu Went From Wursts To Firsts Martin Fennelly, The Tampa Tribune, published 26 September 2005 They're back. Not all the way, not even close, but enough to be the talk of a town again. Jon Gruden's Bucs, who in 2002 broke all the old rules about all the old Bucs, are historic again. With cheese on top. All it took was a one-point win at Lambeau Cemetery, where all Bucs go to die. All it took was Cadillac Williams going where no rookie has ever gone. All it took was resiliency. All it took was everyone. It adds up to 3-0. It's more than just the kid, though the kid is blowing our minds. To heck with rookie of the year. How about NFL MVP? Nothing sounds crazy after Sunday at Lambeau, a rainy gray day that ended in Bucs sunshine. One bright smile belonged to old hand Dave Moore, in the twilight of his career, who was 0-for-Wisconsin with Tampa Bay and got his first win in 12 tries up here. "I lingered on the field a little," Moore said. The Bucs weren't Favred one last time. Instead, Brett Favre began a season 0-3, a first for him. Instead, Derrick Brooks looked around with hungry eyes. The Bucs hadn't won here since 1989. Brooks was 0-8. He grinned. It was the best of times. It was the wurst of times. "Hopefully, they got brats out there. I want to know what they taste like after a win." The Bucs are back on Football America's menu. They're in the conversation again. By the way, while you were sleeping, Bucs fans, if you could sleep at all, 23 babies were born at Tampa Bay area hospitals. And 22 were named Cadillac. His legs and heart didn't believe in Lambeau curses. The Bucs ran the ball 38 times Sunday. The sensation ran it 37. It's like he's back at Auburn and everyone else is Kentucky. He became the first man to rush for 100 yards in his first three NFL games. Grand total: 158 yards. Again, it was the other guys who wore down, felled by this revelation, half jackrabbit, half jackhammer. Caddy also broke Alan Ameche's 50-year-old record for most rushing yards in his first three games. The number for Cadillac is 434. The number for the Bucs is 3-0. There were other reasons why they won Sunday, won a game they could have lost, especially to Favre. Bucs came from everywhere, from nowhere. There was cornerback Will Allen, who had a better fourth quarter than Favre, with a pair of interceptions. There was Brian Griese to Joey Galloway, twice for touchdowns. There was Dewayne White blocking an extra point. There were the four turnovers forced by what Favre called the best Bucs defense he'd ever seen. Doug Bryant made another long kick. There was the offensive line. Again. There was Ryan Nece with a key sack. There were so many Bucs that they somehow made up for all the Bucs mistakes. That's the point: This game seemed destined for Favre's winning hands. Now it was the fourth quarter. Against a desperate team. At Lambeau. Against Favre. "And we won," Brooks said. Small things mattered. "I think the play of the game was Kenyatta Walker's effort play on the interception," Gruden said. Huh? Griese tried to force a pass to Michael Pittman. Green Bay's Ahmad Carroll intercepted and raced toward the end zone and a Packers lead. But Walker, 302 pounds of him, sprinted. Carroll tripped, but would have gotten up -- only Walker tagged him down. Small thing? The defense held. The Packers settled for three points. A second Allen interception finished Favre. And Caddy ran out the clock. Minnesota, Buffalo, Green Bay. All outplayed on both sides of the ball. The Lions are next. Fever season is just around the corner. Cadillac Williams talked about how he kept grinding, kept pounding. Dave Moore remembered close losses at Lambeau with some great Bucs teams. "You think about them," Moore said. Derrick Brooks did, too. Then he marked history. He ate a brat. No ketchup, no mustard, no losses. Food for thought.