Lesson in humility
Michelle Kaufman, The St.Petersburg Times, published 1989

Ray Perkins said it all when he disclosed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' plans for the next couple of days: ``I'm giving the players two days off. I don't even want to see them.``

His terse comments were understandable. The Bucs had just been humiliated 56-23 by the Cincinnati Bengals in front of 57,225 joyous witnesses. It was Tampa Bay's third straight loss and dropped them to 3-5 and fourth place in the NFC Central Division. The Bengals (5-3) are tied with Cleveland for first place in the AFC Central. The Browns play the Bucs in Tampa Sunday. ``I don't think I need to say much,`` Perkins remarked as he snapped a microphone to his collar. ``They were a much superior team. I wouldn't be surprised to see them back in that big game in January.``

Only once in franchise history had a Tampa Bay defense given up more points than it did Sunday - 62 against the New York Jets in 1985. The Bengals outscored the Bucs 35-7 in the second half. Oddly enough, the score was one of the few lopsided statistics in this contest.

The Bucs racked up 475 total yards to the Bengals' 482. Vinny Testaverde was 23-of-39 for 336 yards and three touchdowns and wasn't sacked once. Cincinnati quarterbacks completed fewer passes (22) for fewer yards (295). The time of possession differed by only three minutes.

Bucs running backs averaged 5.1 yards per carry and totaled 139 yards - 139 times more than they did last week. Both starting receivers had 100-yard games - Mark Carrier with 100 and Bruce Hill with 125. ``This is not a team without weapons that we beat today,`` Bengals coach Sam Wyche said. ``But we were a steamroller today. They ran into us on one of those days we were hot.``

Cincinnati's offense had sputtered the past few weeks, resulting in back-to-back home losses. The Bengals' initial touchdown against the Bucs was their first in seven quarters. ``There was a lot of frustration built up the past two weeks, and someone had to pay for it,`` said Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason, who was 17-of-28 for 197 yards and five touchdowns. ``Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, it was them.``

Esiason, who was 8-8 for 100 yards and three touchdowns in the second half, admitted that even the officiating seemed to go Cincinnati's way. Tampa Bay was penalized 10 times for 106 yards, and four of those were controversial calls against the defense at critical points in Bengals drives. Cincinnati was penalized only twice for 10 yards. ``The last couple of weeks the calls went against us, but this time we got some breaks,`` Esiason said. ``It was about time the other team got called.``

The biggest breaks, he said, were during a 15-play scoring drive that put the Bengals on top 21-16 immediately before halftime. An incomplete pass on third-and-10 turned into a 13-yard gain and a first down when safety Sherman Cocroft was called for interference. Three plays later, a Cocroft interception was erased when nose tackle Curt Jarvis was called

for illegal use of the hands. The result of the Bucs' efforts: an 8-yard touchdown catch by Cincinnati's Eddie Brown. Bucs defenders weren't shy about their displeasure with the refs. They said calls such as the above mentioned drained them emotionally. Linebacker Kevin Murphy explained it like this: ``I'm not putting down the refs or anything, but it is very frustrating to think you have a team stopped and then boom, flag. Then you get an interception, and boom, flag. It keeps their drive going and gets their momentum flowing, and we start to feel like nothing we do is enough.``

Linebacker Broderick Thomas said: ``When they start coming like that, one after the other, it's hell. I didn't understand some of those calls at all.``

Safety Mark Robinson was more blunt: ``I guess when you play in Cincinnati you have to beat the Bengals, their fans and their refs.``

Perkins reserved comment on the officials, saying only, ``Use your imagination.``

But the Bucs conceded that a bundle of penalties wasn't their only downfall. There were at least four other mistakes that cost them four touchdowns. Namely, three interceptions and a fumble at the Tampa Bay 16-yard line. The latter, by halfback Lars Tate, was on the opening drive of the second half. Tate, who had gained 10 yards on the play, coughed it up at the 25, and Tim Krumrie recovered. Two minutes later, James Brooks ran 4 yards into the end zone and the Bengals pulled ahead 28-16. ``It was all downhill after that,`` Perkins said. ``When it rains, it pours,`` said Robinson. ``It's hard to explain what happened out there.``

Cincinnati proceeded to score touchdowns on its next four possessions. There was a 9-yard catch by Rodney Holman, an 18-yard catch by Eddie Brown, and receptions of 14 and 46 yards by Tim McGee, who finished the day with five catches for 127 yards. The Bucs' first five second-half drives ended this way: fumble, punt, punt, interception, interception.

Tampa Bay scored its points on Bruce Hill catches of 2 and 3 yards, a safety caused by defensive lineman Sean Smith, and a 17-yard catch by Carrier. ``We did some things offensively, but obviously, it wasn't enough,`` said Carrier, whose concentration and dependable hands saved what may have been two interceptions. ``We can't dwell on it, though. The season's too long for that.``

Perkins told the players to spend today and Tuesday fishing or playing golf or doing whatever it takes to clear the mind of football. He wants them fresh when the second half of the season begins Wednesday. Carrier said that won't be easy. ``We've got to try to forget about it, but it's hard to. It happened. We weren't dreaming.``

Murphy may have an easier time putting behind the game he called the worst loss in his entire football career. ``I forgot about it already,`` he said. ``It's gone.``

Added Robinson: ``I can't forget this loss. It was the worst defeat I've ever had. I think it'll stay with us in the back of our minds, and I'll tell you what I feel sorry for the team we play next week.`` Bernie Kosar, you listening?