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The Tampa Tribune, published 16 December 2002
DIVISION TITLE ONE WIN AWAY
Sunday's win put them in. Two more victories and the worst the Bucs will be is the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. Tampa Bay (11-3) clinched a playoff berth with its 23-20 victory against the Lions. Now the Bucs are setting their sights on winning the NFC South and securing homefield advantage. Winning the division suddenly became a definite possibility Sunday after New Orleans and Atlanta, the two teams chasing the Bucs, both lost at home to teams with losing records.
The Saints were shocked by the 4-10 Vikings 32-31 and the Falcons lost to 5-9 Seattle 30-24 in overtime. Atlanta's loss eliminated the Falcons from the divisional race, but still leaves them a half-game ahead of the New York Giants for the final wild- card spot in the NFC.
If New Orleans (9-5) loses next Sunday at Cincinnati or the Bucs (11-3) win Monday night at home against Pittsburgh, the Bucs would win their first NFC South title. The only way Tampa Bay won't win the South is if the Saints win twice and the Bucs lose twice. ``We're not happy with where we are, but we're happy with what we've accomplished,'' Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson said. ``We've still got two more weeks to go to hopefully give us homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.''
Victories against Pittsburgh and in the regular-season finale Dec. 29 against Chicago in Champaign, Ill., would provide the Bucs a first-round bye and a home divisional playoff game. But the Bucs need help from Philadelphia if they want homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. The Eagles have the head-to-head advantage against Tampa Bay, with their 20-10 victory on Oct. 20 in the event of a two-way tie.
The Eagles also have a better conference record (10-0), which gives them the top seed in the event of a three-way tie at the top with the Bucs and Packers. If Philadelphia wins its remaining games on the road against Dallas and the New York Giants, it will claim the NFC's No. 1 seed and homefield advantage. Green Bay also has a chance to finish 13-3, same as the Bucs and Eagles, but Tampa Bay owns the head-to-head advantage against the Packers, so Green Bay would get the No. 3 seed.
LYNCH MOBBED
SS John Lynch broke his streak of 72 consecutive starts, including the playoffs, when a neck strain forced him to the sideline Sunday. Lynch was upgraded throughout the week at practice, but as a precaution did not play. Second-year SS John Howell, who filled in admirably for Lynch last week against Atlanta, tied with MLB Shelton Quarles for the team lead with six tackles. He also had two passes defended and nearly had his first career interception. With the game tied at 20 in the fourth quarter, Howell watched a third-and-nine pass intended for Detroit WR Bill Schroeder bounce out of his hands. ``I think I saw the end zone before I caught the ball,'' Howell said. ``It happens.''
INJURY REPORT
DT Anthony McFarland, playing in only his second game since coming back from a broken forearm, left Sunday's game in the second quarter with a broken right foot. He did not return and was replaced by Chartric Darby. McFarland will miss the remainder of the season. MLB Nate Webster was injured on the last play of the third quarter. Webster limped off the field with a right knee sprain and did not return. WR Keyshawn Johnson was injured in the fourth quarter. As Johnson jumped to catch a 30-yard pass from QB Brad Johnson, he was hit in the groin by Detroit CB Eric Davis. He returned later in the game. Detroit starting QB Joey Harrington left the game in the first half after complaining he didn't feel well. He was taken to a local hospital with an irregular heartbeat.
BUC BITS
WR Karl Williams played in his 100th game, tying Gerald Carter (1981-87) as the most tenured Buccaneer wide receiver.
RB Aaron Stecker's opening 67-yard kickoff return was the third longest in Bucs history. Stecker owns the longest return, an 86-yarder against New Orleans last year.
There were a host of former Bucs on the Detroit sideline. WR Jacquez Green, cut by Washington earlier this season, and RB Autry Denson were inactive for the game. Former LB Jeff Gooch, a backup for the Lions, finished with one tackle.
Tampa Bay extended both of its NFL long streaks of key defensive statistics against the Lions. Ronde Barber’s first-quarter takedown of QB Joey Harrington gave the Bucs 58 straight games with at least one sack. The NFL record is 68 games, by the Dallas Cowboys of the 1960s and 70s. Shelton Quarles’ fourth-quarter interception also extended the team’s streak of consecutive games with at least one takeaway to 39. That is the third longest streak of that variety in the NFL in the last 20 years.
The decision to rest John Lynch and his injured neck meant that the four-time Pro Bowl safety’s streaks of 68 consecutive games played and games started came to an end. CB Ronde Barber thus moves up a notch to second on the team with his 53 consecutive starts, though he is well behind the Bucs’ current leader, LB Derrick Brooks, with 109.
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