Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0 Detroit Lions 11
Sunday 4 September 1983 at Tampa Stadium
SCORING
DET
7:04-1Q
Safety - Golsteyn sacked in the end zone
DET
3:51-2Q
Murray FG29
DET
6:16-3Q
Murray FG48
DET
8:57-4Q
Murray FG38
GAME REPORTS
Click here for the gamebook and play-by-play
The Bucs opened the post-Doug Williams era by being shut out at Tampa Stadium in the 1983 season opener
by the Lions. The game was memorable for Detroit DE William Gay having a career year in just one afternoon
by recording 5.5 sacks in the game, thanks in the main to all three of the Bucs' offensive tackles going down
injured in the first half alone. Although the Lions were kept out of the endzone, three Eddie Murray fieldgoals
and a first quarter safety were enough to give Detroit victory. Jerry Golsteyn started at QB for the Bucs but was
replaced at half-time by Jack Thompson.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
BUCS: Carver 11-22, Wilder 5-18, Morton 5-16, Owens 1-4.
LIONS: Sims 14-37, Jones 11-23, Hipple 3-11, King 3-6.
PASSING
BUCS: Golsteyn 21-14-120-0-0, Thompson 12-7-97-1-0.
LIONS: Hipple 24-14-174-1-0, Danielson 10-8-89-0-0.
RECEIVING
BUCS: Wilder 9-69, Carter 4-41, T.Bell 2-47, J.Bell 2-16,
Obradovich 1-19, Witte 1-10, Carver 1-9, House 1-6.
LIONS: Thompson 6-80, Nichols 5-41, Jones 3-49, Sims 3-31,
Chadwick 2-19, Norris 1-35, King 1-4, Rubick 1-4.
INTERCEPTIONS
BUCS: Brown 1-10.
LIONS: Latimer 1-0.
KICK RETURNS
BUCS: Morton 2-18.
LIONS: Hall 1-25, Martin 1-15.
PUNT RETURNS
BUCS: Tyler 3-21.
LIONS: Martin 2-25.
SACKS
BUCS: Selmon 2-19, Logan 1-8.
LIONS: Gay 5.5-39, English 1-7, Moss 0.5-1.
STARTERS
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
LT
75 Reavis
LDE
78 Cannon
LG
72 Snell
NT
76 Logan
C
50 Wilson
RDE
63 Selmon
RG
62 Farrell
LOLB
59 Hawkins
RT
70 Thomas
LILB
58 Davis
TE
82 J Bell
RILB
52 Brantley
WR
87 Carter
ROLB
53 Green
WR
89 House
LCB
21 Holt
FB
32 Wilder
SS
33 Cotney
RB
28 Carver
FS
34 Brown
QB
11 Golsteyn
RCB
40 Washington
PLAYED
1 Morton, 3 Capece, 5 Garcia, 14 Thompson, 20 Colzie, 22
Smith, 23 Castille, 24 Morris, 26 Owens, 43 Middleton, 54
Wood, 55 Spradlin, 56 Johnson, 57 Leonard, 60 Grimes, 66
Reese, 68 Yarno, 69 Arbubakrr, 74 Sanders, 80 Branton, 81
Tyler, 83 T Bell, 86 Obradovich, 88 Giles, 90 White, 93 Witte
DID NOT PLAY
8 Hewko, 65 Stalls
COMMENTARY CREW
Jim Kelly and John Dockery
GAME HIGHLIGHTS Click on the boxes below to watch the clip
David Logan recorded the first Buccaneer sack of the 1983 season
And Cedric Brown had the first interception
Not a lot of offensive highlights but there was this 31-yard pass to Theo Bell