Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 Minnesota Vikings 12 Sunday 6 November 1983 at the Metrodome
SCORING MIN 11:16-1Q Brown 1 run (Ricardo kick) MIN 4:12-2Q Safety - Sendlein blocked punt out of endzone TB 2:29-2Q Logan 54 fumble return (Capece kick) TB 7:41-3Q Wilder 75 run (Capece kick) TB 12:57-4Q Capece FG29 MIN 9:27-4Q Ricardo FG21
The Bucs ended their 0-9 skid with a win in the Metrodome against the Vikings thanks to James Wilder's record-setting day. Wilder rushed for a franchise record 219 yards including a 75-yard score in the third quarter, and a key 34-yard run when the Bucs were clinging to the lead and trying to run out the clock late in the game. Tampa Bay had trailed 9-0 early in the game when a blocked punt and a fumbled punt gave the Vikings an early advantage, but the Buc defense brought the team back into the game when Lee Roy Selmon sacked Steve Dils forcing a fumble, and nose tackle David Logan returned it for a score.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Wilder 31-219, Carver 1-(-5), Thompson 2-(-6). VIKINGS: Nelson 9-36, Galbreath 9-19, Young 5-11, Brown 3-2. PASSING BUCS: Thompson 19-11-75-1-0. VIKINGS: Dils 42-22-212-0-0. RECEIVING BUCS: Wilder 5-20, House 3-31, J.Bell 2-12, Giles 1-12. VIKINGS: Galbreath 11-110, Young 3-14, Jordan 2-28, Nelson 2- 21, McCullum 2-20, White 1-14, Bruer 1-5. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: none. VIKINGS: Swain 1-1. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Morton 2-47, Smith 1-21. VIKINGS: Redwine 2-37, Lewis 1-25, Bess 1-14. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Tyler 5-20, T.Bell 0-0. VIKINGS: Bess 5-60. SACKS BUCS: Selmon 2-20, Cotney 1-8, Logan 1-5. VIKINGS: Holloway 1-8.
STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 74 Sanders LDE 78 Cannon LG 60 Grimes NT 76 Logan C 50 Wilson RDE 63 Selmon RG 77 Bujnoch LOLB 51 Judie RT 70 Thomas LILB 58 Davis TE 88 Giles RILB 52 Brantley WR 89 House ROLB 53 Green WR 87 Carter LCB 23 Castille FB 28 Carver SS 33 Cotney RB 32 Wilder FS 43 Reece QB 14 Thompson RCB 21 Holt PLAYED 1 Morton, 3 Capece, 5 Garcia, 22 Smith, 41 Thomas, 46 Armstrong, 54 Wood, 55 Spradlin, 56 Thompson, 57 Leonard, 62 Farrell, 64 Lowry, 66 Reese, 69 Arbubakrr, 72 Snell, 75 Reavis, 81 Tyler, 82 J Bell, 83 T Bell, 85 Witte, 86 Obradovich, 90 White DID NOT PLAY 7 Komlo, 11 Golsteyn, 26 Owens, 40 Washington, 68 Yarno
COMMENTARY CREW Jack Buck and Hank Stram
GAME HIGHLIGHTS Click on the boxes below to watch the clip When it comes to great pass rushing, look no further than Lee Roy Selmon David Logan showed real speed on his fumble return touchdown But this was James Wilder’s record-breaking day in the Tampa backfield