Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16 Minnesota Vikings 31
Sunday 15 September 1985 at Tampa Stadium
SCORING
MIN
1:48-1Q
Rice 2 run (Stenerud kick)
MIN
13:18-2Q
Stenerud FG31
TB
4:40-2Q
Igwebuike FG25
MIN
1:29-2Q
Browner 15 interception return (Stenerud kick)
MIN
12:06-3Q
Anderson 1 run (Stenerud kick)
TB
8:24-3Q
Wilder 1 run (Igwebuike kick)
TB
14:56-4Q
J.Bell 12 pass from DeBerg (kick failed)
MIN
5:59-4Q
Brown 54 pass from Kramer (Stenerud kick)
GAME REPORTS
Click here for the gamebook and play-by-play
Another massive performance from James Wilder was not enough to stop the Bucs losing their home opener
in 1985. The super back rushed for 100 yards for the sixth straight game and also caught 13 passes, but an
interception return for a score and a blocked punt that was recovered at the Tampa 5-yard line was enough to
give Minnesota the decisive edge
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
BUCS: Wilder 22-113, DeBerg 1-2.
VIKINGS: Nelson 11-42, Brown 6-15, Anderson 5-15, Rice 5-12,
Kramer 4-(-5).
PASSING
BUCS: DeBerg 38-26-237-2-1.
VIKINGS: Kramer 28-18-183-2-1.
RECEIVING
BUCS: Wilder 13-71, J.Bell 5-52, House 2-32, Carter 2-26, Giles
2-17, T.Bell 1-23, Magee 1-16.
VIKINGS: Brown 5-82, Jordan 5-50, Nelson 3-27, Carter 2-11,
Lewis 2-8, Rice 1-5.
INTERCEPTIONS
BUCS: Greenwood 1-4, Castille 1-0.
VIKINGS: Turner 1-22, Browner 1-15.
KICK RETURNS
BUCS: Freeman 4-86, Bright 2-29.
VIKINGS: Turner 2-31.
PUNT RETURNS
BUCS: Bright 1-11.
VIKINGS: Nelson 1-10.
SACKS
BUCS: none.
VIKINGS: Martin 1-3.
STARTERS
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
LT
66 Yarno
DE
78 Cannon
LG
72 Courson
DT
76 Logan
C
60 Grimes
DE
90 Holmes
RG
62 Farrell
LOLB
51 Washington
RT
73 Heller
LILB
58 Davis
TE
88 Giles
RILB
52 Brantley
TE
82 Bell
ROLB
53 Green
WR
87 Carter
LCB
23 Castille
WR
89 House
RCB
21 Holt
RB
32 Wilder
SS
30 Greenwood
QB
17 DeBerg
FS
44 Sully
PLAYED
1 Igwebuike, 5 Garcia, 7 Risher, 24 Prior, 28 Carver, 29 Bright,
31 Curry, 40 Armstrong, 47 Dombrowski, 54 Randle, 56
Johnson, 57 Browner, 67 Morgan, 74 Sanders, 75 Lindstrom,
79 Kaplan, 80 Branton, 81 Freeman, 83 T Bell, 85 Witte, 86
Magee
DID NOT PLAY
8 Young, 68 Mallory
COMMENTARY CREW
Dan Dierdorf and Jean Fugett
GAME HIGHLIGHTS Click on the boxes below to watch the clip
Jeremiah Castille had an endzone interception but probably should not have tried to run it out
James Wilder had the first Buccaneer touchdown
Followed by Jerry Bell’s second score in as many weeks