Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48 Atlanta Falcons 10 Sunday 13 September 1987 at Tampa Stadium
SCORING TB 8:56-1Q Freeman 11 pass from DeBerg (Igwebuike kick) TB 0:43-1Q Carter 6 pass from DeBerg (Igwebuike kick) ATL 11:35-2Q Luckhurst FG50 TB 5:18-2Q Magee 11 pass from DeBerg (Igwebuike kick) TB 2:37-2Q Carter 3 pass from DeBerg (kick failed) TB 5:43-3Q Austin 1 run (Igwebuike kick) TB 14:38-4Q Carrier 2 pass from DeBerg (Igwebuike kick) ATL 9:34-4Q Bailey 34 pass from Campbell (Luckhurst kick) TB 3:32-4Q Bartalo 3 run (Igwebuike kick)
Ray Perkins' first game in charge, the season opener and everything just looked right with the world for Buc fans after two years of Leeman Bennett. One of the biggest victories in franchise history coming off a pair of 2-14 seasons. 1987 may not have turned out so well but the start was almost perfect.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Howard 12-47, Bartalo 7-23, Smith 5-23, Austin 9-20, Wilder 7-13, Freeman 1-1. FALCONS: Riggs 12-52, Archer 2-8, Flowers 2-3. PASSING BUCS: DeBerg 34-24-333-1-5. FALCONS: Archer 22-8-94-2-0, Campbell 11-6-77-0-1. RECEIVING BUCS: Carter 6-60, Carrier 6-50, Wilder 4-62, Magee 3-46, Hall 2-44, Howard 1-45, Austin 1-15, Freeman 1-11. FALCONS: Riggs 4-27, Bailey 3-56, Johnson 3-33, Dixon 1-33, Whisenhunt 1-14, Matthews 1-4, Flowers 1-4. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: Woods 1-42, Futrell 1-23. FALCONS: Case 1-12. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Futrell 2-8. FALCONS: Stamps 6-117. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Futrell 4-39. FALCONS: none. SACKS BUCS: Kellin 2.5-24.5, Holmes 1.5-12.5. FALCONS: none.
STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 72 R Taylor LDE 78 Cannon LG 66 Yarno NT 94 Stensrud C 60 Grimes RDE 90 Holmes RG 68 Mallory LOLB 51 Washington RT 74 Powell LILB 58 Davis TE 86 Magee RILB 54 Randle WR 87 Carter ROLB 57 Moss WR 89 Carrier LCB 29 Reynolds FB 39 Austin RCB 22 Jones RB 32 Wilder SS 33 Kemp QB 17 DeBerg FS 20 Woods PLAYED 1 Igwebuike, 5 Garcia, 21 McKeever, 25 Howard, 35 Smith, 36 Futrell, 41 Swoope, 42 Bartalo, 50 Turk, 52 Brantley, 53 Graham, 56 Walker, 59 Murphy, 73 Heller , 75 Kellin, 77 Maarleveld, 79 Goode, 81 Freeman, 82 Hall, 83 Holloway, 85 G.Taylor, 98 Keys DID NOT PLAY 14 Testaverde
COMMENTARY CREW James Brown and Dan Jiggetts
GAME HIGHLIGHTS        Click on the boxes below to watch the clip Phil Freeman started the ball rolling with the first touchdown of the season Followed soon after by the first of Gerald Carter’s two scores Calvin Magee extended the lead to 21-3 on Steve DeBerg’s third touchdown pass