Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 New England Patriots 7
Sunday 16 November 1997 at Houlihan's Stadium
SCORING
TB
2:30-1Q
Rhett 1 run (Husted kick)
TB
0:05-1Q
Husted FG44
TB
11:00-2Q
Moore 7 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick)
TB
0:04-2Q
Alstott 1 run (Husted kick)
TB
0:05-3Q
Husted FG44
NE
6:44-4Q
Purnell 6 pass from Zolak (Vinatieri kick)
Tampa Bay made it three straight wins with a dominating 27-7 dispatching of the former AFC Champion New England
Patriots in a game that sold out prior to the season opener. In a game that was highlighted by a special performance by
the Buccaneer defense, the Patriots’ vaunted high-powered offensive attack was grounded, managing under 100 total
yards until a 75-yard drive in the game’s final two minutes.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
BUCS: Alstott 16-91, Dunn 14-36, Rhett 8-15, Williams 1-5, Walsh 2-
(-1).
PATRIOTS: Cullors 4-41, Martin 8-26, Byars 2-5, Gash 1-4, Bledsoe
1-(-1).
PASSING
BUCS: Dilfer 29-21-209-0-1.
PATRIOTS: Bledsoe 25-13-117-2-0, Zolak 6-3-34-0-1.
RECEIVING
BUCS: Dunn 4-20, Harris 3-51, Williams 3-36, Alstott 3-35, Anthony
3-24, Copeland 3-20, Moore 2-23.
PATRIOTS: Brown 5-58, Martin 4-23, Coates 3-27, Jefferson 2-28,
Jells 1-9, Purnell 1-6.
INTERCEPTIONS
BUCS: Brooks 1-13, Abraham 1-0.
PATRIOTS: none.
KICK RETURNS
BUCS: Dunn 1-10.
PATRIOTS: Meggett 3-77, Cullors 1-9.
PUNT RETURNS
BUCS: Williams 3-37.
PATRIOTS: Meggett 1-5.
SACKS
BUCS: Jackson 1-17, Upshaw 1-13, Sapp 1-11, Culpepper 1-10,
Parker 1-7.
PATRIOTS: Canty 1-7.
STARTERS
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
LT
74 Gruber
LDE
72 Ahanotu
LG
60 Pyne
DT
77 Culpepper
C
61 Mayberry
DT
99 Sapp
RG
64 Diaz
RDE
91 Upshaw
RT
70 Odom
WLB
55 Brooks
TE
80 Harris
MLB
56 Nickerson
WR
85 Anthony
DB
31 Young
WR
88 Copeland
LCB
21 Abraham
QB
12 Dilfer
SS
47 Lynch
TE
83 Moore
FS
22 Mincy
RB
40 Alstott
RCB
27 Parker
PLAYED
4 Walsh, 5 Husted, 7 Landeta, 23 Bouie, 25 Johnson, 28 Dunn,
29 Gant, 32 Rhett, 37 Ellison, 45 Legette, 50 Gooch, 51
Singleton, 53 Quarles, 59 Porter, 69 Pierson, 71 Wunsch, 73
Middleton, 84 Thomas, 85 Anthony, 87 Davis, 90 Maniecki, 94
White, 97 Jackson
INACTIVES
13 Milanovich, 20 Barber, 24 Robinson, 52 Bellisari, 65 Dogins,
75 Curry, 78 Jones, 82 Hape
COMMENTARY CREW
Charlie Jones and Bob Trumpy
GAME REPORTS
Rick Stroud reports from Houlihan's Stadium
All Bucs bask in glory of a perfect afternoon
Defense puts the Pats in the pits
Alstott's power game bruises bodies and spirits
Click here for the gamebook and the play-by-play
GAME HIGHLIGHTS Click on the boxes below to view the clips
For the third straight week, Trent Dilfer and Dave Moore hooked up for a touchdown
Anthony Parker had a cornerback blitz on fourth down to end a Patriot scoring threat
Derrick Brooks had a fourth quarter interception that led to a Hardy Nickerson fumble recovery