Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 Detroit Lions 10
Sunday 28 December 1997 at Houlihan's Stadium
SCORING
TB
8:15-1Q
Husted FG22
TB
4:36-2Q
Copeland 9 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick)
TB
8:11-3Q
Husted FG42
TB
3:54-3Q
Alstott 31 run (Husted kick)
DET
14:57-4Q
Hanson FG33
DET
7:12-4Q
Vardell 1 run (Hanson kick)
Delighted fans watched the Bucs methodically flatten Detroit rushing to a 20-0 third quarter lead before
holding on for the 20-10 Wild Card victory. The highlight was on Detroit’s final desperate drive, when Frank
Reich completed a 15-yard pass on 3rd & 16, and then forgot it was 4th down and spiked the ball to stop the
clock. The Bucs got the ball back and it was over. Two more wins and the Super Bowl beckoned.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
BUCS: Dunn 18-72, Alstott 11-68, Anthony 1-1, Dilfer 2-0.
LIONS: Sanders 18-65, Mitchell 4-20, Rivers 1-17, Reich 1-5, Vardell 2-
1, Jett 1-1.
PASSING
BUCS: Dilfer 26-13-181-1-1.
LIONS: Mitchell 25-10-78-1-0, Reich 15-11-129-0-0.
RECEIVING
BUCS: Anthony 3-62, Dunn 3-0, Thomas 2-66, Copeland 2-14,
Williams 1-23, Alstott 1-12, Harris 1-4.
LIONS: Morton 8-88, Sanders 5-43, Moore 4-44, Boyd 2-11, Vardell 1-
12, Sloan 1-9.
INTERCEPTIONS
BUCS: Parker 1-19.
LIONS: Rice 1-2.
KICK RETURNS
BUCS: Anthony 3-52.
LIONS: Milburn 5-140.
PUNT RETURNS
BUCS: Williams 2-8, Dunn 0-0.
LIONS: Milburn 2-5.
SACKS
BUCS: Jackson 1-5, Ahanotu 1-4.
LIONS: London 1-6, Elliss 1-0.
STARTERS
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
LT
74 Gruber
LDE
72 Ahanotu
LG
60 Pyne
DT
77 Culpepper
C
61 Mayberry
DT
99 Sapp
RG
73 Middleton
RDE
91 Upshaw
RT
70 Odom
WLB
55 Brooks
TE
83 Moore
MLB
56 Nickerson
WR
85 Anthony
SLB
59 Porter
WR
86 Williams
LCB
21 Abraham
QB
12 Dilfer
SS
47 Lynch
FB
40 Alstott
FS
22 Mincy
RB
28 Dunn
RCB
27 Parker
PLAYED
4 Walsh, 5 Husted, 7 Landeta, 23 Bouie, 25 Johnson, 29
Gant, 31 Young, 32 Rhett, 37 Ellison, 45 Legette, 50
Gooch, 52 Bellisari, 53 Quarles, 64 Diaz, 71 Wunsch, 80
Harris, 82 Hape, 84 Thomas, 87 Davis, 88 Copeland, 90
Maniecki, 94 White, 97 Jackson
INACTIVES
13 Milanovich, 20 Barber, 24 Robinson, 48 Jordan, 51
Singleton, 65 Dogins, 69 Pierson, 75 Curry
COMMENTARY CREW
Pat Summerall and John Madden
GAME REPORTS
Click here for Pat Yasinskas' game review
Click here for Mick Elliott's morning-after column
Click here for Gary Shelton's opinions
Click here for the gamebook and the play-by-play
GAME HIGHLIGHTS Click on the boxes below to view the clips
Horace Copeland set the Bucs on their way with this opening score
Mike Alstott had the final Tampa Bay touchdown in the original stadium
Tyoka Jackson finished the Lions off with this sack of Frank Reich