Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25 Detroit Lions 28 Sunday 22 November 1998 at Raymond James Stadium
SCORING DET 12:52-1Q Crowell 53 pass from Batch (Hanson kick) DET 6:26-1Q Rasby 3 pass from Batch (Hanson kick) TB 12:52-2Q Green 44 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick) DET 3:53-2Q Rivers 36 run (Hanson kick) TB 0:26-2Q Moore 8 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick) TB 6:30-3Q Husted FG33 DET 14:57-4Q Vardell 1 run (Hanson kick) TB 10:42-4Q Alstott 5 run (Anthony pass from Dilfer)
Fighting back from a 21-7 deficit, the Bucs attempt at a famous comeback victory were halted from the Detroit 11-yard line inside the last two minutes when Trent Dilfer's pass was deflected and picked off by Ron Rice. The Bucs had over 400 yards in total offense but key penalties and another earlier Dilfer interception made it three losses in a row for one of the Super Bowl favourites in the pre-season.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Dunn 14-73, Alstott 20-68, Dilfer 1-4. LIONS: Sanders 21-66, Rivers 1-36, Batch 2-8, Vardell 3-2. PASSING BUCS: Dilfer 30-16-283-2-2. LIONS: Batch 23-14-195-0-2. RECEIVING BUCS: Emanuel 4-80, Anthony 4-38, Green 3-98, Dunn 3-42, Alstott 1-17, Moore 1-8. LIONS: Morton 5-49, Crowell 3-82, Vardell 2-28, Stablein 2-26, Sanders 1-7, Rasby 1-3. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: none. LIONS: Jordan 1-4, Rice 1-0. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Anthony 3-66. LIONS: Fair 4-93, Rivers 1-6. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Green 4-31. LIONS: Fair 1-5. SACKS BUCS: Sapp 1-7. LIONS: none.
STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 74 Gruber DE 97 Jackson LG 64 Diaz DT 77 Culpepper C 61 Mayberry DT 99 Sapp RG 73 Middleton DE 91 Upshaw RT 70 Odom LLB 50 Gooch TE 83 Moore MLB 59 Duncan WR 85 Anthony RLB 55 Brooks WR 87 Emanuel LCB 21 Abraham FB 82 Hape RCB 20 Barber RB 40 Alstott SS 47 Lynch QB 12 Dilfer FS 22 Mincy PLAYED 5 Husted, 6 Barnhardt, 23 Bouie, 25 Kelly, 28 Dunn, 29 Smith, 31 Young, 37 Ellison, 41 Neal, 51 Singleton, 53 Quarles, 54 Palmer, 69 Pierson, 71 Wunsch, 78 Jones, 80 Davis, 81 Green, 84 Thomas, 88 Hunter, 94 White, 98 Cannida DID NOT PLAY 4 Walsh, 65 Dogins INACTIVES 13 Milanovich, 26 Abdullah, 27 Parker, 33 Vance, 56 Nickerson, 75 Washington, 86 Williams, 98 Mix
COMMENTARY CREW Dick Stockton and Matt Millen