QB Brad Johnson threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns but the Bucs' rally fell short again
Rich Gannon never got a chance to erase his five-interception performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. Luckily for the Oakland Raiders, Kerry Collins had Gannon's back.
A near-controversy was kicked up in Oakland over the offseason when the Raiders signed Collins to a fairly lucrative contract. However, Gannon held onto the starting job, making Collins one of the league's most experienced backups. That commodity came in handy for the home team on Sunday night, as Collins completed 16 of 27 passes for 228 yards, one touchdown and one interception, leading Oakland to a 30-20 victory.
CB Phillip Buchanon put the game away five minutes into the second half when he intercepted Brad Johnson's sideline throw on a dead run and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown and a 23-6 Oakland lead. Incredibly, it was Buchanon's seventh touchdown return in a little over a year in the NFL.
Tampa Bay's defense, ranked third in the league after two weeks, struggled against the run and gave up a string of medium-range completions to Collins as Oakland racked up 399 yards of offense, 251 by halftime. Collins's 19-yard touchdown pass to WR Ronald Curry – an inspired call against an all-out Buc blitz on third down – gave Oakland a 13-6 lead, which they would not relinquish. On that 84-yard touchdown drive, Collins completed six of six passes for 72 yards.
A late charge by the Buccaneer offense allowed the visiting team to nearly match Oakland's output, with 389 yards, and Tampa Bay broke a long drought by scoring two offensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter. However, a failed onside kick and a missed field goal – the first misfire by Martin Gramatica in six tries this year – left another Buccaneer rally short in the end.
Gannon's day ended early when he was hit hard by LB Derrick Brooks at the Bucs' five-yard line on the last play of Oakland's first drive. He was taken into the locker room for examinations on his back, and he did not return.
Tampa Bay ran into its own injury problems on offense - again - and the results could be longer-lasting for the beleaguered Buccaneers. RB Charlie Garner suffered a right knee sprain on a second-quarter run and had to be carted off the field. He did not return, though there was no immediate report on the long-term effects of the injury. If Garner is lost for any length of time it will be another blow to the Bucs' G-Men, the skill-position players brought in over the offseason to give Tampa Bay's offense more explosive possibilities. WR Joey Galloway was knocked out in the season opener with a groin injury and may not return for another six weeks.
It's safe to say that the many former Bucs and Raiders now playing for the opposite team were fired up for this game. Before he was hurt, Garner, a Raider from 2001-03 took a first-quarter screen pass 31 yards up the right sideline, the big play in the Bucs' game-opening field goal drive. Garner might have picked up a few more yards had Oakland DT Warren Sapp, a Buc from 1995-2003, not shown impressive hustle by tracking him down the sideline and tripping him up from behind. Sapp also played several snaps on offense, including a third-quarter series inside the 10 that resulted in Tyrone Wheatley's two-yard touchdown run.
But it was Tim Brown, a Raider from 1988-2003, who may have had the biggest moment of any of the returning players. Brown's 16-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter was the 100th scoring grab of his Hall-of-Fame career, a fact that the stadium management immediately put on the videoboards. The Oakland crowd followed with a classy bit of sustained applause for the man they used to call Mr. Raider.
Unfortunately, Brown's touchdown, the first offensive score of the season for Tampa Bay, wasn't nearly enough to counter Oakland's second-half explosion. A close first half gave way to an onslaught in the third quarter that temporarily brought up uncomfortable memories of the Bucs' last trip to Oakland. In 1999, Tampa Bay came to Oakland riding a franchise-record six-game winning streak but was overrun by Jon Gruden's Raiders, 45-0. Oakland scored 17 points in just over seven minutes in the third quarter, with Buchanon's touchdown following close on the heels of the third of Sebastian Janikowski's three field goals. Tampa Bay's rally in the final minutes kept the game within reason, however.
Martin Gramatica's 36-yard field goal at the end of the Buccaneers game-opening drive gave Tampa Bay its first lead in a game this season. However, it lasted only six minutes as Janikowski answered with a 23-yard field goal after Gannon's injury. Each team tacked on another field goal in the second quarter before Curry's touchdown made it 13-6 at halftime.
The 2003 Buccaneers had trouble denying big plays at the end of close games. This year's team has reversed the problem, struggling against the run at the beginning before tightening up considerably, at least during the first two weeks.
The Bucs have played three games and allowed an average of 45.3 yards per carry on the opposition's first run of the game. Washington's Clinton Portis scored on a 64-yard jaunt early in the season opener, and Seattle's Shaun Alexander ripped off a 12-yarder to begin the home opener last weekend. When Oakland's Tyrone Wheatley broke several tackles near the line of scrimmage and raced up the left sideline for a gain of 60 yards, it was the big play that led to Oakland's first score, a 23-yard Sebastian Janikowski field goal.
Those are three of the 93 runs the Bucs' three opponents have run this year. On the other 90 carries, Tampa Bay has allowed just 259 yards, an average of 2.9 per run. Unlike Washington or Seattle, however, the Raiders continued to run the ball effectively, sending Wheatley up the middle time and again. The 399 yards that Oakland picked up, including 251 in the first half, was keyed by a 173-yard rushing output.
Tampa Bay's offense moved the ball well at the beginning of the game and near the end, enough to pick up a season high yardage total. The running game was mostly shelved during the comeback effort, gaining just 92 yard son 22 carries, but QB Brad Johnson threw for 309 yards on 22 of 36 passing.
Johnson's favorite target on the evening was WR Bill Schroeder, who got the start at Joey Galloway's split end position after Charles Lee drew that assignment last week, turned in the Bucs' longest pass play of the season, leading to a game-tying field goal in the second quarter. Schroeder slipped behind the Oakland defense and caught a Johnson lob in the middle of the field, eventually getting down to Oakland's 16. Tampa Bay's red zone woes continued, however, and the team could net only Gramatica's 30-yard kick.
Late in the fourth quarter, Schroeder got deep again, making a remarkable, diving catch of a deep pass over the middle for a 41-yard touchdown. The Bucs' two-point conversion after the score cut the Raiders lead to 30-20, but the ensuing onside kick attempt failed. Overall, Schroeder had 126 yards on four catches.
If the Bucs lost another of their offensive imports in Garner, at least they rediscovered one of their long-time weapons. Fullback Mike Alstott assumed most of the rushing load after Garner's injury and ran with his usual tackle-breaking style. He gained 65 yards on 12 carries and caught four passes for 30 more yards. That 95-yard combined total was Alstott's best since a big outing against Atlanta on December 8, 2002.
Despite Oakland's high yardage total, several Buccaneer defenders had strong games. Brooks's hard hit on Gannon was just one of his game-high 11 tackles on the afternoon, as he made plays all over the field. Kelly spent most of the day in a spirited battle with WR Jerry Porter and came away with five tackles, one interception and four passes defensed. The Bucs did not sack either Oakland quarterback, however, until Collins safely slid into a Simeon Rice sack late in the fourth quarter.
The Bucs' special teams, which looked sharp in the season's first two games, took a step back on kickoff coverage against the Raiders. Return man Doug Gabriel averaged 29.0 yards on five returns and repeatedly gave Oakland good starting field position. Gabriel, in fact, took the Bucs' first kickoff 64 yards to the Bucs' 25, a bullet the visitors dodged when rookie S Will Allen forced a fumble and LB Ryan Nece recovered for Tampa Bay.
The Bucs also looked strong on kickoff returns, however, with second-year CB Torrie Cox filling in for the injured Frank Murphy. Cox rang up 144 yards on six returns.
Notes: The Buccaneers are 0-3 for the first time since 1996, the last year of a 14-year playoff drought for the franchise. The Bucs opened that season 0-5 before winning six of their last 11 and starting 1997 with five straight victories. … The Raiders had an interesting cross-promotion during Sunday night's game. The team combined with LucasFilms to bring the Stars Wars experience to Network Associates Coliseum. Darth Vader and a number of fully-armored Storm Troopers were on the field prior to the game and the team ran videoboard tributes to the movie series after the first quarter and at halftime. … Both teams paid homage to the heated rivalry and its many cross-team connections during the starting introductions. Tampa Bay introduced its offense and sent its four former Raider starters out last, with G Matt Stinchcomb followed by TE Rickey Dudley, RB Charlie Garner and WR Tim Brown. The Raiders followed with their defense and introduced former Buccaneer DT Warren Sapp last. … Second-year CB Torrie Cox made his regular-season NFL debut on Sunday night after missing his rookie season on injured reserve and being named inactive for the first two games of 2004. It didn't take long for Cox to get involved, as he lined up deep for the opening kickoff and returned it 27 yards to the Bucs' 24. … LB Derrick Brooks, who finished the game with 11 tackles, made his 131st consecutive start on Sunday night. That's the longest active streak by any defensive player in the NFL.
Injury Updates: RB Charlie Garner sustained a right knee sprain in the second quarter and did not return to the game. TE Rickey Dudley fractured his right thumb in the same period and also did not return.
Inactives: The Buccaneers named eight players inactive for Sunday night's game: QB Brian Griese, WR Frank Murphy, FB Greg Comella, T Anthony Davis, G Jeb Terry, WR Joey Galloway, TE Will Heller and DE Josh Savage.
Quarter-by-Quarter Reports: During the game, Buccaneers.com provided updates of the action after each quarter. Those reviews of each period are below, providing a closer look at how the game unfolded.
First Quarter Review
The Bucs and Raiders played to a 3-3 tie in the game's opening quarter. The Buccaneers scored on their opening possession to take their first lead in any game this season, but the Raiders later tied the game with their own field goal following a 60-yard run by Tyrone Wheatley. Oakland also had the ball inside Buccaneer territory when the quarter came to an end.
Bucs' ball…
The Buccaneers won the coin toss and sent CB Torrie Cox deep along with WR Bill Schroeder. Cox returned the opening kick 27 yards to the 24.
The Bucs opened with two running plays, as former Raider Charlie Garner got one yard on first down and four on second down, both up the middle. On third-and-five, QB Brad Johnson hit FB Mike Alstott on the run on a screen to the left, and Alstott had open field in front of him. Alstott got 17 yards before S Stuart Schweigert sent him flipping through the air at the end of the run.
Garner split wide to the left on the next play and Johnson threw him a receiver screen, which worked marvelously as Garner weaved through traffic to pick up 31 yards along the sideline. A hustling Warren Sapp tripped Garner up from behind to stop him at the Oakland 23.
Three plays later, the Bucs faced a third-and-nine from the 22. Johnson had Schroeder open on a slant on the right side, but his pass was tipped at the line. G Cosey Coleman caught the rebound to keep possession for the Bucs but got only four yards. The Bucs had to settle for a field goal try, and Martin Gramatica banged it through from 36 yards out for a 3-0 lead.
Bucs' ball…
The momentum swung quickly back to Oakland on the ensuing kickoff, and then right back to the Bucs. WR Doug Gabriel got loose around the left end of the Bucs' coverage team and returned the ball all the way inside Tampa Bay's 30. However, S Will Allen forced Gabriel to fumble as he tackled him from behind, and LB Ryan Nece recovered for the Bucs at the 25.
Garner got two yards up the middle on first down and a short dump to TE Ken Dilger earned three more. On third-and-five, Johnson had time but couldn't find an open man and eventually stumbled down for a sack as he tried to scramble forward. The Bucs had to punt and Josh Bidwell's kick rolled to a stop at the Oakland 19.
Raiders' ball…
RB Tyrone Wheatley got the Raiders immediately back into scoring position with a 60-yard run up the middle in which he broke through several possible tackles near the line of scrimmage.
That put the ball at the Bucs' 21, and Wheatley moved it into the red zone with a three-yard run on the next play. Oakland then took a crack at the end zone, sending WR Jerry Porter up the right sideline. CB Brian Kelly stayed close and dove at just the right time, just getting a finger on the pass to break it up. However, a nine-yard pass to WR Jerry Rice gave Oakland another first down at the eight.
An outlet pass to FB Zack Crockett picked up just a yard. Kelly was on the scene again on second down, staying with Gabriel as he cut across the end zone to deny a touchdown pass. On third-and-goal, the Bucs faked a blitz and dropped into blanket coverage, forcing Gannon to try to run it in. Gannon came up short as LB Derrick Brooks stopped him cold at the five. The Raiders then tied the game on Sebastian Janikowski's 23-yard field goal.
Bucs' ball…
The Bucs' next drive began at its own 22, and Garner picked up eight yards on a first-down carry up the middle. Alstott leaped over the pile on second down to get three yards and a first down at the 33. Unfortunately, quick penetration and a hard hit by LB Napoleon Harris caused a three-yard loss by Garner on first down. Johnson was forced into an incompletion on second down by a Raider blitz, and an outlet pass to Garner only got the ball back to the original line of scrimmage.
Bidwell's ensuing punt was a high hanger, allowing the cover team to get to return man Phillip Buchanon at Oakland's 24.
Raiders' ball…
Kerry Collins came in to replace Gannon for the next drive, but the march lost five yards before the first snap when the Raiders were flagged for an illegal substitution. Collins' first pass was incomplete, but he found Porter open on the left sideline and got a first down when Porter slipped through one tackle to get to the 35.
Three Wheatley carries moved the chains again, the last one an eight-yard run on third-and-one. Now just into Buccaneer territory, Oakland ran one more play to end the quarter, as RB Amos Zereoue reversed field and got around right end for a gain of six.
Second Quarter Review
Oakland finally broke through in a field goal battle near the end of the first half, as the only touchdown before the intermission gave the home team a 13-6 lead. The Bucs' offense moved the ball reasonably well, picking up 144 yards in the half, but Oakland countered with 251 yards, more than the Bucs had given up, on average, in their first two complete games. Tampa Bay also lost RB Charlie Garner to a knee injury.
Raiders' ball…
Facing a second-and-five at the Bucs' 42 when the quarter opened, the Raiders moved the sticks with a nine-yard pass to RB Amos Zereoue.
Three plays later, Oakland faced a third-and-two at the Bucs' 25, and converted again when RB Tyrone Wheatley ducked under the defenders to submarine for the needed yardage.
A blitz forced a Kerry Collins throwaway on first down and LB Derrick Brooks caught Wheatley in the backfield for no gain on second down. Good coverage on third-and-10 forced Collins to try a dumpoff to FB Zack Crockett and CB Brian Kelly was there to break it up. The Raiders settled for Sebastian Janikowski's 40-yard field goal and a 6-3 lead.
Bucs' ball…
The Bucs' next drive opened at their own 30, and QB Brad Johnson's first pass was incomplete, a slant attempt to WR Bill Schroeder. However, Johnson and Schroeder more than made up for it on second down, when Schroeder worked his way behind the defense for a 54-yard reception. CB Denard Walker caught up with Schroeder to deny the score but the Bucs still were in the red zone, at Oakland's 16.
Still, the Bucs couldn't get it in the end zone. Two incompletions were sandwiched around a four-yard Mike Alstott run. Martin Gramatica followed with a 30-yard field goal try, and the game was tied at 6-6 when his kick went through the uprights.
Raiders' ball…
A 39-yard kickoff return by WR Doug Gabriel gave Oakland a starting spot of their own 39 on the next drive, but an illegal motion penalty pushed the Raiders back five yards.
Collins got the Raiders right back into Tampa Bay territory on the next play. Looking right until the last second, Collins then fired back over the middle to WR Jerry Porter, who picked up 30 yards on the reception, down to the Bucs' 36.
An offsides penalty and a two-yard run by Wheatley gave Oakland a second-and-one at Tampa Bay's 27, and Wheatley's leap over the line was good for three yards and a first down at the Bucs' 24.
The Bucs brought a heavy run blitz on the next play and it was well-timed, as another handoff to Wheatley lost four yards when S Jermaine Phillips met him the backfield. CB Brian Kelly's tight coverage on a slant to Gabriel nearly resulted in an interception and did force Oakland into a third-and-13. Kelly denied that one, too, leaping in front of Porter to knock a deep pass away on the right sideline. Kicking off the infield dirt, Sebastian Janikowski then missed a 46-yard field goal attempt.
Bucs' ball…
The Bucs took over at their own 36 after the miss but ran into serious trouble on the first play. RB Charlie Garner tried to go right with his first-down carry but stayed down after suffering a knee injury while trying to spin. The Bucs' training staff had to bring out a cart to take Garner off the field after a loss of one. Two plays later, on third-and-seven, Johnson tried to go deep to WR Michael Clayton but the pass was broken up by diving S Stuart Schweigert.
Raiders' ball…
Oakland's next drive started at its own 16 and got a quick eight yards on a pass over the middle to TE Courtney Anderson. Two plays later, on third-and-one, Wheatley dove over the middle for a gain of three and a first down at the 28.
A quick reaction by Brooks on a short pass to Wheatley kept the next gain down to three yards, but a 15-yard pass to WR Alvis Whitted moved the chains on the next play, as the two-minute warning arrived.
After the break, Porter caught an 11-yard out on the left sideline, giving Oakland a first down at the Bucs' 43. On the next snap, WR Jerry Rice made an impressive, one-handed catch over the middle for a gain of 18 down to the 25. Three plays later, the Raiders faced a third-and-four at the 19 and ran the perfect play against the Bucs' blitz. Collins threw a receiver screen to WR Ronald Curry and the Raiders had to block only one man out of the play to net a 19-yard touchdown pass.
Bucs' ball…
A 24-yard kickoff return by Torrie Cox to the 35 gave the Bucs a good start and Johnson completed an 11-yard pass to WR Charles Lee on first down. A Johnson scramble put the ball at the Oakland 49 with 38 seconds to go as the Bucs used their second timeout of the half.
Clayton took a slant down to the Oakland 32 but the play was erased by an offensive pass interference call on the receiver. Pushed all the way back to their own 41, the Bucs threw an incompletion and took a sack to kill off the rest of the drive. Johnson fumbled when he was sacked by blitzing corner Charles Woodson, but the Bucs recovered at the 32 as the half came to an end.
Third Quarter Review
Oakland broke open a close game with a 17-point third quarter, extending its lead to 30-6 heading into the final period. CB Phillip Buchanon's interception return for a touchdown keyed the run and Oakland's offense continued to excel. By the end of the third period, Oakland had 371 yards of offense to the Bucs' 190.
Raiders' ball…
Oakland got the ball first in the second half and started at their own 34, with RB Tyrone Wheatley running for four yards on first down. An eight-yard pass to WR Jerry Porter moved the chains. Two plays later, after DE Simeon Rice broke up a pass with a swipe at QB Kerry Collins' arm, Collins found Porter wide open on the left sideline for a gain of 27 yards.
RB Justin Fargas dashed up the middle for 15 yards on the next play but the Raiders were called for holding on following snap. With a first down back at the 22, Fargas tried to get around left end but was caught before he could by CB Ronde Barber. Two plays later, on third-and-10, Collins nearly hit WR Jerry Rice at the goal line, but the pass was just out of Rice's reach. The Raiders settled for Sebastian Janikowski's 40-yard field goal and a 16-6 lead.
Bucs' ball…
The Bucs started their first drive of the quarter at their own 20. FB Mike Alstott powered up the middle for seven yards on first down, then changed directions in time to get four yards on the next snap.
On the next play, QB Brad Johnson faked a handoff to Alstott and tried to hit TE Dave Moore on the left sideline. However, CB Phillip Buchanon saw it coming and cut in front of Moore on the dead run, intercepting the pass and returning it 32 yards for a touchdown. That gave Oakland a 23-6 lead.
Bucs' ball…
After a touchback, the Bucs were back at their own 20. Alstott got nothing up the middle on first down but found the corner on a second-down pitch around left, picking up seven yards. On third-and-three, Johnson had a shot at Clayton on a short pass to the left but threw it low under pressure. A 40-yard punt gave it back to Oakland at the 33.
Raiders' ball…
Two runs by Fargas put Oakland into a third-and-two at the Oakland 41, and the Raiders converted with a screen pass to RB J.R. Redmond that was good for 12 yards, to the Bucs' 47. Collins then found WR Alvis Whitted open over the middle for a gain of 20.
On the next snap, Porter made an incredible catch inside the 10, diving in front of CB Brian Kelly to make a 22-yard catch at the five. The play was challenged by Tampa Bay but upheld.
Wheatley got two yards on first down but a second-down play-action pass to TE Courtney Anderson was well-defended and nearly intercepted by S Jermaine Phillips. The Bucs then stopped RB Amos Zereoue on a third-and-goal sweep, but to no avail as a personal-foul facemask call on Phillips gave Oakland a first down at the two. Wheatley jumped over the pile and into the end zone on the next play, extending Oakland's lead to 30-6.
Bucs' ball…
Cox's 26-yard return gave the Bucs a first down at their own 38, but they quickly faced a second-and-17 after RB Jamel White's three-yard run and a holding penalty. A quick pass to TE Ken Dilger netted 11 yards and Johnson zipped a third-down pass to WR Bill Schroeder for nine yards and a first down just into Oakland territory.
A short pass to Alstott picked up two yards and his sweep right got three more. On third-and-five, a screen to White was out of the back's reach and the Bucs had to punt. However, Oakland jumped offsides on the punt, tacking on five yards. That put the Bucs just inches short of a first down as the third quarter came to an end.
Fourth Quarter Review
The Bucs made a comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, scoring a pair of touchdowns, but a missed field goal and too little time on the clock left the Bucs short. Oakland got the victory, 30-20, improving to 2-1 while the Bucs dropped to 0-3 for the first time since 1996. A late charge by the Bucs' offense gave them 389 yards on the day, while Oakland was able to pile up 399 yards.
Bucs' ball…
The Bucs faced a fourth-and-inches at the Oakland 40 when the fourth quarter began. QB Brad Johnson moved the chains with a quarterback sneak that gained just enough for a down, and Johnson hit WR Tim Brown over the middle for a seven-yard gain on the next snap.
FB Mike Alstott barreled up the middle for six yards to move the sticks, giving the Bucs a first down at the 26. Two plays later, the Bucs faced a third-and-three at Oakland's 19 and appeared to turn in a big play when FB Jameel Cook turned a short out into a 15-yard gain. However, the play was erased by illegal motion, setting up a third-and-eight. Johnson and Brown hooked up again to earn a first down with a 13-yard completion down to the Oakland 11.
After a false start pushed the ball back to the 16, the Bucs finally cracked the end zone. It was Johnson and Brown again, as the long-time Raider receiver went in motion and ran a route right up the middle. Johnson hit him in stride for Brown's 100th career touchdown reception. The Bucs went for two after the touchdown but failed to convert.
Raiders' ball…
A personal foul at the end of the ensuing kickoff return allowed Oakland to start its next drive at its own 48. RB Amos Zereoue got free around left end for a gain of 17 on the first play, but Oakland turned it over on the next snap. QB Kerry Collins tried to hit WR Jerry Porter deep but CB Brian Kelly slid in front of the play and intercepted the pass as he hit the ground. Kelly got up and tacked on a 16-yard return out to the Bucs' 35.
Bucs' ball…
Johnson scrambled for seven yards on first down but Alstott's second-down carry came up a yard short of the sticks. After a third-down pass was incomplete deep down the field, the Bucs went for it on first down, with Johnson hitting TE Dave Moore on a play-action pass for two yards to the Bucs' 46.
Pass interference on the next play gave the Bucs another first down at Oakland's 49. Two plays later, Johnson absorbed a big hit in the backfield but still delivered a 22-yard deep in to WR Bill Schroeder for a first down at the Raiders' 27.
The Bucs faced a third-and-14 three snaps later and it appeared to get worse when the snap was fumbled. However, an offsides penalty on Oakland gave the Bucs five yards and another chance. On third-and-nine from the 26, Johnson was looking over the middle when he was hit as he threw by DE Tyler Brayton. Needing three scores, the Bucs brought on Martin Gramatica to try a 44-yard field goal. Gramatica hit it wide right, keeping the score 30-12 in Oakland's favor.
Raiders' ball…
The Raiders took over on their own 35 with six minutes to play and put the ball on the ground to drain the clock. RB Justin Fargas got just one yard on first down but Zereoue made it around left end again for 15 yards on the next play.
Two more Zereoue runs picked up two yards each. On third-and-six, Collins was chased backward and eventually chose to slide down rather than throw a risky pass, resulting in a 13-yard sack for DE Simeon Rice. The Raiders had to punt and S David Terrell downed the kick at Tampa Bay's seven with 3:22 to play.
Bucs' ball…
Johnson hit WR Michael Clayton for nine yards on first down and pass interference on the next play led to a first down at the Bucs' 21. RB Jamel White got 12 more yards on a middle screen on the next snap and the Bucs got off one more play before the two-minute warning. Johnson's scrambling bought him time to hit Clayton on a deep comebacker for a gain of 26 yards to Oakland's 41.
The Bucs scored on the first play after the break. Schroeder went deep up the middle and, despite good coverage, was able to make a dazzling, diving catch of Johnson's deep pass over the middle for a 41-yard touchdown. The Bucs converted on a two-point try, with Johnson hitting Dilger in the back of the end zone, cutting the Raider lead to 30-20 with 1:48 to play.
Raiders' ball…
The Bucs' onside kick attempt failed, giving Oakland the ball at Tampa Bay's 43. After a false start, RB Tyrone Wheatley gained one yard and the Bucs used their last timeout with 1:44 to play. Wheatley's next two carries netted just two yards total, and the Raiders punted with 11 seconds to play.
Bucs' ball…
A punt into the end zone led to a touchback and a Bucs possession with three seconds to play. With Oakland playing an exaggerated prevent defense, Johnson handed off to Alstott and the big back rumbled upfield for a gain of 32 yards.
