2000: Eagles Defeat Bucs in NFC Wild Card Playoff Game

The Philadelphia Eagles were back in the playoffs for the first time in four years as they hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a NFC Wild Card playoff game on December 31, 2000. In their second season under Head Coach Andy Reid, the Eagles had gone from 5-11 to 11-5 and finished second in the NFC East. QB Donovan McNabb (pictured above) was the key to the offense with his passing and running ability. The ground game had suffered since RB Duce Staley went down with a foot injury in the fifth week, and ex-Seattle and Dallas RB Chris Warren joined the club late in order to try and upgrade the position for the postseason. Key players on the opportunistic defense were DE Hugh Douglas, MLB Jeremiah Trotter, and FS Brian Dawkins. Following an uneven start, Philadelphia was hot coming into the postseason, having won six of its last seven games.

Tampa Bay was coached by Tony Dungy and placed second in the NFC Central at 10-6. A strong defense was the key to the club’s recent success and was especially adept at pressuring opposing quarterbacks. All-Pro DT Warren Sapp accounted for 16.5 sacks and DE Marcus Jones another 13. The offense was conservative and keyed by the ground game that featured the running back tandem of Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott. But WR Keyshawn Johnson was talented, QB Shaun King was unexceptional. The Buccaneers also had difficulty playing in weather under 40 degrees, and they faced temperatures in the thirties with a wind chill that made it seem much colder in Philadelphia.

There were 65,813 fans present on a chilly night at Veterans Stadium. The teams exchanged punts through a scoreless first quarter. On their first possession of the second quarter, the Buccaneers advanced into Philadelphia territory for the first time. Shaun King completed passes to Warrick Dunn for 12 yards, Keyshawn Johnson for 14, and Mike Alstott for eight yards, after which Alstott ran for 18 yards to the Philadelphia 17. The drive stalled at the 11 and Martin Gramatica kicked a 29-yard field goal for the first points of the game.

The Eagles had to punt following their next possession but got the ball back at the Tampa Bay 15 when King fumbled while being sacked by Hugh Douglas and DE Mike Mamula recovered. It was the culmination of a series in which the Philadelphia defense pushed the Buccaneers back nine yards on two running plays. Four plays later, Donovan McNabb ran up the middle for a five-yard touchdown. David Akers added the extra point to give the Eagles a 7-3 lead.

The Bucs punted again and, after RB Brian Mitchell returned the kick 16 yards, the Eagles had the ball at their 31 with 1:43 remaining in the first half and drove 69 yards in eight plays. McNabb completed back-to-back passes to Mitchell for 13 and 11 yards and, following an incompletion, it was Mitchell running for six yards and then grabbing another pass for nine yards to the Tampa Bay 30. McNabb connected with WR Charles Johnson for 25 yards and with WR Na Brown in the end zone for a five-yard TD (pictured below) with 12 seconds remaining on the clock. Akers again kicked the point after to give Philadelphia a 14-3 halftime lead.

The Eagles had the first possession in the third quarter and put together a long drive. McNabb completed seven passes, none longer than nine yards, and Chris Warren had a pair of seven-yard runs. But Philadelphia came up empty when Akers missed a 36-yard field goal attempt.

The Buccaneers again had to punt and, in a series that stretched into the fourth quarter, the home team advanced 57 yards in 10 plays, helped along by a pass interference call on the Bucs. McNabb threw to TE Jeff Thomason for a two-yard touchdown, Akers converted, and the Eagles held an 18-point advantage.

Following another Tampa Bay punt, the Buccaneers got the ball back when CB Donnie Abraham intercepted a McNabb pass at the Philadelphia 47. King passed to TE Dave Moore for nine yards on first down, but an offensive pass interference penalty moved the visitors back ten yards on the next play, and while a throw to WR Reidel Anthony gained back six yards, two more passes fell incomplete and the Bucs turned the ball over on downs.

The Eagles were able to run almost four minutes off the clock as Warren carried on every play, gaining 27 yards on five carries before being tossed for a three-yard loss on third down at the Tampa Bay 35. Sean Landeta’s punt pinned the Bucs back at their six, but three plays later King passed to Keyshawn Johnson for a 41-yard gain to midfield. But once again the visitors had to give up the ball on downs, this time at the Philadelphia 21, in what proved to be their last gasp with 3:50 left on the clock. The Eagles were able to run out the clock behind Warren’s running and won by a final score of 21-3.

Philadelphia led in total yards (277 to 199), first downs (20 to 11), and time of possession (34:53 to 25:07). The Eagles rushed for 126 yards while the defense held Tampa Bay to just 50 yards on 19 attempts. They also recorded four sacks to two by the Buccaneers. Each team turned the ball over once.

Donovan McNabb completed 24 of 33 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. He also ran the ball eight times for 32 yards and a TD. Chris Warren (pictured below) rushed for 85 yards on 22 carries, much of that as the team controlled the ball in the fourth quarter. Charles Johnson and Brian Mitchell each caught a team-leading five passes, for 47 and 37 yards, respectively. Mitchell averaged 12.7 yards on his three punt returns.

For the Buccaneers, Shaun King was successful on 17 of 31 throws for 171 yards with no TDs or interceptions. Keyshawn Johnson caught 6 passes for 106 yards. But Mike Alstott gained 42 yards on 7 carries and Warrick Dunn was held to only one yard on 8 attempts, although he had five pass receptions for 28 yards.

The first win for the Eagles in the postseason under Coach Reid, of an eventual 10, was followed by a loss to the division-rival New York Giants in the Divisional round. They reached the NFC Championship game following the 2001 season. Tampa Bay was 9-7 in ’01, qualified for the playoffs once more as a Wild Card, and again lost at Philadelphia in the first postseason round.

1998: Alstott & Dunn Spur Bucs to Upset of Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings were undefeated at 7-0 as they took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 1, 1998. Head Coach Dennis Green’s team had a high-octane offense directed by 35-year-old QB Randall Cunningham, who had taken over for the injured Brad Johnson and impressively resurrected his career. Rookie WR Randy Moss was sensational across from veteran WR Cris Carter and RB Robert Smith made for a good ground attack as well.

The Buccaneers were at 3-4 and had already lost badly to the Vikings in the season’s opening week. Under Head Coach Tony Dungy, they were a formidable defensive team, ranked third in the league thus far, that had been having difficulties on offense, failing to reach the end zone against the Saints in a 9-3 loss the previous week. Running backs Mike Alstott (pictured above) and Warrick Dunn made for a productive combination, but QB Trent Dilfer, coming off of a Pro Bowl year in ’97, was inconsistent. 

There were 64,979 fans in attendance at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Buccaneers took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards in 13 plays. Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott ran effectively and Trent Dilfer threw to Dunn twice, once for 14 yards in a third-and-four situation. Dunn finished the series off with a 10-yard carry around end for a touchdown. Michael Husted added the extra point and Tampa Bay was ahead by 7-0.

In response, the Vikings came out throwing. Randall Cunningham connected with Randy Moss for 11 yards on first down and then went to TE Andrew Glover for a gain of 30 yards to the Tampa Bay 35. The eight-play, 76-yard drive ended with Robert Smith running up the middle for a nine-yard TD. Gary Anderson added the point after to tie the score.

With Alstott running three straight times for 13 yards and Dunn catching a pass for another 13, the Bucs were driving as the first quarter ended. Alstott added a 21-yard carry to the Minnesota 22 and he and Dunn continued to chip away. Dilfer passed to WR Reidel Anthony for a 12-yard touchdown and, with Husted’s conversion, the 13-play drive that covered 80 yards had the home team back in the lead by 14-7.

The Vikings started the next possession from their own 10 yard line thanks to a penalty on the kickoff return, but still managed to keep the scoring parade going with a 90-yard drive that took 12 plays. Cunningham immediately threw to WR Jake Reed for 28 yards, the first of four completions during the series. Minnesota converted two third downs and a fourth down along the way before Cunningham threw long to Reed for a 44-yard TD on a third-and-19 play. Anderson’s PAT was successful and the game was again knotted at 14-14.

There was 4:16 remaining in the first half as the Buccaneers started their next series. Dilfer completed a pass to WR Bert Emanuel for 15 yards while facing third-and-eight and Dunn had a 50-yard run to the Minnesota 13. An offensive pass interference penalty nullified an apparent touchdown pass to Dunn, but the Bucs came away with points on a 29-yard Husted field goal.

With the clock now down to 36 seconds, Cunningham went to the air and completed three straight passes, the longest to Moss for 41 yards. Anderson capped the first half scoring with a 44-yard field goal and the tally was 17-17 at halftime. Thus far, neither team had punted or turned the ball over. Dunn (pictured below) already had 80 rushing yards and Alstott had contributed 50.

The pattern of long drives ending with scores continued in the third quarter as the Vikings advanced 75 yards in nine plays. Cunningham had passes to Glover for 25 yards and Reed for 32. The series ended with a short Cunningham toss to Reed for a one-yard TD. Anderson’s extra point put the visitors ahead by 24-17.

The Bucs moved methodically down the field in response. Alstott had a 15-yard run and Dilfer completed a pass to Anthony for 16 yards, but the drive bogged down inside the Minnesota 10 and, facing fourth-and-goal at the five, Dilfer’s throw intended for Anthony was knocked away and incomplete.

The Vikings had the ball as the contest entered the final period. Cunningham completed four passes, but after reaching their own 36, another throw that came as he was hit hard by LB Al Singleton was intercepted by LB Derrick Brooks, who returned it 25 yards to the Minnesota 23. The Buccaneers went three-and-out but came away with a 38-yard field goal by Husted to narrow the Vikings’ lead to 24-20.

Minnesota was forced to punt following the next series, which was the first of the game with ten minutes to go in regulation. The big play in stopping the Vikings came when CB Ronde Barber sacked Cunningham, who had eluded Brooks, on third down. The Bucs came away with good starting field position at the Minnesota 43. Dilfer connected with Anthony for a gain of 17 yards and Dunn followed up with a nine-yard run. Alstott lost a yard, but Dilfer converted a third-and-two situation with a three-yard carry. A pass into the end zone was deflected away, and then Dunn ran for nine yards and Alstott finished off the seven-play possession with a six-yard touchdown. Husted added the point after and Tampa Bay was ahead by three.

There was 5:48 left on the clock, plenty of time for the quick-striking Vikings. A Cunningham pass to Cris Carter was flagged for offensive pass interference and a sack by DT Brad Culpepper forced Minnesota to have to punt once again. The Vikings never got the ball back as the Buccaneers, behind the running of Alstott, controlled it for the remaining three minutes of the game. Alstott ran for a 37-yard gain and game-clinching first down and the Buccaneers won by a final score of 27-24.

Tampa Bay had the edge in total yards (378 to 340), with a franchise-record 246 yards gained on the ground, and in first downs (22 to 18). The Buccaneers, who also ran far more plays than Minnesota (63 to 46), never punted or turned the ball over, and gave up no sacks. The Vikings accounted for the game’s lone turnover and gave up two sacks, all of which proved costly. They also were held to just 17 yards and scored no points in the fourth quarter, which proved to be decisive.

Both Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn gained over a hundred yards running, the first time in Tampa Bay’s team history that two players had done so in the same contest. Alstott gained 128 yards on 19 carries that included a touchdown and Warrick Dunn had 115 yards on 18 attempts that also contained a TD. In addition, Dunn caught four passes for 49 yards. Trent Dilfer was 11 of 22 for 132 yards through the air, with a touchdown and no interceptions. Reidel Anthony topped the club with 5 pass receptions for 65 yards and a score.

For the Vikings, Randall Cunningham (pictured at right) was outstanding as he was successful on 21 of 25 throws for 291 yards and two TDs while giving up one interception. Jake Reed had his biggest game of the year as he caught 6 passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns while Randy Moss and Cris Carter were comparatively quiet, catching two passes for 52 yards and two for 13, respectively. Robert Smith ran for 46 yards and a TD on 13 carries and had 5 receptions for 28 yards.

“We had to score every time we got the football, and we were able to do that except for once,” said Trent Dilfer. “That’s the kind of game we had to play.”

“They throw the ball as well as anyone’s thrown it in the last 10 or 12 years,” said Tampa Bay’s Coach Dungy regarding the Minnesota offense. “We felt our zone could make some plays, but they ripped up our zone in the first half.”

The Buccaneers went on to lose their next three games before rallying to take four of their last five on the way to an 8-8 finish that placed third in the NFC Central. Minnesota didn’t lose again for the remainder of the regular season, topping the entire conference at 15-1 while setting a NFL record by scoring 556 points. However, it all ended in disappointment with an overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game.

Warrick Dunn gained 1370 yards from scrimmage, with 1026 on 245 rushing attempts (4.2 avg.) and 344 yards on 44 pass receptions. Mike Alstott gained 846 yards on 215 carries (3.9 avg.) and received first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl honors.

Highlighted Year: Mike Alstott, 1997

Fullback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Age: 24 (Dec. 21)

2^nd season in pro football & with Buccaneers

College: Purdue

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 244

Prelude:

Alstott rushed for a school-record 3635 yards at Purdue, with a season high of 1436 in 1995, and also scored 42 touchdowns (39 rushing, three receiving). He was chosen by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft and rushed for 377 yards on 96 carries as a rookie while catching 65 passes for 557 more yards. He split time with RB Errict Rhett, but had a new backfield mate in ’97 in rookie RB Warrick Dunn, creating a highly effective tandem.

1997 Season Summary

Appeared and in 15 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 176

Most attempts, game – 18 (for 95 yds.) vs. Miami 9/21

Yards – 665

Most yards, game – 95 yards (on 18 carries) vs. Miami 9/21

Average gain – 3.8

TDs – 7 [13, tied with eight others]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 23      

Most receptions, game – 4 (for 20 yds.) vs. Miami 9/21, (for 34 yds.) at Green Bay 10/5

Yards – 178

Most yards, game – 50 (on 3 catches) vs. San Francisco 8/31

Average gain – 7.7

TDs – 3

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 1

Yards – 0

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 10 [12, tied with Jamal Anderson, Corey Dillon & Raymont Harris]

Points – 60

Postseason: 2 G

Rushing attempts – 18

Most rushing attempts, game – 11 vs. Detroit, NFC Wild Card playoff

Rushing yards – 89

Most rushing yards, game – 68 vs. Detroit, NFC Wild Card playoff

Average gain rushing – 4.9

Rushing TDs – 2

Pass receptions – 1

Pass receiving yards – 12

Average yards per reception – 12.0

Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: AP

Pro Bowl

Buccaneers went 10-6 to finish second in the NFC Central and qualify for the postseason as a Wild Card. Won NFC Wild Card playoff over Detroit Lions (20-10). Lost NFC Divisional playoff to Green Bay Packers (21-7).

Aftermath:

Alstott followed up with consensus first-team All-NFL selections in 1998 and ’99, rushing for a career-high 949 yards in the latter year. While not a particularly good blocker, he provided a power-running alternative to Dunn and was named to six straight Pro Bowls. His running style led to injuries that lowered his production from 2000 on, although he remained effective between the tackles and a good receiver out of the backfield. A neck injury limited Alstott to five games in 2003 and, in his last four years, he didn’t carry the ball more than 67 times or gain more than 230 yards, although he was still useful in spots. Overall, in an 11-year career that was spent entirely with the Bucs, Alstott ran for 5088 yards on 1359 carries (3.7 avg.) and caught 305 passes for 2284 more yards (7.5 avg.), scoring a franchise-record total of 71 touchdowns. He gained another 341 rushing yards, with seven TDs, and 161 pass receiving yards on 21 catches in the postseason. Alstott received first-team All-NFL honors three times in addition to the six Pro Bowl selections.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970