December 23, 2001 - week 15
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints NFL football DVD
TAMPA, FLORIDA - The New Orleans Saints will not look forward to facing Brad Johnson, Mike Alstott and Ronde Barber twice a season.
After Aaron Stecker opened the game with an 86-yard kickoff return, Johnson threw for three touchdowns and Alstott rumbled through, over and around the Saints as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers built a 30-point halftime lead en route to a 48-21 victory.
The explosion matched a franchise high for points set in a 48-10 win by Tampa Bay over the Atlanta Falcons on September 13, 1987.
Barber had three interceptions to set a team single-game record, including one he returned 36 yards for a touchdown.
"It was real fun. I was in position to make a couple of plays," said Barber, who is tied with Cleveland Browns rookie Anthony Henry for the league lead in interceptions with nine. "It was an overall effort and we were able to create some turnovers and it was our type of game."
In a matchup of teams that will move to the NFC South next season, this game will likely go a long way towards determining the third and final NFC wild card berth.
The win was the fourth in five games for the Buccaneers (8-6), who moved a game ahead of New Orleans (7-7).
"A lot of the guys knew the seriousness of this situation," Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy said. "We kept our intensity and did a great job."
The Saints were coming off a Monday night loss to the St. Louis Rams and did not appear ready to play, much to the dismay of coach Jim Haslett, who could only shake his head in exasperation.
"We were bad all around, in all three phases, but we have to give credit where credit is due," Haslett said. "We didn't run well and we didn't tackle well. They beat us in every phase today. They scored right away, we threw an interception, and we never had a chance."
"I think we took advantage of a Monday night hangover," said Dungy, who improved to 12-1 at home in December.
The Bucs were breathing fire after they were embarrassed at Chicago last week and annihilated the Saints in the first half, totaling 269 yards and 15 first downs to just 34 yards and one first down for the Saints.
Johnson threw for 165 yards and two scores in the half while New Orleans' Aaron Brooks passed for just 33 yards and was intercepted three times.
The Bucs rushed for 104 yards in the half, with Alstott gaining 69 on 14 carries. Using his 248-pound frame to bounce off tacklers, Alstott bulled through linebacker Kevin Mitchell on his one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
"It was just an all-around great day," Alstott said. "The guys up front did a heck of a job against a very, very good defensive line and they did not give up a sack."
Alstott finished with 101 yards on 24 carries for his second 100-yard game of the season.
New Orleans' Ricky Williams was a non-factor. He rushed for only seven yards on five carries in the first half and finished with 26 yards on 10 carries.
The lone negative for Tampa Bay was an injury to kicker Martin Gramatica, who converted four field goals but strained his right hamstring kicking an extra point in the fourth quarter.
"We're not sure if it is tweaked or a cramp," Gramatica said. "I felt it the most on a kickoff. There was no sense going back in and injuring it. It feels fine now and I will be ready for Saturday (against Baltimore)."
Gramatica's younger brother, Bill, tore his right anterior cruciate ligament while celebrating a field goal in a game last week.
Tampa Bay has the advantage of playing its final three games at home, but must contend with the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles in the final two weeks.
"We need to crank the power and mash the gas," said Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp, who played Sunday with a bruised shoulder. "We are in control of our destiny now."
This was the final road game for the Saints, who close the season with home games against Washington and San Francisco.
"It's not over yet," said Saints receiver Joe Horn, who caught two touchdown passes. "We have to hope that Tampa Bay slips a notch. I'm not going to hang my head right now because if and when we get into the playoffs, everyone is back to 0-0."
Stecker set the tone for this game when he returned the opening kickoff 86 yards -- the longest in club history -- to the New Orleans 14. Stecker broke numerous tackles on the return and ran through punter Toby Gowin before he was taken down by Michael Lewis.
"It wasn't necessarily the return itself, it was the attitude during the return," Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks said. "He could have had an 86-yard return without getting touched, but it was Aaron breaking tackles, it was guys finishing their blocks. It was just the whole nature of the return, to me, was an attitude."
Two plays later, Karl Williams caught a short pass from Johnson, eluded a tackle by cornerback Kevin Mathis and turned it into a 14-yard touchdown 1:06 into the game.
"The opening kickoff set the tempo of the game," said Johnson, who was 16-of-31 for 207 yards. "Today, we put a lot of pressure on the Saints offensive and defensive lines. We had a lot of good things happen."
"You talk a lot in games like this about tempo setters, Aaron Stecker did a real good job on the kickoff return," Bucs safety John Lynch said. "He let the Saints know we were coming to play today. Plays like that lift the whole team. It lifted the electricity in the stadium and we kept it going on defense."
On the Saints' first possession, Brooks threw a pass over the middle that was picked off by Barber and returned 15 yards to the New Orleans 12. Four plays later, Alstott outmuscled Mitchell at the goal line and scored on a one-yard run 4:50 into the game.
After a three-and-out for New Orleans, the Bucs put together a 12-play, 85-yard drive which resulted in a 20-yard field goal by Gramatica with 3:38 left in the quarter. Tight end Dave Moore caught passes of 29 and 22 yards to highlight the drive.
The 17 points in the quarter was one more than the Bucs scored in the opening quarters of their first 13 games.
Following two more three-and-outs, the Bucs increased their lead to 20-0 on a 24-yard field goal by Gramatica with 7:05 left in the second quarter.
The Saints finally managed their first first down when Brooks hit Horn with an 18-yard pass with 7:05 left in the second quarter. That was their only first down of the half.
Johnson connected with running back Warrick Dunn on a 17-yard touchdown with 1:07 left in the half, capping an eight-play, 80-yard drive.
After the ensuing kickoff, Brooks was picked off by safety Dexter Jackson, who returned it 29 yards to the New Orleans 16. Gramatica kicked a 32-yard field goal with 14 seconds left in the half to cap the 30-point half.
"When you're behind 30 points it's hard to get back in the game," Brooks said.
Brooks threw three second-half touchdown passes, including passes of 11 and 10 yards to Joe Horn and a 16-yarder to tight end Boo Williams.
Brooks completed 21-of-38 for 248 yards, but was intercepted four times.
Johnson threw a four-yard touchdown to Moore with 9:03 remaining and Barber scored his fourth career touchdown with two minutes left to complete the rout.
Tampa Bay's Keyshawn Johnson caught just two passes for 41 yards, increasing his season total to 102 receptions.
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