Bucs top Vikes in OT

The Bucs came into enemy territory playing a winless but hungry Viking squad. Things didn't start out well for Tampa as their starting QB Brad Johnson was sidelined with a nagging groin injury. In his spot was Shaun King and King did not look sharp early. In fact neither team set the world on fire as we sludged our way through a scoreless first quarter. Finally King got some semblance of continuity marching the Bucs 51 yards on 11 plays where Mike Alstott would barrel in for a 2 yard score and a 7-0 Tampa lead. King would only complete one pass on the drive but had a key 9 yard scramble on 3rd and 4 to extend the drive. From there the Minnesota Vikings would dominate the rest of the quarter. Daunte Culpepper threw for one score and ran another one in and Minnesota had the lead, 14-7. The Vikings then tried an onside kick catching the Bucs off guard but Tampa would recover giving them excellent field position with only :55 seconds remaining in the half. A 29 yard pass completion to Michael Pittman moved Tampa to the Viking 15 yard line but that's where the drive would stall. Gramatica kicks the field goal and it's 14-10 Minnesota at the half.

With Shaun King not being able to find consistency Jon Gruden decided to go with Rob Johnson to start the second half. And that decision paid off almost immediately as Johnson guides the Bucs 84 yards in 12 plays where Michael Pittman would scamper in from 4 yards out. The Bucs now led it 17-14 and we were headed for the 4th quarter. Early in the quarter Gary Anderson would tie the game back up with a 41 yard field goal. But the Bucs were resilient as they drove right back down where Martin Gramatica would give them back the lead with a 21 yard field goal. Minnesota was running out of time and it looked like with 4:28 remaining they were running out of luck as well. Daunte Culpepper is picked off by Dwight Smith giving Tampa the ball at Minnesota's 36. Time to celebrate, right? Wrong. Two plays later Rob Johnson throws an ill advised pass that Robert Griffith picks off and returns 19 yards to Tampa's 48 yard line. Now with 3:24 remaining they had a shot to at least tie this game. And tie it they did as Culpepper dinks and dunks the Vikings down inside the Tampa 15 where Gary Anderson evened things up with a 30 yard chip shot. We were headed for overtime.

In the OT neither team did much with their first opportunities but Tampa really found themselves in trouble with their second possession. On a 2nd and 11 Rob Johnson is hauled down at the 1 yard line by John Burrough. After a short completion Tampa was forced to punt from the shadow of their own end zone. Troy Walter's would get a solid return and Minnesota started at Tampa's 37 yard line. Three plays later and Gary Anderson came on to try and end things. BLOCKED! Tampa blocks the punt and now have great field position of their own starting at Minny's 46. On the very first play Rob Johnson play fakes to Pittman and airs it deep for McCardell who gathers it in and races untouched into the end zone. The Bucs win in dramatic fashion.
--submitted by Barry Smalley--