TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Date: Sunday, September 18, 2011
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET (12:00 C.T.)
Site: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (64,111)
2011 Records: Tampa Bay 0-1, Minnesota 0-1
Network Television: FOX
Play-by-Play: Dick Stockton, Analyst: John Lynch
Bucs Radio: US 103.5, flagship station (103.5 FM, 620 AM) Play-by-Play: Gene Deckerhoff, Color: Dave Moore, Sideline: T.J. Rives Last Game: Tampa Bay lost to Detroit, 27-20; Minnesota lost at San Diego, 24-17
Niko’s Roundup- Here we go, week 2, and hopefully the Bucs are a little more prepared for the regular season this week. I didn’t hear Raheem Morris mention it, but I feel the Bucs didnt have anywhere near enough exposure to playing time in the preseason. ALL of the poorly preforming preseason teams continued their ill ways in week 1, while the hot preseason teams kept their pace too; ie Detroit. Atlanta, KC, and yes, Tampa Bay for the most part, struggled to keep up in week 1, and clearly they were out of sync.
That cannot be an issue today, as Josh Freeman got the Bucs flying around on offense in the 4th quarter last week and though it was a case of too little too late, I dont expect a sluggish Bucs team today in the Metrodome. It will be interesting to see the maturation of the defensive line, which one day this year, is going to have their break out game. Question is, which game.
Hopefully for the Bucs, and us the fans, its sooner rather than later.
Expect the Bucs to run the ball today, there will not be less than 18 carries for LeGarrette Blount, and Josh Freeman will hit either Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn, or Kellen Winslow Deep on a play action fake at some point in the late 3rd or 4th quarter. Of course that only works if the running game is working.
The key to the Bucs is shutting down Adrian Peterson. This young D line is going to have its work cut out for it, but good news, Brian Price and Gerald McCoy start at the same time. All we need is Da’quan bowers in there, and the Fab Four will be together.
Prediction; Bucs 17 Minnesota 14
Game Day Downloads…
ALL TIME SERIES
The Buccaneers have won seven of the last ten and four consecutive meet- ings with Minnesota, but the Vikings lead the all-time series 31-20. Tampa Bay also owns an 8-1 record over the last nine games played in Tampa. The series started in 1977, when Tampa Bay joined the NFC Central Division. Minnesota won, 9-3, at Tampa Stadium in 1977 before the Bucs upset the Vikings, 16-10, at Metropolitan Stadium in 1978. That win was just the third in franchise history and the first against a divisional opponent. Tampa Bay also won, 12-10, at the Met the following year en route to its first division title, breaking Minnesota’s six-year run as NFC Central champs. The Vikings won 10 of 12 contests from 1984-1989, but the series has tightened up in recent years. Tampa Bay and Minnesota split the season series in the final nine years (1993-2001) the two teams were in the NFC Central. The Bucs’ 41-13 decision in 2000 was the most lopsided victory for Tampa Bay in the long series; Minnesota’s most dominant win came in a 45-13 win in 1986. Tampa Bay posted 41 points in consecutive home wins against the Vikings in 2000 and 2001 and scored 38 points in the 2002 meeting, a 38-24 win. Tampa’s 24-13 victory at Minnesota in 2005 and 19-13 victory at Tampa in 2008 made it four-in-a-row over the Vikings.
SERIES BY THE NUMBERS…
Overall Regular Season Series:…………….Minnesota leads series, 20-31
Home Record vs. Minnesota Vikings: …………………………………. 13-13
Road Record vs. Minnesota Vikings: …………………………………….7-18
Current Streak:……………………………Buccaneers, four games (2001-08)
Buccaneers Longest Streak:…………………………. Four games (2001-08)
Vikings Longest Streak:…………..Five games, three times (last 1991-93)
Regular Season Point Total:………………Buccaneers 910 – Vikings 1,093
Most Points, Buccaneers:………. 41, twice, last Buccaneers 41-13 (2000)
Most Points, Vikings: ………………………………. 49, Vikings 49-20 (1988)
Most Points, both teams: …………………………. 69, Vikings 49-20 (1988)
Fewest Points, Buccaneers: …………………………. 0, Vikings 15-0 (1993)
Fewest Points, Vikings:………………………………….9, Vikings 9-3 (1977)
Fewest Points, both teams: ………………………….12, Vikings 9-3 (1977)
LAST GAME RECAP-
Detroit 27, Tampa Bay 20 (Sept. 11, 2011) TAMPA – Despite a strong fourth-quarter perfor- mance, during which the Buccaneers threatened to tie the game, putting up 187 yards to the visiting Detroit Lions’ 17, the home club was unable to over- come a slow first half, ending with a score of 27-20. Detroit drove the ball to the Tampa Bay four-yard line on the game’s opening drive, but the Bucca- neers’ red-zone defense held strong, and the Lions settled for a K Jason Hanson field goal. On the en- suing kickoff, WR Sammie Stroughter escaped tack- lers and found open field, running the ball 78 yards to the Detroit 21. QB Josh Freeman was sacked on third-and-five, however, and the Buccaneers opted to tie the score with a field goal of their own. Tampa Bay’s defense made several big efforts on the fol- lowing Detroit drive, as LB Quincy Black forced a fumble out of bounds on the first play of the drive, and then, two plays later, CB Aqib Talib intercepted QB Matthew Stafford. Talib returned the interception 28 yards for a touchdown, the second interception return for a touchdown of his career. The Lions then made their way downfield into the Buccaneers’ red zone, but were held, again, to another field goal. Af- ter trading punts to begin the second quarter, the Buccaneers drove to midfield, but, on a deep pass to WR Arrelious Benn, Freeman was intercepted by CB Chris Houston in the end zone for a touchback. Detroit made the most of this change in fortune, and Stafford ended the drive with a 36-yard touchdown pass to WR Calvin Johnson. The Lions’ lead then ex- panded, as, following a Buccaneers punt, the visiting team found the end zone yet again after Stafford hit TE Tony Scheffler for a 20-10 score. With less than two minutes to go before halftime, the Buccaneers drove down to the Detroit 13, ending the half at 20- 13 following a 31-yard K Connor Barth field goal. The Buccaneers spent the second half running their two- minute offense, but only really started rolling in the fourth quarter, after the Lions had tacked on anoth- er seven points in the third quarter with Johnson’s second touchdown reception of the day. On the first Tampa Bay drive of the fourth quarter, Freeman led the team deep into Detroit territory, but, on fourth- and-one from the 11, RB Earnest Graham was held to no gain. But Freeman would not be denied on the next Buccaneers possession, and again led his team into scoring position, this time zeroing in on WR Mike Williams, who made an athletic grab at the back of the end zone. With the score at 27-20, Tampa Bay attempted an onside kick, but the ball was recovered by Detroit’s Johnson. The Buccaneers forced the Li- ons to punt, and gained possession of the ball with 1:07 left on the clock. The offense moved the ball into Detroit’s territory but simply ran out of time before being able to score and force overtime.
LAST MEETING
Tampa Bay 19, Minnesota 13 (Nov. 16, 2008) TAMPA – Tampa Bay defeated its former division rival Minnesota to improve to 5-0 at home, mark- ing the best start at home in franchise history. The Buccaneers defense stifled the NFL’s leading rusher, RB Adrian Peterson, limiting him to just 85 yards on 19 carries. It was the ninth time in 10 games this season that Tampa Bay held the opposing team with- out a 100-yard rusher and a rushing touchdown. The Buccaneers also recorded a season-high five sacks on the afternoon. The teams traded first-quarter field goals before Minnesota took a 10-3 lead on a QB Gus Frerotte to WR Bobby Wade four-yard touch- down pass with 13:33 left in the first half. The teams again traded field goals on the next two drives as the Vikings took a 13-6 lead into halftime. On the first drive of the second half, Tampa Bay drove inside the Vikings 20-yard line but consecutive holding pen- alties forced the Buccaneers into a second-and-25 from the Minnesota 32-yard line. QB Jeff Garcia then hit TE Jerramy Stevens deep down the middle for a 31-yard gain to the Vikings one-yard line. On the next play, FB B.J. Askew tied the game at 13-13 on a one-yard touchdown run, the first of his career. K Matt Bryant hit his third of four field goals on the day following a drive that consumed 8:52 of the clock at the start of the fourth quarter for Tampa Bay’s first lead of the game. On the ensuing kickoff, S Will Allen forced a fumble and Tampa Bay recovered at the Minnesota 26-yard line. Seven plays later, Bryant tacked on the game’s final points to give the Bucca- neers a 19-13 advantage with 3:30 remaining. Min- nesota had two final drives to attempt a comeback, but the first ended on downs and in the final drive, DE/DT Jimmy Wilkerson sacked Frerotte and forced a RB Chester Taylor fumble that the Buccaneers re- covered on successive plays.
INDIVIDUAL SINGLE GAME HIGHS
WHAT TO LOOK FOR-
– CB Ronde Barber
• With 26.0 career sacks, Barber needs one more to surpass Broderick Thomas (26.5 sacks, 1989-93) for seventh-most sacks in team history.
– RB Earnest Graham
• Graham has 15 rushing touchdowns with the Buc- caneers and needs one more to pass Lars Tate (15 from 1988-89) and tie Ricky Bell (16 from 1977-81) for the seventh-most rushing touchdowns in team history.
– TE Kellen Winslow
• Winslow has 10 receiving touchdowns with the Buccaneers and needs one more to tie Calvin Magee and Alex Smith (11 touchdowns from 1985-88 and 2005-08, respectively) for the third-most receiving touchdowns by a tight end in team history.
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