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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Tampa Bay fans must be wondering why it took
the Buccaneers so long to bench Trent Dilfer.
The embattled quarterback delivered his second solid performance
since returning to the lineup after a one-week absence, throwing
for 270 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 17-10 victory over the
Kansas City Chiefs.
|  | | Jacquez Green hauls in a 52-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, giving the Bucs a 17-3 lead. |
Dilfer was benched three games ago, ending a streak of 72
consecutive starts after the Bucs (5-4) stumbled to a 3-3 start
while ranking 29th in the NFL in passing and averaging just 13
points.
He regained the job last week because Eric Zeier is injured and
has been a different player, leading the team to its two highest
yardage totals of the season and throwing for five TDs vs. one
interception in two victories.
"It was ugly. I get benched after a win. You know: 'Can we win
another game? Dilfer stinks. They can't score any points,' " Dilfer
said. "The only way you can get through it is being enthusiastic,
enjoying preparation, enjoying one another. I think that's
something we've done."
The sixth-year pro threw for three touchdowns with no
interceptions as Tampa Bay scored a season-high 31 in a win at New
Orleans. Against the Chiefs (5-4), he was 17-of-27 and threw a long
TD pass to Jacquez Green for the second week in a row.
"I think the last two weeks he's had fun. Part of that may be
when you sit out a week you realize how much you do miss it," said
Bucs coach Tony Dungy, who had declared the switch to Zeier as
permanent.
"He was very fired up on the sideline, and he's been fired up
all week. He's playing very loose and relaxed. I think our whole
team is starting to play that way."
Green scored on a 52-yard reception, giving the Bucs a 17-3
third-quarter lead, and finished with seven catches for a
career-high 164 yards. Dave Moore caught a 35-yard TD pass in the
second quarter.
Kansas City pulled within a touchdown on Elvis Grbac's 50-yard
pass to Joe Horn with 10:40 remaining, however an inability to make
the most of six Tampa Bay's turnovers ultimately cost the Chiefs.
Safety Reggie Tongue forced three fumbles before recovering one
by Mike Alstott with Tampa Bay driving and looking to put the game away with just over two minutes to go.
Grbac was 7-for-9 passes for 66 yards to move the Chiefs from
his own 20 to the Bucs 13 with 28 seconds to go. The threat ended
two plays later, though, when Tampa Bay's Hardy Nickerson
intercepted a throw intended for Tony Gonzalez in the end zone.
"I got greedy," said Grbac, who finished 23-of-38 for 202
yards, one TD and one interception. "I made a mistake and it cost
us the game ... It's disappointing to get all those turnovers, and
great field position, and not get points out of it."
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GAME NOTES |
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Kansas City running back Bam Morris was inactive for the
game.
Tampa Bay limited the Chiefs to 5 yards passing in the
first half, breaking the franchise record of 6 in the second half
of a loss to Chicago in 1979.
Jacquez Green beat Chiefs cornerback Eric
Warfield on a 54-yard catch in the fourth quarter as well as his long TD reception.
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Dungy wasn't sure what to make of Tampa Bay's generosity, which
included five fumbles and an interception.
"We talked about it before the game -- if we made mistakes,
don't worry about it. I guess they took me literally," the coach
said. "It's unbelievable that you could win with that many
turnovers and that many chances to put them away and not do it."
Alstott lost three fumbles and Dilfer and Warrick Dunn each left
the ball on the ground once for Tampa Bay. Chiefs cornerback James
Hasty intercepted a pass in the end zone to stop a Tampa Bay threat
in the first half.
"You don't want to play a mistake-filled game ... But when you
do, if you can make the plays to overcome them, you can still
win," Dilfer said. "We had the mentality today, offensively, that
we were going to make enough plays to overcome our mistakes."
The Bucs led 10-3 at the half, despite not taking advantage good
field position and two turnovers by the Chiefs.
They failed to score after Warren Sapp sacked Grbac and
recovered a fumble at the Chiefs 21, then settled for Martin
Gramatica's 25-yard field goal when Derrick Brooks picked Donnell
Bennett's fumble and returned it 4 yards to the Kansas City 13 just
before halftime.
The interception Grbac threw on Kansas City's last drive was his
first in four games. The Chiefs lead the NFL with a turnover ratio
of plus-17, but fell to 1-4 on the road compared to 4-0 at home.
"This is a tough loss," coach Gunther Cunningham said. "I'm a
firm believer in plus-turnovers ... We get this many, we should
win."
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Kansas City Clubhouse
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
Week 10 wrap-ups
Week 10 infirmary report
TJ's Take: Colts riding high
PrimeTime Players
Week 10 stats leaders
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