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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- The NFL's last unbeaten team went down
without a whimper.
|  | | Warren Sapp sacks Daunte Culpepper to force a fumble, which led to the Bucs' first TD. |
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended Minnesota's bid to remain perfect
Sunday, routing the Vikings 41-13 to stop their longest losing
streak since 1996 and maybe save a season of great expectations.
"It's been so long since we've had a win ... It cures so many
things," safety John Lynch said. "I don't care what you say, when
you've lost four straight, the confidence sags a little."
It was the second time in three years Minnesota brought a 7-0
record to Raymond James Stadium only to leave with a loss. But the
Vikings didn't hang their heads.
"We're 7-1. We're not discouraged at all. We're disappointed,"
coach Dennis Green said. "It's not the first time any of us has
lost. That's part of the game. You don't like it. Everybody would
love to be undefeated, but it didn't work out that way."
Playing with renewed vigor on defense and breaking out of a
month-long offensive funk, the Bucs (4-4) scored on their first
five possessions and shut down the high-scoring Vikings to win for
the first time since beating Detroit to go 3-0.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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This was a game Tampa Bay had to have. The Bucs started the season with
three wins, then lost four straight, and they needed this win today to get
themselves back into the NFC Central and wild-card race.
The Bucs jumped all over the Vikings from the outset and put forth a
dominating effort from start to finish.
Tampa Bay fans have been waiting for quarterback Shaun King to have a breakout
game -- and today was that game. King threw a career-high four touchdown
passes. Keyshawn Johnson (six
receptions, 121 yards, one touchdown) also stepped up big for the Bucs.
Tampa Bay ran the ball effectively as well. This was by far the Bucs' best
offensive performance of the season.
As an indication of just how dominant they were, the Bucs did not punt once
in this game.
The Bucs' defense, meanwhile, put continuous pressure on Vikings quarterback
Daunte Culpepper and forced
him into some mistakes (two interceptions). The Vikings also lost a fumble.
Today the Bucs looked like a championship-caliber football team, which is
what people expected of them this year.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director
of football operations.
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Shaun King threw for a career-high four TDs, Keyshawn Johnson
had his first 100-yard receiving day for Tampa Bay and Derrick
Brooks scored on a 34-yard interception return. The Bucs also
ruined a homecoming of sorts for the Vikings' Daunte Culpepper, who
grew up in nearby Ocala and played in college at Central Florida.
The victory ended Tampa Bay's longest losing streak since it
started 0-5 in 1996, Tony Dungy's first season as coach. The Bucs
beat Minnesota to stop that skid and are 5-5 against the Vikings
under Dungy.
"Tony made a statement to us (Saturday night). We've played
them evenly for a long time and they just don't have any respect
for us. They really feel like they're that much of a better ball
club than us," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "Tony said he's
looked at a lot of film over the years and there's no way you can
convince him that that team is better than us. He told (us) to envision
yourself being the one making the play ... I think we all took that
to heart."
Sapp sacked Culpepper, forcing a fumble that set up Tampa Bay's
first touchdown. The defense, overworked during the team's losing
streak because the offense couldn't move the ball, also had two
interceptions and added two sacks to a league-leading total of 37.
Johnson finished with six receptions for 121 yards, including a
9-yard TD catch in the first quarter. King, who was 16-of-23 for
261 yards and no interceptions, also threw scoring passes of 23
yards to Warrick Dunn, 20 to Dave Moore and 16 to Reidel Anthony.
The Vikings, winners of 10 consecutive regular-season games
dating back to last December, were limited to Randy Moss' 7-yard
touchdown catch and two field goals by Gary Anderson, all in the
first half when the Bucs controlled the ball for nearly 22 minutes.
Moss was ejected with 1:54 remaining for making contact with
field judge Lloyd McPeters after a third-down incompletion in the
end zone.
"I don't think I did anything wrong," said Moss, who grabbed
McPeters by the arm to get the official's attention. "I touched
his arm with my hand. He turned around and said, `Hey!' He was just
waiting to blow up on somebody ... It was like two friends touching
each other, like a handshake or something."
King threw 74 passes in losses to the Vikings and Detroit Lions
in the previous two games, raising questions about depending on the
second-year quarterback. But it was the defense and King's pinpoint
passing that set the tone Sunday.
The Bucs scored on all four of their first-half possessions and
on Brooks' interception return to build a 31-13 lead. It could have
been worse for the Vikings if not for a successful replay
challenge.
Sapp, the 1999 defensive player of the year, stripped the ball
from Culpepper, fell on it on the ground and then got up and
lumbered 37 yards to Minnesota 8, where Culpepper wrestled down the
303-pound tackle.
The Vikings, trailing 14-3 at the time, challenged, contending
Culpepper's arm was moving forward. Referee Phil Luckett ruled it
an incomplete pass and Minnesota retained possession at the Bucs
48.
Eight plays later, Moss leaped and stretched at an awkward angle
to make a one-handed catch over Ronde Barber. That finished a
13-play, 82-yard march accounting for nearly seven minutes of the
8:07 Minnesota had the ball in the half.
The Bucs held the ball for the first 8:35 of the third quarter
and scored on Martin Gramatica's 26-yard field goal. The game's
first punt, by the Vikings, occurred five minutes later.
"They were a hungry team, but it's not about them,"
Minnesota's Robert Smith said. "I still think we're a better team
than they are. We just didn't play up to their level today."
Game notes
Tampa Bay didn't punt for the first time since beating the
Vikings 27-24 on Nov. 1, 1998. It was Minnesota's only
regular-season loss that year ... Tampa Bay tied a team record with
31 points in the first half ... The Bucs didn't fumble or throw an
interception after having 13 turnovers during the losing streak ...
Culpepper finished 29 of 53 for 313 yards.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Minnesota Clubhouse
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
Moss ejected for touching official in Vikes' loss
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Warren Sapp was part of the Bucs' defense that made big plays against the Vikings.
wav: 185 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Dennis Green and the Vikings are still focused on a championship.
wav: 84 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Keyshawn Johnson explains what worked for the Bucs on Sunday against Minnesota.
wav: 125 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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