Buccaneers vs. Chicago Bears

LOSS - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 09 Chicago Bears 44

A season-high crowd of 60,003 showed up to watch what turned out to be the Buccaneers' worst defeat in Tampa Stadium history.

Walter Payton was held short of his seventh consecutive 100-yard-rushing game, but scored two touchdowns. Jim McMahon threw touchdowns to Dennis McKinnon, Willie Gault, and Brad Anderson. Dennis Gentry contributed a five-yard touchdown run, and Bob Thomas kicked a field goal. Gerald Carter had his first 100-yard receiving game for the Buccaneers, catching 10 passes for 109 yards.

The Buccaneers were called for 11 penalties in the first half alone, including a pass-interference call on Jeremiah Castille that set up Payton's second touchdown. The play-calling was criticized, particularly a failed handoff to Wilder on fourth-and-1 in the first quarter, at the Buccaneer 45-yard line. The early deficit forced the Buccaneers into a passing game, which negated Wilder, their best offensive threat.

Several Bears attributed Tampa Bay's penalty-prone play to overagressiveness, possibly motivated by revenge due to McKinnon's career-ending hit on Mike Washington in the season opener. They also noted that the Buccaneer defense played very differently without Hugh Green.

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GAMEDAY BRIEF

OFFICALS

• REFEREE: Ben Dreith
• UMPIRE: Ed Fiffick
• LINE JUDGE: Bill Reynolds
• HEAD LINESMAN: Dale Williams
• BACK JUDGE: Don Wedge
• FIELD JUDGE: Ron Spitler
• SIDE JUDGE: Tom Fincken

SCORING

• BEARS: 10:30-1Q Payton 8 run (Thomas kick)
• BEARS: 02:28-1Q Payton 3 run (Thomas kick)
• BUCCANEERS: 10:55-2Q Ariri FG46
• BEARS: 07:15-3Q McKinnon 32 pass from McMahon (kick failed)
• BEARS: 07:47-3Q Gault 10 pass from McMahon (Thomas kick)
• BEARS: 14:46-4Q Thomas FG49
• BUCCANEERS: 06:00-4Q Carter 4 pass from DeBerg (kick failed)
• BEARS: 04:47-4Q Anderson 49 pass from McMahon (Thomas kick)
• BEARS: 01:57-4Q Gentry 5 run (Thomas kick)

STARTERS OFFENSE

• WR: #89 K. House
• LT: #74 G. Sanders
• LG: #72 S. Courson
• C: #50 S. Wilson
• RG: #62 S. Farrell
• RT: #73 R. Heller
• TE: #88 J. Giles
• WR: #82 J. Bell
• QB: #17 S. DeBerg
• FB: #25 S. Dierking
• TB: #32 J. Wilder

STARTERS DEFENSE

• LE: #78 J. Cannon
• NT: #76 D. Logan
• RE: #63 L. Selmon
• LOLB: #57 K. Browner
• LILB: #58 J. Davis
• RILB: #52 S. Brantley
• ROLB: #51 C. Washington
• LCB: #23 J. Castille
• RCB: #21 J. Holt
• LS: #21 J. Holt
• RS: #34 C. Brown

SUBSTITUTIONS

• 2 Ariri, 5 Garcia, 16 Kiel, 20 Morton, 24 Harvey, 27 Acorn, 29 Bright, 41 Thomas, 46 Armstrong, 43 Reece, 54 Wood, 55 Spradlin, 56 Johnson, 59 Thompson, 60 Grimes, 70 Thomas, 71 Braggs, 75 Manor, 79 Kaplan, 81 Dixon, 83 T Bell, 85 Witte, 86 Carroll, 87 Carter

DID NOT PLAY

• 14 Thompson, 53 Green, 65 Jackson

INACTIVE

• none.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING

• BUCCANEERS: Wilder 13-44, DeBerg 2-1.
• BEARS: Payton 20-72, Jordan 2-25, Suhey 5-24, McMahon 6-24, Thomas 2-9, Gentry 2-8, Hutchison 2-7.

PASSING

• BUCCANEERS: DeBerg 39-24-288-1-1.
• BEARS: McMahon 18-12-219-0-3, Payton 1-1-42-0-0.

RECIEVING

• BUCCANEERS: Carter 10-109, House 5-61, Giles 4-63, T.Bell 2-26, Wilder 2-12, Dixon 1-17.
• BEARS: Payton 3-25, McKinnon 2-51, Moorehead 2-40, Gault 2-27, Anderson 1-49, McMahon 1-42, Dunsmore 1-20, Saldi 1-7.

INTERCEPTIONS

• BUCCANEERS: none.
• BEARS: Frazier 1-14.

KICK RETURNS

• BUCCANEERS: Morton 5-108, Bright 3-58.
• BEARS: Cameron 1-22, Bell 1-17.

PUNT RETURNS

• BUCCANEERS: Bright 2-24.
• BEARS: Fisher 2-35.

SACKS

• BUCCANEERS: Cotney 1-1.
• BEARS: Dent 3-29, Hartenstine 2-11, Fencik 1-1.

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