Buccaneers vs. Denver Broncos

LOSS - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23 Denver Broncos 27

Dilfer completed 12 of 30 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown, but had an interception returned 69 yards for a score by defensive back Tyrone Braxton.

Buccaneers tailback Reggie Brooks, making his first start since being claimed off waivers from Washington in the preseason, gained 114 yards rushing on 15 carries and scored a touchdown. Linebacker Derrick Brooks, who recorded 19 tackles - 18 of them solo - and intercepted quarterback John Elway.

The Buccaneers managed to keep Elway in check, intercepting him twice and allowing just 186 yards through the air. But all the real John Denver had to do was hand off as the Broncos shredded the Buccaneers defense for 194 yards on the ground.

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GAMEDAY BRIEF

OFFICALS

• REFEREE: Ron Blum
• UMPIRE: Bob Wagner
• LINE JUDGE: Dale Orem
• SIDE JUDGE: Howard Slavin
• HEAD LINSMAN: Bob McGrath
• BACK JUDGE: Al Jury
• FIELD JUDGE: Kirk Dornan

SCORING

• BRONCOS: 03:32-1Q Braxton 69 interception return (Elam kick)
• BUCCANEERS: 01:22-1Q Husted FG24
• BRONCOS: 09:53-2Q Elam FG45
• BUCCANEERS: 05:00-2Q Brooks 8 run (Husted kick
• BUCCANEERS: 00:03-2Q Husted FG35
• BRONCOS: 08:34-3Q Elam FG20
• BRONCOS: 03:18-3Q Miller 17 pass from Elway (Elam kick)
• BUCCANEERS: 01:57-3Q Harper 40 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick)
• BUCCANEERS: 11:43-4Q Husted FG28
• BRONCOS: 03:22-4Q Davis 3 run (Elam kick)

STARTERS OFFENSE

• WR: #80 A. Harper
• LT: #70 J. Odom
• LG: #60 J. Pyne
• C: #61 T. Mayberry
• RG: #62 I. Beckles
• RT: #79 D. Riesenberg
• TE: #81 J. Harris
• WR: #85 C. Hawkins
• QB: #12 T. Dilfer
• TE: #83 D. Moore
• FB: #40 M. Alstott

STARTERS DEFENSE

• LE: #75 E. Curry
• LT: #77 B. Culpepper
• RT: #97 T. Jackson
• RE: #73 R. Upshaw
• LLB: #51 L. Marts
• MLB: #56 H. Nickerson
• RLB: #55 D. Brooks
• LCB: #35 M. Mayhew
• RCB: #39 C. Dimry
• SS: #47 J. Lynch
• FS: #25 M. Johnson

SUBSTITUTIONS

• 5 Husted, 6 Barnhardt, 21 Abraham, 23 Bouie, 29 Gant, 34 Thompson, 37 Ellison, 41 Brooks, 43 Johnson, 45 Legette, 50 Gooch, 68 Crisman, 69 Pierson, 71 Adams, 78 Jones, 86 Williams, 87 Silvan, 89 Ryans, 91 Smith, 93 DuBose, 99 Sapp

DID NOT PLAY

• 11 Weldon, 64 Diaz

INACTIVE

• 13 Milanovich, 27 Austin, 54 Stephens, 74 Gruber, 72 Ahanotu, 82 Tate, 84 Thomas, 90 Maniecki

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING

• BUCCANEERS: Brooks 15-114, Dilfer 2-14, Alstott 2-3, Thompson 2-3, Hawkins 1-(-13).
• BRONCOS: Davis 22-137, Craver 11-53, Elway 4-3, Hebron 2-1.

PASSING

• BUCCANEERS: Dilfer 30-12-200-1-1.
• BRONCOS: Elway 34-25-180-2-1.

RECIEVING

• BUCCANEERS: Harris 5-96, Harper 2-77, Alstott 2-20, Hawkins 1-6, Ellison 1-3, Brooks 1-(-2).
• BRONCOS: iller 7-60, Craver 5-26, Sharpe 4-30, Davis 4-23, McCaffrey 2-21, Hebron 2-14, Carswell 1-6

INTERCEPTIONS

• BUCCANEERS: Brooks 1-6, Abraham 1-1.
• BRONCOS: Braxton 1-69.

KICK RETURNS

• BUCCANEERS: Silvan 5-150.
• BRONCOS: Hebron 2-58, Jeffers 1-18.

PUNT RETURNS

• BUCCANEERS: Silvan 2-2.
• BRONCOS: Kinchen 4-6.

SACKS

• BUCCANEERS: none.
• BRONCOS: Williams 2-14.

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