Buccaneers vs. Cleveland Browns

LOSS - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 06 Cleveland Browns 22

Former quarterback Vinny Testaverde, now with the Cleveland Browns, was ready for revenge in his first game and win against his former Buccaneers.

Offensively, Tampa Bay found the scoreboard just once - on a fourth-quarter 2-yard run by Errict Rhett (23 carries for 89 yards) - but the Buccaneers did move the football, not producing points, between the 20s with 78 and 66 yard drives that produced a blocked field goal and an end zone interception by cornerback Don Griffin. After a 10-play 80-yard drive, that included a couple sacks, Dilfer was confronted to convert a third-and-35 situation with a 38-yard pass to Courtney Hawkins to move the chains. The Buccaneers played well on third downs, converting 8 of 14 (57 percent).

the Buccaneers special teams failed against the Browns. A botched punt snap by long snapper Ed Brady set up the Browns' second 23 yard field goal by Matt Stover. Burnett block a Michael Husted 22-yard field-goal attempt costing Tampa Bay much needed points and moral boost. McCardell's second touchdown, a 32-yarder that came with 16 seconds remaining in the first half made it 19-0. McCardell (six catches for 79 yards).

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GAMEDAY BRIEF

OFFICALS

• REFEREE: Ed Hochuli
• UMPIRE: Neil Gereb
• LINE JUDGE: Dave Anderson
• SIDE JUDGE: Laird Hayes
• HEAD LINESMAN: George Hayward
• BACK JUDGE: Jim Poole
• FIELD JUDGE: Ron Spitler
• REPLAY OFFICIAL: not documented

SCORING

• BROWNS: 14:11-2Q Stover FG43
• BROWNS: 10:47-2Q Stover FG23
• BROWNS: 01:14-2Q McCardell 6 pass from Testaverde (PAT missed)
• BROWNS: 00:16-2Q McCardell 6 pass from Testaverde (Stover kick)
• BUCCANEERS: 13:52-4Q Rhett 2 run (2 pt attempt failed)
• BROWNS: 07:05-4Q Stover FG20

STARTERS OFFENSE

• WR: #88 H. Copeland
• LT: #74 P. Gruber
• LG: #70 C. McRae
• C: #61 T. Mayberry
• RG: #62 I. Beckles
• RT: #76 S. Dill
• TE: #81 J. Harris
• WR: #80 L. Dawsey
• QB: #12 T. Dilfer
• RB: #32 E. Rhett
• FB: #83 D. Moore

STARTERS DEFENSE

• LDE: #72 C. Ahanotu
• LDT: #77 M. Wheeler
• RDT: #99 W. Sapp
• RDE: #75 E. Curry
• LLB: #51 L. Marts
• MLB: #56 H. Nickerson
• RLB: #55 D. Brooks
• LCB: #45 T. Stargell
• RCB: #39 C. Dimry
• SS: #47 J. Lynch
• FS: #22 T. Everett

SUBSTITUTIONS

• 1 Roby, 5 Husted, 11 Weldon, 21 McGruder, 26 Abraham, 27 Bussey, 28 Buckley, 29 Gant, 37 Ellison, 41 Edmonds, 44 Booty, 52 Rouse, 53 Brady, 54 Stephens, 60 Pyne, 69 Pierson, 71 Dotson, 73 Culpepper, 85 Hawkins, 86 Armstrong, 87 Thomas, 93 DuBose, 95 Powe

DID NOT PLAY

• none.

INACTIVE

• 15 Philcox, 25 Johnson, 35 Mayhew, 65 Ingram, 67 Sullivan, 81 Davis, 82 Harper, 94 McIntosh

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING

• BUCCANEERS: Rhett 23-89, Dilfer 2-12, Roby 1-0.
• BROWNS: Hoard 13-44, Hunter 7-15, Testaverde 5-9, White 6-2.

PASSING

• BUCCANEERS: Dilfer 36-20-255-2-0.
• BROWNS: Testaverde 27-17-256-0-2.

RECIEVING

• BUCCANEERS: J Harris 8-95, Hawkins 3-67, Dawsey 2-36, Copeland 2-22, Rhett 2-6, Thomas 1-16, Ellison 1-14, Moore 1-(-1).
• BROWNS: McCardell 6-79, Alexander 3-92, Byner 3-30, Hartley 2-25, Rison 2-18, Hoard 1-12.

INTERCEPTIONS

• BUCCANEERS: none.
• BROWNS: Moore 1-19, Griffin 1-0.

KICK RETURNS

• BUCCANEERS: Edmonds 5-87.
• BROWNS: Hunter 2-27.

PUNT RETURNS

• BUCCANEERS: none.
• BROWNS: McCardell 1-9.

SACKS

• BUCCANEERS: Powe 1-3.
• BROWNS: Pleasant 2-10, Banks 1-10, Moore 1-8, McKenzie 1-5, Footman 1-4, Burnett 0.5-4, Frederick 0.5-4.

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