Buccaneers vs. San Diego Chargers 
LOSS - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 00 San Diego Chargers 23
The San Diego Chargers got 16 first downs, compared to 5 for the Buccaneers.
Chargers players and coaches praised the Buccaneers’ defense, who held them to 9 points until the final three minutes of the game, saying that they played the equivalent of five quarters.
Three Tampa Bay quarterbacks completed a combined 3 of 8 passes for −4 yards. Buccaneers receiver Bob Moore said, “We’re at rock bottom now...but if we start pointing a finger, we’ll go 0–14”. The Chargers finished with 325 yards of offense to the Buccaneers’ 125.
Inconsistent blocking was blamed for the offensive problems, a situation that was not helped by the injury to tackle Dave Reavis. Mercury Morris, who had been picked up on waivers by the Chargers from the Miami Dolphins after the Buccaneers’ preseason game against the Dolphins, commented that the difference in Buccaneers’ offensive line protection between the two games was like watching two different teams.
The Buccaneers’ lack of speed was also noticeable.
The loss marked the first time since 1961 that a professional football team was shut out in the first two games of the season, when the Oakland Raiders were shut out by the same two teams in the same order.
GAMEDAY BRIEF
OFFICALS
- REFEREE: Fred Wyant
- UMPIRE: Tom Hensley
- LINE JUDGE: Don Orr
- LINESMAN: Leo Miles
- FIELD JUDGE: Fred Swearingen
- BACK JUDGE: Jack Steffen
SCORING
- CHARGERS: 07:01-1Q Fritsch FG48
- CHARGERS: 03:23-2Q Fritsch FG48
- CHARGERS: 08:57-4Q Fritsch FG22
- CHARGERS: 02:55-4Q Young 46 run (Fritsch kick)
- CHARGERS: 02:37-4Q Hayes 37 interception return (Fritsch kick)
STARTERS OFFENSE
- WR: #89 J. McKay
- LT: #75 D. Reavis
- LG: #72 H. Fest
- C: #73 J. Ward
- RG: #67 T. Alward
- RT: #74 M. Current
- TE: #86 B. Moore
- WR: #83 L. McGriff
- QB: #11 S. Spurrier
- RB: #35 J. DuBose
- RB: #26 C. Davis
STARTERS DEFENSE
- LE: #78 C. Rudolph
- LT: #76 D. Pear
- RT: #63 L. Selmon
- RE: #66 P. Toomay
- LLB: #58 C. Peterson
- MLB: #52 S. Reese
- RLB: #58 J. Peterson
- LCB: #40 M. Washington
- RCB: #46 D. Reece
- LS: #33 M. Cotney
- RS: #28 K. Stone
SUBSTITUTIONS
- 4 Green, 5 Roder, 13 Lawrence, 18 Dickinson, 19 Johnson, 21 Blahak, 32 Carter, 42 Oliver, 43 Williams, 44 Moore, 51 Ryczek, 53 Ball, 54 Wood, 56 Cooper, 61 Selmon, 64 Robinson, 71 Young, 77 Little, 82 Pagac, 88 Smith
DID NOT PLAY
- 80 Novak
INACTIVE
- 25 Jordan, 27 Davis, 30 Gunn, 50 Kearney, 79 Wilson
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
- BUCCANEERS: Dickinson 3-54, Williams 11-44, Johnson 5-23, Carter 3-8, DuBose 1-2, Spurrier 1-1, CDavis 7-0, M Moore 2-(-3).
- CHARGERS: Woods 19-64, Young 13-85, Fouts 2-13, Matthews 6-27, Scarber 1-6.
PASSING
- BUCCANEERS: Spurrier 10-3-13-0-0, Lawrence 5-0-0-2-0, Dickinson 3-0-0-1-0.
- CHARGERS: Fouts 21-14-154-0-0.
RECIEVING
- BUCCANEERS: B Moore 2-17, MMoore 1-(-4).
- CHARGERS: Young 4-31, Joiner 3-59, Owens 2-26, Woods 2-7, Curran 1-14, Dorsey 1-14, Matthews 1-3.
INTERCEPTIONS
- BUCCANEERS: none.
- CHARGERS: Hayes 1-37, Goode 1-26, Lowe 1-8.
KICK RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: C.Davis 2-45, M.Moore 2-34, Reece 1-30, Cooper 1-22.
- CHARGERS: Fuller 1-19.
PUNT RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Reece 2-31, M.Moore 2-18.
- CHARGERS: Fuller 8-105.
SACKS
- BUCCANEERS: J.Peterson 1-10, L.Selmon 1-6, Toomay 1-6.
- CHARGERS: Johnson 1-9, Lee 1-8.
