Buccaneers vs. San Diego Chargers 
LOSS - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14 San Diego Chargers 29
Buccaneer quarterback Vinny Testaverde was sacked six times and hyperextended his left knee late in the first quarter after he was tackled in the end zone for a safety. Testaverde returned from the injury and wound up 19-of-31 for 187 yards and a touchdown while running (limping?) for the Buccaneers other score.
The Buccaneers (4-7) entered the game with defensive end Keith McCants (knee) and defensive tackle Santana Dotson (ankle) playing hurt and without the benefit of practice. The Buccaneers defense had little effect against Chargers running back Marion Butts as he rushed for 104 yards and Ronnie Harmon scoring a touchdown rushing and another receiving. It was Harmon's 6-yard touchdown run with 14 seconds left in the first half that gave San Diego (6-5) an overwhelming 22-7 lead and virtually sealed the Chargers' sixth victory in the past seven games.
That scoring drive was set up when the Bucs failed to convert a third-and-1 situation at their 26. "With exactly two minutes to go in the half, if we make a third down-and-1, we control the ball and that point doesn't get on the board and it's 15-14 in the second half instead of 22-14," Wyche said. "So it would've been a different ballgame."
GAMEDAY BRIEF
OFFICALS
- REFEREE: Red Cashion
- UMPIRE: Dave Hamilton
- LINE JUDGE: Charles Stewart
- SIDE JUDGE: Tom Fincken
- HEAD LINESMAN: Sid Semon
- BACK JUDGE: Dick Creed
- FIELD JUDGE: John Robinson
- REPLAY OFFICIAL: not documented
SCORING
- CHARGERS: 04:06-1Q Harmon 3 pass from Humphries (Carney kick)
- CHARGERS: 03:20-1Q Safety - Mims sacked Testaverde in the endzone
- CHARGERS: 02:13-1Q Carney FG28
- BUCCANEERS: 12:17-2Q Hall 10 pass from Testaverde (Murray kick)
- CHARGERS: 03:27-2Q Carney FG31
- CHARGERS: 00:14-2Q Harmon 6 run (Carney kick)
- BUCCANEERS: 13:28-4Q Testaverde 1 run (Murray kick)
- CHARGERS: 01:12-4Q Humphries 4 run (Carney kick)
STARTERS OFFENSE
- WR: #88 M. Carrier
- LT: #74 P. Gruber
- LG: #66 B. Reimers
- C: #61 I. Beckles
- RG: #70 C. McRae
- RT: #82 R. Hall
- TE: #86 T. Anderton
- WR: #84 B. Hill
- QB: #14 V. Testaverde
- RB: #37 A. McDowell
- RB: #34 R. Cobb
STARTERS DEFENSE
- LE: #98 R. Seals
- NT: #77 M. Wheeler
- UT: #71 S. Dotson
- RE: #52 K. McCants
- LLB: #54 J. Williams
- MLB: #56 R. Burnette
- RLB: #51 B. Thomas
- LCB: #29 R. Reynolds
- RCB: #21 M. Mack
- SS: #23 M. Carter
- FS: #27 D. Fullington
SUBSTITUTIONS
- 3 Murray, 4 Stryzinski, 7 Erickson, 22 Lewis, 24 Jones, 28 Jennings, 31 Pollard, 40 Anderson, 41 King, 46 Ryan, 53 Brady, 55 Brownlow, 57 Chamblee, 58 Tiggle, 59 Alexander, 67 Sullivan, 76 Dill, 78 Mayfield, 80 Dawsey, 83 Parker, 85 Hawkins
DID NOT PLAY
- 17 DeBerg, 33 Royster, 95 Duckens
INACTIVE
- 73 McHale
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
- BUCCANEERS: Cobb 17-73, Testaverde 4-28, Anderson 4-12
- CHARGERS: Butts 22-104, Humphries 2-29, Harmon 4-25, Bienemy 5-23.
PASSING
- BUCCANEERS: Testaverde 29-19-187-0-1, Erickson 6-3-20-0-0.
- CHARGERS: Humphries 28-13-126-0-1.
RECIEVING
- BUCCANEERS: Carrier 7-76, McDowell 4-24, Dawsey 3-44, Hall 3-26, Anderson 2-16, Parker 1-12, Hawkins 1-6, Cobb 1-3.
- CHARGERS: Miller 5-34, Harmon 4-43, Lewis 2-25, Jefferson 2-24.
INTERCEPTIONS
- BUCCANEERS: none.
- CHARGERS: none.
KICK RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Anderson 3-29, Hawkins 1-7.
- CHARGERS: Lewis 3-113.
PUNT RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Hawkins 1-2.
- CHARGERS: Lewis 2-22.
SACKS
- BUCCANEERS: none.
- CHARGERS: Mims 3-18, Grossman 1-9, Seau 1-2, Winter 1-0.
