Buccaneers vs. Los Angeles Rams 
LOSS - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 00 Los Angeles Rams 09
POST-SEASON: NFC Championship Game
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one-game away from the Super Bowl
The Los Angeles Rams, who had been hobbled by injuries much of the season, entered the playoffs with the worst record (9–7) of the six division winners. The Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood played the game with a hairline fracture of his left leg, and Vince Ferragamo continued to start in place of the injured Pat Haden.
On the Tampa Bay side of the ball, the Buccaneers lost Lee Roy Selmon and Cecil Johnson with ankle injuries, Doug Williams with a torn bicep, and Wally Chambers with a knee injury. Mike Washington and Dave Lewis also missed part of the game with injuries.
The game was the Rams' second consecutive playoff win against a team that had beaten them decisively during the regular season. Each team had a touchdown called back due to a penalty. The Rams also had a touchdown called back when it was ruled that receiver Preston Dennard did not maintain possession of the ball. The Rams offensive line was intact, unlike in the regular-season matchup. This provided for 216 yards rushing and gave Ferragamo much time to complete passes. Another change from the earlier game was that Wendell Tyler had become the starting halfback for the Rams.
With Tyler's speed enabling the Rams to run outside, the Buccaneers were no longer able to clog the inside lanes with defenders and put the linebackers into coverage on passing downs. The Buccaneers defense's focus on Tyler freed Cullen Bryant to run for 106 yards on 18 carries.
Meanwhile, Buccaneers quarterbacks Williams and Mike Rae were 4–26 on pass attempts. It took until the third quarter for the Buccaneers to even pass midfield, on a halfback option pass from Jerry Eckwood to Larry Mucker.
GAMEDAY BRIEF
OFFICALS
- REFEREE: Pat Haggerty
- UMPIRE: Frank Sinkovitz
- HEAD LINESMAN: Ed Marion
- LINE JUDGE: Dave Hawk
- BACK JUDGE: Pat Knight
- FIELD JUDGE: Dick Dolack
- SIDE JUDGE: Vince Jacob
SCORING
- RAMS: 14:58-2Q Corral FG19
- RAMS: 0:47-2Q Corral FG21
- RAMS: 8:09-4Q Corral FG23
STARTERS OFFENSE
- WR: #81 I. Hagins
- TE: #86 J. Obradovich
- LT: #75 D. Reavis
- LG: #64 G. Horton
- C: #50 S. Wilson
- RG: #61 G. Roberts
- RT: #73 C. Hannah
- TE: #88 J. Giles
- WR: #87 L. Mucker
- QB: #12 D. Williams
- RB: #42 R. Bell
STARTERS DEFENSE
- LE: #60 W. Chambers
- NT: #71 R. Crowder
- RE: #63 L. Selmon
- LOLB: #57 D. Lewis
- LILB: #58 D. Selmon
- RILB: #54 R. Wood
- ROLB: #56 C. Johnson
- LCB: #45 J. White
- RCB: #40 M. Washington
- SS: #33 M. Cotney
- FS: #34 C. Brown
SUBSTITUTIONS
- 6 O'Donoghue, 15 Rae, 16 Blanchard, 25 Jordan, 27 T Davis, 36 Berns, 38 J Davis, 43 Eckwood, 44 Cesare, 46 Reece, 51 Nafziger, 53 Bonness, 55 Brown, 66 Yarno, 74 Sanders, 76 Logan, 77 Kollar, 79 Lewis, 84 Jones, 87 Mucker
DID NOT PLAY
- 14 Fusina, 23 Ragsdale, 69 Austin, 70 Carlton
INACTIVE
- none
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
- BUCCANEERS: Bell 20-59, Mucker 1-24, Eckwood 2-5, J.Davis 2-4, Rae 1-0.
- RAMS: Bryant 18-106, Tyler 28-86, McCutcheon 6-26, Ferragamo 1-(-2).
PASSING
- BUCCANEERS: Williams 13-2-12-1-0, Rae 13-2-42-0, Eckwood 1-1-42-0-0.
- RAMS: Ferragamo 23-12-163-0-0.
RECIEVING
- BUCCANEERS: Hagins 2-42, Mucker 1-42, Bell 2-12.
- RAMS: Bryant 4-39, Dennard 3-56, Young 3-39, Nelson 1-15, Tyler 1-14.
INTERCEPTIONS
- BUCCANEERS: none
- RAMS: Jim Youngblood 1-10.
KICK RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Hagins 4-106.
- RAMS: Hill 1-27.
PUNT RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Reece 2-14, Johnson 1-0.
- RAMS: Brown 6-67.
SACKS
- BUCCANEERS: Cotney 1-10.
- RAMS: Fanning 1-11.
