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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Martin Gramatica and Warren Sapp ensured
there would be no fourth-quarter magic for Green Bay.
|  | | Tampa Bay defensive tackle Warren Sapp knocked Brett Favre from the game and then chased his backup, Matt Hasselbeck, all over the field. |
Sapp knocked Brett Favre out of the game and Gramatica,
nicknamed "Automatica" in college, extended his streak of
consecutive field goals to 12 with fourth-quarter kicks of 54 and
51 yards as Tampa Bay beat the Packers 20-15 Sunday.
"We made it tough on ourselves in the third quarter when we
disappeared a little bit on offense and did some crazy things on
defense," Sapp said. "But we knew we had the resolve and the
know-how, and we've got one hell of a kicker."
The victory was the third straight for Tampa Bay (6-4), which
has sandwiched a pair of three-game winning streaks around a
four-game skid that left the team with an uphill battle to
successfully defend its NFC Central title.
Favre sprained his left foot when he was sacked by Sapp midway
through the third quarter and did not return. Ryan Longwell kicked
field goals of 52, 42 and 45 yards for the Packers (4-6), who took
a 15-14 lead when Favre's backup, Matt Hasselbeck, tossed a 27-yard
touchdown pass to Bubba Franks on a fake field goal play.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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Question on the Packers: What are the Packers' chances of making the
playoffs?
Donahoe: The Packers' loss today will make it very difficult for them
to get back in the playoff hunt. Brett Favre is questionable for
next week after sustaining an ankle injury today, just the latest in a
series of injuries that have hurt the Packers. The biggest injury has
probably been to running back Dorsey Levens, because he is such
an integral part of what the Packers want to do. The Packers face an uphill
climb in terms of the playoffs, but after today their chances don't look
very good.
Question on the Buccaneers: Are the Bucs playing the best football in
the NFC right now?
Donahoe: The Bucs got off to a great start this year and then hit
about a three-week lull where they had a tough time putting together a
complete game. Many people wanted to blame the offense, but it was a
total-team issue. Over the past few weeks, the Bucs have started to become
the team that many expected them to be. Quarterback Shaun King is getting it done and
Warrick Dunn is becoming a
go-to runner, while Keyshawn
Johnson is making plays. The defense has also stepped up; the Bucs have
one of the best past rushes in the NFL. If Tampa Bay hasn't been playing the
best football in the NFC, they're on the short list -- and it looks like the
Bucs could do some damage come playoff time.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director
of football operations.
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"That was odd, real odd," Sapp said of the injury to Favre,
whose streak of 135 consecutive starts -- an NFL record for
quarterbacks -- may be in jeopardy.
"I've always said he's a warrior. But tonight we got him out of
the ballgame. It bettered our chances of winning this game, no
doubt about that. I would've hated to see him in there with that
ball, and that kind of field position, doing the things he can
do."
Favre's 43-yard pass to Antonio Freeman, who made an improbable
falling, on-the-back catch, beat Minnesota in overtime last Monday
night. But without him, the Packers only made two first downs after
Tampa Bay took the lead for good with 10:20 remaining.
Shaun King threw TD passes of 5 yards to Keyshawn Johnson and 19
yards to Reidel Anthony. Tampa Bay struggled to move the ball in
the second half, but King did march the team into position to
regain the lead 17-15 on Gramatica's 54-yard kick.
The Bucs forced Ahman Green to fumble to set up the 51-yarder
that gave the Bucs breathing room with 6:50 left.
Favre limped off the field, carrying his left shoe, and was
later taken to the locker room on a cart with his foot wrapped in
ice. He completed 14 of 25 passes for 117 yards and no
interceptions.
"I anticipate him to be out for at least next week and maybe
longer," Packers coach Mike Sherman said. "It's too early to
tell. He's not able to walk at the present time, so I anticipate
him to be out for a little bit."
Tampa Bay has played so well on special teams that instead of
introducing the offense or defense before the game, coach Tony
Dungy elected to let the specialties unit run onto the field to the
roar of the crowd of 65,621.
Far from perfect in the kicking game, the Bucs nevertheless
seemed to draw energy from a series of plays that contributed to a
14-3 halftime lead, beginning with an 86-yard punt return for a
touchdown that was nullified by offsetting penalties.
The Bucs defense, meanwhile, kept the Packers from getting into
into the end zone despite a 12-yard punt, a botched onside kick
play and Allen Rossum's 32-yard punt return that helped the Packers
dominate field position much of the first three quarters.
Tampa Bay special teams coach Joe Marciano was so upset by the
play of the unit at one point that he went into a tirade on the
sidelines and pushed one of his players.
Freeman, meanwhile, drew a costly penalty for knocking the ball
out of an official's hand after a third-down incompletion in the
second quarter. The unsportsmanslike conduct call forced Longwell
to attempt a 53-yard field goal that he missed.
Game notes
Tampa Bay's Randall McDaniel appeared in his 200th game.
He's fourth among active NFL linemen in games started (198) and
second in consecutive games started (180) behind Tennessee's Bruce
Matthews (208) ... Longwell's second field goal was the 100th of
his career and made him the most accurate kicker in NFL history
with an .840 percentage ... Favre lost for just the fourth time in
17 regular-season starts against the Bucs.
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ALSO SEE
Green Bay Clubhouse
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
Week 11 wrap-ups
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