Dickey and Packers Whitewash the Bucs, 21-0

GREEN BAY, Wis. —  Two amazing things about Green Bay’s 21-0 victory in a snowstorm Sunday was that Packer quarterback Lynn Dickey, despite the blizzard, completed 22 of 36 passes for 299 yards, and that 19,856 showed up for the game.

Twelve inches of snow fell before the game and another four fell during the game. The temperature was about 30 degrees with winds gusting to 40 miles per hour. The wind chill factor was close to zero.

Dickey, who passed for 371 yards in a snowstorm at Denver last season, said the key is to not think about the weather. “Just grip the football tight and throw the best you can,” he said.

Tampa Bay Coach Leeman Bennett said: “They did not let the snow get to them. Lynn threw the ball just great. If the weather conditions hadn’t been this bad, we would have been beaten much worse.”

Green Bay running back Gerry Ellis, who rushed 9 times for 101 yards, including 35 for a touchdown, said: “It was 85 degrees in Tampa, and they come up here and the snow’s blowing. I know they’re not used to that. It’s kind of an advantage for us.”

The Packers rolled up 512 yards, while Tampa Bay was held to 65. James Wilder managed only 23 yards in 12 carries.

The Packers’ touchdowns came on a one-yard dive by Dickey in the second quarter, Ellis’ 35-yard run on the Packers’ first possession of the second half and a three-yard run by Jessie Clark in the fourth quarter.

Buccaneer quarterback Steve Young threw for just 11 yards, completing 8 of 17 passes with an interception.

The turnout of 19,856 was the lowest since Lambeau Field opened in 1957. There were 36,586 no shows and 485 tickets unsold.

A high school band that was to perform at halftime couldn’t get to the stadium because of the storm. Instead, snow blowers provided the entertainment in trying to clear off some of the snow.

Sunday’s snowfall set a Green Bay record for the date.

The shutout was the first for the Packers in 125 games over eight years. The last shutout, in 1977, also was against Tampa Bay.