In Tampa, It’s Pewter-Perfect Holiday Scene

TAMPA, Fla. â€”  The Buccaneers, that’s the long lost Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are only two more victories away from playing in the Super Bowl after a 20-10 win over the Detroit Lions, yet there is no indication the world is about to end.

Sunday’s wild-card playoff game concluded, and the Buccaneer fans, seldom seen here in such large numbers, refused to leave Houlihan Stadium. Some jumped over the wall, a nice change from so many who contemplated leaping off higher edifices during the previous 18 years of despair.

Mounted police surrounded the goal posts to keep fans from rushing forward and pulling them down, while players like Brad Culpepper, Warren Sapp and John Lynch ran around the field waving huge Pewter Pirate banners. Fireworks filled the sky, and Tampa Bay tackle Paul Gruber, who has experienced more defeats than any other player in the NFL the last 10 years, stood rooted at the 15-yard line, his eyes darting to every part of the stadium in an effort to soak it all in.

“It gave me goose bumps,� said Tampa Bay running back Mike Alstott, a fourth grader in Joliet, Ill., the last time the Buccaneers played in a postseason game. “I was so excited I didn’t want to leave; in fact, I came from the locker room and back on the field because the people wouldn’t leave; they were going nuts.�

The last time the Buccaneers made the playoffs, they did so because of an NFL strike and an abbreviated season.

“It’s been a long time and there’s been a lot of suffering,� Tampa Bay linebacker Hardy Nickerson said. “It’s a moment to really appreciate.�

The Buccaneers, winning their first playoff game since 1979 and playing their first postseason game in Tampa since losing to the Rams in the NFC championship game in 1980, earned a trip to Lambeau Field next Sunday to play the Green Bay Packers.

Party pooper alert: Green Bay has won 26 in a row and the Buccaneers are 0-16 in games played below 40 degrees.

“Hey, Green Bay’s better than we are right now,� said Tampa Bay’s Trent Dilfer, who was worse than just about any quarterback in the NFL before Coach Tony Dungy’s arrival two years ago. “That’s not to say with a week’s preparation, and being as physical as they are, we can’t go up there and beat the defending Super Bowl champions.�

There will be no more football for the Lions this season, winners of five of their last six games before designing a game plan to further enhance Tampa Bay’s dramatic turnaround. Ignoring Barry Sanders, who became only the third player in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards this season, the Lions let their fortunes ride from the outset on Scott Mitchell’s arm.

“You have to love their offensive coordinator,� crowed Sapp, both stunned and thrilled by Detroit’s decision to hand the ball to Sanders only 18 times.

Mitchell, hit in the head by the shoulder pads of Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks while diving for yardage in the final minute of the third quarter with Tampa Bay ahead, 20-0, suffered a concussion. Team physicians, who a week ago worked to save the life of linebacker Reggie Brown on the field after suffering a neck injury which stopped his breathing, reacted with caution and strapped Mitchell to a stretcher and transported him to a local hospital, where he was to remain overnight for observation.

“It looked kind of bleak when Mitchell got hurt; it was like last week again,� Detroit linebacker Steve Boyd said. “But when we found it was just precautionary what they were doing with him, we felt we could still come back and pull it off.�

Mitchell, who began the day with fewer touchdown passes than Dilfer--21-19--and more interceptions--14-11--continued to disappoint while ignoring wide receiver Herman Moore, the NFL’s season leader in catches with 104.

Mitchell completed 10 of 25 passes for 78 yards before Frank Reich came on to connect on 11 of 15 passes for 129 yards, setting up the Lions’ only touchdown, a one-yard plunge by Tommy Vardell. Moore finished with four catches for 44 yards.

“I guess we just didn’t want to win,� said a puzzled Moore.

The Buccaneers, embracing the weeklong hoopla here for the wild-card game, pounced on the Lions for a 13-0 halftime lead, while limiting Sanders to 15 yards in six carries. Alstott’s bully run up the middle for a 31-yard touchdown on the team’s first possession in the second half thrilled fans, who were willing to pay more than $300 to scalpers for tickets priced at $56.

“I have chills right now I’m so excited,� said Brooks, a key contributor to Tampa Bay’s defense which was rated No. 3 in the NFL. “What an awesome feeling.�

The Buccaneers, on a mission to purge themselves of their reputation as the league’s biggest losers, have won 16 of their last 27 regular-season games, and their first playoff game under Dungy.

“We’ve come a long way from starting 0-5 last year,� said Dungy, passed over by countless teams before catching General Manager Rich McKay’s attention, but only after failed attempts to hire Jimmy Johnson. “I’m proud of our guys for hanging in there, and it’s a special feeling, knowing our fans have been waiting 18 years. It doesn’t get much better than this.�

With a trip to Green Bay in January up next for Tampa Bay, it probably will not get much better than this for the Buccaneers, but still they dream.

“One of our goals this season was to catch up with Green Bay and beat them,� Lynch said. “And now we have another opportunity to get the job done.�

If Minnesota upsets San Francisco and the Buccaneers, who lost to the Packers 21-16 in Green Bay and 17-6 here, shock the world with a win over the defending Super Bowl champions, the NFC championship game will be played at Tampa Bay and sports fans everywhere will require smelling salts.

“We were hoping Minnesota would win, because we wanted to go to Green Bay,� said Culpepper, obviously swept away by the afternoon’s emotion. “We have a lot of monkeys yet to get off our back, and we’ve played the Packers fairly well. Who knows?�

And next, the Apocalypse.