- Jun 28, 2000
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Buccaneers-Cowboys Preview
Posted 2001-09-07 17:33:32-07
GAME: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6) at Dallas Cowboys (5-11).
TIME: Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT.
After winning three Super Bowls with Troy Aikman in the 1990s, the Dallas Cowboys are now rebuilding with rookie quarterback Quincy Carter.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hoping Brad Johnson, signed in the offseason, can be the quarterback to lead them to their first Super Bowl.
Carter and Johnson hope to give their teams an idea of where they're headed as they meet in their season opener at Texas Stadium.
Carter, who played minor league baseball for two years before playing three seasons of football at Georgia, is Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' hand-picked successor to Aikman.
Dallas, widely criticized for drafting the unheralded 23-year-old Carter in the second round, named him the starter after Tony Banks — signed in the offseason to groom Carter — was released during training camp.
Carter believes all he has to do is get the ball to running back Emmitt Smith, and receivers Joey Galloway and Raghib Ismail and everything will be fine.
"It's not all about me on this team," Carter said. "I'm going to have a lot of guys around me helping me. The only thing I've got to do is go out there and relax."
Dallas went 5-11 last season, as injuries made Aikman miss more games than he played and both starting receivers were lost to knee injuries. The defense gave up three 200-yard rushing games, a dubious NFL first, and allowed the most yards rushing in team history.
Although Jones insists the Cowboys can win 10 games this year — more than double what most others expect — he has acknowledged the team is rebuilding again. The Cowboys want to find out which players they can rely on and how much, as Dallas has 23 new faces from the start of last season — all with less than three years experience.
"It is more fun to basically be building a team and to be dealing with the future and the what if," Jones said. "It is a lot more fun than having expectations that if you don't win a Super Bowl, then you haven't reached your goals."
One bright spot in Dallas this season will be Smith's pursuit of the career rushing record. The 12-year veteran needs 104 yards to pass Barry Sanders for No. 2, but is unlikely to get it against Tampa Bay's strong defense. However, once he passes Sanders, Smith will need 1,457 more to pass Walter Payton — another tall order this season as opposing defenses are sure to key on Smith if the passing game struggles.
The Bucs, on the other hand, expect to win the Super Bowl.
"I know a lot of people are being rubbed the wrong way about some of the things I'm saying about the confidence of this team," All-Pro defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "But I don't care."
After going 10-6 in the regular season last year, Tampa Bay was beaten in the first round by Philadelphia — spurring a greater sense of urgency to win a championship.
Head coach Tony Dungy fired offensive coordinator Les Steckel and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen. Also, Johnson was signed to a five-year, $28 million contract in hopes he can give the team the consistency it lacked with Shaun King at quarterback.
"We've been on that bubble for a few years. This is the time to put up or shut up," running back Warrick Dunn said. "Sapp said it best the other day, that if we don't move in the right direction and win a Super Bowl, they're probably going to dismantle us, and it's going to be the team that should've, could've, but didn't."
Dunn is probably looking forward to the season opener, as he had one of the three 200-yard rushing games against the Cowboys last season. Dunn ran for 210 yards on 22 carries — including a 70-yard scoring run in Tampa Bay's 27-7 victory.
2000 STANDINGS: Buccaneers - 2nd place, NFC Central. Cowboys - 4th place, NFC East.
2000 BUCCANEERS LEADERS: Offense - King, 2,769 passing yards and 18 passing TDs; Dunn, 1,133 rushing yards and 8 rushing TDs; Keyshawn Johnson, 71 receptions, 874 receiving yards and 8 receiving TDs. Defense - Derrick Brooks, 140 tackles; Sapp, 16 1/2 sacks; Donnie Abraham, 7 interceptions.
2000 COWBOYS LEADERS: Offense - Anthony Wright, 237 passing yards; Clint Stoerner, 1 passing TD; Smith, 1,203 rushing yards and 9 rushing TDs; Jackie Harris, 39 receptions and 5 receiving TDs; Ismail, 350 receiving yards. Defense - Dexter Coakley, 90 tackles; Ebenezer Ekuban, 6 1/2 sacks; Darren Woodson, Izell Reese and Dat Nguyen, 2 interceptions.
2000 BUCCANEERS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 129.1 yards/game (9th); Passing Offense - 161.4 ypg (26th); Total Offense - 290.6 ypg (21st). Rushing Defense - 103 yards/game (9th); Passing Defense - 197 ypg (13th); Total Defense - 300 ypg (9th).
2000 COWBOYS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 122.1 yards/game (12th); Passing Offense - 157.6 ypg (28th); Total Offense - 279.7 ypg (25th). Rushing Defense - 164.8 yards/game (31st); Passing Defense - 168.3 ypg (3rd); Total Defense - 333.1 ypg (19th).
LAST MEETING: Dec. 3, 2000. At Tampa, Fla., the Buccaneers scored on their first two possessions en route to a 27-7 victory. The Cowboys fumbled the opening kickoff and the Bucs opened the scoring a minute later with Martin Grammatica's 28-yard field goal, then Dunn scored on a 70-yard run to make it 10-0. Dallas' only score came on Smith's 4-yard touchdown run.
STREAKS AND NOTES: Buccaneers - Tampa Bay has won 10 or more games and made the playoffs three of the past four seasons. ... Dungy's five-year record of 45-35 is the best in franchise history. ... The Bucs are 33-3 under Dungy in games they've carried leads into the fourth quarter. Two of those losses were last year, when the Bucs allowed 92 points in the fourth quarter — 37 more than in 1999. Cowboys - QB Ryan Leaf was nearly signed by Dallas to be the third string quarterback, but failed his physical Wednesday because of a wrist injury. ... Last season's loss to the Bucs was the Cowboys' first after winning the first eight meetings. ... Since winning the Super Bowl in 1996, Dallas is 39-41 with only one postseason victory.
2000 HOME/ROAD RECORDS: Buccaneers - 4-4 on the road; Cowboys - 3-5 at home.
INJURIES: Buccaneers - OUT: DT James Cannida (knee); G Russ Hochstein (foot). QUESTIONABLE: C Jeff Christy (knee); CB Dwight Smith (foot); DT Ellis Wyms (foot). Cowboys - QUESTIONABLE: S Tony Dixon (hamstring).
Posted 2001-09-07 17:33:32-07
GAME: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6) at Dallas Cowboys (5-11).
TIME: Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT.
After winning three Super Bowls with Troy Aikman in the 1990s, the Dallas Cowboys are now rebuilding with rookie quarterback Quincy Carter.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hoping Brad Johnson, signed in the offseason, can be the quarterback to lead them to their first Super Bowl.
Carter and Johnson hope to give their teams an idea of where they're headed as they meet in their season opener at Texas Stadium.
Carter, who played minor league baseball for two years before playing three seasons of football at Georgia, is Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' hand-picked successor to Aikman.
Dallas, widely criticized for drafting the unheralded 23-year-old Carter in the second round, named him the starter after Tony Banks — signed in the offseason to groom Carter — was released during training camp.
Carter believes all he has to do is get the ball to running back Emmitt Smith, and receivers Joey Galloway and Raghib Ismail and everything will be fine.
"It's not all about me on this team," Carter said. "I'm going to have a lot of guys around me helping me. The only thing I've got to do is go out there and relax."
Dallas went 5-11 last season, as injuries made Aikman miss more games than he played and both starting receivers were lost to knee injuries. The defense gave up three 200-yard rushing games, a dubious NFL first, and allowed the most yards rushing in team history.
Although Jones insists the Cowboys can win 10 games this year — more than double what most others expect — he has acknowledged the team is rebuilding again. The Cowboys want to find out which players they can rely on and how much, as Dallas has 23 new faces from the start of last season — all with less than three years experience.
"It is more fun to basically be building a team and to be dealing with the future and the what if," Jones said. "It is a lot more fun than having expectations that if you don't win a Super Bowl, then you haven't reached your goals."
One bright spot in Dallas this season will be Smith's pursuit of the career rushing record. The 12-year veteran needs 104 yards to pass Barry Sanders for No. 2, but is unlikely to get it against Tampa Bay's strong defense. However, once he passes Sanders, Smith will need 1,457 more to pass Walter Payton — another tall order this season as opposing defenses are sure to key on Smith if the passing game struggles.
The Bucs, on the other hand, expect to win the Super Bowl.
"I know a lot of people are being rubbed the wrong way about some of the things I'm saying about the confidence of this team," All-Pro defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "But I don't care."
After going 10-6 in the regular season last year, Tampa Bay was beaten in the first round by Philadelphia — spurring a greater sense of urgency to win a championship.
Head coach Tony Dungy fired offensive coordinator Les Steckel and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen. Also, Johnson was signed to a five-year, $28 million contract in hopes he can give the team the consistency it lacked with Shaun King at quarterback.
"We've been on that bubble for a few years. This is the time to put up or shut up," running back Warrick Dunn said. "Sapp said it best the other day, that if we don't move in the right direction and win a Super Bowl, they're probably going to dismantle us, and it's going to be the team that should've, could've, but didn't."
Dunn is probably looking forward to the season opener, as he had one of the three 200-yard rushing games against the Cowboys last season. Dunn ran for 210 yards on 22 carries — including a 70-yard scoring run in Tampa Bay's 27-7 victory.
2000 STANDINGS: Buccaneers - 2nd place, NFC Central. Cowboys - 4th place, NFC East.
2000 BUCCANEERS LEADERS: Offense - King, 2,769 passing yards and 18 passing TDs; Dunn, 1,133 rushing yards and 8 rushing TDs; Keyshawn Johnson, 71 receptions, 874 receiving yards and 8 receiving TDs. Defense - Derrick Brooks, 140 tackles; Sapp, 16 1/2 sacks; Donnie Abraham, 7 interceptions.
2000 COWBOYS LEADERS: Offense - Anthony Wright, 237 passing yards; Clint Stoerner, 1 passing TD; Smith, 1,203 rushing yards and 9 rushing TDs; Jackie Harris, 39 receptions and 5 receiving TDs; Ismail, 350 receiving yards. Defense - Dexter Coakley, 90 tackles; Ebenezer Ekuban, 6 1/2 sacks; Darren Woodson, Izell Reese and Dat Nguyen, 2 interceptions.
2000 BUCCANEERS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 129.1 yards/game (9th); Passing Offense - 161.4 ypg (26th); Total Offense - 290.6 ypg (21st). Rushing Defense - 103 yards/game (9th); Passing Defense - 197 ypg (13th); Total Defense - 300 ypg (9th).
2000 COWBOYS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 122.1 yards/game (12th); Passing Offense - 157.6 ypg (28th); Total Offense - 279.7 ypg (25th). Rushing Defense - 164.8 yards/game (31st); Passing Defense - 168.3 ypg (3rd); Total Defense - 333.1 ypg (19th).
LAST MEETING: Dec. 3, 2000. At Tampa, Fla., the Buccaneers scored on their first two possessions en route to a 27-7 victory. The Cowboys fumbled the opening kickoff and the Bucs opened the scoring a minute later with Martin Grammatica's 28-yard field goal, then Dunn scored on a 70-yard run to make it 10-0. Dallas' only score came on Smith's 4-yard touchdown run.
STREAKS AND NOTES: Buccaneers - Tampa Bay has won 10 or more games and made the playoffs three of the past four seasons. ... Dungy's five-year record of 45-35 is the best in franchise history. ... The Bucs are 33-3 under Dungy in games they've carried leads into the fourth quarter. Two of those losses were last year, when the Bucs allowed 92 points in the fourth quarter — 37 more than in 1999. Cowboys - QB Ryan Leaf was nearly signed by Dallas to be the third string quarterback, but failed his physical Wednesday because of a wrist injury. ... Last season's loss to the Bucs was the Cowboys' first after winning the first eight meetings. ... Since winning the Super Bowl in 1996, Dallas is 39-41 with only one postseason victory.
2000 HOME/ROAD RECORDS: Buccaneers - 4-4 on the road; Cowboys - 3-5 at home.
INJURIES: Buccaneers - OUT: DT James Cannida (knee); G Russ Hochstein (foot). QUESTIONABLE: C Jeff Christy (knee); CB Dwight Smith (foot); DT Ellis Wyms (foot). Cowboys - QUESTIONABLE: S Tony Dixon (hamstring).
