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5 Plays That Made A Difference By Roy Cummings

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 15, 2007

After a couple of relatively non-productive first-quarter series, the Titans finally started moving the ball early in the second quarter. A couple of sizeable runs by Chris Brown and a 15-yard reception by Justin Gage got them in scoring range and Tennessee seemed to be on its way to taking a lead when it lined up for a first-and-10 play at the Bucs' 32. The Titans opted to go back to Brown on the next play, but Brown mishandled quarterback Vince Young's handoff and dropped the ball. When Bucs defensive end Patrick Chukwurah pounced on the loose ball, the Titans' offensive threat was squelched.

Patrick Chukwurah's fumble recovery gave the Bucs a boost and B.J. Askew's tough running on the first play following that initial takeaway gave them some momentum. Two plays later, though, the Bucs were facing a third-and-11 from their own 49. Jeff Garcia dropped back to pass and after ducking the Titans rush he threw a wobbly pass deep downfield for Michael Clayton. Clayton had to stop and come back to make the catch, but with the Titans defense playing soft, that wasn't a problem. The result was a 39-yard reception that set up the Bucs' first score, a 23-yard field goal by Matt Bryant.

The Titans were moving the ball again late in the second quarter, their big play coming on a 16-yard pass to third-string tight end Ben Hartsock that got them to midfield. Five plays later, the Titans had a first-and-10 at the Bucs' 45. Young dropped back to pass but he never seemed comfortable in the play as he turned left, spun back to his right and threw the ball up for grabs deep downfield. The only Titans receiver in the vicinity of Young's throw was Roydell Williams, but Bucs cornerback Phillip Buchanon had better position on the ball, intercepted it and quickly put an end to Tennessee's scoring threat.

The game was proving to be a battle of defenses when the Bucs lined up at their own 31 late in the third quarter. With Vince Young on his way to the locker room to nurse a sore leg, the Bucs decided to take a shot downfield. Jeff Garcia froze the defense for a second by faking a handoff to Earnest Graham and then threw deep down the middle of the field for Joey Galloway. Galloway caught the ball while safety Calvin Lowry looked on and corner Nick Harper tried to get back into the play. Galloway then proceeded to turn on the jets and finish off a 69-yard touchdown play that gave the Bucs a 10-3 lead.

Overtime was looming when the Bucs lined up to run a third-and-10 play from their own 20 late in the fourth quarter. Jeff Garcia took the snap, looked left and decided he didn't like what he saw there. In the back of his mind he knew he had Ike Hilliard finishing off a crossing pattern 15 yards downfield, so Garcia looked right and threw. Hilliard was there - and by the time he stopped dodging defenders and ducked out of bounds, he had gained 28 yards to the Bucs' 48. Garcia completed two more throws before Matt Bryant kicked the game-winning field goal, but it was that throw to Hilliard on third down that made it all possible.

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