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5 Plays That Made A Difference

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2007

They say good things come to those who wait. Well, the Bucs definitely had to wait for officials to finish reviewing a Deuce McAllister run early in the first quarter. The wait was well worth the time, though. When officials finally ruled McAllister had fumbled following a Barrett Ruud hit (and apparent recovery), the stage was set for the Bucs' first score. That came eight plays later and largely was the result of two big plays by QB Jeff Garcia, but it was Jon Gruden's decision to challenge the initial ruling on McAllister's run that got them the ball.

It might not have been the smartest play Jeff Garcia has ever run. It was, however, one of the gutsiest and most inspirational. On third-and-6 from the Saints' 8-yard line on the drive following the challenge reversal, Garcia was flushed out of the pocket. Determined to turn that McAllister fumble into points, Garcia made a run for the end zone. He came up a yard short, but his decision to make a headfirst dive for the end zone got the Bucs a critical first down and sent an inspirational message that permeated throughout the team.

Cadillac Williams got off to a slow start Sunday. He gained 1 yard on his first four carries. But when he got the ball two plays after Garcia made his dramatic run for the end zone, Williams finished the drive the way the Bucs need him to finish drives - by finding the end zone to give Tampa Bay a 7-0 lead with 5:25 left in the first quarter. Finishing drives with touchdowns was a problem for the Bucs last year and, again, last week at Seattle. It wasn't a problem Sunday, though, as Williams and Joey Galloway each reached the end zone twice.

You could almost sense the tide beginning to turn. It was early in the second quarter and the Bucs were leading 7-0, but their offense was staggering and they were facing a third-and-11 at their own 31. As the Saints showed blitz, Jeff Garcia, lined up in the shotgun, fired a long pass to Joey Galloway running a slant across the middle. Galloway turned on the jets and when Michael Clayton stepped in and blew up Saints free safety Kevin Kaesviharn, Galloway trotted the rest of the way to finish off a 69-yard touchdown play that gave the Bucs a 14-point lead with 13:09 left in the first half.

Trailing 21-0, the Saints were moving the ball again early in the third quarter, but a long throw on first-and-10 from their own 39 never reached its intended target. It wound up instead in the hands of outside linebacker Cato June, who returned it to the Tampa Bay 47. From there, it took the Bucs five plays to find the end zone, making this the second time in the game the Bucs turned a turnover into points. Winning the turnover battle usually wins you the game, and that proved true in this one.

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