Fire the Cannons; A Tampa Bay Bucs TL

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Jim Smitty

Jim Smitty

Ok unlike my other TL this is going to be shorter updates and lacking details. Yet I believe I give enough detail to follow the course of events ITL.

1999 Season

With the fallout from the 1998 season, the Bucs fire OC Mike Shula along with the bulk of his staff. Shula is replaced by Mike Mularkey as the new OC.

They are sitting at pick 5 in the draft and make the Ricky Williams trade. This drops them to the 11th overall pick. Minnesota calls up and wants to trade. They reach a deal the Bucs get Brad Johnson, the 31st pick this year, and Minnesota’s second next year. In return the Bucs send the 11th pick and their third from next year to the Vikings. The Bucs then move again in the first this time they trade up with Miami. For the 24th pick in the draft, the Bucs send to Miami the 31st over all and the Tampa’s fifth.

In Second they trade down again. This time they send the 38th overall pick to Miami for their Second 54th, a fifth 157th, and a fourth in 2000. For the first time in the third the Bucs doesn’t move down. Yet at 71st they move down again. In another deal they send Trent Dilfer and the 71st pick to Cleveland for their fourth 96th, the sixth 170th, and a fifth in 2000. They then trade 140th and 157th to Oakland for a third round pick in 2000. They then trade 179th to Jacksonville for a fifth in 2000.

1/24: Anthony McFarland, DT, LSU
2/52: Shaun King, QB, Tulane
3/67: Joey Porter, LB, Colorado State
4/96: Aaron Smith, DE, Northern Colorado
4/101: Dexter Jackson, S, Florida State
4/107: Martin Gramatica, K, Kansas State
6/170: Tai Streets, WR, Michigan
6/175: Lamarr Glenn, FB, Florida State
7/211: Todd McClure, C, LSU
7/218: Robert Hunt, G, Virginia
7/240: Autry Denson, RB, Notre Dame


Week One, v NYG

Under center the Bucs have Brad Johnson starting. They also having two rookies starting on defense (McFarland, Porter). The defense makes a statement in this game and hold the NYG to under 80 yards of total offensive all game. Kerry Collins is picked twice in the game with one being return for a pick-six by Derrick Brooks. The offensive shows mark improvement over last year. Its not totally smooth as Johnson is picked off and that is return for a pick six but he is solid going for 18-29 250 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT on the day. But its note that the Bucs don’t have a true deep threat in the game with no pass going for more than 34 yards.

Bucs Win, 27-7, 1-0

Defensive Player of the Week: Derrick Brooks


Week 2, at Philadelphia

This was another defensive statement game with 10 sacks being recorded today. Eagles QBs are hearing footsteps and throw for four picks, and lose two fumbles on the day. The offensive is still gelling together but is clearly much improve over 1998.

Bucs Win, 21-3, 2-0

Defensive Player of the Week: Warren Sapp


Week 3, v Denver

This game was a defensive grudge match. Terrell Davis was held to only 61 yards by a Bucs defensive was proving itself to be the class of the league early on in the season. The offensive showed growing pains as a unit and for the first time season failed to find the endzone. However it was enough coming out with the W.

Bucs Win, 12-3, 3-0


Week 4, at Minnesota

Facing the defending NFC Champs, the Bucs defense face its first major test all season. The Vikings score the first touchdown against the Bucs defensive unit in the season in the game. The offensive finally is firing on all cylinders in this game. Even without a deep threat the offensive runs the table on the backs of Dunn and the A-Train.

Bucs Win, 31-24, 4-0

Offensive Player of the Week, Mike Alstott


Week 5, at Green Bay

Going into Lambeau Field on Sunday Night Football the Bucs have a chance to enter the bye undefeated. The game is a back and fore game between the two teams with the lead changing hands a number of times during the game. The Bucs retake the lead in the fourth with the A-Train punching through with a 1:31 left on the clock. This touchdown puts the Bucs up by four. However Brett Favre refuses to give up. He leads a come back driving the length of the field in 87 seconds. The Bucs have one second left on the clock when they take the kickoff. They take the kick off and try to lateral the pass to keep the play alive. However, on the second lateral they fumble it and Green Bay recovers the ball and takes it out of bounce to end the game.

Bucs Lose, 31-28, 4-1

Offensive Player of the Week, Brett Favre


Week 7, Chicago

Coming off the bye the Bucs wanted to make a statement against the Bears. They do it, they make this via the rushing game and short pass and beat them over the head with it. The Bucs shutout the Bears in this game which is a beat down. Shawn King and a few back ups are brought in during the fourth quarter.

Bucs Win, 35-0, 5-1


Week 8, at Detroit

The Lions are coming into this game trying to stay in the hunt for the NFC Central title which is a dog fight at the moment. This is a repeat of week 5 against Green Bay, a back and fore game but not as a high scoring game. This game comes down to a last second field goal by the Lions.

Bucs Lose, 15-13, 5-2


Week 9, at New Orleans

Coming off the defeat against the Lions the Bucs bounces back against the Saints. The offensive again is showing off the short pass and pound the rock that has worked through out the year. Donnie Abraham has a career game with 3 picks with one pick six.

Bucs Win, 34-9, 6-2

Defensive Player of the Week; Donnie Abraham


Week 10, v Kansas City

This game is an ugly game from both teams. The Bucs defense carries the team to a victory in a hard fought game coming down to a pick in the last seconds of the game.

Bucs Win, 13-10, 7-2


Week 11, v Atlanta

This game saw one of the main defensive players on the Bucs take a seat do to injury. Warren Sapp was out for the game with a high ankle sprain. Aaron Smith made his first career start in this game. Atlanta test Smith early in the game but regret it when he strips the ball from Jamal Anderson and is recover at the Atlanta seven and latter punched into the endzone for six by the A-Train. The Bucs simply made Atlanta bend to their will all game.

Bucs Win, 27-6, 8-2


Week 12, at Seattle

In what many people are seeing as a Super Bowl game the Bucs are facing off against the 9-1 Seahawks. For the Bucs this game is a statement game as they prove they were really in the hunt to get to Atlanta. The Bucs shut out the Seahawks in this game. For Seahawks this is a game from which they don’t recover from and drop their next five games.

Bucs Win, 23-0, 9-2

Defensive Player of the Week: Derrick Brooks


Week 13, v Minnesota

For Minnesota this is a must win if they want to stay in the hunt for the division title. Yet the Bucs had other ideas. Jeff George is picked off four times before being pulled in the third quarter for rookie Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper fares no better being picked once and losing a fumble. The Bucs totally runs roughshod over Minnesota.

Bucs Win, 33-10, 10-2

Defensive Player of the Week: Warren Sapp


Week 14, v Detroit

Detroit is crashing and burning at his point. The Bucs use this to even the score for the defeat in Week 8. The defensive crushes the Lions offensive and offensive runs over the Lions defensive in this game. Coach Dungy pulls a number of starters in the fourth quarter to rest them.

Bucs Win, 28-3, 11-2

Offensive Player of the Week: Warrick Dunn


Week 15, at Oakland

This game is nothing like expected for either team. The Raiders do something that many teams this year hadn’t been able to do, stop the Bucs rushing game. The Bucs offensive still moves the ball via the short pass, but it doesn’t work as well without a rushing game. The defensive it the bends more than it has all season but its still a close game. The game is decided in the final seconds of the game when Brad Johnson is picked off for a pick six. Even with the lost the Bucs still clinch a playoff birth.

Bucs Lose, 37-28, 11-3


Week 16, Green Bay

The Bucs enter the game with the division title on the line, win it was theirs. Lose it would go down to the wire next week. This game was won by the defensive with 24 points coming off Packers turn overs. Any chance the Packers had at winning the game ended with just over four minutes left on the clock when Favre was picked off again. The Bucs then ran off the clock. They give Tampa a late Christmas gift, the Division title and a first round bye in the playoffs.

Bucs Win, 31-21, 12-3


Week 17, at Chicago

The Bucs enter the week with the chance to clinch home field through out the playoffs. However Coach Dungy decides to rest his star players in this game. Chicago was trying to play spoiler in this game. Even with a some key starters resting the Bucs come out on top and finish the season with a franchise best record. This however isn’t enough to clinch home field through out as the Rams win and they held the tie breaker.

Bucs Win, 23-13, 13-3


NFC

1)St. Louis Rams, 13-3
2)Tampa Bay Bucs, 13-3
3)Washington Redskins, 9-7
4)Green Bay Packers, 10-6
5)Minnesota Vikings, 9-7
6)Dallas Cowboys, 9-7


AFC

1)Jacksonville Jaguars, 15-1
2)Indianapolis Colts, 12-4
3)Kansas City Chiefs, 9-7
4)Tennessee Titans, 12-4
5)Buffalo Bills, 12-4
6)Seattle Seahawks, 9-7
 

Nivek

Not bad, nice idea/POD getting the ricky williams haul, and good luck vs the greatest show on turf
 

docfl

Always wondered what WD-40 could of done with a better O-line. Dungy always seemed to be more defense minded.
 
Jim Smitty

Jim Smitty

docfl said:
Always wondered what WD-40 could of done with a better O-line. Dungy always seemed to be more defense minded.
Click to expand...
Dungy is still a very Defense mind coach. Only after the 4-12 campaign of 98 he was force to get a new OC. Because of this change WD-40 is putting up better numbers.
 
1999 AFC Wildcard
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    Jim Smitty

    Seattle(6) at Kansas City (3)

    Kansas City won the division on a title breaker. Seattle was on a six game losing streak that had started with their lost to Tampa. Seattle edged out the defending Super Bowl champs Jets for the sixth seed. Many believed this game would take a back seat to the Buffalo v Tennessee game for the AFC. They would be right.

    The game itself was an ugly game with mistakes on both sides. The defining moment of the game was when early in the third with the Chiefs being down two in the 9 to 7 game. Elvis Grbac was in the pocket getting ready to pass when he was sacked by Sam Adams. Grbac didn’t get up after the play. In what would latter be confirmed as an MCL tear, that play ended Grbac’s day. This brought Warren Moon into the game. The aging QB took over the game and help guide the Chiefs to victory over the Seahawks. However there were many questions around the Chiefs going into the Divisional Round.

    Kansas City Advances, 17-12


    Buffalo(5) at Tennessee(4)

    This game was to be the highlight of the AFC Wildcard Weekend. Indeed it was but not in the way it was expected. The game was expected to be an offensive game. Instead it was a defensive grudge match with the game staying scoreless well into the third quarter when Al Del Greco kicked a 51 yard field goal. This gave the Bills the ball back at with 9 seconds left in the third. Even worse for Buffalo they were pinned inside the five at the four. What happened next would simply become known as The Drive. Over the next 13 minutes and 4 seconds the Buffalo drove the length of the field. Thurman Thomas would punch the ball through to the end zone. With the extra point the Bills took the lead for the first time all game. The Titans took the Ball back a minute 58 left in the game after the kick off. They had only one time out left. The long drive had allowed the Bills defensive to rest. The Titans were in a hurry up offensive and on a third and ten from their 31 with 1 minute 29 left on the clock Steve McNair hit Kevin Dyson around the 50. Just as Dyson was turning to run he was leveled by Henry Jones. This hit caused Dyson who would leave the game with a concussion to cough up the ball. The ball was recovered by Kurt Schulz who simply stayed on the ground after briefly looking like he would run with it.

    Just as the Bills offensive was snapping the ball referee Phil Luckett called a time out challenge to the last play had been started by the booth replay team. Bills Head Coach Wade Philips was going nuts as they had already snap the ball meaning that the fumble couldn’t be reviewed. For the next seven minutes everyone was on edge in Adelphia Coliseum. Luckett then announced that Dyson didn’t fumble the ball and it was Titans first down at the Buffalo 49. The Bills were pissed at they had already snapped the ball before the review call came in. However, the Bills Defensive came back on to the field. The next play McNair was trying to hit Derrick Mason only for Manny Martin to pick off the pass at the Buffalo 32. Martin then ran back to the Buffalo 41 before running out of bounce. After which the Bills ran the clock out.

    Buffalo Advances, 7-3
     
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    • Nivek

    I'm the one would avoid the cliche of no music miraccle? Still if this Kill coaching cancer Jeff Fisher early, i'm all in.
     
    1999 NFC Wildcard
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    • Jim Smitty

    Jim Smitty

    Dallas(6) at Washington(3)

    Dallas had just sneaked into the playoffs but had a number of key players setting the game out with injuries, including Michael Irvin, Daryl Johnson, and Troy Aikman. All three would retire following the season. Washington had been led to its playoff birth by newly signed Jeff Garcia and had only edged out Dallas for the NFC East Title. This game was little more than a warm up for Washington. Dallas pulled Jason Garrett out of the game at half after he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. Garrett was replaced by Mike Quinn who did better than Garrett but by that point it was too late.

    Washington Advances, 38-13


    Minnesota(5) at Green Bay(4)

    This was wildly believed to be the best game on wild card weekend. Unlike the Seattle at Kansas City or Dallas at Washington game both teams didn’t had injury issues coming into the game nor suffer injuries in this game. And unlike the Buffalo at Tennessee game there were no questionable calls by the refs nor was it the defensive back and fore like that game was. The game however did come to the fourth quarter of the game.

    Green Bay had just score a touchdown to make the game 23-21 with 9 minutes and 1 second left in the fourth. Minnesota got the ball back at their own 17. With Jeff George at the helm he marched the Vikings down the field and score a touchdown with 2:01 left on the clock. They however left to much time on the clock for Brett Favre and the Packers who drove down the field like they stole it and Favre hit rookie Donald Driver with 22 seconds left for another touchdown. With the score being 30-28 the Vikings could win with a field goal. Jeff George got the ball at the Vikings 31 with 19 seconds and one timeout left. With three plays and one timeout with one second left on the clock the Vikings were on the Green Bay 21 yard line and had sent out the kicking team for a 38 yard kick. This should had been a chip shot for Grey Anderson. Instead of going through the uprights, Anderson hit the upright and bounced out.

    Green Bay Advances 30-28
     
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    • AFC Divisional 1999
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    • Jim Smitty

    Jim Smitty

    Buffalo(5) at Jacksonville(1)

    For Buffalo this game was radically different than the game in Tennessee. Whereas the game in Tennessee was a game of the defensive this was an offensive shootout. It was so much an offensive shoot out that it would become known as the Madden Bowl as the offensives marched up and down the field all day. Mark Brunell would finish the game with a post season record of 502 yards passing on the day. Doug Flutie would end the game with 438 yards passing. However what made the game was a hot topic was the ending.

    At the end of the fourth the game was tied 45-45. Jacksonville won the coin toss and elected to receive the kick off. On the return Jacksonville got the ball to their 29. On the next play Brunell would hit Keenan McCardell between the hash marks around mid field. McCardell then ran till he was dragged down at the Buffalo 26 by Henry Jones. Jones stopped McCardell from scoring his third touchdown on the day. However what happened next was what had a lot of fans upset. Instead of allowing the offensive to keep going Tom Coughlin ordered the kicking unit out on to the field for a 42 yard attempt by Mike Hollis. Hollis drilled the field goal and ended the game.

    Jacksonville advances 48-45


    Kansas City(3) at Indianapolis(2)

    With Elvis Grbac out and being forced to start the aged Warren Moon put and thoughts of Kansas City of winning this game out of the question. Going into the game Vegas had Indianapolis by 13 points. If anything Vegas undersold how bad Kansas City was in this game. You could tell the Chiefs were trying at you watching the game, but Indianapolis simply and was the better team. It was only their defense that kept the game close but it was clear Warren Moon was the tried old wrestle being brought out at a local match. It wasn’t that Moon wasn’t trying it was his body didn’t have it anymore.

    At half the Chiefs made the call to bring in their third string QB Todd Collins. Collins who once was the heir to Jim Kelly but did so poorly he was cut by Buffalo after only one season didn’t fair much better than Moon. Neither of the Chiefs QBs put up 100 yards passing against the Colts. Collins in what would be his final NFL game only put up a passer rating of 34.6%, four points lower than the person he replaced.

    Indianapolis advances, 34-6
     
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    • Asami

    Asami

    Banned
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