NFL Exhibition Roundup : Testaverde’s 3 Scores Get Tampa Bay Close

Some fans left early at Tampa, Fla., and missed what they came to see.

Rookie quarterback Vinny Testaverde rallied the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with three touchdown passes in the last 6:18 of his professional debut Saturday night, but the Cincinnati Bengals held on for a 31-30 victory.

“I saw the fans starting to leave the stadium, and in the back of my mind I said to myself, ‘They’re going to miss a lot of action,’ ” Testaverde said. “I’m glad to get the first one under my belt, to get the first game over with.”

Testaverde, the 1986 Heisman Trophy winner and this year’s No. 1 draft choice in the National Football League, brought the Buccaneers back from a late 31-10 deficit with scoring passes of 10 yards to Ron Hall, 28 yards to Phil Freeman and 40 yards to Bobby Bankston.

A blocked extra point by the Bengals’ Brian Blados after Testaverde’s scoring pass to Freeman with 1:31 to go provided Cincinnati with its margin of victory.

Testaverde played the second half and passed for 233 yards on 16 completions in 29 attempts. The former University of Miami star had two passes intercepted.

Boomer Esiason helped Cincinnati to its big lead with a pair of scoring passes. Esiason tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ira Hillary late in the first half, and he scrambled out of trouble to connect with Cris Collinsworth on a 15-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth period to push the Bengals into a 24-10 lead.

Moments later, Cincinnati linebacker Emanuel King intercepted a pass by Testaverde and ran 10 yards for a touchdown, giving the Bengals a 31-10 lead with more than 11 minutes left.

Indianapolis 22, Detroit 19--Jack Trudeau threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Roy Banks with two seconds left to move the Colts past the Lions at Pontiac, Mich.

Trudeau completed 11 of 16 passes for 112 yards after replacing starter Gary Hogeboom, who played less than two quarters.

Chuck Long passed for 205 yards and three touchdowns as Detroit erased a 13-0 deficit. Long completed 16 of 30 passes, including touchdown passes of 59 yards to Eric Truvillion and 1 and 23 yards to Jeff Chadwick.

New Orleans 23, Minnesota 17--Dalton Hilliard ran for a pair of second-half touchdowns, and Barry Word scored the game-winner from 11 yards out with 2:57 left as the Saints rallied from 14 points down to beat the Vikings at New Orleans.

Minnesota built a 17-3 halftime advantage on two touchdown passes by Wade Wilson and a 27-yard field goal by Dale Dawson.

Atlanta 19, Buffalo 14--Turk Schonert completed all seven passes he threw in the fourth quarter, including a 37-yard touchdown pass play to Stacey Bailey, and Mick Luckhurst kicked four field goals as the Falcons downed the Bills at Atlanta.

Schonert heroics came after a terrible start when he lost 10 yards on a sack on his first play and fumbled the ball away on the second play.

N.Y. Jets 13, Philadelphia 10--George Radachowsky intercepted a pass to set up Pat Leahy’s 23-yard field goal that gave the Jets a victory over the Eagles with 29 seconds left at East Rutherford, N.J.

Eagle rookie Bobby Morse returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards to the Jets’ 32, giving Philadelphia a chance to tie the score. However, Paul McFadden missed two attempts at a game-tying field goal. He was wide right on a 57-yard attempt but got another chance when he was roughed by Don Baldwin. His 47-yarder also missed to the right.

Cleveland 31, St. Louis 16--Gerald McNeil returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown and caught a seven-yard scoring pass in a 24-point second half that carried the Browns past the Cardinals at Cleveland.

St. Louis built a 16-7 halftime lead on Neil Lomax’s two touchdown passes to Roy Green and John Lee’s 21-yard field goal, but was shut out in the second half.

San Diego 29, Dallas 0--Free-agent running back Kevin Scott ran 74 yards for a touchdown, and quarterback Mark Herrmann threw a scoring pass as the Chargers routed the Cowboys at San Diego.

Herrmann started for San Diego in place of injured and unhappy Dan Fouts, who sat out the game with a sore back. Fouts and Charger management are feuding over Fouts’ contract status, and Charger owner Alex Spanos has threatened to trade him.

Denver 20, Green Bay 14--John Elway threw two first-half touchdown passes, while Rich Karlis and Mike Clendenen each kicked fourth-quarter field goals as the Broncos beat the Packers before a crowd of 67,500 in Sun Devil Stadium at Tempe, Ariz.

Denver, 1-1 in exhibition play, led, 14-7, at halftime after Elway lofted a 35-yard strike to a diving Steve Watson at the goal line 4:35 into the game and hit Mark Jackson on a 13-yard touchdown pass with 5:35 left in the second quarter.