Did Vikings Get a Win, or Just Get Lucky? : Minnesota Beats Tampa Bay, 14-13, as Last-Minute Buccaneer Drive Runs Short of Time

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ran out of time before the Minnesota Vikings ran out of luck.

“I think we were lucky,” Viking defensive tackle Keith Millard said Sunday after Minnesota squeezed out a 14-13 victory over the Buccaneers.

“We dodged a bullet. It’s a victory, sure, but we won’t win too many more playing like this.”

Added Viking linebacker Jesse Solomon: “I would imagine (Tampa Bay Coach) Ray Perkins is telling his team that they didn’t lose the game, they just ran out of time.”

The ending was tense. Vinny Testaverde hit Stephen Starring with a 53-yard desperation pass to the Minnesota 21-yard line with about 15 seconds left to play. The Buccaneers had no timeouts remaining and kicker Donald Igwebuike rushed on to the field, but he wasn’t able to attempt a 38-yard field goal before time ran out.

Perkins was hard on himself for the Buccaneers’ problems in the closing seconds.

“I have not prepared the team directly for that exact situation,” he said. “Because of the situation . . . I told them that I lost the game. I’m patting my players on the back.

“This is the third tough loss in the last 5 weeks. It was close, but no banana, or cigar, or whatever.”

However, Tampa Bay guard Dan Turk wouldn’t blame his coach.

“There is no one to blame,” Turk said. “There were a lot of mistakes. The fact of the matter is we should have had no trouble beating them.”

Excluding games during last season’s strike, the Buccaneers (2-4) haven’t defeated a team with a winning record in 56 games, since a Nov. 11, 1984, victory over the New York Giants. Tampa Bay hasn’t beaten a team other than the Green Bay Packers since the first game of last season.

Tampa Bay has been outscored, 64-0, in the first quarter this season and has given up at least one first-period score in each game.

The Vikings (4-2) kept that string intact, as Tommy Kramer hit Anthony Carter with an 11-yard touchdown pass 8:49 into the game.

Midway through the second quarter, Testaverde capped a 65-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Mark Carrier for a 7-7 tie. Igwebuike’s 31-yard field goal on the last play of the half put Tampa Bay ahead, 10-7.

Igwebuike kicked a 36-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

Kramer completed 19 of 30 passes for 209 yards in his first complete game in 23 since Dec. 7, 1986. He has been bothered by injuries and, when healthy, has been ineffective. He’s also been in a quarterback duel with Wade Wilson and might have lost his job this season had Wilson not been hurt.