NOTEBOOK : Vinny’s Best Move Comes Too Late

Tampa Bay quarterback Vinny Testaverde’s most elusive move of the day came an hour after Sunday’s game, when he slipped out the back door of the Buccaneers’ locker room to avoid the media.

Testaverde, who completed 9 of 18 passes for only 127 yards, was replaced by Chris Chandler with 3:32 left in the third quarter of the Bucs’ 35-14 loss to the Rams. Chandler, who cost the Bucs a No. 1 pick in their recent trade with the Colts, led the Bucs on a couple of nice-looking drives to the appreciation of Buccaneer fans.

The Tampa crowd, unhappy with Testaverde’s play in general but mainly upset about the interception he threw that cornerback Bobby Humphery returned for a touchdown, reached the point at which it cheered when Testaverde was slammed to the ground after delivering a pass.

With eight seconds left in the half, Testaverde floated a pass toward Mark Carrier, but Humphery stepped in front and had a clear 44-yard path to the end zone.

Buccaneer Coach Ray Perkins said they were hoping to hit Carrier, who was supposed to step out of bounds in time for a field goal attempt.

Bad call? Bad pass? Maybe a little of both, according to Ram Coach John Robinson.

“I think what they were trying to do is to get us to back off, throw a quick hitch to somebody and let him try to run with it. And I think they got some confusion somewhere,” Robinson said. “It makes the quarterback look bad, but it may not be his fault.”

Ram quarterback Jim Everett, for one, sympathized with Testaverde and former first-round draft choice.

“I’m sure Vinny feels very embarrassed,” Everett said. “Hey, I’ve been there myself. I had that kind of performance last week (when he threw one interception) . . . it’s the same type of deal.”

Add Testaverde: Testaverde might make some fantasy league fans happy when he has a big day passing, but he doesn’t usually make a hit with the Buccaneer faithful. Tampa Bay is 1-8 when Testaverde passes for 300 or more yards.

The Rams are considerably more successful when Everett gets pass happy. Their record on his 300-plus days is 8-4.

Add Chandler: Humphery, who slammed the door shut on Tampa Bay with his 44-yard interception for a touchdown after picking off a Testaverde pass, is looking for Chandler to challenge Testaverde for the starting job.

“I used to see Chandler when he used to play at Indianapolis,” Humphery said. “He’s a strong quarterback. He’s going to make some things happen. I guess it’s something that the fans of Tampa and the coach in Tampa are going to have to deal with.”

No, Flipper Anderson was not the happiest person in Florida when his apparent 35-yard touchdown reception was ruled incomplete in the second quarter because he did not have control of the ball.

The on-field official whistled it incomplete because he felt Anderson was juggling it when he hit the ground after a lunging, sprawling dive just inside the goal-line marker. The replay official let the call stand.

“No way, man,” Anderson said after the game when asked if he had indeed lost control of the ball.

“I think it was one of those hometown calls. I had it all the way. They stole it from me.”

On the day, in which Anderson saw double-coverage, he caught only two passes for 47 yards.

Curt Warner, who gained 49 yards in 16 carries to give him 6,801 in his career, moved into the 20th spot on the NFL’s all-time rushing list.

He passed former Philadelphia Eagle Wilbert Montgomery, who rushed for 6,789 yards.

Hang your head Tom Dooley. Dooley, the referee Sunday, turned on his microphone to announce Tampa Bay’s third and final timeout with eight seconds remaining in the first half and said, “Timeout Tampa Bay. It’s their thirdal timeout.”

Dooley’s faux pas wasn’t nearly as embarrassing as the one the Buccaneers made on the next play when Testaverde tossed that pass in the direction of Carrier.

Maybe Dooley should have said, “Ill-advised timeout, Tampa Bay.”

Jackie Slater, the Rams’ tackle who missed the opener with a dislocated toe, said it was still sore but was responding to treatment and “getting better every day.”

“It felt good to be back out there,” said Slater, a 15-year veteran who held out for most of training camp. “I’ve still got some catching up to do, but I’m getting there.”

Hobbled or not, Everett was glad to see Slater back.

“He means a lot to this team,” Everett said. “I think everyone feels better now that he’s back out there. I know I do.”

Before Sunday’s game, the public address announcer gave the pertinent weather information at Tampa Stadium: “Temperature at game time, 91 degrees; humidity, 60% with a 20% chance of rain.”

A few seconds later, the Rams took the field in a downpour.

Jesse “The Body” Ventura, the former professional wrestler, is a color commentator for the Buccaneers’ radio network.

Times Staff Writer Tim Kawakami contributed to this story.