Packers Still Dominate the Buccaneers, 27-0

If only the Green Bay Packers could play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers every week.

The Packers, 3-0 against Tampa Bay but 0-11 against the rest of the NFL in their last 14 games, climbed out of a last-place tie in the NFC Central Division with a 27-0 victory over the hapless Buccaneers on Sunday.

Green Bay (2-6) forced eight turnovers, had six sacks and also scored on Brian Noble’s fumble recovery in the victory before a crowd of 40,275--the smallest of the season at Tampa Stadium.

The shutout was the first for the Packers since a 21-0 victory over Tampa Bay on Dec. 1, 1985.

“Going into the game we were very similar teams. The defense was playing good, the offense was struggling a little bit,” said Matt Brock, whose first-quarter sack of Chris Chandler forced the fumble that Noble recovered for his touchdown. “I think their offense got a little frustrated because of all the turnovers. You can’t recover from something like that. You turn the ball over, it’s going to kill you.”

Tampa Bay (1-7) fell to 2-9 under Coach Richard Williamson, who in a move of desperation pulled Chandler early in the second quarter and replaced him with Jeff Carlson.

“I don’t think it’s any secret that we have some major problems offensively,” Williamson said. “Defensively, we can play with anyone in the league. But instead of improving offensively, we seem to be slipping. . . . We were very inept.”

Noble’s one-yard fumble return gave the Packers a 7-0 lead. The defense, which held Tampa Bay to 170 yards, intercepted a pass and also recovered another fumble to set up Chris Jacke’s field goals of 34 and 46 yards for a 13-0 halftime lead.

Don Majkowski, who completed 19 of 28 passes for 223 yards, threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Ed West with 50 seconds left in the third quarter. Vince Workman added a four-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

The Buccaneers turned the ball over on five of seven first-half possessions.

Carlson completed 12 of 32 passes for 164 yards and had three passes intercepted.