PRO FOOTBALL ’95 : Dilfer, Pass Rush the Keys to Buccaneer Victory

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, appearing to have upgraded their passing game and pass rush, defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 21-6, Sunday to spoil the head coaching debut of Ray Rhodes.

Trent Dilfer, the second-year quarterback from Fresno State, threw for two touchdowns, and the Buccaneer defense had five sacks.

Dilfer, making only his third pro start, finished 11 of 19 for 215 yards, with one touchdown pass to Jackie Harris and another to Horace Copeland, who replaced injured free agent Alvin Harper. Copeland finished with five catches for 155 yards.

The Buccaneers, who had a league-low 20 sacks last season, got sacks from five different players, including Warren Sapp, the defensive lineman who dropped to 12th overall in this year’s draft following reports of drug use.

Errict Rhett, who rushed for 1,011 yards in only eight starts last season, ran for 85 yards in 26 carries, and scored on a 19-yard run.

The Eagles had little success with the new “West Coast” offense Rhodes brought with him from San Francisco, where he was 49er defensive coordinator.

“I guess you guys had a chance to see one of the ugliest displays of football in a while,” Rhodes said. “I’m disappointed that we were so sloppy. I’ve got a lot of work to do with this football team.”

Randall Cunningham completed 25 of 36 for 191 yards. But the Eagles had to settle for Gary Anderson’s two field goals in the first quarter.

“I don’t want to stand up here and make excuses,” Cunningham said. “I’m the one pulling the trigger. I can’t let any blame go to my teammates. Ray laid into us good, which is what we needed.”

Ricky Watters, the former 49er who was Philadelphia’s most expensive free-agent acquisition, was held to 37 yards in 17 carries and had a crucial fumble.

“I was just trying to do something, make a great play. I wasn’t thinking about the ball,” Watters said. “That was a bad start.”

Watters’ fumble set up Tampa Bay’s second touchdown, a 10-yard pass from Dilfer to Harris early in the fourth quarter.