THE NFL / BILL PLASCHKE : They’re Cleaning Up in Tampa

From his observation spot high atop the list of NFL head-coaching candidates, Rusty Tillman looks down upon the new world he is building in Tampa Bay and talks about . . . paint?

“The first thing the new ownership did around here was paint the walls and put carpet on the floors,” he says. “Before this year, the place looked awful. It was run like a bad college program. A real dump.”

And now?

“We’re tickled to death, brother,” Tillman said.

Don’t laugh. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in first place in the NFC Central for the first time in 14 years. And their defense, under new coordinator Tillman, is the reason.

After Sunday’s surprising suffocation of Cincinnati’s nouveau-riche combination of Jeff Blake and Carl Pickens, Tillman’s defense has allowed six touchdowns in six games. The Buccaneers have had 10 takeaways in the last two games. They are ranked fifth in the NFC in total defense.

And they are doing it with celebrated first-round draft pick Warren Sapp playing only half the time because of his inability to get a hand on the passer.

The stars? Would you believe Chidi Ahanotu, Santana Dotson, Martin Mayhew, Charles Dimry . . . stop us when you recognize somebody.

With a mixture of previously disenchanted veterans and formerly young busts, the Buccaneers are proving that when it comes to defense, the scheme’s the thing.

“Sapp has really been a little less than what I expected,” said Tillman, hired last winter from the Seattle Seahawks. “But a lot of other guys are playing it to the wall. They’re understanding what it takes to win games.”

And understand that it is the Buccaneers’ defense that is winning those games.

Faced with an ever-changing offensive plan by Coach Sam Wyche, quarterback Trent Dilfer is lost. Running back Errict Rhett is averaging only 3.3 yards a carry, with no run longer than 19 yards. Alvin Harper is still doing more whining than pass catching.

Can the Buccaneers, with 12 consecutive seasons of double-digit losses, actually make the playoffs for the first time since 1981? Probably not.

They are in first place despite having outscored opponents by only a point, 86-85. They cannot win late-season games in Green Bay, Minneapolis and Chicago without a decent quarterback or game plan.

But like several other strange-but-true developments Sunday, it will be fun to follow.

STRANGE BUT TRUE II

The headline on the front page of the Jacksonville daily newspaper Monday was downright silly:

WHO’S NEXT?

The chant from the fans as the Jaguars were exiting Jacksonville Stadium after whipping the Pittsburgh Steelers was equally as weird:

“Wild card! Wild card!”

What the heck. Let them have their fun. After being criticized for creating an off-season sweat shop, Coach Tom Coughlin is now watching that work ethic pay off in stunning consecutive victories.

“If everyone plays as hard as they can, it may be ugly, but we can win,” said Dave Widell, Jaguar center.

And play hard they do. Scouts say no team is in better shape in the fourth quarter than the Jaguars, who have outscored opponents during the final period, 38-20.

The Jaguar defense, led by free-agent signees Jeff Lageman and Joel Smeenge on the ends, stopped the Steelers twice on fourth down in the fourth quarter Sunday.

There are no real stars here, but watch quarterback Mark Brunell, who is their leading rusher . Soon he’ll be the Brett Favre of the AFC.

STRANGE BUT TRUE III

This correspondent climbed out on a limb earlier this season in praise of the Cleveland Browns.

You can begin sawing any time now.

After six games, who would have thought that Vinny Testaverde would have been brilliant--five games without an interception for the first time in his career--but everybody else would have reeked?

The Browns’ offensive plan under coordinator Steve Crosby is sometimes indecipherable. They are using $8-million running back Leroy Hoard as if he’s an untrustworthy rookie. They are using their three star wide receivers--Andre Rison, Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander--as if they don’t know which one is which.

And that once-proud defense . . . is it just us, or do linebackers Pepper Johnson and Carl Banks suddenly seem 100 years old? This team misses departed tackle Michael Dean Perry more than it will ever admit.

STRANGE BUT TRUE IV

Before they sleep each night, the Browns comfort themselves with the mantra, “It’s OK, the Steelers are also tanking it. It’s OK, the Steelers are also tanking it.”

But while Cleveland can get smarter, it’s too late for the Steelers to get a blocking tight end good enough to replace Eric Green, or a blocking guard good enough to replace Duval Love, or a blocking fullback to replace injured John L. Williams.

Blocking wouldn’t be a problem, but there is also no way they can teach overweight running back Bam Morris to make like Emmitt Smith and create his own holes.

Morris, with 48 yards in 26 carries in the last three games, has been the league’s most disappointing skill player. Criticize bizarre Barry Foster if you will, but the Steelers used him to reach an AFC championship. This season with Morris, they won’t even make the playoffs. Unless they can eat their way there.