Will Buccaneers Be Under Weather?

A review of the first round of the NFL playoffs, and a heads-up to Fox-TV officials, who might be forced to find alternative programming to replace Sunday’s NFC divisional playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers if the weather turns frigid.

“We’re going to look at the weather chart and if it’s going to be below 40, we’ll probably forfeit,” Tampa Bay Coach Tony Dungy said.

He was kidding--wasn’t he?

Dungy, the miracle worker, has made the Buccaneers into a playoff team--a winning playoff team--and has snapped 14 consecutive years of losing records.

But he has failed to warm up the Buccaneers enough to snap a franchise jinx that has extended to 16 consecutive losses when the temperature is below 40 degrees.

Tampa Bay went to Chicago earlier this year favored to topple the hapless Bears, but at the opening kickoff the temperature was 29 degrees with a wind-chill of 6.

The final score: Chicago 13, a shivering Tampa Bay 7.

The Buccaneers, who usually work out in sunshine early Saturday before boarding an airplane for road games, are tinkering with the idea of traveling to Green Bay on Friday to practice in ice-box conditions.

“I lived in Minnesota for nine years and never got used to the cold,” said Dungy in previewing the pitch he will use on his players this week. “Green Bay’s practicing indoors this week, so is Minnesota. They are going to have to play in the cold just like we are.”

Sure, but Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre is 22-0 when the game-time temperature in Lambeau Field is 35 degrees or lower, and no matter what the weather, the Packers have won 26 consecutive at home.

The Buccaneers, meanwhile, are 40-134 on the road.

“We’ve watched the tape, and in two of the last three games we’ve played against them, we’ve had the ball with a chance to win,” Dungy said. “We’ve got history to show that we don’t have to expect them to blow us out by 21 points.”

No, oddsmakers expect the Packers to blow them out by only 13 1/2 points.

New England’s MVP

Dan Marino. In three games between the Patriots and Dolphins, the best quarterback on the field for New England was Marino.

Marino had three passes intercepted and returned for touchdowns by New England. The Patriots’ Drew Bledsoe threw for only one touchdown in three meetings with the Dolphins.

Clever Headline

They had 18 years to sharpen their wits in preparation for this moment, but after the Buccaneers defeated the Detroit Lions in Sunday’s wild card game, the editors at The Tampa Tribune came up with this Monday morning headline on Page 1: Bucs Win!

Tom McEwen, who has written about so many losses during his tenure with the newspaper and after whom the press box at Houlihan Stadium is named, began his column this way:

“They won. They won. They won. They won. They won.”

Fed-Ex It, Please

A request to New York Giant Coach Jim Fassel--return the coach-of-the-year plaque.

Sit down, Dennis Green, you are still not in the running.

Secret To Success

The key to NFL success these days is sitting out a year and then making a grand comeback.

Boomer Esiason did it in Cincinnati, but Minnesota’s Randall Cunningham and Eddie Murray earn comeback-player-of-the-year honors after combining to score the final 10 points in their wild card win over the Giants.

Cunningham and Murray both missed the 1996 season and appeared finished. “To think that I was cutting marble and putting in kitchen counter tops this time a year ago,” said Cunningham, “and to be here now celebrating a victory like this, is very satisfying.”

Next year, it’s Jim Kelly’s turn.

Stats to Ponder

The four playoff winners this weekend averaged 4.7 yards a carry and 166 yards a game, while the losers managed only 2.9 and 69. . . . Pittsburgh and San Francisco were the only teams not to allow a 100-yard rusher this season, the 49ers were the only team not to have a 100-yard wide receiver and Arizona and Kansas City were the only teams not to have a 100-yard rusher. . . . Why is it important for the 49ers to have home-field advantage? Quarterback Steve Young threw 14 touchdown passes at home, five on the road, and none in the team’s last three games away from 3Com (Candlestick) Park. . . . Trent Dilfer threw five more touchdown passes than Marino this season, and he’s one of eight starting quarterbacks still in the hunt to make it to the Super Bowl.

Silent Response

Detroit running back Barry Sanders, stopped from reaching the 100-yard mark for the first time in 15 games, saved his best move for after the game, ducking the media without offering any comment.

The Buccaneers, meanwhile, explained that they prepared for Sanders by waiting longer in practice to blow the whistle to stop the play, a reminder that Sanders isn’t necessarily stopped until buried by 11 defenders.

“He’s the greatest running back in captivity,” Tampa Bay defender Warren Sapp said. “But I liked our chances because it was 11 against one.”

Sapp, however, showed respect for Sanders throughout the game.

“Never said a word to him,” Sapp said with a grin. “I didn’t dare want to tick him off and go wild on us.”

Funny Stuff

Both of New York’s NFL entries were eliminated from the playoffs because of horrendous officiating calls.

The Jets were overtaken by the Lions on the final weekend of the regular season after officials allowed rookie Bryant Westbrook’s interception to stand, although he was out of bounds on his back and clearly juggling the ball.

The Giants took an early playoff exit after officials allowed Jake Reed’s 30-yard touchdown catch with 1:30 to play to stand, although his foot was out of bounds.

“A catch is a catch if they count it in,” said Reed, providing more grist for New Yorkers to chew on while complaining about life for the next nine months.

Bye-Bye

Miami Coach Jimmy Johnson was not happy after his team’s back-to-back losses to New England and made it obvious offensive coordinator Gary Stevens will be looking for work elsewhere soon.

He also had a similar message for Lawrence Phillips. Phillips, picked up off waivers from St. Louis earlier, did not even dress for Miami’s playoff game, not a good sign for a team that places such a heavy emphasis on the running game and that is starved for a quality running back.

“When you can’t run the ball, you don’t have a football team,” huffed Johnson.

Interesting Speculation

Bronco observers believe quarterback John Elway will return next season and will make his announcement when the team begins its campaign for a referendum that would raise $180 million for a new stadium.

There are some Bronco observers who also say they wouldn’t be surprised if Elway announced he will become a minority owner of the team after his playing days end--another boost in the Broncos’ bid to convince taxpayers to build them a new stadium.

A Final Thought

“I’m a lucky man,” said Green, and there’s no doubt about it.