Raiders Knock the Wind Out of Smooth-Sailing Buccaneers

The six-game winning streak is over. The drive to their second playoff berth since 1982 is delayed. And, after a record-setting loss, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers once again must figure out how to revive a stagnant offense.

Hoping their offensive woes were erased by the emergence of rookie quarterback Shaun King, the Buccaneers regressed Sunday in a 45-0 loss to the Oakland Raiders that prevented Tampa Bay (9-5) from clinching a playoff spot.

It was the worst loss in Buccaneer history and the biggest margin of victory for the Raiders since they joined the NFL in 1970.

“We won six in a row and we didn’t disintegrate overnight. We’re going to bounce back,” Tampa Bay Coach Tony Dungy said. “We haven’t been in a game like this in a while. We just couldn’t get anything going. But I don’t think it will have a long-term effect if we win next week [at home against Green Bay].”

The Raiders (7-7) converted three Buccaneer turnovers into touchdowns in building a 10-0 lead to 38-0 before the third quarter ended. Tyrone Wheatley’s 30-yard touchdown run in the second quarter came one play after a Mike Alstott fumble. Lance Johnstone returned a King fumble 13 yards for a touchdown on Tampa Bay’s first possession of the second half. Wheatley’s second touchdown, a three-yard run with 3:17 left in the third quarter, came seven plays after Charles Mincy’s interception.

Wheatley had 111 yards in 19 carries and Napoleon Kaufman had 122 yards and two touchdowns in eight carries against the NFL’s No. 2-ranked defense.

“They took it to us. They ran it right down our throat,” safety John Lynch said. “I don’t know if you can treat a game as an aberration and let it go, but we’re a good football team and we just didn’t show up today.”

Tampa Bay had only 137 total yards, including 52 rushing, and crossed midfield only once in the first three quarters. King, who lost for the first time since his junior season at Tulane in 1997, was 17 of 29 for 142 yards and was sacked four times.

“The key is to get this out of our system and come back next week,” King said.

The Raiders drove 84 yards to start the game, with Rich Gannon connecting with Tim Brown for a 20-yard touchdown. Joe Nedney, who replaced the struggling Michael Husted as the Raider kicker, also had a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter.

“It’s the kind of game we felt we could have played all year,” said Brown, whose team’s seven losses have each been by seven points or less. “This is what we’re capable of doing. If we don’t make the playoffs, we’re going to look back at this game and say this is the way we could have played all year.”