The 3 Buccaneers

1. Quarterback Trent Dilfer -- The Arrival 



Buccaneer QB Trent Dilfer has had 12 career NFL games
in which he's compiled more passing yards than the 192 he
had against Minnesota last Sunday, 11 games in which he's
completed more than the 15 passes he did versus the
Vikings and one game in which he's thrown more than last
Sunday's two TD passes. It is doubtul, however, that he has
ever had a finer day in a Buccaneer uniform. 

Dilfer literally displayed his entire range of skills against the Vikings,
successfully making plays that called for either precision, timing, sheer arm
strength, improvisation, poise under pressure or some combination of the
above. When the artificial turf dust had cleared, the Bucs' fourth-year QB
had completed 15 of 20 passes for 192 yards, two touchdowns and, again,
no interceptions. Dilfer has not been picked off in four games, a stretch that
includes 84 passes. If you included the 1997 pre-season, that stretch
expands to eight games and 147 passes. 

Dilfer's 100.4 rating trails only that of two NFC passers, New England's
Drew Bledsoe (108.8) and Denver's John Elway (108.3). Probably not
coincidentally, those three field generals lead the NFL's trio of 3-0 teams. 

Dilfer's QB rating isn't just much-improved, it is the NFC's top mark. Dilfer,
in fact, is one of only three NFL starters to open all of its team's games this
season and not throw an interception, joining Dallas' Troy Aikman and
Philadelphia's Ty Detmer. 

While Dilfer's numbers are the best of his young career, they still do not tell
the entire story of his improvement. Dilfer's stat line from the Minnesota
play-by-play (15-20-0, 192 yards, 2 TDs) would by itself probably draw
the description 'solid', but that belies the sometimes-spectacular manner in
which he compiled it. To wit: 

On the first play of the second quarter, Dilfer stepped up to avoid pressure
from both sides and spiraled a perfect strike to a streaking Horace
Copeland for a 49-yard gain to the Viking nine. 

In the third quarter, Dilfer shocked the 63,000 fans in attendance by
somehow spinning out of the grasp of untouched blitzer Orlando Thomas
and instantly firing a 28-yard pass over the outstretched hands of CB
Dewayne Washington into WR Reidel Anthony's possession. 

Three plays after that stunning reversal of fortune, Dilfer made it pay off
with a 27-yard scoring pass to WR Horace Copeland. The Bucs' were
facing both a third-and-four and a heavy pass rush, but Dilfer managed to
lob his pass into the waiting hands of a well-covered Copeland as he slid
across the goal line. 

Near the beginning of the final period, the Bucs were facing a
third-and-one at their own 44 and hoping to drive for another score that
would effectively ice the game. Dilfer faked a handoff and headed around
right end on a naked bootleg, but found several unconfused Vikings on his
trail. Dilfer sprinted to the sideline and dove with the ball extended to just
pass the first-down marker. Three plays later, RB Warrick Dunn sprinted 52
yards for the Bucs' fourth and final touchdown. 

Dilfer's repeated heroics drew post-game praise from his teammates, who
followed a theme in their assessment of the offense's leader: 

C Tony Mayberry: "Trent did a great job of reading the blitz and finding
his receivers. That shows his maturation...he's just got a lot of confidence
right now." 

FB Mike Alstott: "It's a matter of confidence. If the line gives him time,
he's got a great arm and he's going to make some big plays. He's matured a
lot as a quarter-back, he's in his fourth year now and he knows he's got a lot
of good players around him." 

RB Warrick Dunn: "Everyone on this team believes in each other. Trent
has taken a lot of heat the last few years and now he's 3-0 this season. You
can credit that to poise 

2. Fullback Mike Alstott -- Absolute Power 



Mike Alstott is quickly earning the reputation as one of the
toughest players in the league. Last Sunday, the Bucs's
bruising fullback added yet another clip to an already
impressive personal highlight package filled with images of
the 248-pounder barreling through opposing defenders. 

In the second quarter, Alstott showcased the all-around skills that have
elevated him to the elite fullback class. Touching the ball six times, Alstott
accounted for 29 yards and a touchdown on the team's 12-play drive that
consumed nearly seven minutes off the clock. 

His largest impact, however, was also his shortest gain of the afternoon. On
third-and-goal from the Vikings' one-yard line, Alstott received the handoff
from QB Trent Dilfer and attempted to jump over the pile. After initially
being rebuffed by a strong Minnesota charge, he bounced back off the
pileup, wrestled away from Minnesota LB Jeff Brady and with an amazing
second and third effort, bulled backwards across the goal line over S Robert
Griffith. 

Alstott finished with 29 yards and one TD on eight carries (3.6 avg.), plus
two receptions for nine yards. The second-year player who led the team in
receiving with 65 catches last season is also well on pace to surpass his
rookie rushing totals of 377 yards and three touchdowns. Following is a
comparison of Alstott's rushing productivity through the first three games of
1996 and 1997. 

3. Running Back Warrick Dunn -- Speed 



Rookie RB Warrick Dunn earned NFC Offensive
Rookie of the Week honors for his 130-yard, one
touchdown performance at Detroit two weeks
ago. Dunn may need to make some room on the
mantle in the coming weeks for another award:
Player of the Month. 

The 178-pounder who has made a habit of
running in and out of the arms of opposing
defenders was up to his usual tricks again last week at Minnesota. Dunn
recorded the second consecutive 100+-yard rushing day of his three-game
career at Minnesota, dashing for 101 yards and a touchdown on just 16
carries for a very healthy 6.3 average. 

Dunn's numbers were boosted by the rookie's longest rush of the season, a
fourth quarter, 52-yard touchdown burst on third-and-seven. On that play,
Dunn darted through the middle of the line before cutting back towards the
Buccaneer sideline and outrunning Minnesota CB Leonard Wheeler to the
end zone. 

The amazing rookie's 268 rushing yards leads all first-year players and ranks
fourth in the conference, just 40 behind leader Robert Smith of Minnesota.
His 5.6-yard average is a successful followup to the 5.3-yard mark he put
up in the pre-season and the spectacular 6.9-yard average he posted as a
collegian at Florida State.