SHARE     RSS

TAMPA BAY AT PHILADELPHIA IN NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

SERIES

	BUCCANEERS	EAGLES
LEADER		7-4 (Includes postseason)
STREAKS		Past 3 (Includes postseason)
COACHES VS. OPP.	Gruden: 1-1	Reid: 4-1 (Includes postseason)
VS. COMMON OPP.	TB: 2-0 (Chi 1-0, StL 1-0) Phi: 2-0 (Chi 1-0, StL 1-0)
PLAYOFF RECORD	4-7	13-13
LAST WEEK	W 31-6 vs. 49ers	W 20-6 vs. Falcons
LAST GAME	10/20/02:  Buccaneers 10 at Eagles 20.  Philadelphia QB Donovan McNabb throws one TD and runs for another.  RB Duce Staley runs for 152 yards on 24 carries.
LAST GAME AT SITE	10/20/02
LAST PLAYOFF	1/12/92:  Buccaneers 9 at Eagles 31.  Eagles’ McNabb throws for 2 TDs.  SS Damon Moore has 2 INTs & returns one for a TD.  Defense has 4 INTs.
BROADCAST	FOX (3:00 PM ET): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, Pam Oliver (Field reporter). CBS Radio: Joel Meyers, Bob Trumpy, John Dockery (Field reporter)

SEASON STAT LEADERS

QBs	B. Johnson: 281-451-3,049-22 (3C)-6-92.9 (1C)	McNabb: 211-361-2,289-17-6-86.0 (3C)
RBs	Pittman : 204-718-3.5-1	Staley: 269-1,029-3.8-5
WRs	K. Johnson: 76-1,088-14.3-5	Pinkston: 60-798-13.3-7
OFFENSE	312.6	350.3
TAKE/GIVE	+17 (T1L)	+14 (3C)
DEFENSE	252.8 (1L)	297.1 (3C)
SACKS	Rice: 15.5 (1C)	Douglas: 12.5 (T2C)
INTs	Kelly: 8 (1L)	Taylor : 5
PR	Williams: 9.5	B. Mitchell: 12.3 (3C)
KOR	Stecker: 25.2	B. Mitchell: 27.0 (2C)
PUNTING	Tupa : 42.8	L. Johnson: 37.4
KICKING	Gramatica: 128 (32/32 PAT; 32/39 FG)	Akers: 133 (2L) (43/43 PAT; 30/34 FG)

NOTES

BUCS & EAGLES MEET IN PLAYOFFS for third consecutive season, but first time in NFC Championship Game…….Eagles are first team to advance to championship game in back-to-back seasons since Denver in 1997-98, while Bucs play in third NFC Championship Game in franchise history (1979, 1999).

BUCCANEERS:  Head coach JON GRUDEN has led his club to playoffs in 3 consecutive seasons, including 2 playoff appearances with Raiders.  Spent 1995-97 as ass’t. coach with Eagles……Bucs’ 31 points last week vs. 49ers were most in franchise playoff history……QB BRAD JOHNSON has 53-31 (.631) record as starter, including playoffs.  Set franchise single-season records with 22 TD passes, 62.3 comp. pct. (281 of 451) & 92.9 passer rating.  His 1.3 INT pct. (451 attempts, 6 INTs) is club record & best in NFL in 2002.  Led Bucs to TDs on 3 of first 4 possessions vs. SF……RB MICHAEL PITTMAN led club in rushing with 718 yards.  RB MIKE ALSTOTT rushed for 548 yards in 2002 & had 35 catches for second consecutive season.  Had career single-game playoff high 2 TDs vs. 49ers……WR KEYSHAWN JOHNSON seeks third career 100-yard receiving game in fifth career playoff contest.  Averages 92.0 yards, 6 receptions  & 15.3 yards per catch in playoffs.  Had fourth-career 1,000-yard receiving season in 2002, leading club with 1,088 yards……Defense surrendered 196 points in 2002, fewest in NFL & fifth fewest since 16-game schedule was instituted in 1978……DE SIMEON RICE had 15.5 sacks in 2002, second-highest single-season total in club history.  Had 1.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble last week.  High school teammate of Eagles QB DONOVAN MCNABB at Chicago’s Mt. Carmel HS.  DT WARREN SAPP is tied with 16 others for second-most sacks ever in playoff game with 3.0, trailing RICHARD DENT & RICH MILOT with 3.5……LB DERRICK BROOKS had 4 TDs on turnovers in 2002, most in NFL history by LB & trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer KEN HOUSTON (5) for single-season record.  Had first career playoff INT last week & added 0.5 sacks & 1 FR……Defense led NFL with 31 INTs in 2002 & had 3 last week.  CB BRIAN KELLY tied for NFL lead & had career-high 8……K MARTIN GRAMATICA set career-highs with 32 FGs & 128 points in 2002.  Connected on 7 of 8 playoff FG attempts.

EAGLES: Seek fifth consecutive home playoff win & have not allowed TD in past 3 playoff games at Veterans Stadium.  Finished 12-4, tying GB & Tampa for NFL’s best record.  Also finished with NFL’s best record in 1980 (tied with Dal, Atl), 1960 & 1949, winning 2 NFL championships & losing SB XV to Oak in 1980……Scored franchise record 415 points in 2002 & has 34-5 (.872) mark, including playoffs, under head coach ANDY REID when scoring at least 20 points……Reid was named Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year & has 4 playoff wins with Eagles, most in franchise history.  Reid will coach in fifth NFC Championship Game in past 8 years (2001-02 head coach, Phil; 1995-97, ass’t. coach, GB). Eagles have won 14 of past 15 NFC games……QB DONOVAN MC NABB seeks third consecutive playoff win vs. TB.  Has 9 career playoff TD passes & needs 1 to pass RON JAWORSKI for first in club history.  Has completed at least 60 pct. of pass attempts in 5 of 6 career playoff starts.  Made first start since 11/17 (vs. Ariz.) last week vs. Falcons & had career single-game playoff-best 103.1 passer rating (20 of 30, 247 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT).  QB A.J. FEELEY finished 4-1 as starter in 2002……Club has 10-3 mark all-time when RB DUCE STALEY rushes for 100 yards.  Rushed for third-career 1,000-yard season in 2002 & first since 1999 (1,273).  Had career playoff-long 23-yard TD catch vs. Bucs in last playoff meeting.  RB DORSEY LEVENS has started 6 playoff games, topping 100 yards 3 times (with GB)……WR ANTONIO FREEMAN has 10 postseason TD receptions & needs 1 to pass Pro Football Hall of Famer FRED BILETNIKOFF (10) in third-place all-time.  WR TODD PINKSTON led club with career-high 60 receptions.  WR JAMES THRASH had 42-yard TD catch vs. Falcons in Divisional Playoffs, his first in postseason.  TE CHAD LEWIS had 42 catches in 2002, his third consecutive 40-catch season.  Had career single-game playoff high 60 yards receiving (4 catches, 1 TD) in 2001 Wild Card vs. TB……PR BRIAN MITCHELL has 305 playoff PR yards & needs 8 to pass DAVID MEGGETT (312) for first all-time……Defense led NFL with 56 sacks & club surrendered 241 points, second-fewest in NFL (TB).  Club had 4 defensive starters -- DE HUGH DOUGLAS, S BRIAN DAWKINS, CB BOBBY TAYLOR & CB TROY VINCENT -- named to Pro Bowl & NFL-high 7 players total (K DAVID AKERS, G JERMANE MAYBERRY and T TRA THOMAS) ……CB Taylor had 39-yard INT TD last week, his first career playoff INT.  Has played in 9 playoff games with Eagles, most by any player in club history.