The Green Bay Packers were looking to make the playoffs for the first time in 11 years during the 1993 season. Fresh of a 9-7 mark in Mike Holmgren’s first season as coach the previous year, the team was building towards contention. In addition to Holmgren, they added quarterback Brett Favre the previous offseason and they already had wide receiver Sterling Sharpe. During the offseason, they signed the biggest free agent available in the first year of modern NFL free agency, Reggie White. But the Packers got off to a rough start that season and faced a critical road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Today we recall the outstanding performances by Sterling Sharpe and Brett Favre as the Packers crushed the Bucs.
Sterling Sharpe and Brett Favre Team Up to Crush the Bucs: The Buildup
The Packers entered this game with a 2-3 record. After beating the Rams in Week 1, the Pack lost three straight games before rallying to beat the Broncos on Sunday Night Football in Week 5. That was White’s coming out party in Green Bay as he made two sacks late in the game to clinch the win.
The Bucs were 1-4 coming into this game. Sam Wyche’s club beat Detroit handily in Week 5 but were shut out by the Vikings 15-0 in their last game. Both teams had byes the previous week and were rested and ready to go.
If the Packers had any hope of making the playoffs, they needed a road win in Tampa. The Bucs needed a win to have any chance of salvaging their season.
The Packers entered the game as six-point favorites on the road.
The Packers Start Quickly
Both teams punted on their first drives of the game, but the Packers got their offense in gear the second time they had the ball. The key play was a 51-yard completion to tight end Jackie Harris which gave the Packers a first-and-goal at the Tampa Bay nine. Two plays later, Favre found Sharpe for a seven-yard touchdown pass and the Packers led 7-0.
The Packers added to their lead on their first drive of the second quarter. Favre found tight end, Ed West for 14 yards and then Sharpe for nine more. A personal foul on Bucs linebacker Hardy Nickerson gave the Packers 15 yards and a first down and put the ball in Tampa Bay territory. After Edgar Bennett ran twice for nine yards, Favre connected with Sharpe for 30 yards and a touchdown. The Packers now led 14-0.
Midway through the second quarter, the Bucs drove to the Green Bay 37. That drive ended when Packers linebacker Johnny Holland intercepted Steve DeBerg’s pass and returned it to the Green Bay 45. Favre led the Pack on an eight-play, 55-yard drive. The biggest gain was a 20-yard pass to Sharpe. The drive ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Sharpe, his third of the game. The Packers led 21-0.
A sack by Bryce Paup forced Tampa Bay to punt with two minutes left in the half. The Packers got the ball in Bucs territory after a short punt. Chris Jacke kicked a 50-yard field goal, and the Packers led 24-0 at the half.
Sterling Sharpe and Brett Favre Team Up to Crush the Bucs: Favre and Sharpe Unstoppable
The Bucs received the second half kickoff but went three-and-out again after another sack by Paup. The Packers got the ball at the Bucs 46. They ended the drive with a 44-yard field goal by Jacke and the Packers led 27-0.
The Packers extended their lead on their next drive. Key plays included three straight runs by Darrell Thompson up the middle for 22, 15, and five yards. Thompson finished the game with 105 yards on 21 carries. The drive stalled at the Tampa Bay six, so Jacke kicked a 24-yard field goal to make the score Green Bay 30, Tampa Bay 0.
The Bucs finally scored late in the third quarter on a 26-yard pass from Craig Erickson to Horace Copeland. The Bucs tried an onsides kick, but Packers tight end Mark Chmura recovered it. Five plays later, Favre connected with Sharpe for a fourth touchdown, this time from 32 yards out. The Pack led 37-7.
Early in the fourth quarter, Erickson and Copeland hooked up on a 67-yard touchdown pass to make it 37-14. The Packers were driving again late in the game but elected to run out the clock.
The Aftermath
Sharpe did it all in this game. He caught 10 passes for 147 yards and four touchdowns. In the second quarter, he even lined up at quarterback for two plays, running up the middle for five yards and then completing a one-yard pass to Robert Brooks. This was the 21st 100-yard receiving game of his NFL career and his third against Tampa Bay.
“He’s a hell of a player and we have to get the ball to him,” Favre told reporters after the game. “After the first quarter, I knew it was going to be a good day for both of us. It was just one of those games: I throw the ball and he catches it.”
“When it’s 3rd-and-8, they get the ball to Sterling Sharpe,” said Bucs defensive back Martin Mayhew. “Their whole offense is based on getting him the ball. It’s hard to shut him down entirely.”
“Size, strength, and speed,” added Nickerson when asked about Sharpe. “He’s one of the most talented I’ve ever seen.”
Sharpe set a new NFL record in 1993 with 112 catches for 1,274 yards and 11 touchdowns. He broke his own record of 108, set the previous season.
The Packers finished the season with a 9-7 record and made the playoffs for the first time since 1982. It was their first playoff season in a non-strike season since 1972.
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