The Green Bay Packers were the defending Super Bowl champions in 1997, coming off a 13-3 season and their first Super Bowl win in nearly three decades. But the defense of that title got off to a slow start and the Pack entered this Week 6 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field with a 3-2 record. Meanwhile, the Bucs were off to a flying start, going 5-0 under second-year coach Tony Dungy. Tampa Bay was confident they could knock the Packers off their perch as NFC Central Division champions. The Packers needed a win to get back into the division race while a win for Tampa Bay would give them a three-game lead over the Packers and control of the division. Today we recall how defensive end Gabe Wilkins rumbled for a touchdown that turned around the Packers 1997 season.
Recalling Defensive End Gabe Wilkins Rumbling Touchdown That Turned Around the Packers Season: The Buildup
The Packers were struggling entering this game. The previous week, they fell to the Lions in Detroit 26-15. Green Bay committed four turnovers in that game including three interceptions by Brett Favre.
“We didn’t play well last week, and I didn’t see any fire,” coach Mike Holmgren said. “And that hadn’t happened here in a long time.”
The Bucs, however, were unbeaten and on a roll. They had already beaten the 49ers, Lions, Vikings, and Dolphins before edging the Cardinals 19-18 the previous week. The Bucs were eager to show they were better than the defending Super Bowl champs and that the NFC Central Division had a new king. To do that they had to beat Green Bay. If the Packers won this game, the division race would be a dog fight. If they lost, they’d be three games back and would have lost their home game against Tampa Bay already. The game was a must-win for the Packers.
The Packers Fall Behind Early
Penalties disrupted the Packers opening drive and they punted. The Bucs moved the ball downfield on their first drive and opened the scoring. They emphasized fullback Mike Alstott who carried the ball five times and caught two passes on the 13-play drive. But the Packers defense stopped the drive at the Packers four when Reggie White hit Trent Dilfer’s arm as he threw it and the pass fell incomplete in the end zone. Tampa Bay settled for a 23-yard field goal by Michael Husted. The Bucs had the early 3-0 lead.
The Green Bay defense stepped up on the final play of the first quarter and changed the momentum of the game. Tyrone Williams knocked the ball out of the hands of Warrick Dunn and linebacker Brian Williams recovered the ball at the Tampa Bay 35.
Two plays later, facing 3rd-and-6, Favre, Favre found Antonio Freeman on a slant play over the middle. Freeman beat his man and split the safeties to finish a 31-yard touchdown pass. The Packers led 7-3.
Recalling Defensive End Gabe Wilkins Rumbling Touchdown That Turned Around the Packers Season: The Big Play
The Packers turned the football over midway through the second quarter to start a wild series of events. Green Bay faced a 3rd-and-1 at their own 17. Favre tried to get the first down on a quarterback sneak. But Favre lost control of the football and Chidi Ahanotu recovered for the Bucs at the Green Bay 18.
On the next play, Dilfer tried to set up a screen pass to Alstott in the left flat. He underthrew the ball and it went right into the face of Packers defensive end Gabe Wilkins. The 6’5”, 304-pound Gardner-Webb product trapped the ball against his facemask at the Green Bay 23 and started rumbling downfield. Dilfer dove at his legs at the 33 but Wilkins hurdled over the prone quarterback and chugged all the way for a 77-yard touchdown. The Packers led 14-3.
Wilkins wanted to do a Lambeau Leap, but he was exhausted and stumbled on the net used for field goals and extra points. It didn’t ruin the moment.
“Quarterbacks, they always try to cut you,” Wilkins said after the game. “I said, ‘Hey if I get in the air and I get past him, there is nobody.’ I could see them coming to my side of the defense, and then the ball was right there in my face.”
“I’ve never seen a run like that before,” said safety LeRoy Butler. “I have seen one of our offensive guys run like that.”
“That’s as far as you can swing,” Favre said. “One play I fumble on a sneak and the next play our defensive end looks like O.J. [Simpson] running through the airport.”
“It was so huge,” Holmgren added. “Talk about mood changes.”
The Packers Extend Their Lead
The Packers put together one last drive late in the first half. Green Bay took over at midfield with 1:47 left before the break. Running back Dorsey Levens caught two passes for 20 yards on the drive while Favre found Robert Brooks for 17 more yards.
On first-and-goal at the Tampa Bay six, Favre found Freeman on a post pattern in the end zone. The Packers led 21-3 at the half and seemed to be in complete control of the game.
Recalling Defensive End Gabe Wilkins Rumbling Touchdown That Turned Around the Packers Season: The Lead Crumbles
A 34-yard punt return by Bill Schroeder set the Packers up in great field position midway through the third quarter, but the drive stalled at the Bucs 29 and Ryan Longwell missed a 47-yard field goal.
The miss seemed to inspire the Bucs who put together a seven-play, 63-yard touchdown drive. Dunn started the drive with an 18-yard run. Later in the drive, Dilfer completed three straight passes to three different receivers for 40 yards. Alstott finished the drive on a one-yard plunge into the end zone. The extra point made the score 21-10 Green Bay.
In the fourth quarter, a 44-yard run by Dunn was the catalyst for another Bucs drive. Alstott bulled over the middle for 16 yards on the next play. Dunn finished this one off with a two-yard dash over right guard. The Bucs went for two to try to pull within a field goal, but Dilfer’s pass for Carl Williams fell short and the lead was still 21-16.
Putting the Game Away
The Packers had a chance to clinch the win on their next drive and reached the Bucs 20. But the Bucs sacked Favre on consecutive plays, and the Packers had to punt. But punter Craig Hentrich did a great job of pinning the Bucs deep in their territory as they started on their own four with just 4:59 left in the game.
The Bucs reached the Green Bay 42 where the drive stalled. A fourth down pass from Dilfer to Dunn fell incomplete and the Packers got the ball back. But three runs by Levens failed to pick up a first down and the Packers had to punt with 46 seconds left. Dilfer managed to complete two passes, but when Santana Dotson and Brian Williams stopped Dunn on the Tampa Bay 44 on the last play of the game, the Packers held on for a big win.
Recalling Defensive End Gabe Wilkins Rumbling Touchdown That Turned Around the Packers Season: The Aftermath
The Packers were relieved to escape with a win. They had been outgained 372-234 but found a way to win with big plays.
“Yeah, nice numbers for them but we won the game,” said safety Eugene Robinson.
“We came into the locker room and we’re going, ‘Whew,’” Favre said. “[Safety] Mike Prior had to remind us, ‘Hey, a win’s a win.’”
Reggie White had a big game, recording two sacks and dominating tackle Jason Odom of Tampa Bay.
“Reggie was feeling this week like he wasn’t doing his part,” Holmgren explained. “He’s played very well for a lot of years and he is getting older. He can still do it.”
“I like to watch Reggie kill these tackles,” Favre added.
“It was an intense game,” Santana Dotson said. “It was a game we needed to win. I think all the media was here hoping [we’d lose]. Everybody loves an underdog, and that’s great. But we had no intentions of letting them get out of here with a win.”
“I think there was some sense of desperation,” Freeman said. “We knew we had to have this football game, and we wanted this football game. We knew the Bucs were at the top of the NFC Central, so it was do-or-die for us.”
The win sparked the Packers to a five-game winning streak. They finished the season 13-3, going 10-1 the rest of the way. And it all started with a big defensive lineman rumbling 77 yards for a touchdown to spark a vital win over Tampa Bay.
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