TAMPA BAY QB TURNAROUND
At 3-0, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the NFC’s only undefeated team and are off to their best start since winning their first five games in 1979. Quarterback TRENT DILFER is a big reason for the turnaround, leading the NFC in passing with a 100.4 rating. He has thrown four touchdown passes and is one of only four starting quarterbacks who has yet to throw an interception this season. Since the end of last season, Dilfer has thrown 84 straight passes without an interception. Dilfer is also completing third-down passes at a high rate. He leads the conference with a 111.0 third-down rating and is tied for the NFC lead with two third-down TD passes.
The situation has reversed itself compared to the first three games of ’96. The Bucs were 0-3 and Dilfer ranked next to last in the NFC with a 31.3 rating and a 35.1 third-down rating. Following is a comparison of Dilfer after three games in ’96 and ’97:
| DILFER | COMP. |
ATT. |
YARDS |
TDs |
INTs |
RATING |
| Thru 3 games, ’97 | 42 |
70 |
491 |
4 |
0 |
100.4 |
| Thru 3 games, ’96 | 39 |
94 |
499 |
1 |
7 |
31.3 |
| 3rd-down, ’97 | 14 |
23 |
161 |
2 |
0 |
111.0 |
| 3rd-down, ’96 | 11 |
30 |
223 |
1 |
3 |
35.1 |