Plunder and Lightning

TAMPA, Fla. —  This game was over with 40 seconds left in the first half. Tampa Bay led San Francisco, 28-6. The 49ers had the ball at their 40 with two timeouts left. Certainly the 49ers would try something, something dramatic, some quick strike deep to try for a quick score and some momentum.

Jeff Garcia to Terrell Owens, maybe. Or Tai Streets. Or somebody.

Instead, with the crowd shrieking in joy and derision, with the Tampa Bay defenders high-fiving each other, the 49ers ran off the field. They ran off without trying anything, with time to spare but no will to be daring.

“There was surrender in their eyes,” Buccaneer defensive end Simeon Rice said.

Said Tampa Bay cornerback Brian Kelly: “That showed me the 49ers weren’t fighting any more.”

Said tackle Warren Sapp: “I looked over at [49er Coach Steve] Mariucci and Mooch’s head was down.

“It looked like he gave up.”

Tampa Bay manhandled the 49ers, winning, 31-6, Sunday in an NFC divisional playoff game at Raymond James Stadium. And it took only a half.

Maybe it wasn’t surrender for the 49ers. Maybe they were just facing reality.

The 49ers, who had erased a 24-point deficit in that miraculous comeback win over the New York Giants last week, were overmatched from the start against the Buccaneers.

San Francisco quarterback Jeff Garcia, who was suffering from a cold, could see Derrick Brooks to the left of him, Rice to the right. John Lynch was coming from one angle, Sapp was breathing heavily in his face. Kelly was hoping for an interception.

Garcia couldn’t run. He couldn’t throw, he couldn’t see his receivers or the open field. He couldn’t manufacture a big comeback. He couldn’t even manufacture a touchdown.

“I thought we would do better,” former 49er coach and general manager Bill Walsh said. “But this was a game we lost to a really good team.”

The Buccaneers physically kicked the hope out of the 49ers after stuffing the San Francisco offense into a box and nailing it shut. Tampa Bay advances to the NFC championship game at Philadelphia next Sunday.

Although they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs by the Eagles the last two years, these Buccaneers will travel to Veterans Stadium with puffed-out chests and the vigor that comes after stifling a traditional power.

“Any time you can win a playoff game in the second round by 25 points,” Buccaneer Coach Jon Gruden said, “any time you win that game by playing good on offense, good on defense and by making some timely plays along the way, it’s very exciting. It opens the eyes, not only on the coaching staff, but to every guy in the locker room that we’re capable of getting this done.”

The Buccaneers have the No. 1 defense in the NFL and did nothing to change that rating. Tampa Bay forced four turnovers. Brooks, the NFL defensive player of the year, had an interception and recovered a fumble. Owens, the game-breaking wide receiver, was held to four catches for 35 yards and Garcia was 22 for 41 for 193 yards with three interceptions. On the ground, the 49ers gained only 62 yards.

“Our defense was dominant,” Tampa Bay quarterback Brad Johnson said.

“They seemed to make all the big plays,” San Francisco linebacker Julian Peterson said.

The Buccaneers also established a presence on offense quickly. Their second drive was 12 plays, 74 yards. Johnson (15 for 31, 196 yards and two touchdowns) proved that his aching back, which had kept him out of the last two regular-season games, was sturdy and that rust had not taken away his rhythm.

He completed four of eight passes on that drive for 52 yards. He used three different receivers. He was sharp with his reads. He also faced little pressure. Tampa Bay scored on Mike Alstott’s two-yard run.

That touchdown fired up the Buccaneer defenders; the 49ers were under relentless pressure for the rest of the game.

“As soon as we got up, 7-0,” Sapp said, “our comfort level set in. All we had to do then was stick a couple three-and-outs and we did.”

There was one sustained San Francisco drive that ended with a field goal to make the score 7-3, and another gift field goal that came after two Tampa Bay unnecessary roughness penalties.

Otherwise it was all about Tampa Bay’s defense. Brooks’ interception of a Garcia pass with two minutes left in the half was turned into a Tampa Bay touchdown 70 seconds later, making the score 28-6. Ten seconds later, the 49ers ran off the field rather than try to make more plays.

“I thought we were in a position to work a couple throws downfield and potentially come away with an attempted field goal,” Garcia said. “But the decision of the coaches was to play it conservative and go in at halftime without making any more mistakes.”

Said Rice: “It was like they were folding up the tent when they did that. When you can make a good team look like it’s giving up, you’ve accomplished something.”

The Buccaneers have accomplished one thing. They’ve advanced to their third NFC championship game.

“But all that means,” Sapp said, “is that we’re 60 minutes away from the greatest show on earth.”