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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1-6)
VS.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-3)

REGULAR SEASON GAME #8
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2008 – 12:00 PM (CENTRAL)
ARROWHEAD STADIUM, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

BROADCAST INFORMATION
FOX Regional Coverage - WDAF-TV (FOX 4 in Kansas City) - Play-by-play: Ron Pitts - Color Commentator: Tony Boselli - Sideline Reporter: Charissa Thompson

Chiefs FOX Football Radio Network - KCFX-FM (101.1 FM in Kansas City - Affiliates) - Play-by-play: Mitch Holthus - Color Commentator: Len Dawson - Sideline Reporter: Kendall Gammon

The Chiefs host Tampa Bay at Arrowhead for the first time since ‘86 as the Bucs make just their fifth regular season appearance in Kansas City. Kansas City is coming off a tough 28-24 loss at the N.Y. Jets (10/26). The Chiefs forced three INTs of QB Brett Favre, but the Jets QB was able to guide his club to a comeback victory, throwing the game-winning TD with 1:00 left. In just his second NFL start, QB Tyler Thigpen looked sharp, throwing for 280 yards with two TDs and compiling an impressive 110.9 rating. Tampa Bay (5-3) wraps up a two-game road swing after a 13-9 loss at Dallas (10/26).

The Buccaneers are a familar foe for Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards, who helped Tony Dungy revitalize that franchise. Edwards served as assistant head coach/secondary coach under Dungy with Tampa Bay from ‘96-00. After going 6-10 in ‘96, the Bucs made the playoffs three of the next four years, compiling a 39-25 (.609) regular season record from ‘97-00. The Bucs would reach the NFC Championship Game in ‘99 and would win Super Bowl XXXVII under head coach Jon Gruden following the 2002 campaign.

While Edwards played a role in the Bucs resurgence, Gruden is certainly no stranger to Arrowhead, either. Gruden’s first game as an NFL head coach came in Kansas City as the Chiefs handed his Raiders squad a 28-8 setback (9/6/98). He then proceeded to register wins in his next three visits to Arrowhead as Oakland’s head coach. In total, Gruden compiled a 5-3 record vs. Kansas City during his four seasons at the helm of the Silver and Black (’98-01).

The last time a Tampa Bay squad visited Arrowhead in the regular season was October 26, 1986. John Mackovic (KC) and Leeman Bennett (TB) were the coaches in that contest, while QBs Bill Kenney (KC) and Steve Young (TB) worked under center. That 22-year stretch between visits to Arrowhead by the Bucs ranks as the second-longest active such drought in the NFL. The longest such streak is also owned by Tampa Bay. Since the franchise’s inception in ‘76, the Bucs have never visited Buffalo in the regular season.

Up next for Kansas City is a road contest at San Diego (11/9). Tampa Bay enjoys a bye next week (11/9) before facing Minnesota (11/16).

THE SERIES
Kansas City owns a 5-4 edge in its nine previous regular season clashes with Tampa Bay, including wins in four of the last six outings. Tampa Bay will make its first trip to Arrowhead since ‘86, the second-longest current streak an NFL team has gone without traveling to an individual opponent. The Buccaneers have won the last two meetings in the series, both of which have been played at Raymond James Stadium. Most recently, Tampa Bay won a back-and-forth battle by a 34-31 count as RB Michael Pittman scored three TDs, including the game-winner with 11:50 left in the fourth quarter (11/7/04).

Kansas City’s last victory vs. Tampa Bay was the “Joe Bowl” when Pro Football Hall of Famers QB Joe Montana and RB Marcus Allen made their regular season debuts in Chiefs uniforms as the Chiefs collected a 27-3 win on Opening Day (9/5/93). That contest also marked the regular season NFL debut of G Will Shields, whose franchise-record streak of 224 consecutive games played began in that victory at Tampa Stadium.

The Chiefs claimed a 28-19 win in its initial meeting with Tampa in ‘76 when the Bucs were a member of the AFC West. The Bucs switched to the NFC Central in ‘77, while Seattle joined the AFC West. Perhaps the most memorable Chiefs-Bucs game came at Tampa Stadium (12/16/79). The game was played in a constant downpour and was deadlocked in a scoreless tie until Bucs K Neil O’Donoghue hit a 19-yard FG to give Tampa Bay a 3-0 advantage with 8:50 left in regulation. That win clinched the NFC Central for the Bucs, who advanced to the NFC title game vs. the L.A. Rams.

Kansas City and Tampa Bay have met four times in preseason play with the Bucs holding a 3-1 edge. The Bucs won the last meeting by a 37-14 count at Tampa (8/25/00), while the Chiefs claimed a 17-13 decision in a game played at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK (8/8/98).

Complete 16 page release (PDF)