[08.26.04]
Written by: Bob Pinter

For the Love of the Game, Part 9
Four Playoff Teams, Four Exits

[08.26.04] (Somewhere in Hawaii) -- Kurt Warner looked over at the scoreboard, then at his teammates, who were celebrating their entry into the semifinals of this informal PWFFL summer-league tournament that had turned into a tune-up for the regular season, an opportunity for new teammates to feel each other out, and a chance to dust off some heated rivalries all into one. He smiled.

On a sheet of plywood, with several numbers already crossed out, it read: Timbuktu 17, England 9.

What it didn't say, was that Warner had completed 16 of 24 passes for an even 200 yards and two touchdowns, one to Jimmy Smith, the other to his new best friend, Keenan McCardell. He had found a home, and the Buccaneers had found their new quarterback.

And the PWFFL was on its way to a changing of the guard. Last year's four playoff teams: Rocko, Seattle, defending Puck Bowl champ Kalamazoo, and now the England Teasers; had all fallen to teams that had missed the mark the year before. It was clear that everyone had improved in the offseason, and the race to the next Puck Bowl would be a dogfight.

Warner picked up right where he had left off in the Bucs' win over Benton Harbor. Upon taking the field, he threw two straight passes to tight end Freddie Jones, then a 15-yard strike to McCardell, which set up Smith's catch in the end zone.

"Boy's making this look easy!" lineman Warren Sapp yelled.

On the other side of the ball, the Teasers struggled. The Timbuktu defense was focused on the run and back Deuce McCallister, who had to fight for every inch the entire game. But when England put the burden on the shoulders of quarterback Steve McNair, he, too, faltered, having to deal with dropped passes and swarming defensive backs.

But McNair had been creative all day. He caught Timbuktu off guard on his opening drive, with two straight passes to newly-appointed fullback Jerome Bettis. Down 17-3 at halftime, he connected with receiver Jerry Rice on two more consecutive throws. But after wideout Kevin Johnson dropped an easy throw in the endzone, McCallister was stopped just short of the goal line twice, and the Teasers had to settle for another David Akers field goal.

Then, the remarkable happened. Timbuktu return man Aaron Stecker fumbled the kickoff at his own 22. England recovered, giving the Teasers a chance to close the gap.

"One, two, three, GUT CHECK!" McNabb led his teammates to the line.

But it was McNair who was held in check on three straight incompletes. Akers came on to kick another field goal, putting the Teasers within reach if they could get the ball back.

They did. When Timbuktu failed to get the ball downfield, kicker Martin Gramatica punted, putting England at their own 3. McNair desparately tried to engineer a drive, throwing short passes to his receivers while letting McCallister carve out small chunks of yardage.

He would get his team to the Buccaneers' 40, out of range for Akers. With a minute to go, McNair looked downfield for Rice. He cocked his arm. He threw a beautiful spiral that made everyone standing on the sidelines gaze upward, toward the goal line...

Their eyes immediately turned the other way when Bucs' safety John Lynch grabbed the ball out of the sky and began running the other way.

And the Teasers' hopes were dashed.

"Two more to go!" yelled Warner. "Green Bay and Rhode Island, get out there! I gotta finish this!"