The Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. - Warren Sapp will never forget walking off the field after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs the past two years. He can't imagine experiencing that pain again.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' loquacious defensive tackle struggled to find the words to explain the emptiness. He is convinced Sunday's NFC championship game against the Eagles will have a happier ending.

"Why? The only thing I can say that will make any sense to anybody is: this team," Sapp said. "You can take each guy and show how it's a little bit better."

DAYS OF DOMINANCE

• The Eagles have outscored the Bucs 52-12 in the playoffs the past two years. • Tampa Bay has failed to score an offensive touchdown in its last three games at the Vet. • Philadelphia won the teams' regular-season meeting 20-10 on Oct.20.

Sapp talked about how new coach Jon Gruden motivated players who became complacent under Tony Dungy; the changes Gruden made in an improved offense; and the consistency of the NFL's top defense.

Then Sapp detailed how losing four straight times to Philadelphia has strengthened Tampa Bay's resolve to get to the Super Bowl.

"The thing about it is, other teams have found a way to beat the Eagles," Sapp said. "The Colts manhandled them. The Giants manhandled them nine out of 10 times they played, and Jacksonville handled them right before we went and played them (in October).

"It's not like '99, when we played the Rams in the NFC championship game and nobody had really handled them, so there was no way the Bucs could do it with that rinky-dink offense and bend-but-don't-break defense. That's not what we're talking about now. We're talking about a team that's badder than us, a bully that beats us up and scares us at the very sight of them."

Sapp was being sarcastic, although there is some truth to that description of the Eagles.

Philadelphia has dominated the Bucs physically in their four meetings since 2000, and the four-time All-Pro defensive lineman is sensitive to criticism that he and the rest of Tampa Bay's smallish, speedy defense can't match up against smash-mouth foes like the Eagles.

"It is what it is," Sapp said. "And until we whip them, that will be the reality. Because if you write it long enough, people will believe it. It's been written enough. It's been written four times in a row - the last four times we've seen this team."

Eagles cornerback Troy Vincent compared the Bucs' problems to Philadelphia's with the New York Giants from 1997-2000.

"When I first came to Philly, we had their number. We actually used to beat the Giants," Vincent said. "For a few years, they ran off about nine straight on us. It got frustrating.... I'm sure the Bucs are tired of hearing about the cold weather and then dropping three straight to us. I would be tired of hearing it."

Philadelphia is in the NFC title game for the second straight year.

"We're just going to come out there and hit each other in the mouth," Eagles linebacker Carlos Emmons. "They know what we're coming with, we know what they're coming with, and the better team is going to win."

Sapp shook his head slowly, recounting how he never thought it would take Tampa Bay three years to get back to this stage. He said the Bucs were too "young and dumb" to fully understand the opportunity they had in 1999.

He vows they will not make the same mistake this time.

"We didn't go in with the mentality: `Let's go take this.' That's what this team is about now," Sapp said.