Bucs keep Lions winless despite slow start
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Jeff Garcia threw for 165 yards and two touchdowns
as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers downed Detroit, 38-20, to keep the Lions winless
on the season.
Warrick Dunn had 14 carries for 90 yards and a score while Ronde Barber
had two interceptions and returned one of them for a touchdown for the Buccaneers
(8-3), who are just one-half game back of Carolina for first place in the
NFC South.
"I'm happy with the win, we hung in there," said Tampa Bay coach
Jon Gruden. "We didn't play particularly well early. A lot of that
is reflective of the Lions. They were fired up and ready to go and we fell
down 17-0. Barber gets a big interception. Clifton Smith got a big return.
And Garcia got hot, made a couple great throws. It was a heck of a win for
us. It's a hard place to win here, we've struggled in the past." Carolina
is currently battling the Falcons in Atlanta.
Ike Hilliard had two catches for 51 yards and a score, while Cadillac Williams
saw his first action since suffering a torn patellar tendon on September
30, 2007 and had 16 carries for 27 yards for Tampa Bay, which has won its
last three games.
Daunte Culpepper started his third straight game and went just 8-for-20
with 121 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while Calvin Johnson
had three catches for 66 yards and a score for the Lions (0-11), who are
faced with the prospect of becoming the first team since the league went
to a 16-game format to finish a full season without a win.
"It's just details," said Detroit coach Ron Marinelli. "We
gave up a couple of big plays.
We came out of coverage one time and I give great respect for Garcia.
He's really one of the best quarterbacks in the league. A competitor, mobile,
understands the system. We just couldn't come out of coverage. One time
we came out of coverage and then we kind of blew a coverage (on the TD passes)."
Tampa Bay went 0-14 in its inaugural year of 1976 while the Colts finished
0-8-1 during the strike-shortened 1982 season.
The Lions next play on Thanksgiving when they will host the Tennessee Titans,
who suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday against the Jets.
"I don't know what we're doing," said Detroit running back Kevin
Smith, who finished the game with 86 yards on 16 carries. "I guess
the right thing to say is that we're going to keep on working hard. That's
my answer. Anything else, I'm going to get in trouble." After exchanging
punts to start the game, the Lions took the lead thanks to Johnson.
With the ball near midfield, Culpepper threw up a pass down the left sideline
that Johnson came down with in double coverage for 41 yards. Three plays
later, Johnson leaped up just inside the goal line and came down with the
ball on a 15-yard score and a 7-0 lead with 6:07 left in the first.
On Tampa's next drive, Garcia and Williams collided in the backfield and
Garcia fumbled the ball. Daniel Bullocks picked up the loose ball and took
it into the end zone from 44 yards out for a 14-0 lead.
Detroit forced the Buccaneers to punt on their next touch and got a 26-yard
run from Kevin Smith to get the ball into scoring position, but had to settle
for a 38-yard field goal from Jason Hanson to take a 17-0 lead into the
second quarter.
Tampa, though, scored on its ensuing possession that spanned the first and
second quarters. Clifton Smith returned the kickoff 49 yards to put the
ball at midfield. Using the short field, Garcia quickly took his team down
the field and at the 13-yard line handed the ball off to Dunn, who ran up
the middle and spun around a defender on his way into the end zone.
The Bucs made it a three-point game on their next touch as Garcia found
Hilliard for a 36-yard score to cap a nine-play, 69-yard drive with 4:40
to play in the first half.
On Detroit's next possession, Barber picked off Culpepper and on the next
play, Garcia found Jerramy Stevens wide open over the middle for a 24-yard
score and a 21-17 lead going into the break.
"When we shifted in the new formation, they were confused and I found
Jerramy wide open," said Garcia about the score.
Tampa's special teams got in on the scoring in the third quarter. Detroit
was held to a three-and-out and had to punt the ball away. Clifton Smith
fielded the boot at his own 30 and raced up the middle and into the end
zone for a 28-17 lead with 11:31 left in the third.
Just 2 1/2 minutes later, Tampa made it a 35-17 game as Barber stepped in
front of a Culpepper pass and raced into the end zone from 65 yards out.
Later in the third, Hilliard muffed a punt and Detroit recovered deep in
Tampa territory, but the team was unable to move the ball and Hanson's 40-yard
field goal made it a 35-20 game with 2:43 left in the third.
However, Matt Bryant later countered with a 48-yard field goal a bit over
two minutes into the fourth to make it a 38-20 contest.
Game Notes Hanson's second field goal was the 400th of his career...The
Buccaneers host New Orleans next Sunday...Tampa Bay has won five of its
last six games against Detroit...Johnson has caught a touchdown in six of
his last seven games.
11/23 18:14:26 ET
