20 Detroit 
17
| 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | Final | |
| Tampa Bay | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Detroit | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| Scoring | ||||
| 1ST QUARTER | ||||
NONE | ||||
| 2ND QUARTER | ||||
TAM - FG, MARTIN GRAMATICA 37 YD, 10:07. Drive: 12 plays,
61 yards in 6:09. Key plays: Barber 1-yard
interception return to Tampa Bay 20; Alstott
17-yard run to Tampa Bay 37; Alstott 11-yard
run to Tampa Bay 48; B Johnson 8-yard pass to
Moore on 3rd-and-3 to Detroit 24. TAMPA BAY 3-0
TAM - TD, WARRICK DUNN 12 YD PASS FROM BRAD JOHNSON
(MARTIN GRAMATICA KICK), 13:08. Drive: 4 plays,
30 yards in 1:54. Key plays: Darby recovery of
McMahon fumble at Detroit 30; B Johnson 13-yard
pass to Dunn on 3rd-and-5 to Detroit 12. TAMPA
BAY 10-0 | ||||
| 3RD QUARTER | ||||
DET - TD, CORY SCHLESINGER 1 YD RUN (JASON HANSON KICK),
12:09. Drive: 8 plays, 26 yards in 4:25. Key
plays: Olivo recovery of Williams muffed punt
at Tampa Bay 26; 13-yard unneccesary roughness
penalty on Buccaneers' Jones to Tampa Bay 13;
Batch 7-yard pass to Schlesinger to Tampa Bay
8; Schlessinger 3-yard run on 4th-and-1 to
Tampa Bay 1. TAMPA BAY 10-7
TAM - TD, KARL WILLIAMS 84 YD PUNT RETURN (MARTIN
GRAMATICA KICK), 15:00. TAMPA BAY 17-7 | ||||
| 4TH QUARTER | ||||
DET - FG, JASON HANSON 38 YD, 7:24. Drive: 7 plays, 37
yards in 3:11. Key plays: Howard 12-yard punt
return to Detroit 43; Batch 13-yard pass to
Emanuel to Tampa Bay 36; Batch 22-yard pass to
Morton to Tampa Bay 14;. TAMPA BAY 17-10
DET - TD, REUBEN DROUGHNS 8 YD PASS FROM CHARLIE BATCH
(JASON HANSON KICK), 13:11. Drive: 9 plays, 61
yards in 3:54. Key plays: Batch 20-yard pass to
Schlesinger to Tampa Bay 33; Batch 14-yard pass
to Emanuel to Tampa Bay 19; Batch 3-yard run on
3rd-and-1 to Tampa Bay 7. TAMPA BAY 17, DETROIT
17
TAM - FG, MARTIN GRAMATICA 35 YD, 14:56. Drive: 8 plays,
63 yards in 1:45. Key plays: B Johnson 18-yard
pass to K Johnson on 3rd-and-3 to Tampa Bay 45;
B Johnson 23-yard pass to Dunn to Detroit 26.
TAMPA BAY 20-17 | ||||
PLAYER STATISTICS
| PASSING | TAM Att-Cmp-Yds TD Int Brad Johnson 37 20 188 1 0 Martin Gramatica 1 0 0 0 0 |
DET Att-Cmp-Yds TD Int Charlie Batch 39 21 239 1 2 Mike Mcmahon 1 0 0 0 0 |
| RUSHING | TAM Att Yards Warrick Dunn 17 51 Mike Alstott 8 48 |
DET Att Yards Reuben Droughns 13 30 Cory Schlesinger 7 13 Mike Mcmahon 1 3 Charlie Batch 1 3 Lamont Warren 1 3 |
| RECEIVING | TAM Att Yards Keyshawn Johnson 7 72 Warrick Dunn 5 60 Reidel Anthony 2 19 Mike Alstott 3 16 Dave Moore 2 14 Karl Williams 1 7 |
DET Att Yards Lamont Warren 4 66 Johnnie Morton 3 61 Cory Schlesinger 5 54 Bert Emanuel 4 35 Reuben Droughns 3 17 Scotty Anderson 1 8 David Sloan 1 -2 |
TAM tackles-assists-sacks (unofficial) DET tackles-assists-sacks (unofficial) Missed field goals: None.
Interceptions Fumbles lost Opponent's fumbles recovered A: 74,268; T: 3:21.
Jamie Duncan 5-3-1,
Warren Sapp 4-0-2,
Ronde Barber 4-3-0,
Derrick Brooks 4-4-0,
John Lynch 3-2-0,
C.Ivy 3-2-0,
Dexter Jackson 2-3-0,
James Cannida 2-3-0,
Chartric Darby 1-0-1,
Ellis Wyms 1-0-0,
Simeon Rice 1-0-1,
Marq Cerqua 1-0-0,
Marcus Jones 1-1-0,
Nate Webster 1-1-0,
Dwight Smith 0-0-0,
Sean Mcdermott 0-0-0,
Shelton Quarles 0-2-0,
Brad Johnson 0-0-0,
Brian Kelly 0-2-0,
Alshermond Singleton 0-1-0,
Steve White 0-2-0,
John Howell 0-0-0,
Rabih Abdullah 0-0-0.
Barrett Green 5-6-0,
Todd Lyght 4-1-0,
Travis Kirschke 3-0-0,
J.Hall 3-0-0,
Allen Aldridge 2-2-0,
B.Westbrook 2-0-0,
Shaun Rogers 2-2-1,
Terry Fair 2-0-0,
Ron Rice 2-1-1,
Chris Claiborne 2-7-0,
Luther Elliss 1-0-0,
Robert Porcher 1-1-0,
Kelvin Pritchett 1-0-0,
Robert Bailey 1-1-0,
Tracy Scroggins 1-2-0,
Larry Foster 0-0-0,
Mike Mcmahon 0-0-0,
Tony Semple 0-0-0,
Stephen Trejo 0-0-0,
Bradford Banta 0-0-0,
Kurt Schulz 0-5-0,
Bert Emanuel 0-0-0,
Brock Olivo 0-0-0,
Reuben Droughns 0-0-0.
Tampa Bay (Ronde Barber 2 for 2 yards).
Tampa Bay (Karl Williams); Detroit (Mike Mcmahon).
Tampa Bay (Chartric Darby); Detroit
(Brock Olivo).
TEAM STATISTICS TAM DET
FIRST DOWNS 16 19
Rushing 5 6
Passing 10 10
Penalty 1 3
3RD-DOWN EFFICIENCY 5-15 5-16
4TH-DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-1 1-1
TOTAL NET YARDS 274 270
Total plays 65 68
Average gain 4.2 4.0
NET YARDS RUSHING 99 52
Rushes 25 23
Average per rush 4.0 2.3
NET YARDS PASSING 175 218
Completed-attempted 20-38 21-40
Yards per pass 4.4 4.8
Sacked-yards lost 2-13 5-21
Had intercepted 0 2
PUNTS-AVERAGE 7-45.6 7-45.1
RETURN YARDAGE 189 116
Punts-returns 6-134 4-37
Kickoffs-returns 3-53 5-79
Interceptions-returns 2-2 0-0
PENALTIES-YARDS 5-44 4-30
FUMBLES-LOST 2-1 1-1
TIME OF POSSESSION 29:41 30:19
After rallying from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, the winless Lions watched Gramatica kick a 35-yard field goal with four seconds remaining, lifting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 20-17 victory.
Looking like the NFL's worst team for the first three quarters, the Lions came alive in the final period.
Jason Hanson kicked a 38-yard field goal midway through the period and Charlie Batch threw an eight-yard TD pass to running back Reuben Droughns with 1:49 left, bringing the Lions (0-8) even.
But that left enough time for the Bucs, who took over on their own 20. Brad Johnson kept the game-ending eight-play drive alive, finding Keyshawn Johnson on 3rd-and-3 for 18 yards, moving the ball to the Tampa Bay 45. The play was reviewed but Keyshawn Johnson was ruled to be inbounds.
"With a minute to go, that was a big play for us," Brad Johnson said. "It was actually a corner route. We trying to get to that all day long. We finally set him up and he did a great job keeping his feet in. That drive kept our season alive. Whether we win in overtime or not, we had to find a way to win and we did."
Two plays later, Brad Johnson put the Bucs in position by finding running back Warrick Dunn for 23 yards to the Detroit 26. Three plays later, Gramatica came on and provided the winning points.
"This was the most important game in my seven years," said Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp, who had two sacks. "If you lose to an 0-7 team, you know what that does to morale?"
Among the favorites in the NFC to reach the Super Bowl, the Buccaneers evened their record at 4-4. Tampa Bay entered the contest a game under .500 after seven games for the fourth straight season.
"Road wins are tough to get and this has been a tough place for us," Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy said. "There were some things we could have done a little bit better. But you have to give (Detroit) a lot of credit to be 0-7 and fight back like that."
With their defense dominating for much of the game, the Bucs received a huge play on the final snap of the third quarter when Karl Williams returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown, giving Tampa Bay a 17-7 advantage.
But Batch, who was ineffective for the first three quarters, got the Lions moving over the final 12 minutes.
After Desmond Howard returned a punt 12 yards to the Detroit 43, Batch had completions of 13 and 22 yards, moving the ball inside the Tampa Bay 15. But the drive stalled and Hanson came on and kicked a 38-yard field goal with 7:36 left.
"There are a high percentage of games that are close every week and good football teams win the close games," Lions rookie coach Marty Mornhinweg said. "Some great things happened on the field for us today. But there were a few things that were disappointing. Good football teams make the breaks go their way. They make things happen. And they win the turnover ratio."
The Lions' defense rose to the occasion on the ensuing possession, forcing Tampa Bay to go three-and-out.
Batch, who completed 21-of-39 passes for 239 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, followed with his most impressive drive of the day, making big plays along the way of a nine-play, 61-yard march.
On the drive, Batch had a 20-yard completion to fullback Cory Schlesinger and a 14-yard connection to Bert Emanuel. He also ran three yards on a 3rd-and-1 play, moving the ball to the Tampa Bay 7.
Batch saved his best for last, finding Droughns on 3rd-and-8 for a touchdown, tying the game. Droughns, who played in place of the injured James Stewart, carried 13 times for 30 yards. He also had three catches for 17 yards.
But Brad Johnson, who went 20-of-37 for 188 yards and one touchdown, was able to lead the Bucs down the field in the waning moments.
"Nobody ever imagined this (record)," Batch said. "It's tough. Nobody likes losing, but you can't sit back and point fingers. We have to go out there and find some way to put it together and have a positive season. If we were getting blown out, it would be one thing. But to keep losing by three or four points a game is tough to swallow."
Brad Johnson could've had another touchdown pass, but he had a throw by Reidel Anthony dropped in the end zone in the first quarter. The Bucs then botched the snap on a short field goal, keeping the game scoreless.
The Lions had a chance to break on top early in the second quarter, moving into Tampa Bay territory before cornerback Ronde Barber came up with the first of his two interceptions at the 20.
Tampa Bay drove down field and settled for a 37-yard field goal by Gramatica before coming up with another big defensive play on the Lions' next possession.
Rookie Mike McMahon, who played in two series in place of Batch in last week's loss at San Francisco, came on for one series of plays in this contest.
That quickly turned to disaster as McMahon fumbled on his third play and defensive end Chartric Darby recovered for the Bucs on the Detroit 30.
Four plays later, Brad Johnson dumped off a pass for Dunn, who raced 12 yards for a touchdown, giving Tampa Bay a 10-0 lead with 1:52 left before halftime.
A big play by the Lions on special teams finally helped get them on the board in the third quarter. Williams fumbled a punt and Brock Olivo recovered for the Lions at the Tampa Bay 26.
Defensive end Marcus Jones helped aid the ensuing drive, hitting Batch out of bounds for a roughing penalty. Schlesinger eventually scored on a one-yard run, pulling the Lions within 10-7 with 2:51 left in the period.
Keyshawn Johnson, who came into the contest leading the NFC with 52 receptions, had seven catches for 72 yards for Tampa Bay.
"This team refuses to feel sorry for itself," Mornhinweg said. "Half the season is over and this has been a horrendous start. A crazy start. But the coaches' and players' attitude is very high. We just need to win one close game. Then you have the confidence to win the rest of them."
For the 5th consecutive week, the Lions had a chance at the end to tie or win a game...and for the 5th consecutive week, they came out with a loss. It was the same old story against the Bucs: fall behind early, rally to to tie the game and then give the game away. With the Lions down a touchdown late in the game, Batch, who had a subpar game, managed to find Droughn's open in the endzone to tie the game was less than 2 minutes left...but the defense, which did a great job almost the entire game, fell apart as they did against Tennessee and allowed the Bucs to setup for the game winning field goal. The backbreaker was a 84 yard punt return where there were countless mistackles. That was the difference in the game and the Lions now find themselves off to their worst start 59 years.
Offense: --- D. The offense was dormant for most of the game but got resurrected after Brock Olivo recovered a muffed punt which was capped off after Corey Schlesinger converted a 4th and one and later got the touchdown. With the Lions down late in the game, Batch found Reuban Droughn's open in the endzone that tied the game. With the exception of those two drives, the offense was non existant. Batch had two interceptions but with his two of his wide receivers and starting running back not playing, its hard to make big plays. Droughn's, although he had a touchdown, is nothing more than a backup running back that lacks speed. Having only 52 yards rushing is a disgrace! The Lions are last in the league in rushing. The offensive line was mediocre once again and Batch got sacked five times. All in all, the offense let the team down...having only one good scoring drive at the very end will not cut it in the NFL.
Defense: --- C-. The defense actually played a great game for 58 minutes, giving up only 10 points to a mediocre Bucs offense. The rushing defense, one of the worst in the league held the Bucs under 100 yards. But, when the game was on the line and the defense needed a stop to force overtime, the failed exactly like they did against the Titans. Alstott had a big gain and Gramatica, just as reliable as Hanson, nailed the game winner. Its just ashame it came down to that since the defense played probably their best game of the year...but they blew it.
Special Teams: --- C-. Nothing like having five missed tackles that lead to a punt return for Tampa Bay...that was another turning point in the game...Desmond Howard had a few good run backs and the Bucs special teams muffed a field goal and a punt, that lead to a Lions touchdown.
Coaching: --- D. Morninweig needs to find some way of getting his team to finish the game. I sat on the Lions 50 yardline, 8 rows off the field and saw a coach that looked dazed and confused the entire game. Although this is his 1st year as a head coach, some of his decisions have been awful...like wasting a 4th round pick on Ty Detmer and naming him the starter.
Overall: --- F. I will never give the Lions a passing mark if they continue to lose week after week. This is just ridiculous that they cannot find a way to win a football game. If the Lions knew how to finish a football game, they could be 4-4 instead of 0-8. But, they are what they are...the worst team in the NFL. Fortunately, the are heading to the desert to play another horrid team, Arizona, who is 2-6. The Lions should have a chance of beating them. The following week is Thanksgiving, and the Pack will make a feast of the Lions...so looking at the remaining schedule, the only chance at a victory will be next week, and the home games against Minnesota (just as disappointing as the Lions) and Dallas. Bottom line: the Lions should have a great chance of landing a top pick in the NFL draft next year...hopefully they'll get a QB or RB that will help bring back this team from the bottom of the abyss.
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