23 Detroit 
20
| FINAL | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| Tampa Bay | 3 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
| Detroit | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
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| Officials |
| Referee- Tom White, Umpire- Jim Quirk, Head linesman- Ed Camp, Line judge- Dave Anderson, Field judge- Boris Cheek, Side judge- Joe Larrew, Back judge- Bob Lawing |
| Attendance - Time |
| 61,942; 3:02 |
| Team Statistics | Tampa Bay | Detroit |
| First downs | 22 | 15 |
| Rushing | 11 | 8 |
| Passing | 10 | 5 |
| Penalty | 1 | 2 |
| 3rd-Down Efficiency | 6-14 | 3-10 |
| 4th-Down Efficiency | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Total Net Yards | 376 | 292 |
| Total Plays | 69 | 49 |
| Average Gains | 5.4 | 6 |
| Net Yards Rushing | 123 | 144 |
| Rushes | 28 | 26 |
| Average Per Rush | 4.4 | 5.5 |
| Net Yards Passing | 253 | 148 |
| Completed-Attempted | 24-41 | 10-22 |
| Yards Per Pass | 6.2 | 6.7 |
| Sacked-Yards Lost | 0-0 | 1-10 |
| Had Intercepted | 0 | 1 |
| Punts-Average | 5-45.8 | 4-48 |
| Return Yardage | 2 | 9 |
| Punts-Returns | 2--2 | 4-9 |
| Kickoffs-Returns | 5-148 | 6-223 |
| Interceptions-Returns | 1-4 | 0-0 |
| Penalties-Yards | 9-67 | 6-36 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Time Of Possession | 37:06 | 22:54 |
News: 12/16/02
Harrington, the No. 3 overall draft pick out of Oregon, left Sunday's game against Tampa Bay with the heart problem and was taken to the hospital for tests and observation.
He was expected to stay in the hospital until Monday evening.
Doctors said Harrington's heartbeat returned to a normal rhythm before he was hospitalized. Lions coach Marty Mornhinweg said the ailment is not career-threatening. Detroit (3-11) has two games remaining this season.
"If this were Week 5, we would expect him to return, but there is no way that he will be back within two weeks,'' Mornhinweg said.
Harrington entered Sunday's game having completed just over 50 percent of his passes, with 2,294 yards, 12 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
"I am 100 percent sure that he is going to be 100 percent fine,'' Mornhinweg said. "We are planning for Joey to be taking part in our off-season program within a few weeks. This is something that his father and uncle both have, and something that I've coached players with.''
Lions trainer Al Bellamy said while no final diagnosis has been made, about 20 percent of the population suffers from similar conditions.
"Joey is doing fine, and we expect that he will be released soon,'' Bellamy said. "We are just going to run every possible test and evaluation and take every possible precaution. We've had players experience this before, just not during a game.''
Harrington's spirits were high enough to joke about his condition, relayed by his coach.
"He said to tell you that Warren Sapp and Simeon Rice scared him, and that's when his heart started racing,'' Mornhinweg said.
It would have been not only shocking, but nice, too. Especially given what fans have had endure this season.
Sadly, it's so bad in Lionsland that if you're a Lions fan, you have to hold onto Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field like a crummy gift from a grumpy uncle that arrived after you had given up hope.
At the same time, though, you have to give thanks. If nothing else, at least it wasn't yet another embarrassing Sunday. Somehow, the Lions made a game of it and had a real chance to beat the Bucs. Of course, they got help.
On this day, the Bucs played like their squad that went 0-14 in 1976, not the team many believe to be the best in the NFL.
On paper, this was no contest, times two. Most thought the Lions would have trouble moving the ball, let alone score.
Not only did the Lions go into the game without running back James Stewart, but they also got a scare when starting quarterback Joey Harrington left the game with an accelerated heart rate. Doctors, who kept Harrington overnight at Henry Ford Hospital for observation, expect The Franchise to be fine.
Not surprisingly, Harrington -- even in pain with shortness of breath -- wanted to be a part of something positive in a negative season. "He said, 'Leave me alone, I'm going back into the game,' " said Keith Burch, a Lions team physician.
Admit it. Any thoughts of a Lions upset rode off when Harrington was taken away in an ambulance.
To their credit, the Lions didn't crumple into a ball and roll into a corner. No, they made some plays behind backup quarterback Mike McMahon.
"We had plenty of opportunities throughout this game," McMahon said.
If effort were a statistic, the Lions would lead the NFL. But it's about victories. The Lions, who lost their sixth straight, are 3-11.
"There's no consolation in losing a football game -- period," Coach Marty Mornhinweg said. "The players are devastated much like the coaches. And we should be.
"The effort was so high. We did just about everything that we planned on doing in that football game, but we came out on the bottom."
The Lions are your classic bad team. They don't make plays. Worse, they don't have players to make plays.
"It's been like this all year," cornerback Chris Cash said. "We've been playing hard all year but in the NFL, you cannot make the mistakes and expect to win."
McMahon threw a key interception, and the Lions dropped two sure interceptions. That's why Tampa Bay escaped with a much-needed victory. In almost any other NFL city, the Bucs would have lost.
Linebacker Barrett Green said though the fans might have left Ford Field feeling a little better about the Lions, players can't accept the idea of losing close.
"If anybody gets any consolation out of this, then they're fooling themselves and hurting this team," Green said.
So, hold onto the Lions' effort for a day. But remember that their gift to you not only isn't refundable, but also isn't worth much in the big picture.
Martin Gramatica kicked three field goals, including the go-ahead kick with 3:04 to play, as the Buccaneers clinched a playoff berth with a 23-20 triumph over the Detroit Lions.
Gramatica's 38-yard field goal snapped a 20-20 tie, and after Jason Hanson came up short on an attempted career-long 57-yard kick with 1:51 to play, the Buccaneers ran out the clock.
The Lions had used their second timeout on a 4th-and-6 play before Hanson's kick, and after his miss, they could not stop the clock after the Bucs picked up a first down.
"The chances of Jason making it from that distance is 50-50, but with the status of our offense, the chances of making a 4th-and-6 are less than that," Lions coach Marty Mornhinweg said. "I wanted to make sure that Jason had enough time to go through his whole routine he goes through before he kicks. I wanted everything to be just right for him. There might have been enough time on the play clock, but I wanted to make sure he didn't have to hurry."
With the win - its sixth in seven games - Tampa Bay (11-3) kept pace with Philadelphia, whom they lost to on October 20, for the best record in the NFC. Green Bay also entered the day at 10-3 and plays later in the afternoon.
"We're thrilled to have qualified for the playoffs," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said. "It's a great accomplishment to win 11 games in the NFL."
Lions rookie quarterback Joey Harrington left the game after one offensive series with an irregular heartbeat and was taken to a local hospital as a precaution, though his heartbeat returned to a normal rhythm before he left.
"There are ways of taking care of it if it keeps recurring," team doctor Keith Burch said. "Many times it's just a one-time event. By tomorrow, there might not even be a problem. I suspect that if we find nothing, he'll probably miss one game. But he could miss the remainder of the season because there are only two left."
Harrington had thrown one incomplete pass before starting to feel ill. Harrington was replaced by second-year player Mike McMahon, whom he replaced as the team's starter after two games.
With the game tied, 13-13, early in the fourth quarter, McMahon attempted a pass to Germane Crowell that was tipped and intercepted by linebacker Shelton Quarles and returned four yards to the Tampa Bay 42.
"That play was obviously the turning point, in my opinion, in the football game," Gruden said. "Not only did it stymie their scoring drive, but it gave us really good field position."
It was the first turnover of the game and set up a four-yard touchdown run by Michael Pittman with 10:08 to play - Pittman's first TD as a member of the team. Tampa Bay has caused at least one turnover for an NFL-best 30 straight games.
"I wanted it bad," Pittman said. "The offensive line opened up a big hole for me and I just ran through it. I was all smiles when I scored. I need it. Last time I scored was in Arizona with the Cardinals and it feels great. I'm going to keep that ball."
But on the ensuing kickoff, rookie free-agent return specialist Eddie Drummond ran up the left sideline and cut diagonally across the field 91 yards to the Tampa Bay 5, where he was brought down by his facemask by Gramatica. On the next play, McMahon ran it in from two yards out to tie the score.
Tampa Bay's Brad Johnson completed 24-of-41 passes for 253 yards, while McMahon was 10-of-21 for 158 yards, one TD and one interception.
Despite allowing nearly eight more points than their league-best 12.2 average, the Buccaneers handed the Lions a sixth straight loss. Tampa Bay improved to 8-0 when scoring at least 21 points.
"There's no consolation in losing a football game. Period," Mornhinweg said. "We had multiple chances to come up with a play to win that football game. The players are devastated and they should be. The effort was so high. We did just about everything that we planned on doing but we came out on the bottom end."
The Bucs led, 3-0, before Mike Alstott capped a 12-play, 96-yard drive - their second-longest drive in team history - with a one-yard run 43 seconds into the second quarter. It was the team's first rushing touchdown since October 13 against Cleveland.
The Lions tied the score on an 18-yard pass from McMahon to Bill Schroeder and a 37-yard field goal by Hanson before the Bucs took a 13-10 lead into halftime on a 28-yard kick by Gramatica.
"I went in there and did what I've been doing every day in practice, just letting the players make the plays," McMahon said. "When you watch, you try to pick up things and learn, but no experience is as good as game experience. You try to make practice experience like a game, but it's not as quick. The games are so much faster."
Detroit tied the contest, 13-13, on a 25-yard field goal by Hanson 2:58 into the third quarter.
The Bucs, who clinched their fourth straight playoff berth, have won five of six against their old NFC Central Division rival. Tampa Bay tied its franchise record for wins and road wins (five) with the triumph.
"It was a great win for our team - and costly," Gruden said. "We lost (defensive tackle) Anthony McFarland with a foot fracture and right now it appears that his season is over. We are concerned about (linebacker) Nate Webster, he has a knee injury of some kind."
Tampa Bay can win the NFC South Division with a victory in either of its last two games or a loss by New Orleans in either of its final two contests.
"I tell people all the time how it is so hard to get a first down in this league, let alone score and get a win in a game, and to win 11 games and make the playoffs is pretty awesome," Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson said. "Your goals at the beginning of the season were to make the playoffs, win the division, get home-field advantage and win the Super Bowl. We've done the first thing and our division is probably the toughest in football right now."
"You get an opportunity to continue and fight in a playoff game at home, which is a huge plus," said Bucs receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who had six catches for 90 yards. "The shorter your playoff run is, the quicker you get to the Super Bowl."
If someone would of told me the Lions would have a chance to win the game with less than two minutes left, I would have said dream on.The Lions were up against the best defense in the NFL and were without the services of Joey Harrington after he left with an irregular heart beat early in the game. Backup QB Mike McMahon, who has not played QB since the 2nd game of the year, came in played better than Harrington has the past two months. With James Stewart out of the game, Rafael Cooper, Aveion Cason, and Corey Schlesinger carried the ball for a combined 143 yards against the leagues best run defense. The Defense played a good game as well, but they allowed Tampa Bay to setup for the game winning field goal late in the fourth quarter. Mike McMahon got the Lions to within field goal range and facing a 4th and 6 from the Bucs 39 yard line, Mornhinweg decided to attempt the field goal. Wrong call Marty!!! Hanson did not get all of the kick and that was all she wrote for yet another close loss in this dismal season.
Offense: --- C+. With Harrington out almost the entire game, backup QB Mike McMahon did very good job running the Offense. Bill Schroeder had a good game as did the Lions running back tandem, which is hard to believe given how good the Bucs defense is. Twice the Lions got into the red zone and only came away with two field goals, but scoring 20 points against the Bucs was more than I ever expected from the Offense. Trailing by three points late in the game, McMahon got the Lions close to tying the game, but the drive stalled. I couldn't help but wonder, what if McMahon played the entire season. One thing is for sure, the Lions certainly would not be any worse off. Still, Harrington is their QB of the future, although I think McMahon will find success with another team down the road.
Defense: --- C. The "D" did a decent job holding the Bucs offense for most of the game, but it did give up a back breaking 96 yard touchdown drive in the 1st half and allowed the Bucs to setup for the game winning field goal late in the game. Although the "D" had no sacks, they did put decent pressure on Bucs QB Brad Johnson. Andre Goodman had a great shot at an interception but could not come up with the pick because of his cast he has on his hand. All in all, the Defense played better than expected but once again failed to stop a team when they had to with the game on the line.
Special Teams: --- B-. Eddie Drummond had by far his best day returning the ball. After Tampa took a 20-13 lead, Drummond returned the kickoff 91 yards to setup a McMahon game tying touchdown. Hanson kicked two chip shots, but missed the game tying 57 yarder. It would of been the longest of his career, but it never had a chance. Return coverage was good, except for the first play of the game when the Bucs returned the opening kickoff 67 yards to setup a field goal.
Coaching: --- D. The Offense twice had 4th and 1 in the game in the red zone and Mornhinweg decided to kick field goals instead. Facing a 4th and 6 from the Bucs 39 yard line late in the game, Mornhinweg once again took the ultra conservative approach and attempted a field goal. Marty: your team was 3-10 going into the game with a five game losing streak, why not take a chance??? You loved to gamble in the past!!! The chances were better of converting a 4th and 6 compared to a 57 yard field goal. Wrong call yet again from a coach that looks to be on his last leg.
Overall: --- C. With Minnesota and Chicago pulling major upsets this week, the Lions find themselves locked into the 2nd worst record in the NFL. Cincinnati already has the worst record locked up. It was good to see a competitive game from the honolulu blue and silver and they almost pulled off a miracle. But, they lost another close game as usual under the M&M regime. Next up are the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are reeling from two embarrassing loses in a row and what better than to feast on the Lions! That means the Lions will come back to Ford Field with a 3-12 record to play the Vikings. What seemed like a sure victory a few months ago is now a big question mark. Two more weeks to go till another disastrous season comes to and end!
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