Buccaneers vs. Arizona Cardinals 
WON - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38 Arizona Cardinals 35
The Buccaneers won their fifth straight road game (dating back to the previous season) with a shootout win against the Cardinals.
Arizona took the early lead after a 3-yard touchdown pass from Max Hall to Larry Fitzgerald. On their next drive, Geno Hayes intercepted Hall, and returned 41-yards for a touchdown. Early in the second quarter, Buccaneers returner Sammie Stroughter muffed a punt and the ball was recovered by the Cardinals at the Tampa Bay 16-yard line. Beanie Wells scored a 1-yard touchdown run off the turnover, and the Cardinals led 14–7. On the ensuing drive, Josh Freeman drove the Buccaneers 80 yards in only three plays, completing a 47-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams and a 14–14 tie. Four plays later, Aqib Talib returned Hall's second interception 45 yards for a touchdown and the Buccaneers led 21–14. Hall was benched in favor of Derek Anderson. Anderson drove the Cardinals to the Tampa Bay 3-yard line, but threw incomplete on a 4th down & 2 and turned the ball over on downs.
Buccaneers drove 94 yards in the final three minutes, and Connor Barth kicked a field goal as the half expired.
In the third quarter, Tampa Bay increased their lead to 31–14 after a LeGarrette Blount touchdown run. Arizona rallied, however. LaRod Stephens-Howling rushed for a 30-yard touchdown with one minute left in the third quarter. Blount fumbled the ball on the first play of the ensuing drive, and Gerald Hayes recovered the ball 21 yards for a Cardinals touchdown.
With 9:46 left in the game, Arizona took the lead 35–31 following Anderson's 5-yard touchdown pass to Fitzgerald. Tampa Bay answered with Blount's second touchdown run, and a 38–35 lead. Barrett Ruud intercepted Anderson on the first play of the next drive, which set up a 53-yard field goal attempt by Barth. Tampa Bay chose to attempt the long field goal instead of punting. The kick was blocked, and the Cardinals took over with 3:16 remaining in good field position. Anderson drove the Cardinals to the Tampa Bay 20-yard line, but he was intercepted by Aqib Talib, who clinched the win for Buccaneers.
GAMEDAY BRIEF
OFFICALS
- REFEREE: Ron Winter
- UMPIRE: Tony Michalek
- HEAD LINESMAN: Julian Mapp
- LINE JUDGE: Tom Stephan
- BACK JUDGE: Richard Reels
- FIELD JUDGE: Jim Howey
- SIDE JUDGE: Tom Hill
- REPLAY OFFICAL: Ken Baker
SCORING
- CARDINALS: 6:25-1Q Fitzgerald 3 pass from Hall (Feely kick)
- BUCCANEERS: 4:15-1Q Hayes 41 interception return (Barth kick)
- CARDINALS: 10:17-2Q Wells 1 run (Feely kick)
- BUCCANEERS: 8:59-2Q M.Williams 47 pass from Freeman (Barth kick)
- BUCCANEERS: 6:33-2Q Talib 45 interception return (Barth kick)
- BUCCANEERS: 0:00-2Q Barth FG21
- BUCCANEERS: 4:35-3Q Blount 15 run (Barth kick)
- CARDINALS: 0:56-3Q Stephens-Howling 30 run (Feely kick)
- CARDINALS: 0:33-3Q Hayes 21 fumble return (Feely kick)
- CARDINALS: 9:41-4Q Fitzgerald 5 pass from Anderson (Feely kick)
- BUCCANEERS: 5:13-4Q Blount 1 run (Barth kick)
STARTERS OFFENSE
- WR: #19 M. Williams
- LT: #70 D. Penn
- LG: #62 T. Larsen
- C: #76 J. Zuttah
- RG: #75 D. Joseph
- RT: #77 J. Lee
- TE: #88 J. Gilmore
- WR: #17 A. Benn
- QB: #05 J. Freeman
- RB: #24 C. Williams
- FB: #34 E. Graham
STARTERS DEFENSE
- LE: #94 K. Moore
- DT: #93 G. McCoy
- DT: #90 R. Miller
- RE: #91 S. White
- SLB: #58 Q. Black
- MLB: #51 B. Ruud
- WLB: #54 G. Hayes
- LCB: #25 A. Talib
- RCB: #20 R. Barber
- SS: #26 S. Jones
- FS: #35 C. Grimm
SUBSTITUTIONS
- 1 Malone, 10 Barth, 18 Stroughter, 21 Piscitelli, 23 Lewis, 27 Blount, 31 Biggers, 41 Lynch, 44 Lorig, 48 Economos, 53 Koutouvides, 56 Watson, 57 Hayward, 61 Barker, 71 Bennett, 73 Hardman, 80 Purvis, 81 Spurlock, 82 Winslow, 85 Stovall, 96 Crowder, 98 Sims
DID NOT PLAY
- 11 J Johnson
INACTIVE
- 12 Carpenter, 28 Lumpkin, 33 Mack, 52 Faine, 65 Trueblood, 87 Parker, 92 Price, 97 Magee
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
- BUCCANEERS: Blount 22-120, Freeman 2-22, C.Williams 4-10, Graham 1-2, Benn 1-0.
- CARDINALS: Wells 16-50, Stephens-Howling 4-41, Breaston 1-14, Hightower 1-0, Hall 1-(-5).
PASSING
- BUCCANEERS: Freeman 25-18-267-0-1.
- CARDINALS: Hall 16-8-71-2-1, Anderson 24-16-234-2-1.
RECIEVING
- BUCCANEERS: M.Williams 4-105, Spurlock 3-60, C.Williams 3-26, Blount 2-9, Benn 1-53, Gilmore 1-11, Winslow 1-5, Purvis 1-5, Stovall 1-2, Graham 1-2.
- CARDINALS: Breaston 8-147, Fitzgerald 6-72, Doucet 4-39, Wright 3-19, Wells 1-14, Hightower 1-11, Spach 1-3.
INTERCEPTIONS
- BUCCANEERS: Talib 2-31, Hayes 1-41, Ruud 1-1.
- CARDINALS: none
KICK RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Stroughter 2-54, Spurlock 2-37.
- CARDINALS: Stephens-Howling 6-143.
PUNT RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Strougher 1-0, Spurlock 0-0.
- CARDINALS: Roberts 3-22.
SACKS
- BUCCANEERS: White 1-9.
- CARDINALS: Dockett 1-14, Porter 1-11.
