Buccaneers vs. Detroit Lions 
WON - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 Detroit Lions 17
The Buccaneers won the NFC Central division by defeating the Detroit Lions at their home stadium, where the Lions had only lost two games in the two previous seasons.
Doug Williams compared calling plays against the crowd noise to trying to shout above an airplane.
Tampa Bay took the lead on the longest passing play in their history, an 84-yard second-quarter pass from Williams to Kevin House. After the Lions tied the score at 10, the Buccaneers retook the lead on a Bill Capece field goal 12 seconds into the fourth quarter. Dave Logan scored the winning points 70 seconds later on a fumble-return touchdown following Lee Roy Selmon's sack of Lions quarterback Eric Hipple.
The Lions closed to 20–17 on an 8-yard pass from Hipple to Leonard Thompson, but the Buccaneers were able to run out the clock when Theo Bell recovered the ensuing onside kick. Two key special teams tackles prevented touchdowns by Lions return man Robbie Martin; on the second of these, he suffered a cartilage tear that left him unable to finish the game.
Cedric Brown recorded two interceptions, the first of which ended a long Lions drive that threatened to give them a 14–3 second-quarter lead. The second, caught in the end zone, prevented a potential Lions touchdown.
The two interceptions left Brown with a team-record nine for the season.
GAMEDAY BRIEF
OFFICALS
- REFEREE: Jerry Markbreit
- UMPIRE: Ed Fiffick
- LINE JUDGE: Bama Glass
- HEAD LINESMAN: Dale Hamer
- BACK JUDGE: Tony Kelleher
- FIELD JUDGE: Bob Stanley
- SIDE JUDGE: William Spencer
SCORING
- BUCCANEERS: 08:08-1Q Capece FG40
- LIONS: 12:21-2Q Hipple 9 run (Murray kick)
- BUCCANEERS: 02:44-2Q House 84 pass from Williams (Capece kick)
- LIONS: 05:10-3Q Murray FG47
- BUCCANEERS: 13:28-4Q Capece FG30
- BUCCANEERS: 14:48-4Q Logan 21 fumble return (Capece kick)
- LIONS: 01:21-4Q Thompson 8 pass from Hipple (Murray kick)
STARTERS OFFENSE
- WR: #83 T. Bell
- LT: #74 G. Sanders
- LG: #72 R. Snell
- C: #50 S. Wilson
- RG: #61 G. Roberts
- RT: #73 C. Hannah
- TE: #88 J. Giles
- WR: #89 K. House
- QB: #12 D. Williams
- FB: #32 J. Wilder
- TB: #26 J. Owens
STARTERS DEFENSE
- LE: #765 D. Stalls
- NT: #76 D. Logan
- RE: #63 L. Selmon
- LOB: #59 A. Hawkins
- LIB: #56 C. Johnson
- RIB: #52 S. Brantley
- ROB: #53 H. Green
- LC: #41 N. Thomas
- RC: #40 M. Washington
- SS: #20 N. Colzie
- FS: #34 C. Brown
SUBSTITUTIONS
- 3 Capece, 9 Swider, 24 Delaney, 27 T Davis, 41 Thomas, 43 Eckwood, 44 Cesare, 51 Nafziger, 52 Brantley, 57 Lewis, 62 Leonard, 64 Short, 68 Yarno, 70 Hutchinson, 75 Reavis, 79 Campbell, 84 Jones, 86 Obradovich, 87 Carter, 90 White
DID NOT PLAY
- 10 Ford, 14 Fusina, 42 R Bell
INACTIVE
- none.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
- BUCCANEERS: Owens 17-61, Wilder 8-28, Williams 6-8, Eckwood 2-7.
- LIONS: Sims 19-76, V.Thompson 4-29, Bussey 4-24, Hipple 4-19, Kane 2-7, L.Thompson 2-4.
PASSING
- BUCCANEERS: Williams 19-8-172-0-1.
- LIONS: Hipple 28-18-205-2-1.
RECIEVING
- BUCCANEERS: Owens 2-49, Giles 2-19, House 1-84, T.Bell 1-9,Wilder 1-8, Eckwood 1-3.
- LIONS: Bussey 4-32, Scott 3-56, Sims 3-39, L.Thompson 3-34, Hill 3-33, Kane 1-6, V.Thompson 1-5.
INTERCEPTIONS
- BUCCANEERS: Brown 2-9.
- LIONS: none.
KICK RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Holt 2-45.
- LIONS: Martin 4-105, Hill 1-21.
PUNT RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: T.Bell 3-24, Colzie 1-12.
- LIONS: Martin 5-56..
SACKS
- BUCCANEERS: Selmon 2-16, Hawkins 1-7, Wood 1-1.
- LIONS: none.
