Buccaneers vs. Detroit Lions 
WON - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 Detroit Lions 10
POST-SEASON: NFC Wild Card Playoff Game
In front of a sell-out BuccaneersFans crowd of 73,361 and an international television audience, the Buccaneers - once and for all - proved their turnaround season was no fluke as they methodically tore Detroit apart rushing to a 20-0 third quarter lead before holding on for the 20-10 Wild Card victory.
A swarming defense bottled up Sanders and the offense worked to near perfection in a 20-10 victory against the Detroit Lions in an NFC wild-card game. "It's big in the sense that it starts to put more of yesterday behind us," General Manager Rich McKay said. "Every time we get over another hurdle, we get less articles about yesterday and more articles about today and the future."
The game highlight was on Detroit’s final drive, when Frank Reich completed a 15-yard pass on 3rd & 16, and then forgot it was 4th down and spiked the ball stoping the clock. The Buccaneers got the ball back and it was over.
Two more victories and the Super Bowl is beckoning.
GAMEDAY BRIEF
OFFICALS
- REFEREE: Mike Carey
- UMPIRE: Neil Gereb
- LINE JUDGE: Ben Montgomery
- SIDE JUDGE: Rick Patterson
- HEAD LINESMAN: Tony Veteri
- BACK JUDGE: Paul Baetz
- FIELD JUDGE: Jeff Triplette
SCORING
- BUCCANEERS: 08:15-1Q Husted FG22
- BUCCANEERS: 04:36-2Q Copeland 9 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick)
- BUCCANEERS: 08:11-3Q Husted FG42
- BUCCANEERS: 03:54-3Q Alstott 31 run (Husted kick)
- LIONS: 14:57-4Q Hanson FG33
- LIONS: 07:12-4Q Vardell 1 run (Hanson kick)
STARTERS OFFENSE
- WR: #85 R. Anthony
- LT: #74 P. Gruber
- LG: #60 J. Pyne
- C: #61 T. Mayberry
- RG: #73 F. Middleton
- RT: #70 J. Odom
- TE: #83 D. Moore
- WR: #86 K. Williams
- QB: #12 T. Dilfer
- RB: #28 W. Dunn
- FB: #40 M. Alstott
STARTERS DEFENSE
- LE: #72 C. Ahanotu
- DT: #77 B. Culpepper
- DT: #9p W. Sapp
- RE: #91 R. Upshaw
- SLB: #59 R. Porter
- MLB: #56 H. Nickerson
- CB: #55 D. Brooks
- LCB: #21 D. Abraham
- RCB: #27 A. Paker
- SS: #47 J. Lynch
- FS: #22 C. Mincy
SUBSTITUTIONS
- 4 Walsh, 5 Husted, 7 Landeta, 23 Bouie, 25 Johnson, 29 Gant, 31 Young, 32 Rhett, 37 Ellison, 45 Legette, 50 Gooch, 52 Bellisari, 53 Quarles, 64 Diaz, 71 Wunsch, 80 Harris, 82 Hape, 84 Thomas, 87 Davis, 88 Copeland, 90 Maniecki, 94 White, 97 Jackson
DID NOT PLAY
- none.
INACTIVE
- 13 Milanovich, 20 Barber, 24 Robinson, 48 Jordan, 51 Singleton, 65 Dogins, 69 Pierson, 75 Curry
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
- BUCCANEERS: Dunn 18-72, Alstott 11-68, Anthony 1-1, Dilfer 2-0.
- LIONS: Sanders 18-65, Mitchell 4-20, Rivers 1-17, Reich 1-5, Vardell 2-1, Jett 1-1.
PASSING
- BUCCANEERS: Dilfer 26-13-181-1-1.
- LIONS: Mitchell 25-10-78-1-0, Reich 15-11-129-0-0.
RECIEVING
- BUCCANEERS: Anthony 3-62, Dunn 3-0, Thomas 2-66, Copeland 2-14, Williams 1-23, Alstott 1-12, Harris 1-4.
- LIONS: Morton 8-88, Sanders 5-43, Moore 4-44, Boyd 2-11, Vardell 1-12, Sloan 1-9.
INTERCEPTIONS
- BUCCANEERS: Parker 1-19.
- LIONS: Rice 1-2.
KICK RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Anthony 3-52.
- LIONS: Milburn 5-140.
PUNT RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Williams 2-8, Dunn 0-0.
- LIONS: Milburn 2-5.
SACKS
- BUCCANEERS: Jackson 1-5, Ahanotu 1-4.
- LIONS: London 1-6, Elliss 1-0.
