TAMPA, Fla. — What a difference a (bye) week makes.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came into their game Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs feeling rested and re-charged, determined to turn things around following a three consecutive losses and a disappointing 1-3 start to the season.
Though it took a while to get in gear, they wound up looking like a different team in routing the reeling Chiefs 38-10 before a small, but spirited crowd of 46,500 at Raymond James Stadium.
The Bucs began the afternoon as a team in need. Now they just need to find a way to keep what they started this time around going.
For quarterback Josh Freeman, it was a day of injecting much-needed consistency and confidence into his game, energizing the stellar passing attack with a three-touchdown performance.
For the Buc defense, it was a contest that saw them clamp down on the NFL's leading rusher in Jamaal Charles, while containing Kansas City's passing game without top cornerback Aqib Talib — the subject of an unexpected four-game suspension doled out by the NFL Saturday for violating the league's performance-enhancing substance policy.
For the Bucs as whole, it was an outing in which they finally found a way to finish the job — following a slow start and 7-3 lead at the half.
"This is what we want — I think everybody had a little bitter feeling going into the bye week after three straight losses," said seemingly ageless free safety Ronde Barber, who sprinting 78 yards with a deflected interception six minutes into the third quarter to give the Bucs a commanding 21-3 lead.
"It wasn't that we weren't playing hard. It was just that none of our hard work was reaping any rewards. We all went into this game with a purpose, came out with a purpose. (We) had a good game plan, executed very well, got some turnovers and won a good football game."
The Bucs managed just fine without Talib. His replacement, E.J. Biggers, played a solid game and initiated Barber's ninth career interception return for a touchdown by tipping a Brady Quinn pass in tight coverage just inches off the turf.
The defensive line kept up heavy pressure all afternoon on a frequently befuddled Quinn, starting in place of injured Matt Cassel (concussion). Tampa Bay limited Kansas City to 260 total offensive yards — including just 40 by the normally elusive Charles.
The Bucs entered the game leading the league in tackles behind the line of scrimmage and added another 10 Sunday with the aggressive, smash-mouth style.
While the defense was doing its thing — including picking off Quinn twice and sticking him with a 48.1 quarterback rating — Freeman was doing an admirable job, giving his receiving corps something to jump up and down about.
That's precisely what No. 1 receiver Vincent Jackson and No. 2 wideout Mike Williams did. They made a handful of clutch, leaping catches on balls Freeman floated to them deftly against Kansas City's mostly man-to-man coverage, allowing them simply to make the plays they're capable of.
Freeman — in spite of a less-than-sharp first half — enjoyed his best game of the season. He completed 15-of-26 passes for 328 yards, three touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 124.7. Jackson, following a quiet first half, finished with four catches for 66 yards and touchdown receptions of 19 and 17 yards, while Williams made four grabs for 113 yards and his 62-yard score.
"It's a big day for our offense and our team to get back on track," coach Greg Schiano said. "For Josh, especially. I thought he kept his cool throughout the game when things didn't go well. … Sure, there are going to be throws he's going to wish he had back and things he wished he did differently. It's a slow process, but he's getting better."
Indeed, Freeman had started off inauspiciously, throwing an interception to end his first drive — foiling a scoring opportunity from Kansas City's 16. But two possessions later, he lined up on first-and-10 from his 38 and heaved a toss deep down the right sideline. Williams caught up with the ball, out-jumped the defender and sprinted the remaining 35 yards or so for a 62-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Chiefs trimmed the lead to 7-3 on Ryan Succop's 38-yard field goal with 7:45 left in the second quarter. But once again, Williams came through, leaving his feet again on a long Freeman toss for a 36-yard gain that helped the Bucs out of a potentially detrimental jam at their 5.
After a 55-yard field goal attempt by Connor Barth bounced off an upright — ending the league's longest active field-goal streak at 25 — the Bucs headed for the locker room determined to take control of the game.
"We came in and it was 7-3 and we were like, 'Man, we've got to come out and play Bucs football,'" Freeman said. "We have to play the way we know we're capable of. I thought the guys really stepped up and made plays."
There were a handful that stood out beyond the dynamic duo of Jackson and Williams. Rookie Doug Martin contributed the longest reception of his career, a 42-catch-and-run following a dump-off pass that set up Jackson's 19-yard scoring reception with 12:46 in the third quarter, giving the Bucs a 14-3 cushion.
The Biggers-to-Barber interception act followed on Kansas City's next possession, suddenly vaulting the Bucs into a 21-3 lead with 9:36 to play in the quarter.
The Chiefs tried to bounce right back, when Sean Draughn blocked a Michael Koenen punt into the Tampa Bay end zone. Rather than fall on the ball for a safety, Koenen scooped it up and tried to pass the ball. But it wound up in the arms of linebacker Edgar Jones, who returned the errant throw 11 yards for a touchdown.
Any thoughts the Chiefs entertained of a further comeback, however, were quickly dashed when Freeman lofted another long pass down field. This time, fleet wide receiver Tiquan Underwood went up for the ball, made a catch over safety Kendrick Lewis and turned it into a 62-yard gain. That play set up a 27-yard field goal by Barth for a 24-10 lead with 10:34 left in the game.
Not surprisingly, Freeman heaped praised the play-making ability of his receivers.
"Mike (Williams) is a guy who has been making plays since his rookie year," Freeman said. "Vincent (Jackson) is a guy that we know is going to make those plays. It's only my first year with him, but even then, he's made so many plays for us. Even Tiquan (Underwood) stepped up and made that play. We have all the faith in the world in those guys. When we get a one-on-one matchup, we like to take advantage."
The Bucs' previously unspectacular ground attack made strides as well. Martin rushed for 76 yards on 13 carries. His longest run was for 23 yards and he added 55 yards receiving. Previously dormant LeGarrette Blount, overshadowed by Martin most of this season, was given a greater role and made the most of it, rushing for 58 yards on seven carries.
The Bucs widened their lead to 31-10 on Jackson's second touchdown catch with 6:43 to play — a dazzling catch in which he went up for a Freeman bullet across the middle and sprinted in for a 17-yard score.
On Tampa's next possession, on a second-and-8 from its 49, Blount burst through the line, cut left and charged ahead for 35 yards — his best run by far of 2012. Three plays later, he ran off right guard for 12 yards, scoring untouched with 1:53 remaining to create the final margin of victory.
"I thought it was great to come out and see how we ran the football," Freeman said. "I mean Doug, LeGarrette, and the whole offensive line were at their best when we really needed it at the end of the game."
Schiano was pleased with the way his team finished the game, after unraveling late in three losses against the Giants, Cowboys and Redskins.
"This is too simple and people don't want to hear this, but all it is is staying focused on your job and doing it the whole 60 minutes," Schiano said. "I thought our guys did that, but you could hear it on the sideline. It was very, very evident ... play this whole game. I'm proud of our guys for doing that."
The result was that the Bucs improved to 2-3, with a shot at reaching .500 if they can defeat the visiting New Orleans Saints next Sunday. The 1-4 Saints were on a bye this week after defeating San Diego last week for their first win.
"Very rarely (do you win) 38-10 in any league, so that was a nice way to have a little fun with the players," Schiano said. "We work so hard and I'm always, ‘On to the next thing.' I want to make sure when we do something like this, we enjoy it a little bit."
They sure needed it.
