Bowled over by Detroit Rick Stroud, The St.Petersburg Times, published 20 October 2000 The Bucs began the season hoping they would return to the NFC Championship Game. If they do, they will have to take the same road they did a year ago, one that is unpaved, littered with broken glass and full of potholes. Lions running back James Stewart rushed for three touchdowns and a two-point conversion as Detroit overcame an eight-point deficit to beat the Bucs 28-14. The fourth straight loss for the Bucs, who are 3-4 as they were last season, virtually gave last rites to their hope of defending the NFC Central title. Kicker Martin Gramatica kicked four field goals, including a career-best, tying blast from 55 yards and another from 50. But Bucs quarterback Shaun King had one of his worst games as a pro, 16 of 33 for 144 yards and three interceptions. His second interception was a killer. With the score tied and facing third and 1 at his 40 in the fourth quarter, he rolled left and tried to hit Keyshawn Johnson downfield. His throw was intercepted by linebacker Chris Claiborne. That allowed the Lions to take control of the game and set up Stewart's winning touchdown with 4:28 to play. Lions quarterback Charlie Batch, who was sacked seven times by the Bucs on Sept. 17, took a similar beating Thursday. End Marcus Jones led the charge with four sacks, and tackle Warren Sapp had two of the team's seven. The first half epitomized the Bucs' season. They failed to finish off drives and had lapses on special teams, and the defense could not put away a team it had dominated. Two Bucs drives in the red zone failed to produce a touchdown. A blocked Lions punt resulted in a safety instead of a touchdown. And - stop if you've heard this before - fullback Mike Alstott turned the tide of the game by losing his second fumble of the year. One minute the Bucs had an 8-0 lead. The next they were tied at halftime 11-11. Barely 3 1/2 minutes into the second half, they trailed 14-11. For the first time this season, the opening Bucs drive produced points. Tampa Bay took a 3-0 lead on Gramatica's 27-yard field goal. It was a bittersweet result for the Bucs, who remained perfect in the red zone but failed again to produce a touchdown on a promising drive. Warrick Dunn exploded for 34 yards - his longest run in two seasons - on the first play of their second possession. But the drive bogged down when King fired incomplete on second down. Gramatica was summoned to kick a 43-yard field goal. Even the Bucs special teams missed a great chance to reach the end zone. Rookie Nate Webster blocked a punt by John Jett, but cornerback Ronde Barber failed on three attempts to gain possession of the ball. Teammates John McLaughlin and Alshermond Singleton also could not recover the ball in the end zone. The ball was recovered by the Lions Ron Rice for a safety. The only force stopping the Bucs in the first half was themselves, and as is the case too often, Alstott applied the brakes. For his career, Alstott has averaged a fumble every 44 carries, second-worst among active running backs. With the Bucs cruising along with an 8-0 lead and near midfield, Alstott was stripped by safety Kurt Schulz, and Rice caught the ball in midair at the Tampa Bay 37. Although the Bucs defense began strong, it was not perfect. Consider this series after Alstott's fumble. Cornerback Brian Kelly dropped an interception on third down, forcing the Lions to summon Jason Hanson. Then Sapp jumped offside, and safety John Lynch ran into the kicker, giving Detroit first down at the Tampa Bay 13. But the Bucs stopped Stewart for minus-1 yard on two carries, and Sapp swatted away Batch's third-down passing attempt. This time, Hanson's 32-yard field goal stuck, and the lead was 8- 3 with 7:45 remaining in the first half. Gramatica's third field goal extended the lead to 11-3. But the Lions put together their best drive of the night to tie the score at halftime. The blame rested squarely on the Bucs defense. Facing thirdand 22, they allowed Batch to escape pressure and fire a 27-yard strike to receiver Johnnie Morton for a first down at the Tampa Bay 36. Stewart, who had been limited to 13 yards on eight carries in the first meeting with the Bucs, took over from there. Sandwiched around a 9-yard completion from Batch to Herman Moore, Stewart rushed four times for 24 yards, including his 5-yard touchdown run to cut the Bucs' lead to 11-9. Lions coach Bobby Ross didn't hesitate to call Stewart's number again, and he rewarded the coach by running for the two-point conversion that knotted the score with 38 seconds remaining in the half. The 12-play, 4-minute, 46-second drive was the longest in terms of number of plays this season. Another Bucs turnover handed the Lions their first lead. King was intercepted by Bryant Westbrook on the first series of the third quarter. The play set up Hanson's 47-yard field goal to leave Tampa Bay trailing 14-11.