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Rick Stroud, The St.Petersburg Times, published 14 November 2011
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their third straight game, and fourth out of their past five, getting crushed by the Houston Texans 37-9 on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
The loss dropped the Bucs to 4-5 on the season and left them in third place in the NFC South, trailing the division leading New Orleans Saints (7-3) by 2 1/2 games and the Atlanta Falcons (5-4) by a game.
The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Bucs as they travel to Green Bay next Sunday to take on the formidable Packers.
The Texans wasted no time, scoring on an 80-yard touchdown pass on the game's opening play. Houston quarterback Matt Schaub rolled right on a play-action pass and spotted Jacoby Jones behind the Bucs secondary, and despite a somewhat overthrown ball, Jones made the catch then outraced the would-be Bucs tacklers for a 6-0 lead just 12 seconds into the game. The PAT kick was blocked.
Houston marched 80 yards on its second possession, picking up six first downs along the way. The Bucs appeared to have killed the drive when Aqib Talib intercepted a Schaub pass at the goal line, fumbled then recovered at the Tampa Bay 6. But the Texans challenged the call and replay officials overturned it, ruling Talib never had possession and the pass was incomplete. Placekicker Neil Rackers kicked a 22-yard field goal on the next play for a 9-0 lead.
The Texans increased their lead to 16-0 two possessions later on another long touchdown pass. Schaub hit running back Arian Foster in the left flat and Foster did the rest, sidestepping Talib along the sideline, racing downfield, cutting inside safety Sean Jones and racing to the end zone for the 78-yard score with 8:55 left in the half.
Tampa Bay's best chance to score in the first half came late, driving to the Houston 5 thanks to completions by Josh Freeman of 14 yards (Kellen Winslow), 16 yards (Kregg Lumpkin) and 20 yards (Mike Williams). But facing fourth and 2 at the 5, Freeman's lob pass to Dezmon Briscoe was broken up, ending the threat.
The Bucs finally got on the scoreboard on the last play of the half as Connor Barth kicked a 55-yard field goal, into a slight wind, for a 16-3 halftime score. The Bucs started the drive on the Houston 46 after a punt and managed only 9 yards in three plays, but it was enough to set up Barth's career-long kick.
Houston picked up where they left off in the second half, taking their opening possession 65 yards in seven plays for another touchdown and a 23-3 lead. Foster did most of the damage, picking up 35 yards rushing on three attempts, including the touchdown on a 5-yard run on second and goal.
The game's first turnover, an interception by Houston linebacker Brian Cushing, set up another Texans score. Starting at the Bucs 39, Houston needed only seven plays to take a 30-3 lead, with former Buccaneer Derrick Ward picking up the touchdown on a 5-yard run with 2:03 left in the third quarter.
Tampa Bay scored its only touchdown early in the fourth quarter, using a 14-yard pass to Arrelious Benn, a 19-yard run by Lumpkin and an offsides call against Houston on fourth and 1 at the Texans 14. Freeman hit Preston Parker on the 9-yard touchdown pass two plays later. The two-point pass attempt failed.
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