Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6 Detroit Lions 21 Sunday 8 September 1996 at the Silverdome

SCORING TB 7:04-1Q Husted FG30 TB 13:20-2Q Husted FG41 DET 3:38-2Q Sanders 54 run (Hanson kick) DET 3:28-2Q Raymond 24 interception return (Hanson kick) DET 7:31-3Q Moore 23 pass from Mitchell (Hanson kick)

GAME REPORTS Rick Stroud's lead story from the Silverdome Gary Shelton - searching for signs of hope Click here for the gamebook and the play-by-play

The Bucs held the Lions to just 234 yards but were victimized by turnovers and a handful of big plays. The Bucs took a 6-0 lead in the second quarter but the Lions abruptly took the lead on a 54-yard burst around left end by Barry Sanders. Three players later, Corey Raymond redirected a Trent Dilfer pass and returned it 25 yards to give the Lions a 14-6 halftime advantage. The Bucs were held scoreless in the second half despite making four more excursions into Detroit territory.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Alstott 6-19, Dilfer 2-18, Brooks 4-17, Ellison 8-12, Thompson 8-8, Weldon 1-0. LIONS: Sanders 20-125, Mitchell 4-1, Morton 2-(-6). PASSING BUCS: Dilfer 34-14-176-2-0. Weldon 4-3-25-0-0, Milanovich 3-2-9- 0-0. LIONS: Mitchell 27-14-131-0-1. RECEIVING BUCS: Hawkins 8-111, Harris 4-31, Alstott 2-23, Thompson 2-9, Ellison 1-20, Harper 1-11, Williams 1-5. LIONS: Moore 8-84, Sanders 3-13, Sloan 2-22, Perriman 1-12. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: none. LIONS: Raymond 1-24, Jeffries 1-0. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Silvan 3-59. LIONS: Milburn 3-74. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Silvan 6-50, Hawkins 0-0. LIONS: Milburn 3-15. SACKS BUCS: Culpepper 1-10, Mayhew 1-7, Curry 1-0. LIONS: Scroggins 1-6, Elliss 1-4.

STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 74 Gruber DE 75 Curry LG 60 Pyne DT 77 Culpepper C 61 Mayberry DT 97 Jackson RG 71 Adams DE 73 Upshaw RT 79 Riesenberg MLB 56 Nickerson TE 81 Harris RLB 55 Brooks TE 83 Moore DB 21 Abraham WR 85 Hawkins LCB 35 Mayhew FB 40 Alstott RCB 39 DImry RB 37 Ellison SS 38 Scott QB 12 Dilfer FS 25 Johnson PLAYED 5 Husted, 6 Barnhardt, 11 Weldon, 13 Milanovich, 23 Bouie, 29 Gant, 34 Thompson, 41 Brooks, 43 Johnson, 45 Legette, 47 Lynch, 50 Gooch, 51 Marts, 64 Diaz, 68 Crisman, 70 Odom, 78 Jones, 80 Harper, 86 Williams, 87 Silvan, 89 Ryans, 90 Maniecki, 91 Smith, 93 DuBose INACTIVE 27 Austin, 54 Stephens, 62 Beckles, 72 Ahanotu, 82 Tate, 84 Thomas, 99 Sapp

COMMENTARY CREW Sam Rosen and Ron Pitts