Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14 Cincinnati Bengals 13 Sunday 15 October 2006 at Raymond James Stadium
SCORING CIN 9:08-2Q Houshmandzadeh 33 pass from Palmer (Graham kick) TB 6:37-3Q Smith 2 pass from Gradkowski (Bryant kick) CIN 2:29-3Q Graham FG37 CIN 10:34-4Q Graham FG47 TB 0:35-4Q Clayton 8 pass from Gradkowski (Bryant kick)
The Bucs finally got their first win of the 2006 season but it was a dramatic one. Bruce Gradkowski threw an apparent winning touchdown pass to Michael Clayton with 35 seconds remaining but he fumbled in the endzone where the Bengals recovered. After video review, it was determined he had possession as he crossed the plane of the goal-line and the score was confirmed. And the Bucs somehow hung on.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Williams 19-94, Gradkowski 4-19, Pittman 1-11, Galloway 1-2. BENGALS: R.Johnson 17-52, Palmer 2-1, Houshmadzadeh 1-0. PASSING BUCS: Gradkowski 44-25-184-1-2. BENGALS: Palmer 37-24-261-0-1 RECEIVING BUCS: Galloway 7-67, Clayton 6-55, Williams 3-10, Alstott 3-10, Smith 3-10, Pittman 2-10, Becht 1-12. BENGALS: Houshmandzadeh 10-102, C.Johnson 6-99, Watson 4-18, Chatman 2-13, Kelly 1-27, J.Johnson 1-2. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: none. BENGALS: Kaesviharn 1-0. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Pittman 2-46. BENGALS: Chatman 2-50. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Hilliard 5-37, Galloway 2-3. BENGALS: Chatman 3-22. SACKS BUCS: Wyms 2-9. BENGALS: Smith 1-8, Geathers 1-2.
STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 69 Davis DE 94 Spires LG 72 Buenning DT 95 Hovan C 76 Wade DT 92 McFarland RG 79 Mahan DE 97 Rice RT 65 Trueblood LLB 56 Nece TE 88 Becht MLB 53 Quarles WR 80 Clayton RLB 55 Brooks WR 84 Galloway LCB 21 Bolden RB 40 Alstott RCB 20 Barber RB 24 Williams SS 23 Phillips QB 7 Gradkowski FS 37 Allen PLAYED 3 Bryant, 9 Bidwell, 19 Hilliard, 27 Cox, 32 Pittman, 34 Graham, 39 Pearson, 46 Adams, 50 Winborn, 51 Ruud, 52 Cash, 54 Mallard, 74 Green, 77 Terry, 79 Mahan, 81 Smith, 82 Warren, 83 Moore, 87 Jolley, 90 White, 91 Jenkins, 96 Wyms DID NOT PLAY 13 Rattay INACTIVES 2 Simms, 25 Kelly, 29 Zemaitis, 31 Strait, 33 Sowell, 70 Penn, 85 Stovall, 89 Jones
COMMENTARY CREW Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
GAME REPORTS Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune reports Rick Stroud of the St.Petersburg Times offers his viewpoint Gary Shelton's Monday morning column The Buccaneer defense answers the call Another solid performance from the offensive line From the unhappy Cincinnati locker room Game notes and anecdotes The game report from Raymond James Stadium The gamebook and the play-by-play from the game