Tampa Bay safety Ronde Barber was on his toes when a pass was deflected in the air Sunday. Barber returned the interception 78 yards for a touchdown. (AP) |
Different quarterback, same nauseating song and dance.
Kansas City fans wanted Brady Quinn, and they got their wish. The result felt eerily similar -- a 38-10 loss at Tampa Bay that included a comedy of errors, more conservative play-calling and the obligatory turnovers.
The Chiefs (1-5) didn't score an offensive touchdown for the second straight week, and Quinn threw for only 180 yards and had two interceptions against what was the NFL's worst pass defense coming into the game. One of the interceptions -- a bad-luck bounce that only happens to bad teams -- ended up in the hands of Ronde Barber, who ran 78 yards for a touchdown.
Bucs QBJosh Freeman got all the right bounces and threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns. The Bucs (2-3) ended a three-game losing streak with a season-long game plan that used the run to set up a downfield passing attack. It finally worked, as Tampa Bay had the luxury of playing with a lead.
The Chiefs have yet to play with a lead this season -- their win came on the final play of overtime at New Orleans -- and they head into the bye week with many questions to answer. Should they stick with Quinn if Matt Cassel can play? Should they stick with coach Romeo Crennel? And how does owner Clark Hunt justify offering GM Scott Pioli a two-year extension? (CBSSports.com's Jason La Confora reported the contract offer Sunday morning.)
When the game turned: Tampa Bay's first drive of the third quarter. The Bucs came out of halftime and went 80 yards in four plays, which put them ahead 14-3. That kind of deficit doesn't play into the Chiefs' attack; Crennel wants to win taking as few risks as possible.
Highlight moments: Barber's pick-6. Dexter McCluster dove for Quinn's low pass, which deflected off E.J. Biggers' wrist, and Barber caught the top-half of the ball just before it hit the ground. ... The Chiefs' touchdown was your everyday blocked-punt-interception-return TD. Here's how it happened: Shaun Draughn blocked Michael Koenen's punt, Koenen scooped up the ball in the end zone and tried to throw it away, and Edgar Jones intercepted the pass and dove in for the touchdown.
Top-shelf performances:
- Freeman -- 15 of 26 for 328 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
- WR Mike Williams -- 4 receptions, 113 receiving yards, 1 TD
- WR Vincent Jackson -- 4 receptions, 68 receiving yards, 2 TDs
Numbers you should know: The Bucs hadn't won by double digits since Week 17 of the 2010 season. ... The Chiefs' two turnovers added to their NFL-worst 21 giveaways this year. ... The Buccaneers were allowing 345 passing yards per game coming into Sunday.
Going forward: Tampa Bay plays at home next week against New Orleans. If the Bucs beat the Saints and then win on the road against Minnesota, they have the Raiders coming to town the following week. It might be a long shot, but Tampa fans at least have some hope. That's missing in Kansas City, where the only good news is that the Chiefs have the 1-4 Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium following the bye week.
Follow Chiefs reporter C.J. Moore on Twitter @CBSChiefs and @cjmoore4.