GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NFL: WASHINGTON (5-5) at TAMPA BAY (6-4)

NFL: WASHINGTON (5-5) at TAMPA BAY (6-4)

<h3>Buccaneers riding high as they await Redskins</h3>



<div class="pre">Washington (4-6) at Tampa Bay (6-4) 1:00 pm EST</div>

TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) - A modest winning streak has made aconsiderable impact on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' postseasonhopes.


Seeking their third win in a row, the Buccaneers host theWashington Redskins on Sunday.


Tampa Bay throttled the Atlanta Falcons, 31-7, last weekend, andin the process seized control of the NFC South after its threedivision rivals all lost.


Not only do the Buccaneers have a two-game lead in the division,their second straight win has put them in a tie for the No. 3seed in the NFC.


"I don't think anybody expected us to be leading our division 10weeks into it," Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden said. "I'm surethere are enough people out there that don't expect us to hangon to it."


Such a scenario seemed improbable after Tampa Bay had droppedconsecutive games to Detroit and Jacksonville to fall to 4-4.

The Bucs also had absorbed a slew of key injuries, watching 10players wind up on injured reserve, including star tailbackCarnell "Cadillac" Williams.


Tampa Bay has managed to keep it together behind veteranquarterback Jeff Garcia and running back Earnest Graham, who haschurned out back-to-back 100-yard efforts in the past twogames.


Garcia, who led the Philadelphia Eagles to a season-endingfive-game winning streak in 2006, has not put up spectacularnumbers but has the offense working efficiently.


The 37-year-old veteran has 11 touchdowns and threeinterceptions - all three picks came in one game - on theseason. He threw a pair of scoring passes in the win overAtlanta and mainly was content to hand the ball off to Grahamand Michael Pittman, who returned to the lineup after missingfour games due to injury.


The Redskins are heading in the other direction, with twostraight losses and three in their last four games after lastweekend's 28-23 defeat in Dallas.


Washington allowed wide receiver Terrell Owens to scored fourtouchdowns, often running uncontested in its secondary.

Still, the Redskins were in position for the go-ahead scoreuntil quarterback Jason Campbell threw a killer interceptioninside the Cowboys' 20-yard line with under two minutes to play.

Campbell finished 33-of-54 for for a career-high 348 yard, apair of TDs and the interception. And he finally got aproductive day from wideout Santana Moss, who had his first100-yard effort of the season despite playing with an injuredheel.


Coach Joe Gibbs has struggled to find any offensive balance.Prior to the Redskins' loss to Dallas, running back Clinton Portishad a pair of 30-plus carry games and gained 196 and 137 yards,respectively, but he was held to 36 yards on 12 carries againstthe Cowboys.

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL
WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 0 14:53 LEFT, 1ST QTR

TAM BALL ON TAM 25 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL
WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 0 11:35 LEFT, 1ST QTR

WAS BALL ON WAS 20 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL
WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 0 11:23 LEFT, 1ST QTR

TAM BALL ON WAS 19 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL TD TAM
EARNEST GRAHAM 12 YD RUN
(MATT BRYANT KICK)

WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 7 10:00 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL
WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 7 9:52 LEFT, 1ST QTR

WAS BALL ON WAS 30 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">CORRECTION


NFL TD TAM
EARNEST GRAHAM 1 YD RUN
(MATT BRYANT KICK)

WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 7 10:00 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 7 9:45 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL
WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 7 9:34 LEFT, 1ST QTR

TAM BALL ON WAS 19 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL FG TAM
MATT BRYANT 35 YD

WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 10 6:27 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL
WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 10 6:20 LEFT, 1ST QTR

WAS BALL ON WAS 21 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL
WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 10 3:19 LEFT, 1ST QTR

TAM BALL ON TAM 15 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL
WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 10 0:00 LEFT, 1ST QTR

WAS BALL ON WAS 20 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
WASHINGTON 0 0
TAMPA BAY 10 10 END, 1ST QTR

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: TAM - TD, EARNEST GRAHAM 1 YD RUN (MATT
BRYANT KICK), 5:00. Drive: 3 plays,
19 yards in 1:23. Key plays:
Jackson 8-yard return of Moss
fumble to Washington 19; Graham
12-yard run to Washington 7. TAMPA
BAY 7-0
TAM - FG, MATT BRYANT 35 YD, 8:33. Drive: 6
plays, 2 yards in 3:07. Key plays:
Jackson 7-yard return ot Portis
fumble to Washington 19. TAMPA BAY
10-0</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 10 14:50 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL
WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 10 14:40 LEFT, 2ND QTR

TAM BALL ON WAS 18 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL FG TAM
MATT BRYANT 27 YD

WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 13 12:28 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL
WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 13 12:28 LEFT, 2ND QTR

WAS BALL ON WAS 20 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL
WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 13 11:11 LEFT, 2ND QTR

TAM BALL ON WAS 32 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: WASHINGTON at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NFL FG TAM
MATT BRYANT 48 YD

WASHINGTON 0
TAMPA BAY 16 10:13 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>