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Griese, Bucs Rally To Beat Bears 27-24 In OT

Tribune photo by JAY CONNER

Gaines Adams closes in on Bears QB Kyle Orton in the second quarter.

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By AARON KNOX | TBO.com

Published: September 21, 2008

Brian Griese threw for 407 yards, but it only seemed like they all came in the Bucs' last three drives of the game.

Griese threw a team-record 67 passes, just three off the NFL record for a game, and led a furious rally that saw the Buccaneers score 10 points in the final 3:11 of the fourth quarter, then beat the Chicago Bears 27-24 in overtime today at Soldier Field.

He finished the game 38-of-67 for 407 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Two of the picks came in the second half, when it looked like Griese would bethe villian instead of the hero.

The pass attempts easily eclipsed the previous Tampa Bay record of 61, set by Brad Johnson against Carolina in 2003.

The Bears (1-2) crowded the line of scrimmage most of the game, shutting down the running game -- the Bucs had just 17 rushing attempts -- and daring Griese to beat them with his arm. For much of the contest, it looked like the strategy would work.

Griese moved the Bucs 79 yards in the last 2 minutes and hit tight end Jerramy Stevens (speaking of potential villians) for a 1-yard touchdown pass to tie the score at 24 with just seven seconds left in the game.

In overtime, Griese marched the Bucs 90 yards in 12 plays before Matt Bryant kicked the game-winning field goal from 21 yards out with 4:21 left on the clock.

The game-winning drive was kept alive when Chicago's Charles Tillman was called for a personal foul on a third-and-9 play from the Tampa Bay 8-yard line. Instead of forcing the third punt of overtime, the Bears gave the Bucs (2-1) a first down at the 25 and Griese took over from there.

He hit Michael Clayton for 17 yards and Warrick Dunn for 9 before finding Antonio Bryant for a 38-yard gain to the Chicago 6. Bryant kicked the game-winner two plays later.

Bryant had his best game as a Buc with 10 catches for 138 yards. Stevens had five catches for 61 yards, Ike Hilliard added six catches for 57 yards and Clayton had five receptions for 54 more.

Matt Bryant also kicked a 35-yard field goal that pulled the Buccaneers within a touchdown at 24-17 with 3:11 to play. Those were the first points of the second half for the Bucs, who drove 63 yards in 12 plays after falling behind by 10 points.

Griese threw two of his three interceptions in the second half, while Bears quarterback Kyle Orton threw two touchdown passes after the break to lead Chicago back from an eight-point deficit in the first half. But Griese caught fire when the Bucs went to a no-huddle attack in the closing minutes.

Brandon Lloyd caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Orton that gave the Bears a 24-14 lead in the fourth quarter. Lloyd easily outjumped Ronde Barber for the touchdown with 6:38 remaining. It was Lloyd's fifth catch, for 100 yards, in the game.

Orton was 21-of-31 for a career-high 244 yards during regulation play with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Bears defense, meanwhile, shut out Tampa Bay for the first 26:49 of the second half after the Bucs had taken a 14-9 halftime lead.

Matt Forte's 6-yard touchdown catch and a two-point conversion gave Chicago a 17-14 lead in the third quarter.

Forte's catch on a pass from Orton gave the Bears their first lead, 15-14, since the opening period. Bears coach Lovie Smith opted to go for the two-point conversion and Orton hit Lloyd to put the Bears up 17-14 with 2:54 left in the third quarter.

Orton was 4-of-4 passing for 72 yards on the drive, which covered 86 yards in just eight plays.

The Bears had a chance to extend their lead with 11:07 left in the fourth quarter, but Chicago kicker Robbie Gould was wide right on a 49-yard field goal attempt.

Gaines Adams returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown to give the Bucs a 14-9 halftime lead.

Orton tried to throw a screen pass, but he was under heavy pressure from Barber and the ball went right to Adams, who rolled down the left sideline and dove into the end zone with 5:26 left in the second quarter.

Officials initially ruled that Adams went out of bounds at the Bears 1-yard line, but Bucs head coach Jon Gruden challenged the call and the ruling was overturned, giving the Bucs a 14-6 lead. That gave Adams his first NFL touchdown on his first career interception.

Gould kicked his third field goal of the first half, from 28 yards out, on the final play before intermission to make the score 14-9.

The Bucs sacked Orton three times in the first half and held rookie running back Matt Forte to 37 yards on 14 carries.

Griese shook off an early interception of his own and hit Hilliard with a 4-yard TD throw as the Buccaneers rallied to take a 7-6 lead late in the first quarter.

The short scoring toss with 1:50 remaining in the first period was set up by a 31-yard completion from Griese to Stevens, who went all the way to the Bears 18-yard line after making the catch.

The drive opened with Griese finding Antonio Bryant for a 14-yard gain. In all, the Bucs went 81 yards in just eight plays to take their first lead after a shaky start. It turned out to be their only sustained drive until the closing minutes of the contest.

Stevens was playing in his first game since sitting out the first two on suspension.

The Bucs became the first team to score a first-half touchdown against the Bears in three games this season.

Griese threw an interception just 56 seconds into the game, and Gould kicked two field goals as the Bears took an early 6-0 lead.

Griese, starting his second straight game for the Buccaneers and his first against his former team, had his second pass attempt tipped at the line of scrimmage. Lance Briggs gathered in the errant throw and returned the pick three yards to the Bucs 15-yard line.

Barber sacked Bears quarterback Kyle Orton on a third-down blitz, but Gould gave Chicago a 3-0 lead when his 40-yard kick was good with 12:44 left in the first quarter.

Gould extended the Bears' lead to 6-0 when he added a 43-yarder with 6:10 left in the opening period. That kick capped a 10-play, 52-yard drive.

An exchange of turnovers early in the second quarter featured a remarkable interception by Bucs linebacker Barrett Ruud.

After Tillman forced a fumble by Maurice Stovall that Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher recovered at the Tampa Bay 38 with 14:47 left in the second quarter, Ruud picked off a pass intended for Forte in the end zone.

Ruud reached out with one hand to tip the ball out of Forte's reach, bobbled it briefly as he was falling down, then somehow got both hands under the ball to secure it before it hit the ground with 14:03 remaining in the first half.

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