Bucs stun Steelers with late touchdown drive

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent nine long days aching for a shot to shake off embarrassment.

Given multiple chances at redemption thanks to the sloppy Pittsburgh Steelers, the Buccaneers didn't let this one get away.

Mike Glennon hit a diving Vincent Jackson for a 5-yard touchdown with 7 seconds remaining to lift Tampa Bay to a stunning 27-24 win Sunday.

The Buccaneers (1-3) lost to Atlanta by six touchdowns more than a week ago but responded by rallying from seven points down in the fourth quarter to give Lovie Smith his first victory at his second head coaching stop.

''I was out last year, so it's been a long time since I've tasted winning a game,'' Smith said. ''For our football team, we needed this.''

Did they ever. Only a pair of garbage time touchdowns against the Falcons prevented Tampa Bay from the worst loss in a franchise history littered with lopsided defeats.

The Buccaneers responded with relentless if not exactly crisp play on a day the two teams combined for 22 penalties.

Glennon passed for 302 yards in his first start of the season, including a 41-yard catch-and-run by Louis Murphy that set up Jackson's score.

''We made so many mistakes out there, but we found a way to win,'' Smith said. ''That was a hurdle we needed to get over.''

Doug Martin ran for 40 yards and a touchdown in his return from injury. Murphy caught six passes for 99 yards, and rookie wide receiver Mike Evans hauled in the first touchdown of his career before leaving with a groin injury.

Tampa Bay's defense struggled keeping the Steelers in check, though Pittsburgh did its best to stop itself by drawing 13 flags and letting a handful of chances to move to 3-1 for the first time since 2010 slip away.

Ben Roethlisberger passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns, but the Steelers (2-2) couldn't protect a late lead.

Antonio Brown caught seven passes for 131 yards and two scores, and Heath Miller added a career-high nine receptions with a touchdown.

Pittsburgh rallied from an early 10-point deficit and appeared to be in complete control at times.

''We can't go out and expect to beat an NFL team and beat ourselves as well,'' defensive end Brett Keisel said.

Tampa Bay twice found itself down a touchdown in the second half. Both times the Buccaneers scrambled back.

A 3-yard touchdown run by Martin tied the game at 17 in the third quarter. After Roethlisberger found Miller for a 5-yard touchdown to put Pittsburgh back in front, Tampa Bay kept coming against a Steelers defense that struggled to get to the quarterback even with the addition of linebacker James Harrison.

The five-time Pro Bowler returned to Pittsburgh after an 18-day retirement to help an injury-depleted defense.

Patrick Murray kicked a 27-yard field goal to get the Buccaneers within 24-20. The Steelers tried to go for the knockout punch but couldn't deliver. Roethlisberger found Brown behind the coverage on a flea flicker, but the pass glanced off the Pro Bowler's fingertips.

Tampa Bay responded by driving to the Steelers 14 only to stall. Glennon overthrew Jackson in the back of the end zone on fourth down with 1:53 to go.

''It would have been tough to sleep tonight if we didn't get another chance or win this game because those are throws that I need to make if we're going to win games,'' Glennon said.

Pittsburgh couldn't muster a first down, giving the Buccaneers one last shot.

Taking over at the Steelers 46 after a 29-yard punt, Glennon hit Murphy in stride. He was finally pulled to the ground at the Pittsburgh 5. Jackson couldn't haul in a pass on second down, but responded on the next play by stretching his 6-foot-5 frame to make the grab.

''I knew Mike was going to give me a chance for a ball on the outside,'' Jackson said. ''I went out there and competed for the ball.''

The Steelers were left wondering how they've become one of the league's most undisciplined teams.

''We need to fix it,'' Tomlin said. ''And if we don't we'll continue to lose close football games.''

NOTES: Tampa Bay DT Gerald McCoy had two tackles and a sack in his return from a hand injury. ... The win was the Bucs' second in nine meetings with the Steelers. ... Tampa Bay S Dashon Goldson left with an ankle injury and did not return. ... Roethlisberger became the 12th quarterback in NFL history to go over 35,000 career yards passing.

NFL Hot News

Who's in and who's out of the early games in Week 4?



The injury report heading into Week 3 was overwhelming simply due to the towering list of players who were dealing with ailments. The list isn't as long heading into Week 4, but the players who are worth tracking this morning are some of the league's best -- Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall and Arian Foster. Updates on those players and many others will start pouring in around 11:30 a.m. Eastern when the inactive reports come out. Keep refreshing this post until the early kickoffs for the latest on the this week's damaged fantasy commodities.-- In a late-game note, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says 49ers TE Vernon Davis will be good to go versus the Eagles. He is a good start in what should be a shootout.-- Nothing official yet, but it's looking good for both Brandon Marshall and Arian Foster. NFL Network's Stacey Dales tweeted that Marshall gave her a thumbs-up after going through his pregame workout on his injured ankle. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport also tweets that Foster had a good workout this morning and will be "full-go" against the Bills. Even with the sizeable risk, you've got to start those players if you have them.-- Jake Locker is officially inactive for the Titans because of his wrist injury. Charlie Whitehurst will be starting in his place. Charlie's tendency to check down may be good for tight end Delanie Walker, who is active despite a shoulder injury.-- It's official: Foster is active. Marshall, too.-- Josh McCown is out for the Buccaneers due to his thumb injury. He may be out for a number of game. Mike Glennon will start against the Steelers. He's a low-end QB2, but he can't be any worse than McCown. No McCown should mean better days are ahead for Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans.-- Calvin Johnson is active. Even if his ankle injury is still bothering him, you must play him in a golden matchup. No question.-- Jonathan Stewart is inactive for the Panthers because of a knee sprain. DeAngelo Williams stands to see a lot of work today since Carolina is incredibly thin in the backfield. He's a decent RB2.-- Jets WR Eric Decker is active. He hardly practiced this week after aggravating his hamstring injury Monday night. He is expected to be a "situational player" today. Unlike Marshall, Foster and Johnson, he is not worth the risk. Bench him. Jeremy Kerley is likely to lead this team in receptions versus the Lions today.-- Raiders notes: RB Maurice Jones-Drew is active after missing some time following hand surgery. However, Darren McFadden is expected to start, and fantasy owners should stay away from this timeshare. Also, WR Denarius Moore is a healthy scratch today. He has a lot of talent but has been plagued by drops and fundementals. With no Rod Streater around, James Jones is probably worth a WR3 start today versus the Dolphins.-- As expected, Doug Martin is active for the Bucs. He is expected to start and should see a lot of work. Considering he missed the last two games due to injury and was brutal on the field in Week 1, he is a risk-reward RB2. Bobby Rainey should be on your benches.-- Ravens RB Bernard Pierce is active after missing last week due to a quad injury. He is a dull flex option against Carolina since he will be sharing touches with Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro. I don't love any of those guys today, but I'd take my chances with Taliaferro if I had to choose one.-- T.Y. Hilton is active after injuring his ankle in Week 3. He has been disappointing thus far and is only a WR3 versus the Titans.-- Bucs rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins is back from his foot injury. He is not worth starting yet, but he definitely has potential.-- Bills WR Sammy Watkins is active and will continue to play through his rib injury. He is a WR3. Teammate Robert Woods is also active. He is not worth your time.-- Panthers WR Jerricho Cotchery is active despite a thigh injury. He is only a WR5.-- Jets RB Chris Johnson is active. He is not an appealing flex option in a tough matchup versus the Lions and losing touches to Chris Ivory.-- Dolphins TE Charles Clay is active. He has not done much of anything this year, but the Raiders always present room for optimism. If you're digging at tight end this week, you could do worse than Clay.Players who have already been ruled out for Week 4 include Matt Cassel, Kyle Rudolph, Dennis Pitta, Danny Woodhead, Ryan Mathews, Rod Streater and Joseph Fauria. For a full rundown of injuries across the league this week, click the link below to the NFL's official injury report.



-- Cassel is out for the season after breaking multiple bones in his foot last week. So, this is Teddy Bridgewater's team, ostensibly for the rest of the season. He is just a QB2 right now, but he has a couple of good targets in Cordarrelle Patterson and Greg Jennings, the ability to supplement his value with rushing yards and a favorable matchup at home against the Falcons.-- And any rookie QB loves a good tight end. Unfortunately, Bridgewater won't have Rudolph around as he'll be out for six weeks due to a groin injury. Rhett Ellison and MarQueis Gray will try to pick up the slack, but they are not fantasy options.-- Pitta's bad luck continued last week when he dislocated and needed season-ending surgery on the same hip he injured last July, which kept him out for most of the 2013 season. Owen Daniels will fill the void, but this is a major loss for Joe Flacco.-- The Chargers are dangerously running low on RBs. Woodhead is out for the season, and Mathews will miss about a month or more. Thus, Donald Brown will continue to start and see a boatload of touches -- he got 36 last week. With such heavy usage, he is a low-end RB1 today against the Jaguars. Branden Oliver is his backup.-- Streater has a foot injury that will keep him out for at least a month and perhaps for the rest of the season. It's a tough loss for Derek Carr, who will probably lock on to James Jones even more now.-- Fauria suffered an ankle injury at home this week. He will be out for an unknown length of time. This opens the door for first-round rookie and athletic freak tight end Eric Ebron. He's worth a shot against the Jets if for nothing else than his TD potential.