Josh Freeman completed 15-of-26 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stomped the Kansas City Chiefs, 38-10, on Sunday.
Mike Williams had four catches for 113 yards and a touchdown and Vincent Jackson hauled in four balls for 66 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Buccaneers (2-3), who recovered from a 24-22 loss to the Washington Redskins in Week 4 and snapped a three-game losing streak coming off a bye week.
"We had some matchups we liked and they played a little more zone than we expected," Jackson said. "But every now and then they would switch back to (man coverage) and we were able to get some big plays."
Brady Quinn's first start in nearly three years was anything but memorable, as he completed just 22-of-38 passes for 180 yards and two interceptions. Quinn started in place of Matt Cassel, who sat out while recovering from a concussion suffered in last week's 9-6 loss to Baltimore
"I thought (Quinn) stepped in and played a good game," Chiefs tight end Tony Moeaki said. "The offense just couldn't execute enough plays to win."
Jamaal Charles, who rushed for 461 yards over his last three games, was limited to just 40 yards on 12 carries for the Chiefs (1-5), who are off to their worst start since 2009.
After trading punts for most of the first quarter, Freeman connected with Williams down the left sideline for a 62-yard catch-and-run to give Tampa Bay a 7-0 lead. Freeman dropped back and lofted one up to his intended receiver, who elevated above his defender and came down with the ball before racing to the goal line.
"That was a big play," Jackson said of William's touchdown reception. "We're going to take our shots each and every week and we got a one-on-one matchup and he went up and was aggressive."
The Chiefs countered with a score of their own on the ensuing possession, a 38-yard field goal from Ryan Succop, to make it 7-3.
Freeman found Jackson for a 19-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive of the second half to give the Bucs a 14-3 lead. Ronde Barber then intercepted Quinn's pass on the Chiefs' next touch and returned it for a touchdown to give Tampa Bay a commanding 21-3 spread.
The pass was intended for Dexter McCluster but E.J. Biggers poked the ball loose and Barber snatched it just before it hit the ground and took 78 yards for the score.
"You have to play for the whistle, and there was definitely no whistle on the ground," Barber said. "I did see the (official) beside me turn and run like it was an interception. I'll let (the officials) make those decisions and I'll just do my job."
Biggers replaced cornerback Aqib Talib -- who is serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
The Chiefs' special teams unit helped Kansas City pull within 21-10 early in the fourth after Edgar Jones returned a Michael Koenen fumble for a touchdown.
Shaun Draughn got the play started after blocking Michael Koenen's punt with the Bucs backed up in their own end zone. Koenen was able to recover the loose ball and attempted to throw it down field but was hit before he could get rid of the ball. Jones plucked the ball out of the air and skirted the sideline before lunging across the goal line for a touchdown.
Connor Barth added a 27-yard field goal, and after forcing a KC three-and-out, Freeman connected with Jackson for a 17-yard touchdown to put the Bucs up 31-10.
LeGarette Blount's 12-yard touchdown run with 1:53 left accounted for the final margin.
Game Notes
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.