Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 Detroit Lions 17
Sunday 20 December 1981 at the Silverdome
SCORING
TB
8:08-1Q
Capece FG40
DET
12:21-2Q
Hipple 9 run (Murray kick)
TB
2:44-2Q
House 84 pass from Williams (Capece kick)
DET
5:10-3Q
Murray FG47
TB
13:28-4Q
Capece FG30
TB
14:48-4Q
Logan 21 fumble return (Capece kick)
DET
1:21-4Q
Thompson 8 pass from Hipple (Murray kick)
GAME REPORTS
Click here for the gamebook and play-by-play
Click here for Jim Selman's game review
Click here for Tom McEwen's morning-after column
This was for the NFC Central title. The winner went to the playoffs, the loser went home. And it was the Bucs
who won their second title in three seasons as the combination of Williams-House for 84 yards, and Selmon
forcing a fumble recovered and returned for a score by David Logan gave the Bucs what they needed to win.
Eric Hipple threw a late score for the Lions, but Theo Bell recovered the ensuing onside kick.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
BUCS: Owens 17-61, Wilder 8-28, Williams 6-8, Eckwood 2-7.
LIONS: Sims 19-76, V.Thompson 4-29, Bussey 4-24, Hipple 4-19,
Kane 2-7, L.Thompson 2-4.
PASSING
BUCS: Williams 19-8-172-0-1.
LIONS: Hipple 28-18-205-2-1.
RECEIVING
BUCS: Owens 2-49, Giles 2-19, House 1-84, T.Bell 1-9,Wilder 1-8,
Eckwood 1-3.
LIONS: Bussey 4-32, Scott 3-56, Sims 3-39, L.Thompson 3-34,
Hill 3-33, Kane 1-6, V.Thompson 1-5.
INTERCEPTIONS
BUCS: Brown 2-9.
LIONS: none.
KICK RETURNS
BUCS: Holt 2-45.
LIONS: Martin 4-105, Hill 1-21.
PUNT RETURNS
BUCS: T.Bell 3-24, Colzie 1-12.
LIONS: Martin 5-56.
SACKS
BUCS: Selmon 2-16, Hawkins 1-7, Wood 1-1.
LIONS: none.
STARTERS
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
LT
74 Sanders
DE
65 Stalls
LG
72 Snell
DT
76 Logan
C
50 Wilson
DE
63 Selmon
RG
61 Roberts
LOLB
59 Hawkins
RT
73 Hannah
LILB
56 Johnson
TE
88 Giles
RILB
54 Wood
WR
83 Bell
ROLB
53 Green
WR
89 House
LCB
21 Holt
FB
32 Wilder
RCB
40 Washington
RB
26 Owens
SS
20 Colzie
QB
12 Williams
FS
34 Brown
PLAYED
3 Capece, 9 Swider, 24 Delaney, 27 T Davis, 41 Thomas, 43
Eckwood, 44 Cesare, 51 Nafziger, 52 Brantley, 57 Lewis, 62
Leonard, 64 Short, 68 Yarno, 70 Hutchinson, 75 Reavis, 79
Campbell, 84 Jones, 86 Obradovich, 87 Carter, 90 White
DID NOT PLAY
10 Ford, 14 Fusina, 42 R Bell
COMMENTARY CREW
Dick Stockton and Johnny Morris
GAME HIGHLIGHTS Click on the boxes below to watch the clip
Kevin House’s touchdown bomb set the Bucs on their way to the division title
Lee Roy Selmon and David Logan teamed up for the crucial defensive touchdown
Andy Hawkins got into the defensive act with a key sack