Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs St. Louis Rams Box Score on Dec 22, 2013

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 22, 2013

Rams 23, Buccaneers 13: Rookie Zac Stacy rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown as host St. Louis rode a dominating defensive performance to sink Tampa Bay.

Rookie receiver Stedman Bailey scored on a reverse and Greg Zuerlein kicked three second-half field goals for the Rams (7-8), who registered seven sacks - three by Robert Quinn - and limited the Buccaneers (4-11) to 170 total yards. Kellen Clemens threw for 158 yards on 16-of-20 passing to pull St. Louis within a game of the .500 mark.

Tampa Bay rookie quarterback Mike Glennon also threw for 158 yards, completing 16-of-26 attempts, and Bobby Rainey was held to 37 yards on 20 carries as the Buccaneers lost for the third time in four games.

Rainey's 1-yard scoring run staked Tampa Bay to a 7-0 lead, but the Rams countered with a pair of touchdowns in a 95-second span early in the second quarter. Stacy scored from a yard out to cap an 80-yard drive and Stedman went 27 yards on a double reverse one play after Rainey fumbled, but a fumble by Stacy at midfield set up Rian Lindell's 35-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to make it 14-10.

Another field goal by Lindell, from 32 yards, pulled the Buccaneers within a point 5 1/2 minutes into the third quarter, but Zuerlein drilled a 54-yarder four minutes later and connected from 25 yards with just under 11 1/2 minutes left to extend the lead to 20-13. James Laurinaitis and Alec Ogletree combined to sack Glennon and force a fumble on the following possession, and the Rams turned it into a 48-yarder by Zuerlein that capped the scoring.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Quinn registered his 16th, 17th and 18th sacks to take over the league lead and break the franchise's single-season record of 17 set by Kevin Carter in 1999. ... Buccaneers WR Vincent Jackson's five receptions gave him 74 on the season, surpassing his previous career high of 72 set last campaign. ... Rams LT Jake Long, a former No. 1 overall pick of Miami, was carted off the field in the first quarter with an apparent knee injury.