TAMPA BAY, Fla. — The Kansas City Chiefs expected the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be a run-first team struggling to find its rhythm in the passing game. Instead the Chiefs found Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman airing it out and hitting his stride to beat Kansas City 38-10 on Sunday.
Fresh off a bye week, Freeman completed 15 of 26 passes for 328 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
Bucs receiver Vincent Jackson caught two touchdown passes. The first came on a 19-yard strike, set up by a 42-yard catch-and-run from rookie running back Doug Martin.
The second came in the fourth quarter on a 17-yard touchdown, putting the Bucs up 31-10.
Mike Williams caught over four passes for 113 yards receiving, including a 62-yard touchdown while fighting off two defenders. It was Williams’ second consecutive 100-yard receiving game.
Running back LeGarrette Blount delivered the final blow of the game, leaping into the end zone on a 12-yard run with 2 minutes remaining.
The Bucs defense held the league’s leading rusher, Jamal Charles, to 40 yards on 12 carries.
Through five games, Kansas City had averaged 226.1 yards on the ground. Against Tampa Bay’s defense, the Chiefs rushed for 260, but struggled through the air.
Starting in place of injured quarterback Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn completed 22 of 38 passes for 180 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
The first interception came in the first quarter, when Mark Barron picked off Quinn at the Tampa Bay 7-yard line.
The second, a 78-yard interception return for a touchdown by Ronde Barber, came on a pass from Quinn intended for Dexter McCluster, giving the Bucs an 18-point lead in the third quarter.
The Bucs defense did not allow an offensive scoring play the entire game.
Notes: Kansas City had a blocked punt at the beginning of the fourth quarter by Shaun Draughn. It was recovered by Bucs punter Michael Koenen, who fumbled. Draughn’s teammate, Edgar Jones, recovered it, running it in for an 11-yard touchdown. It was the second blocked punt of the game. … Bucs kicker Connor Barth attempted a 55-yard field goal just before halftime and missed, ending his streak for the league’s most consecutive field goals at 25. … The Bucs secondary, ranked 32nd in passing defense, was without cornerback Aqib Talib. Talib began serving a league-mandated four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. He was replaced by E.J. Biggers.