The Detroit quarterback was also a bit fortunate on his fourth-quarter scoring pass to Joique Bell.

DETROIT - Not even the mediocre NFC South can keep the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in playoff contention any longer. Bashaud Breeland Jersey .The Bucs were officially eliminated Sunday when they lost 34-17 to the Detroit Lions. Tampa Bay turned the ball over three times in the second quarter of a game it never led.We were beaten by a better football team today, Tampa Bay coach Lovie Smith said. We didnt really get anything going. Offensively, we had three turnovers, and they only had one. They dominated us on third downs. They were able to run the ball, and we werent able to.Tampa Bay (2-11) lost eight of its first nine games this season, but the Bucs were only three games out of first place heading into Sundays matchup.Mike Evans caught two touchdown passes, but Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown was under pressure all day, and the Bucs managed only 26 yards rushing against Detroits stout defensive front.Matthew Stafford threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns for the Lions — including one off a fluky deflection late in the game. Detroit (9-4) trails first-place Green Bay by a half-game in the NFC North, with the Packers hosting Atlanta on Monday night.Calvin Johnson had eight catches for 158 yards and a touchdown for the Lions, who snapped a nine-game losing streak in December.Weve definitely found a rhythm. I cant call our future. Were just going to keep on plugging away, said Johnson, who missed a month earlier this season with an ankle injury. Im feeling pretty good — the best Ive felt in a little while.Stafford went 26 of 34 without an interception, and he and Johnson seem to be clicking again at the right time. The Detroit quarterback was also a bit fortunate on his fourth-quarter scoring pass to Joique Bell.Stafford had a pass bounce off someone at the line of scrimmage — Tampa Bays Gerald McCoy was in the area — and it bounced back toward Bell, who alertly grabbed it out of midair and ran into the end zone for the games final score.Detroit opened the scoring on Staffords 6-yard touchdown pass to Johnson, and Patrick Murray answered with a 54-yard field goal for the Bucs.The Bucs first turnover came when McCowns pass deflected off Evans and was picked off by a sliding Glover Quin, who reached out with his left hand to secure the ball at the Tampa Bay 34. Bells 1-yard scoring run made it 14-3.The one on the sideline to Mike, I threw the ball exactly to where I wanted to throw it and obviously, Mike was upset, McCown said. I dont know what happened. The guys on the sideline said his arm got grabbed, so thats frustrating.A fumble on a snap gave the Lions the ball at the Tampa Bay 32 moments later, and Detroit managed a field goal off that turnover.Late in the half, the Bucs caught a break after McCowns pass was intercepted in the end zone by James Ihedigbo. The Detroit safety tried to run the ball out, but he ended up fumbling it back to Tampa Bay.The Bucs took over at the Detroit 10 and scored a touchdown with 5 seconds left on McCowns 5-yard pass to Evans.Stafford threw a 53-yard pass to Johnson to set up a third-quarter field goal, and his 10-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Fauria made it 27-10.Evans caught a 26-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth, using one arm to secure the ball in the back of the end zone.Bell broke free for a 57-yard run in the final minutes. That helped set up his 5-yard touchdown catch off the bizarre deflection.McCown went 20 of 39 for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Vincent Jackson caught 10 passes for 159 yards for Tampa Bay.NOTES: Tampa Bay called a timeout on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, before a single second had ticked off the clock. ... McCoy left in the first quarter with a knee injury but quickly returned. Bucs LB Lavonte David left in the third with a possible concussion after Johnsons leg collided with his head. ... Fauria hurt his left ankle early in the game but came back.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Colt McCoy Jersey . On Thursday, they signed former Browns linebacker DQwell Jackson. Terms of the deal were not immediately available. Jordan Reed Jersey .Y. -- The New York Islanders were merely content with a lopsided victory. http://www.theredskinsprostore.com/Authentic_Fabian-Moreau_Redskins_Jersey/ . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Geno Smith still thinks of himself as the New York Jets starting quarterback. Until hes told otherwise. Smiths up-and-down rookie season ended with four solid games as the Jets finished 8-8, but out of the playoffs. Both coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik have said that while Smith improved greatly, they will wait until they see whos on the roster in a few months before considering their starters at any position. "It motivates me," Smith told The Associated Press on Friday. "I know Rex, and he knows how to push my buttons. Im definitely going to go into this season as I always do: with a chip on my shoulder with that edge." Smith was in midtown Manhattan serving fans from an ice cream truck as part of a promotional event for New Era caps — a few hours after Ryan did the same. Smith, who had 12 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions, is expected to be in the quarterback mix whether the Jets sign a veteran or draft someone to compete with him. But, it appears he didnt do enough for the Jets to anoint him the starter as they head into the off-season. "Ive gotten better, but Ive got a long ways to go," Smith acknowledged. "Ive got to continue to progress and Im going to take this year just as I took last year, and thats to try to get better every single day." Smith declined to comment on his recent off-field issues, which included a disagreement with a flight attendant at Los Angeles International airport, for which Virgin America airline later apologized. "Nah, were not talking about that stuff,," he said. Terrelle Pryor Jersey. Taking a quick break from handing out ice cream cones on Super Bowl Boulevard in Times Square, Smith talked about how much he enjoyed seeing the area jam-packed with football fans getting ready for the NFLs biggest game Sunday at MetLife Stadium. It also reminded him of his ultimate goal on the field. "Just being here and being around this atmosphere has definitely made me even more hungry," he said. "Just to get into this position has been something Ive been longing for my entire life, so I just want to work toward it." Smith started all 16 games for the Jets after claiming the job once Mark Sanchez went down for the season with a shoulder injury in the preseason. There were flashes from Smith at times, particularly with four winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime of the Jets first seven games. But there were also troubling stretches, such as the seven-game stretch midway through the season in which he had one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions. While Smith insisted "I dont do grades," he said he learned a lot on the job — a crash course in life in the NFL that not many rookie quarterbacks get to experience. "It was very valuable, man," Smith said. "Not only from the standpoint of being on the field, but off the field. All the emotions I had to go through and all the good and bad things I had to go through, and ultimately, it strengthened me. "It made me a better player and made me a better person off the field." ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '