Preseason Game #2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Total

Kansas City

7

3

3

2

15

Tampa Bay

3

7

0

10

20

With Freeman Injured, Backup QB Johnson Guides Bucs Past Chiefs

Preseason Game #2

NFL.com l Video Highlights

Javier Arenas returned this kickoff 54-yards to help set up a Chiefs touchdown.

Aug. 21- Josh Freeman's preseason is over, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can only hope his injured thumb doesn't lead to another slow start when the real games begin.

The second-year quarterback fractured the tip of the thumb on his throwing hand during the opening quarter of Saturday night's 20-15 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Freeman will be sidelined at least until the opening week of the regular season, when the Bucs believe he'll able to practice and face the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 12.

"It's one of those things that happens in football," Freeman said. "It hit a helmet, or it hit something. I haven't seen the film, but it hit something harder than my thumb.

"It's a little sore, obviously. It's a little minor fracture, so it's going to be a little sore. But it's nothing that I don't think we can get cleared up by the first week."

Freeman's backups, Josh Johnson and Rudy Carpenter, each threw for a touchdown. Micheal Spurlock scored on a 53-yard reception in the second quarter, and Carpenter snapped a fourth-quarter tie with a 5-yard throw to Terrance Nunn.

The third quarterback selected in last year's draft behind Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez, Freeman made nine starts as a rookie following Tampa Bay's 0-7 start and won three of them. The 3-13 finish was the Bucs' worst since 1991, but Freeman's progress the second half of the season spawned hope for a brighter 2010.

"It's a huge setback, obviously, when you lose your first quarterback," Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. "But we're lucky. It's an injury that we expect him back the first week of the season, and that's very fortunate. It could be worse.

"Other people have worse situations. When I've got two quarterbacks to go in there and throw for over 100 passer rating, that makes you feel a little bit better about it as well."

One of Tampa Bay's top offseason priorities was surrounding the 22-year-old Freeman with more playmakers. One of two receivers the team selected in the draft, fourth-rounder Mike Williams, already has moved into the starting lineup, and he had three receptions for 44 yards against the Chiefs.

Spurlock, brought in last year as a kick returner, finished with three catches for 75 yards.

"The team didn't blink and continued to play," Morris said.

Freeman appeared to hit his hand as he followed through on a pass intended for tight end John Gilmore on second-and-5 from the Chiefs' 13. Freeman walked off the field holding his thumb after throwing an incompletion on third down, with the Bucs settling for Connor Barth's 31-yard field goal.

Freeman played two series in Tampa Bay's preseason opener at Miami, completing all four of his passes for 53 yards and one touchdown. He was 2-of-4 passing for 21 yards Saturday night, including a 16-yard completion to Williams on third-and-3 to set up the first points of the game.

"It's kind of frustrating because this game I was supposed to get a lot more reps -- throw between 15 and 20 passes -- and I was actually looking forward to it," the former Kansas State star said.

Johnson played the remainder of the first half, going 6 of 10 for 113 yards and the touchdown to Spurlock, who twisted out of the grasp of Kansas City's Brandon Flowers at the Chiefs' 40 and raced up the sideline to the end zone for a 10-7 lead.

Matt Cassel rebounded from an unimpressive showing in Kansas City's preseason opener to complete 14 of 19 passes for 125 yards and no interceptions. His 6-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Horne finished a 47-yard scoring drive that rookie Javier Arenas set up with a 53-yard kickoff return.

Kansas City's Thomas Jones rushed for 29 yards on eight carries. Jackie Battle led the Chiefs with 59 yards on 11 attempts.

The Chiefs also lost a player to injury. Reserve cornerback Maurice Leggett suffered a neck injury and was carted off the field late in the third quarter.

Individual Statistics

Kansas City Passing:

Matt Cassel 14 of 19 for 125 yards and 1 touchdown

Tyler Palko 14 of 24 for 106 yards and 2 interceptions

Tampa Bay Passing:

Josh Johnson 6 of 10 for 113 yards and 1 touchdown

Rudy Carpenter 8 of 11 for 79 yards and 1 touchdown

Josh Freeman 2 of 4 for 21 yards

Kansas City Rushing:

Jackie Battle 11 carries for 59 yards

Thomas Jones 8 carries for 29 yards

Tyler Palko 4 carries for 28 yards

Jamaal Charles 5 carries for 26 yards

Javarris Williams 4 carries for 10 yards

Matt Cassel 1 carry for 1 yard

Dexter McCluster 1 carry for -1 yard

Tampa Bay Rushing:

Kareem Huggins 8 carries for 44 yards

Carlos Brown 6 carries for 32 yards

Derrick Ward 5 carries for 11 yards

Josh Johnson 3 carries for 10 yards

Cadillac Williams 2 carries for 7 yards

Rudy Carpenter 1 carry for -1 yard

Brent Bowden 1 carry for -4 yards

Kansas City Receiving:

Cody Slate 3 receptions for 37 yards

Dwayne Bowe 3 receptions for 33 yards

Jamaal Charles 3 receptions for 23 yards

Chris Chambers 2 receptions for 20 yards

Tim Castille 3 receptions for 18 yards

Dexter McCluster 1 reception for 17 yards

Verran Tucker 3 receptions for 16 yards

Leonard Pope 2 receptions for 15 yards

Rich Gunnell 2 receptions for 14 yards

Lance Long 2 receptions for 12 yards

Jackie Battle 1 reception for 9 yards

Mike Cox 1 reception for 9 yards

Jeremy Horne 1 reception for 6 yards and 1 touchdown

Thomas Jones 1 reception for 2 yards

Tampa Bay Receiving:

Michael Spurlock 3 receptions for 75 yards and 1 touchdown

Mike Williams 3 receptions for 44 yards

Sammie Stroughter 2 receptions for 27 yards

Ryan Purvis 1 reception for 18 yards

Arrelious Benn 1 reception for 16 yards

Reggie Brown 1 reception for 12 yards

Michael Clayton 1 reception for 5 yards

Terrence Nunn 1 reception for 5 yards and 1 touchdown

Jerramy Stevens 1 reception for 5 yards

Rendrick Taylor 1 reception for 4 yards

Carlos Brown 1 reception for 2 yards

Kansas City Tackles-Assists-Sacks:

Maurice Leggett 4-1-0, Eric Berry 3-0-0, Brandon Carr 3-0-0, Mike Vrabel 3-0-0, Demorrio Williams 3-1-0, Jovan Belcher 2-0-0, Travis Daniels 2-0-0, Cory Greenwood 2-0-0, Tyson Jackson 2-1-0, Pierre Walters 2-0-0, Jackie Bates 1-0-0, Garrett Brown 1-0-0, Glenn Dorsey 1-0-0, Brandon Flowers 1-0-0, Dion Gales 1-1-0, Tamba Hali 1-0-0, Reshard Langford 1-1-0, Alex Magee 1-0-0, Corey Mays 1-0-0, Donald Washington 1-1-0, Wallace Gilberry 0-2-0, Andy Studebaker 0-1-0

Tampa Bay Tackles-Assists-Sacks:

Quincy Black 6-0-1, Brandon Anderson 4-0-0, Cody Grimm 4-1-0, Adam Hayward 4-0-0, Sean Jones 3-0-0, Corey Lynch 3-1-0, Elbert Mack 3-0-0, Carlton Powell 3-0-0, Jon Alston 2-1-0, Vince Anderson 2-0-0, Ronde Barber 2-0-0, Tanard Jackson 2-3-0, Niko Koutouvides 2-2-0, Gerald McCoy 2-0-0, Rico McCoy 2-1-0, Barrett Ruud 2-0-0, Ryan Sims 2-0-0, Dekoda Watson 2-1-0, Stylez White 2-0-0, Michael Bennett 1-1-1, E. J. Biggers 1-0-0, Tim Crowder 1-0-0, Erik Lorig 1-0-0, Roy Miller 1-0-0, Kyle Moore 1-0-0, Sabby Piscitelli 1-1-0, Derrick Roberson 1-0-0, Geno Hayes 0-2-0, James Ruffin 0-1-0

Kansas City Fumble Recoveries:

None

Tampa Bay Fumble Recoveries:

None

Kansas City Interceptions:

None

Tampa Bay Interceptions:

Derrick Roberson 1 for 0 yards

Brandon Anderson 1 for -3 yards

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