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Griese beats former team as Buccaneers post dramatic win

Sep 21, 2008 - 10:26 PM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Chicago Bears never saw this from Brian Griese.

The career journeyman stunned his former team with a career performance Sunday, rallying the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 27-24 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears, who squandered a 10-point lead in the final 3 1/2 minutes of regulation.

Matt Bryant kicked a 21-yard field goal with 4:21 left in overtime after Griese and Antonio Bryant hooked up for a 38-yard completion two plays earlier.

"(Griese's) a guy who's cool and calm as anyone I've met," Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden said. "He's got that kind of confidence in himself and that's what I love about him. He doesn't get rattled."

Griese marched the Buccaneers (2-1) 90 yards on their second overtime possession, a drive that was sustained when Bears cornerback Charles Tillman was guilty of an unnecessary roughness penalty after Griese's third-down pass was incomplete deep in Tampa Bay territory. The Buccaneers would have been forced to punt if not for the penalty.

"When you stop the other team, everyone comes off the field," Chicago coach Lovie Smith said. "It is an elementary mistake. You just can't do it."

"Obviously, it was a costly mistake," Tillman added. "I was trying to pull guys off my teammates and one thing led to another."

Griese, who overcame three interceptions, worked more magic at the end of the regulation, marching the Buccaneers 80 yards in the final two minutes for the tying score. Tight end Jerramy Stevens caught a 1-yard TD pass with seven seconds left to force overtime.

"It just feels great to have an impact on the game when you get back in," Stevens said.

Tampa Bay shifted into its two-minute drill for the last two drives in regulation, the first resulting in Matt Bryant's 35-yard field goal.

"It was good tempo for us," Griese said. "We got in and out of the huddle - or not even getting in the huddle but getting to the line of scrimmage and playing - that tempo really helped us."

Griese finished 38-of-67 for 407 yards, setting a franchise record for pass attempts in a game. Bryant had 10 receptions for 138 yards.

"I had no idea how many balls I threw," said Griese, who was 20-of-36 for 227 yards in the final 6:39 of regulation and overtime. "I know this - it is not a recipe for success in the long run."

"(Griese) is one of the reasons - if not the reason - why we won this football game," Buccaneers wide receiver Michael Clayton said. "He put us in a great position to win."

Bears cornerback Nathan Vasher thought that Griese's familiarity with the Bears may have helped the Bucs, who finished with four turnovers and rushed for just 47 yards.

"A lot of short passes - the three-step - that was the most effective thing they did all day to convert on third downs," Vasher said.

Kyle Orton tossed two TD passes in the second half for the Bears (1-2), including a 19-yard strike to Brandon Lloyd that made it 24-14 with under seven minutes remaining.

After the Buccaneers closed within 24-17, the Bears went three-and-out on their ensuing kickoff.

"We had the opportunity for a four-minute offense and to close the game out," Orton said. "We weren't able to do it."

Orton also threw two interceptions, including one that was returned 45 yards for a touchdown by defensive end Gaines Adams, giving Tampa Bay a 14-6 lead with five minutes left in the first half. It was the first career interception and TD for Adams.

But after Griese's 4-yard TD pass to Ike Hilliard but the Buccaneers ahead, 17-14, with two minutes left in the first period, Tampa Bay's next seven possessions consisted of three turnovers and four punts.

"It's a game of momentum," Vasher said. "We had the momentum for a while. We had it. We lost it. Then we had it. Then we lost it again, and they took advantage of it."

Robbie Gould kicked three field goals for Chicago, including a 28-yarder as time expired in the first half.

"To turn the ball over four times and not rush the ball well on the road and to win, we are very lucky," Griese said.