National Football League
St. Louis 23, Tampa Bay 13
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 22, 2013
Where: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
Temperature: Dome
Head Official: John Parry
Attendance: 54423

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.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Tampa Bay   St. Louis
Bobby Rainey Player Zac Stacy
20 Attempts 33
37 Yards 104
1.8 Avg Yards 3.2
1 Touchdowns 1
11 Long 19
Receiving
Tampa Bay   St. Louis
Vincent Jackson Player Stedman Bailey
5 Receptions 3
98 Yards 44
19.6 Avg Yards 14.7
0 Touchdowns 0
30 Long 28
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Tampa Bay 170 59 111 1 2 0 1.0 2
St. Louis 277 129 148 2 3 0 7.0 2
Upcoming Games
  • St. Louis will play their next game on the road against Seattle. The Rams have a W/L % of .571 after a win and .375 after a loss.
  • Tampa Bay will play their next game on the road against New Orleans. The Buccaneers have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .182 after a loss.