Patriots Go Overtime, Beat Tampa Bay, 10-7 : Staurovsky Saves New England’s Hopes

Kicker Jason Staurovsky almost ruined the New England Patriots’ playoff hopes when he missed a 27-yard field goal in a 24-21 loss at Indianapolis 2 weeks ago.

Staurovsky rescued the Patriots Sunday when he hit a 27-yard field goal 3:08 into overtime to keep their playoff chances alive with a 10-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I always had faith in myself,” said Staurovsky, who took his miss in Indianapolis very hard.

New England (9-6) can get a wild-card berth if it wins its last game next Saturday at Denver and Cleveland loses tonight at Miami or next Sunday against Houston. If it loses to Denver, New England can make the playoffs only if Cleveland loses both games and Indianapolis loses its game at Buffalo.

Trailing, 7-0, on Robert Perryman’s 6-yard touchdown run with 7:24 gone in the third quarter, the Bucs (4-11) tied the game on Vinny Testaverde’s 15-yard pass to Mark Carrier.

Tampa Bay won the overtime coin toss and chose to kick off with a stiff wind at their backs on the frigid day.

“I will make that decision 10 out of 10 times,” Tampa Bay Coach Ray Perkins said of kicking with the wind. “I felt like my defense could turn the ball over for my offense.”

After Sammy Martin returned the kickoff to the 35, quarterback Tony Eason, who started and played for the first time in 23 games, marched the Patriots down field to set up the winning kick by Staurovsky.

Eason started in place of Doug Flutie, who was healthy, but had been ineffective passing though he led the Patriots to a 6-3 mark in the last 9 games.

“It was a gutsy call,” by Coach Raymond Berry to use him, said Eason, who didn’t know he was going to start until the first series.

Eason, who missed the final 8 games last season with a separated shoulder and sat out the first 14 games this season after undergoing off-season surgery for nerve damage in his throwing arm, completed 16 of 27 passes for 155 yards and 2 interceptions.

“I hadn’t taken a snap since Nov. 1, 1987, so it has been a long while for me,” Eason said.