Giants Turn to Simms for Victory : NFC: Veteran quarterback passes for game-winning touchdown after Hostetler suffers back injury. Taylor also hurt.

Phil Simms finally got his chance to play at Tampa Stadium.

Last January, Simms stood on the sideline while quarterback Jeff Hostetler led the New York Giants to a Super Bowl victory over Buffalo. Simms had played only once in a mop-up role this season before Hostetler went down with a back injury Sunday in the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Simms stepped in and threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Stephen Baker with 16 seconds left as the Giants kept their playoff hopes alive with a 21-14 victory.

“There were very mixed emotions when I came in. I don’t ever want to come in when someone’s hurt,” said Simms, who completed 10 of 14 passes for 100 yards. “I don’t ever want to play under those circumstances, but that’s always the chance. ‘Hoss’ was a little beat up at halftime. I didn’t know if he would come back or not.”

The Giants (7-5) won for the third consecutive time but paid a price as Hostetler and Lawrence Taylor left the game with injuries and two other New York players also were hurt.

Hostetler was injured when he was hit by linebacker Broderick Thomas of the Buccaneers (2-10). The injury was diagnosed as a fracture of the lower transverse process, and the team said that he would be out three weeks. Officials said there was no neurological damage and that he would remain in the hospital overnight for observation.

Taylor’s injury was described as a strained ligament in his left knee. He did not return to the game and could be out two to three weeks. Cornerback Mark Collins also left in the second quarter with a rib injury and offensive tackle Doug Riesenberg sprained an ankle in the third quarter.

Simms, in his 13th season, completed seven consecutive passes on the game-winning drive that began at the Giants’ 10 with 1:41 left. He began the march with a nine-yard completion to Mark Ingram, then threw 13 yards to Ed McCaffrey, 11 yards to Dave Meggett, seven yards to Odessa Turner, five yards to McCaffrey and 11 yards to Baker before throwing to Baker again in the left corner of the end zone.

New York also scored on Meggett’s 70-yard punt return in the first quarter. Rodney Hampton’s five-yard run in the third quarter gave the Giants a 14-7 lead.

The Giants sacked Vinny Testaverde seven times. Pepper Johnson had a team-record 4 1/2 sacks, and the Giants intercepted two passes.

Testaverde completed 16 of 27 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown--a 19-yarder to Willie Drewrey that made the score 14-14 with 5:59 left.