Trio Gets Out of the Doghouse for a Day

Every dog has its day, it’s true. But how about three of them? On the same Sunday? Without any intervention by PETA, the Humane Society or the Houston Texans?

The Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered Week 6 of the NFL season a combined 0-14, same record as the worst regular-season record in league history -- set, not coincidentally, by Tampa Bay in 1976.

The Lions, Titans and Buccaneers did not get there by accident. They earned their 0-14 -- suffering two defeats by 27 points, two defeats by more than 30 points and home defeats to the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets.

Combined, this threesome had scored one touchdown or less in seven of those defeats.

Combined, this threesome had produced precisely one highlight for their 2006 highlight videos -- Tampa Bay going undefeated during its bye week.

By Sunday, this threesome was down to starting at quarterback one 34-year-old journeyman (Jon Kitna) and two 23-year-old rookies who hadn’t started an NFL game before October (Vince Young, Bruce Gradkowski).

Despite this, the Lions, Titans and Buccaneers pulled off a sweep of their Week 6 opponents -- knocking off one supposed Super Bowl contender, one team holding playoff aspirations, and the Buffalo Bills.

The news from Detroit: Bills players stand around, stunned, as they watch Roy (I Guarantee Victories That We Lose) Williams catch a career-high 10 passes for a career-high 161 yards. Lions win, 20-17.

The news from Landover, Md: Washington Redskins players stand around, stunned, and forget to tackle Travis Henry, who runs for 178 yards for Tennessee. Titans win, 25-22.

The news from Tampa: Cincinnati Bengals players stand around, stunned, refusing to believe Michael Clayton’s goal-line reception was indeed a reception. Referee initially rules incomplete, then, after studying replay, reverses himself. Last-minute touchdown stands. Buccaneers win, 14-13.

In other action, the Oakland Raiders lost to Denver, 13-3, as their record dropped to 0-5.

Some dogs remain dogs, regardless of the day.

The Lions’ victory finally rescued first-year Coach Rod Marinelli from the growing possibility of getting fired before winning his first NFL game. It also prevented Buffalo Coach Dick Jauron, who finished the 2005 season as the Lions’ interim coach, from returning to town with a quarterback named J.P. Losman and pushing the Lions even further behind the Tigers in the Detroit sports sections.

By way of killing time while waiting to learn the identity of the Tigers’ World Series opponent, Detroit fans sort of became interested in this matchup between Losman and the Lossmen. Breaking away from long-standing Lions tradition, the home team jumped out to leads of 10-0 and 17-7 and, yet, failed to lose.

There was this too: Instead of fumbling the game ball, the Lions gave it to Marinelli, who was so excited he said he was going to take that football and probably stuff it in the back of his locker stall.

“Those things are nice, but it’s not why I’m in it,” Marinelli told reporters, who had a variety of ways of interpreting such a quote.

Did that mean Marinelli wasn’t in this to win game balls, or win ballgames?

It’s a good question, considering Detroit General Manager Matt Millen’s track record when it comes to hiring coaches. Not being in this to win ballgames is apparently a job requisite.

Tampa Bay avoided its first 0-5 start in a decade, or didn’t, when Clayton scored on an eight-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds left, or didn’t. The Bengals weren’t buying any of it, but who were they to blame anyone but themselves when they failed to score more than 13 points against a defense that yielded 27 to Baltimore?

Tennessee defeated Washington on the same afternoon Dallas routed Houston, 34-6. It’s useful to mention the scores in tandem. Terrell Owens scored three touchdowns for the Cowboys. That’s the big print in today’s Dallas newspapers.

In the small print: He did it against the Houston Texans.

The Texans are the NFL’s great equalizers.

The Indianapolis Colts might be 5-0, but they are mere shadows of their old offensive-juggernaut selves. Yet they scored 43 points and netted 515 yards against the Texans.

Washington quarterback Mark Brunell hasn’t beaten a decent team in regulation this season. Yet he completed a league-record 22 consecutive passes in a 31-15 triumph over the Texans.

Take away the Texans and the Redskins are 0-4 in regulation games, the latest defeat coming against a Tennessee team that yielded 40 points at San Diego and 45 at home to Dallas.

In this one, Brunell completed only 16 of 30 passes for 180 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Last-gasp field goal attempts saved the Seattle Seahawks, 30-28 winners at St. Louis, and the New Orleans Saints, 27-24 winners over Philadelphia, but failed the Miami Dolphins in the Harrington-Pennington Bowl.

Joey Harrington had two passes intercepted, Chad Pennington passed for a pair of touchdowns, and yet the Dolphins still had a chance to tie the New York Jets. Olindo Mare’s late 51-yard field-goal attempt fell short and the Jets held on, 20-17.

San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson scored four touchdowns to eclipse Lance Alworth as the all-time franchise leader in touchdowns, enabling the Chargers to eclipse San Francisco, 48-19.

And from the Department of It Had To Happen Sometime: Running out of ways to stop Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu on a 49-yard interception return, Kansas City’s Larry Johnson grabbed ahold of Polamalu’s long mane and dragged the Steeler down by his hair.

Despite this, Pittsburgh won, 45-7, to preserve the NFL’s reputation for one more week.

There’s no hair-pulling in professional football. Unless you are a fan of the Oakland Raiders.

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mike.penner@latimes.com