Raiders... 31, Buccaneers... 24
Oakland’s Michael Bush broke two tackles, rambled through a gaping hole in the right side of the defense and headed upfield to put a dagger in Tampa Bay’s slim playoff hopes.
The 245-pound third-string running back rushed for a career-high 177 yards and scored on a 67-yard fourth-quarter jaunt that helped the Raiders rally to end the Buccaneers’ season with a 31-24 victory.
Even with a win, the Buccaneers (9-7) would have needed help to make the playoffs and avoid one of the biggest collapses in franchise history. They were 9-3 and tied for first heading into December but finished with four consecutive losses.
The Raiders (5-11) overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to win for the second straight week.
JaMarcus Russell threw for 148 yards and two touchdowns for the Raiders.
Quoteworthy: “There’s disbelief. There’s shock. There’s emotions, I’m sure, that I can’t really describe.” -- Warrick Dunn, Buccaneers running back
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