Panthers have 5 interceptions in win over Bucs

Josh Freeman kept guiding Tampa Bay inside the 20-yard line and Carolina kept taking the ball away, no matter how improbable it all seemed.

Five turnovers later, the Buccaneers' rookie quarterback was stunned and their miserable season took another ugly twist.

Jonathan Stewart rushed for 120 yards and the game's only touchdown, and the Panthers picked off Freeman five times on Sunday — three times in or near the end zone — in a 16-6 victory over the Buccaneers.

In a matchup of inexperienced quarterbacks entering with a combined seven career starts, Matt Moore and the Panthers (5-7) won despite being outgained 469-309.


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The difference: Tampa Bay (1-11) was inside the Carolina 30 eight times and scored six points.

"That's just completely unacceptable," said Freeman, the first-round pick from Kansas State who took over as the starter a month ago. "I want to play in this league a long time. Guys that throw a lot of picks usually don't last."

It was a role reversal with Carolina's struggling QB Jake Delhomme sidelined with a broken finger after throwing 18 interceptions in 11 games.

Moore made his fourth start and his first since the end of the 2007 season. He threw for 161 yards and one interception, but connected on a 66-yard pass to Steve Smith that set up John Kasay's third field goal with 7:12 left that put it away.

"I had to come into this thing and I had to be right," Moore said. "Not perfect, but I had to be right."

That allowed the defense to win the game. Jon Beason had two interceptions during a stretch where Tampa Bay had four trips inside the 20 and didn't score.

Freeman, in his fifth pro start, completed 23 of 44 passes for a career-high 321 yards. Carnell "Cadillac" Williams rushed for 92 yards, but poor throws at costly times doomed the Bucs.