DETROIT, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Martin Gramatica kicked three field goals Sunday, including one that put Tampa Bay in front with 3:04 to play, as the Buccaneers clinched a playoff berth with a 23-20 triumph over the Detroit Lions.
Gramatica's 38-yard field goal snapped a 20-20 tie and after Jason Hanson came up short on an attempted career-long 57-yard kick with 1:51 to play, the Buccaneers ran out the clock.
The Lions had used their second timeout on a fourth-and-six play before Hanson's kick and, after his miss, they could not stop the clock when the Bucs picked up a first down.
"The chances of Jason making it from that distance are 50-50, but with the status of our offense, the chances of making a fourth and six are less than that," Lions Coach Marty Mornhinweg said.
"I wanted to make sure that Jason had enough time to go through his whole routine he goes through before he kicks. I wanted everything to be just right for him. There might have been enough time on the play clock, but I wanted to make sure he didn't have to hurry."
Tampa Bay (11-3) won for the sixth time in seven games and kept pace with Philadelphia for the best record in the NFC. The Bucs lost to Philadelphia on Oct. 20.
"We're thrilled to have qualified for the playoffs," Bucs Coach Jon Gruden said. "It's a great accomplishment to win 11 games in the NFL."
Lions rookie quarterback Joey Harrington left the game after one offensive series with an irregular heartbeat and was taken to a local hospital as a precaution, though his heartbeat returned to a normal rhythm before he left the stadium.
"There are ways of taking care of it if it keeps recurring," team doctor Keith Burch said. "Many times it's just a one-time event. By tomorrow, there might not even be a problem. I suspect that if we find nothing, he'll probably miss one game.
"But he could miss the remainder of the season because there are only two left."
Harrington had thrown one incomplete pass before starting to feel ill. He was replaced by second-year player Mike McMahon, who began the year as Detroit's starter.
With the game tied early in the fourth quarter, 13-13, McMahon attempted a pass to Germane Crowell that was tipped and intercepted by linebacker Shelton Quarles and returned four yards to the Tampa Bay 42.
"That play was obviously the turning point, in my opinion, in the football game," Gruden said. "Not only did it stymie their scoring drive, but it gave us really good field position."
It was the first turnover of the game and set up a four-yard touchdown run by Michael Pittman with 10:08 to play -- Pittman's first touchdown as a member of the team. Tampa Bay has caused at least one turnover for an NFL-best 30 straight games.
"I wanted it bad," Pittman said. "The offensive line opened up a big hole for me and I just ran through it. I was all smiles when I scored. I need it. Last time I scored was in Arizona with the Cardinals and it feels great. I'm going to keep that ball."
But on the ensuing kickoff, rookie free-agent return specialist Eddie Drummond ran up the left sideline and cut diagonally across the field 91 yards to the Tampa Bay five, where he was brought down by his facemask by Gramatica. On the next play, McMahon ran it in from two yards out to tie the score.
Tampa Bay's Brad Johnson completed 24 of 41 passes for 253 yards while McMahon was 10 of 21 for 158 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Despite allowing nearly eight more points than their league-best 12.2 average, the Buccaneers handed the Lions a sixth straight loss. Tampa Bay improved to 8-0 when scoring at least 21 points.
"There's no consolation in losing a football game. Period," Mornhinweg said. "We had multiple chances to come up with a play to win that football game. The players are devastated and they should be. The effort was so high. We did just about everything that we planned on doing but we came out on the bottom end."
The Bucs led, 3-0, before Mike Alstott capped a 12-play, 96-yard drive -- their second-longest drive in team history -- with a one-yard run 43 seconds into the second quarter. It was the team's first rushing touchdown since Oct. 13 against Cleveland.
The Lions tied the score on an 18-yard pass from McMahon to Bill Schroeder and a 37-yard field goal by Hanson before the Bucs took a 13-10 lead into halftime on a 28-yard kick by Gramatica.
"I went in there and did what I've been doing every day in practice, just letting the players make the plays," McMahon said. "When you watch, you try to pick up things and learn, but no experience is as good as game experience. You try to make practice experience like a game, but it's not as quick. The games are so much faster."
Detroit tied the contest, 13-13, on a 25-yard field goal by Hanson 2:58 into the third quarter.
The Bucs, who clinched their fourth straight playoff berth, have won five of six against their old NFC Central Division rival. Tampa Bay tied its franchise record for wins and road wins (five) with the triumph.
"It was a great win for our team -- and costly," Gruden said. "We lost (defensive tackle) Anthony McFarland with a foot fracture and right now it appears that his season is over. We are concerned about (linebacker) Nate Webster, he has a knee injury of some kind."
Tampa Bay can win the NFC South Division with a victory in either of its last two games or a loss by New Orleans in either of its final two.
"I tell people all the time how it is so hard to get a first down in this league, let alone score and get a win in a game, and to win 11 games and make the playoffs is pretty awesome," Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson said. "Your goals at the beginning of the season were to make the playoffs, win the division, get home-field advantage and win the Super Bowl.
"We've done the first thing and our division is probably the toughest in football right now."
