Game story
In Week 5 of the 2008 NFL season on 2008-10-05, the Denver Broncos took care of business against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, pulling away with a 16–13 final that came down to the wire.
The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 10 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
J. Cutler (Denver Broncos) paced the passing game, with +3.04 total EPA, and +0.1% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, J. Garcia (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +4.92 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+11.4% win probability) landed in the third quarter when Denver Broncos changed the game: (7:16) (Shotgun) 28-M.Pittman up the middle to TB 26 for 16 yards (59-C.June).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Denver Broncos | 0 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 J. Garcia · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Passing · +4.92 total EPA · 19 snaps · +0.26 EPA/play
- 2 B. Stokley · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +4.85 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.81 EPA/play
- 3 A. Bryant · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Receiving · +4.59 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.66 EPA/play
- 4 T. Scheffler · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +3.58 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.90 EPA/play
- 5 I. Hilliard · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Receiving · +3.21 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.80 EPA/play
- 6 B. Marshall · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +3.18 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.06 EPA/play
- 7 J. Cutler · Denver Broncos · Passing · +3.04 total EPA · 39 snaps · +0.08 EPA/play
- 8 E. Graham · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Rushing · +2.14 total EPA · 10 snaps · +0.21 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
J. Garcia — TB · Passing
J. Garcia posted the highest total EPA (+4.92) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Tampa Bay Buccaneers's efficiency. Across 19 counted snaps, they averaged +0.26 EPA per play.
The signature play (+2.68 EPA) came from Denver Broncos: (15:00) 5-M.Prater 55 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-1-B.Kern.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Denver Broncos — B. Stokley (J. Cutler pass)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — I. Hilliard (J. Garcia pass)
Field goals
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — M. Bryant
- Denver Broncos — M. Prater
- Denver Broncos — M. Prater
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — M. Bryant
- Denver Broncos — M. Prater
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the period 3–0. Tampa Bay Buccaneers connected on a field goal from the DEN 15 (Q1 49:32) — (4:32) 3-M.Bryant 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-A.Economos, Holder-9-J.Bidwell..
The second quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 6–3. Denver Broncos connected on a field goal from the TB 37 (Q2 45:00) — (15:00) 5-M.Prater 55 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-1-B.Kern.; Denver Broncos connected on a field goal from the TB 22 (Q2 32:25) — (2:25) 5-M.Prater 40 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-1-B.Kern.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers connected on a field goal from the DEN 13 (Q2 30:03) — (:03) 3-M.Bryant 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-A.Economos, Holder-9-J.Bidwell..
The third quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 7–0. Denver Broncos found the end zone from the TB 10 (Q3 20:51) — (5:51) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 14-B.Stokley for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the TB 2 (Q3 20:41) — 5-M.Prater extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-1-B.Kern..
The fourth quarter: Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the period 7–3. Denver Broncos connected on a field goal from the TB 9 (Q4 12:28) — (12:28) 5-M.Prater 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-1-B.Kern.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers found the end zone from the DEN 7 (Q4 2:08) — (2:08) (Shotgun) 7-J.Garcia pass short left to 19-I.Hilliard for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers added 1 points from the DEN 2 (Q4 2:02) — 3-M.Bryant extra point is GOOD, Center-48-A.Economos, Holder-9-J.Bidwell..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Denver Broncos (Q3 22:16) — (7:16) (Shotgun) 28-M.Pittman up the middle to TB 26 for 16 yards (59-C.June).
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q2 30:42) — (:42) (Shotgun) 8-B.Griese pass short left to 89-A.Bryant to DEN 29 for 17 yards (33-M.Manuel).
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q1 51:49) — (6:49) 28-W.Dunn right tackle to DEN 21 for 38 yards (24-C.Bailey, 20-M.McCree).
- Denver Broncos (Q2 45:00) — (15:00) 5-M.Prater 55 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-1-B.Kern.
- Denver Broncos (Q1 48:34) — (3:34) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler scrambles left end pushed ob at DEN 34 for 12 yards (20-R.Barber).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Denver Broncos (Q2 45:00) — (15:00) 5-M.Prater 55 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-1-B.Kern.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q1 51:49) — (6:49) 28-W.Dunn right tackle to DEN 21 for 38 yards (24-C.Bailey, 20-M.McCree).
- Denver Broncos (Q1 48:34) — (3:34) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler scrambles left end pushed ob at DEN 34 for 12 yards (20-R.Barber).
- Denver Broncos (Q3 25:52) — (10:52) Change of Direction 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 88-T.Scheffler to DEN 37 for 33 yards (23-J.Phillips).
Quarterback report card
J.Cutler led all passers in efficiency for Denver Broncos, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- J.Cutler (Denver Broncos) · 39 dropbacks · 59.0% completion · +0.1% CPOE · +0.08 EPA/play · +3.04 total EPA
- B.Griese (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) · 23 dropbacks · 56.5% completion · +7.5% CPOE · -0.19 EPA/play · -4.42 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Denver Broncos |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.026 | +0.051 |
| Offensive success rate | 39.3% | 47.4% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.012 | +0.078 |
| Rush EPA/play | +0.047 | -0.136 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.051 | -0.026 |
| Defensive success rate | 52.6% | 60.7% |
By the numbers
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Tampa Bay Buccaneers +0.03, Denver Broncos +0.05) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
- Denver Broncos: 10 drives, +4.01 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 11 drives, +2.22 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Denver Broncos leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- J. Garcia (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- B. Griese (TB) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers FG (+3) — Q1 49:32 · DEN 15 · Score 3-0
(4:32) 3-M.Bryant 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-A.Economos, Holder-9-J.Bidwell. - Denver Broncos FG (+3) — Q2 45:00 · TB 37 · Score 3-3
(15:00) 5-M.Prater 55 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-1-B.Kern. - Denver Broncos FG (+3) — Q2 32:25 · TB 22 · Score 3-6
(2:25) 5-M.Prater 40 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-1-B.Kern. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers FG (+3) — Q2 30:03 · DEN 13 · Score 6-6
(:03) 3-M.Bryant 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-A.Economos, Holder-9-J.Bidwell. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q3 20:51 · TB 10 · Score 6-12
(5:51) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 14-B.Stokley for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q3 20:41 · TB 2 · Score 6-13
5-M.Prater extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-1-B.Kern. - Denver Broncos FG (+3) — Q4 12:28 · TB 9 · Score 6-16
(12:28) 5-M.Prater 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-1-B.Kern. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers TD (+6) — Q4 2:08 · DEN 7 · Score 12-16
(2:08) (Shotgun) 7-J.Garcia pass short left to 19-I.Hilliard for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers XP (+1) — Q4 2:02 · DEN 2 · Score 13-16
3-M.Bryant extra point is GOOD, Center-48-A.Economos, Holder-9-J.Bidwell.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Denver Broncos?
The Denver Broncos beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-13 in Week 5, 2008 on 2008-10-05.
What was the final score of Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Denver Broncos?
The final score was Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13, Denver Broncos 16 (TB 13-16 DEN) in Week 5, 2008 on 2008-10-05.
What was the score by quarter in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Denver Broncos?
Q1: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3, Denver Broncos 0; Q2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3, Denver Broncos 6; Q3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0, Denver Broncos 7; Q4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7, Denver Broncos 3; Final: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13, Denver Broncos 16.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Denver Broncos?
Denver Broncos touchdown — B. Stokley (J. Cutler pass) (Q3 20:51) Tampa Bay Buccaneers touchdown — I. Hilliard (J. Garcia pass) (Q4 2:08) Tampa Bay Buccaneers field goal — M. Bryant (Q1 49:32, 3 pts) Denver Broncos field goal — M. Prater (Q2 45:00, 3 pts) Denver Broncos field goal — M. Prater (Q2 32:25, 3 pts) Tampa Bay Buccaneers field goal — M. Bryant (Q2 30:03, 3 pts) Denver Broncos field goal — M. Prater (Q4 12:28, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Denver Broncos?
J. Cutler (Denver Broncos), 59.0% completion, +0.1% CPOE, +0.08 EPA per dropback, +3.04 total passing EPA. B. Griese (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), 56.5% completion, +7.5% CPOE, -0.19 EPA per dropback, -4.42 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Denver Broncos?
J. Garcia (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) led the game in total EPA with +4.92 on passing plays. across 19 snaps. The top single-play swing was (+2.68 EPA): (15:00) 5-M.Prater 55 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-1-B.Kern.. The biggest win-probability swing was +11.4%.
Was Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Denver Broncos a close game?
Yes — the margin was 3 points. Denver Broncos won 16-13 in a game that came down to the wire.
Season records after this game
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Entered 3-1 Now 3-2 L
Denver Broncos
Entered 3-1 Now 4-1 W
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