Rams' Quinn breaks team single-season sack record in win

ST. LOUIS -- The toughest part of Robert Quinn's day was surviving the ride to the locker room.

"They hoisted me off," the Rams defensive end said. "I was hoping I didn't get dropped."

Quinn got three sacks to break the franchise season record and take the NFL lead, too, as St. Louis beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-13 on Sunday.

Controlling Quinn and the rest of the St. Louis pass rush had been a Tampa Bay priority.

Whoops.

St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn, right, is congratulated by teammates Chris Long after sacking Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon for a 4-yard loss during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, in St. Louis. The Rams won 23-13. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

"I'm anxious to watch the tape because I want to see -- with some of the things we had in place -- how the heck they didn't slow them down more than they did," Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano said. "We've got to find out why."

Fellow defensive ends Chris Long and William Hayes waited just inside the tunnel to the locker room and scooped up the 264-pound Quinn.

"I've never seen anybody like him," Long said. "He deserves it. We don't just carry any jack wagon off the field."

The Rams wore throwback jerseys from their Super Bowl title season and Quinn outdid one of the stars from that team. He has 18 sacks, 1 1/2 more than Houston's Robert Mathis for the league lead, and broke Kevin Carter's mark of 17 in that 1999 Super Bowl season.

"You almost want to peel your eyes back and watch like a fan," defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. "You think, 'How did he do that?'

Buccaneers tackle Donald Penn, left, tries to fend off Rams defensive end Robert Quinn during the first quarter Sunday in St. Louis. The Rams won 23-13. (chris lee ~ St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

"You see that flash of 94 go past and you think, 'Oh snap, that quarterback doesn't know what he's in for."'

The Rams won without left tackle Jake Long, who injured his knee on the first series. Rams coach Jeff Fisher believes Long tore a right knee ligament, adding, "We are anticipating the worst."

Zac Stacy rushed for 104 yards on 33 carries and a touchdown, and two other rookies also had big games for the Rams (7-8), who matched their victory total from last year. Stedman Bailey scored on a 27-yard reverse, and Alec Ogletree forced two fumbles.

Ogletree stripped Bobby Rainey early in the second quarter. Bailey scored his first career touchdown on the next snap on the reverse to put the Rams up for good at 14-7.

The Buccaneers (4-11) managed just 170 total yards, setting a season low for the second straight week. Vincent Jackson had five catches for 98 yards but Rainey was held to 37 yards on 20 carries and Glennon was 16 of 26 for just 158 yards minus 47 yards on the sacks.

St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn (94) is congratulated by teammates Michael Brockers (90) and William Hayes (95) after sacking Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon, bottom right, for a loss in fourth-quarter NFL football game action on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris Lee) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT

"I did a terrible job of securing the ball, what I'm supposed to, and I put the game on me," Rainey said. "We played behind because of me."

Rainey opened the scoring with a 1-yard run in the first quarter and Stacy scored on a 1-yard run early in the second quarter.

There were thousands of empty seats for an unattractive matchup with attendance announced at 54,423 -- about 12,000 shy of capacity.

James Laurinaitis added two sacks and Greg Zuerlein kicked three field goals, including a season-best 54-yarder in the third quarter after Tampa Bay had cut the deficit to a point.

The Buccaneers are 1-6 on the road, the lone win at Detroit that gave them a three-game winning streak overall after an 0-8 start. Tampa Bay finishes at New Orleans next week.

ABOVE: Rams defensive end Robert Quinn, right, celebrates with defensive end Chris Long after sacking Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon for a 4-yard loss during the fourth quarter Sunday in St. Louis. TOP: Quinn is carried off the field by Long, left, and defensive end William Hayes after setting the franchise single-season sack record at 18. (Chris Lee ~ St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Quinn's first sack helped force the Bucs to settle for a 35-yard field goal by Rian Lindell to cut the Rams' lead to 14-10 at the half.

Bailey has gotten involved in the offense the last few weeks and stepped up with Tavon Austin, his former teammate at West Virginia, sidelined for a second straight week by a left ankle injury. The reverse was his first career NFL TD and first rushing since high school, and he had three catches for 44 yards.

"My eyes lit up like a Christmas tree," Bailey said. "It's been a long time, you know."

Bailey was just as prolific as Austin in college, totaling 41 touchdowns in three seasons at West Virginia, but had just two carries for 13 yards.

Noteworthy

Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon is sacked by Rams defensive end Robert Quinn for a 9-yard loss during the second quarter. (L.G. Patterson ~ Associated Press)

* Rams Hall of Fame tackle Jackie Slater was introduced during a break in the first quarter.

* Zuerlein is 1 for 2 from 50 yards this year. He was 7 for 13 last year as a rookie, setting a franchise record with a 58-yarder and then breaking it with a 60-yarder at home against Seattle.