Six minutes later, New York led as Jacobs scored on an 8-yard run. Manning completed all four passes on the 65-yard drive, including a 21-yarder to Steve Smith on third down.

By halftime, the flag-waving Bucs fans had been silenced by the power running and precise passing of the Giants, who were up 14-7.

It got worse immediately for the locals when Micheal Spurlock, the only Buc to return a kickoff for a touchdown in their four decades, fumbled his runback to open the second half. Webster recovered at the Tampa 30 and the Giants got to the 4 before Tynes made his field goal.

Webster, starting only because Sam Madison was injured against the Patriots, contributed again moments later to foil a good Tampa Bay drive. He shadowed Joey Galloway to the end zone and picked off Garcia’s weak pass.

“That was a bad decision by me,” Garcia admitted. “I was just trying to make a play and Webster had very good coverage on the play.”

The Bucs, who led the NFC with a plus-15 turnover margin, were minus-2 in a span of 8:50 of the third period and never recovered.

“That’s huge, the play of the day,” Gruden said of the fumble. “That play and the long 92-yard drive.

Notes: Garcia wound up 23-of-39 for 207 yards and two interceptions. ... Webster started the first three games, then lost his job to rookie Aaron Ross. ... New York had the ball for 28 of the last 45 minutes ... Galloway, the Bucs’ 1,000-yard receiver, had one catch for 9 yards and aggravated a sore shoulder. ... Giants rookie Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 66 yards.

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