Staurovsky's OT Kick Beats Bucs, 10-7

FOXBORO, Mass.--Jason Staurovsky kicked a 27-yard field goal 3:08 into overtime as the New England Patriots, sparked by the return of quarterback Tony Eason, improved their playoff chances with a 10-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday.

New England (9-6) can get a wild-card berth if it wins its last game next Saturday at Denver and Cleveland loses tonight at Miami or next Sunday against Houston. Tampa Bay is 4-11.

The Bucs, trailing 7-0 on Robert Perryman's 6-yard touchdown run with 7:24 gone in the third quarter, had tied the game on Vinny Testaverde's 15-yard pass to Mark Carrier and John Carney's extra point with 2:09 left in the fourth quarter.

The Bucs won the overtime coin toss and choose to kick off with a stiff wind at their backs on the frigid day. Sammy Martin's 34-yard return gave the Patriots the ball at their 35-yard line.

Eason, who started and played yesterday for the first time in 23 games, then completed passes of 21 yards to Irving Fryar and 4 yards to Russ Francis.

After an incompletion, Eason found Fryar for 26 yards and a first down at the Bucs' 14. John Stephens then ran 2 and 3 yards to set up the winning kick by Staurovsky, who missed a 27-yarder on the last play of a 24-21 loss to Indianapolis Nov. 27.

It was the first victory in 11 overtime games for the Patriots, the only NFL team which hadn't won an overtime game. Tampa Bay is 4-7-1 in overtime contests.

Eason started in place of Doug Flutie, who was healthy. But Tampa Bay had the NFL's fifth-best run defense and Flutie had thrown poorly and infrequently even though the Patriots were 6-3 in the last nine games with him at quarterback.