TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered last night's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with dreams of home-field advantage and a Super Bowl berth.
But for the second time in as many years, the Steelers backed up their words and pushed the Buccaneers around at Raymond James Stadium. Pittsburgh scored 17 points in the first 10:36 en route to a 17-7 victory.
"It was just a matter of who is the bigger bully," Steelers running back Jerome Bettis said. "They said they were waiting a full year for this. ... We came out and bullied them and showed them that we're the baddest on the block."
Tampa Bay (11-4), which won the NFC South on Sunday after Cincinnati's victory over New Orleans, can no longer earn home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
That honor will go to Philadelphia or Green Bay, both 12-3 entering the final week. If Philadelphia defeats the New York Giants on Saturday, the Eagles will have the advantage.
The Buccaneers need a victory at Chicago and a loss by Green Bay against the New York Jets to earn a first-round bye. If Tampa Bay (11-4) loses and San Francisco defeats St. Louis on Monday, the Buccaneers will finish fourth and play host to a wild-card game.
"We're still in the thick of things," Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden said. "We've got to find a way to win a game."
The Steelers' victory clinched the AFC North title and, in turn, hurt the Dolphins' chances of securing a first-round bye. Miami can only earn a first-round bye with a victory Sunday at New England and losses by two of three teams: Pittsburgh, Oakland and Tennessee.
If all three lose, Miami will enter into a strength of schedule tiebreaker for the top seed with Oakland and Tennessee.
Pittsburgh (9-5-1) can earn the top seed with a victory over the Ravens and losses by Oakland and Tennessee.
Pittsburgh dominated the Buccaneers from the beginning.
On the first play, Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox hit Plaxico Burress, who beat Ronde Barber, for a 41-yard gain down the left sideline. Five plays later, Maddox hit Antwaan Randle El, lined up in the left slot, for an 11-yard touchdown. Randle El beat Dexter Jackson to the left sideline and dove into the end zone.
The Steelers bumped their advantage to 14-0 four minutes into the game on Tampa's second offensive play. Shaun King's pass intended for Keyshawn Johnson was short and late. Chad Scott stepped in front and returned the interception 30 yards.
Jeff Reed added a 26-yard field goal with 4:24 remaining in the quarter to give Pittsburgh a 17-point lead.
King, who began the season as Tampa's No. 3 quarterback, earned the start in place of Brad Johnson. Johnson - who has passed for 3,049 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions - was bothered by a severe lower back bruise and listed as the No. 3 quarterback.
King entered with a 15-9 record, but had not started in nearly two seasons.
The rust was evident. King completed three of his first 13 attempts and finished the first half 7 of 22 for 67 yards.
Rob Johnson replaced King in the second half and fared slightly better. Johnson led the Buccaneers to the Pittsburgh 3 on his first series, but fumbled after a sack - the fourth time he was sacked on the series. Steelers linebacker Kendrell Bell recovered.
The Buccaneers opted to take Martin Gramatica's 50-yard field goal off the board in the first quarter after Pittsburgh linebacker Jason Gildon was penalized for holding. Tampa advanced to the Pittsburgh 7, but fullback Mike Alstott fumbled to end the drive.
Tampa scored with 1:14 remaining when Keyshawn Johnson caught an 18-yard pass from Rob Johnson to avoid the Buccaneers' first shutout since 1999 and first at home since 1996.
Despite the pregame hype surrounding comments made by Pittsburgh safety Lee Flowers, the game was uneventful. After a 17-10 Pittsburgh victory at Tampa last year, Flowers called the Buccaneers "paper champions."
Before the game, Buccaneers linebacker Nate Webster, a former University of Miami star, had to be pulled out of a pack of Pittsburgh players, and Keyshawn Johnson had to step between the players to defuse the situation. Buccaneers defensive tackle Warren Sapp, another former Hurricane, was hopping and skipping around the field before the game and was shoved by Bettis.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.