TAMPA, Fla. -- The status of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had been questionable as he recovered from an injury to his right throwing hand. But when it mattered most Sunday, especially to Stafford's teammates, there was no doubt.

"The guy is clutch," Lions receiver Kenny Golladay said.

Stafford completed all five of his pass attempts on Detroit's final drive, positioning Matt Prater for a game-winning 46-yard field goal with 20 seconds remaining and allowed the Lions to keep alive their flickering NFC playoff hopes with a 24-21 victory over the turnover-plagued Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

Stafford completed 36-of-44 passes for 381 yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile, running back Theo Riddick had a pair of scoring runs for the Lions (7-6).

The Bucs (4-9), who had five turnovers, rallied from a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth-quarter and tied it 21-21 on Jameis Winston's 2-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end O.J. Howard, and then a 2-yard toss to tackle-eligible Leonard Wester with 8:10 remaining.

Winston completed 26-of-38 pass attempts for 285 yards.

But Stafford and the Lions had the final word. On the final drive, which covered 49 yards on nine plays, the biggest moment was a 6-yard completion to Golladay on third-and-2, when the receiver juggled the ball near the sideline, but wound up securing it as he fell to the ground.

"It was a process all week to get ready to play," Stafford said. "Our training staff did an unbelievable job. It was huge for us to win on the road. Anytime you get a road win in this league, it's big.

"We have a lot of confidence in those late-game situations. We were able to get it done."

And that wasn't particularly surprising for Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, whose team broke a two-game losing streak.

"He (Stafford) is a tough guy and he heals quickly," Caldwell said. "He's a great leader and once again, he did a tremendous job for us.

"I thought he threw the ball pretty well. He doesn't care much about anything else other than doing his job and winning the game."

Detroit's defense, meanwhile, had difficultly containing Winston and the Bucs. But it forced five turnovers, including two that led to a pair of touchdowns.

"Five turnovers, (it's) going to be tough to win with five turnovers," Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter said. "Stafford gets the ball out of his hand. But 44 pass attempts and you don't ever get him on the ground.

"The best way to stop a good passing game is with a pass rush and we're just not where we need to be in that area right now."

Winston said he was concerned the Bucs couldn't win and prevent a losing season, particularly because they gained 400 yards and accumulated 28 first downs.

"It's frustrating because they couldn't stop us," said Winston, who threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. "Three turnovers by me. I didn't play (well)."

On the other side, Caldwell's Lions were encouraged by forcing five turnovers.

"We were hitting and running to the ball," Caldwell said. "We gave up a few yards along the way. But with the takeaways, we were just playing like we know how to play."

"We showed that we were competing on every play," Lions cornerback Darius Slay said.

Despite committing turnovers on three consecutive first-half possessions, the Bucs trailed just 14-7 at halftime.

The Lions struck first on Stafford's 5-yard pass to Golden Tate with 7:36 remaining in the second quarter. Detroit's six-play, 46-yard scoring drive was set up by Slay's interception of Winston at Tampa Bay's 46-yard line.

Looking to equalize, the Bucs drove to Detroit's 23-yard line, but running back Doug Martin lost a fumble to Lions cornerback DJ Hayden while being dumped for a 2-yard loss on third-and-1.

The Lions scored first on Riddick's 2-yard run in the opening quarter. The Bucs answered back with Martin's 1-yard run on third-and-goal, punctuating an 11-play, 75-yard drive.

NOTES: Winston had three turnovers (two interceptions, one lost fumble), giving him 53 turnovers in 42 career NFL games. ... Stafford made his 109th consecutive NFL start. ... The Lions were without starting RT Rick Wagner (ankle) and started their eighth different offensive line combination this season. ... Bucs DT Gerald McCoy (shoulder biceps) left in the first quarter and did not return. ... Bucs CB Ryan Smith left in the third quarter to be evaluated for a concussion. ... Bucs inactives included CB Vernon Hargreaves (hamstring), S T.J. Ward (concussion), DT Clinton McDonald (back) and S Josh Robinson (hamstring). Meanwhile, RB Doug Martin, DE Robert Ayers and C Joe Hawley, who each missed last week's game at Green Bay, were active, but Hawley did not play.