Buccaneers 22, Browns 7

CLEVELAND (AP) Spending Christmas Eve away from home wasn't so gloomy for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. <br/><br/>Derrick Brooks returned one of Tampa Bay's 4 interceptions 21 yards for a touchdown

Sunday, December 24th 2006, 3:10 pm

By: News On 6

CLEVELAND (AP) Spending Christmas Eve away from home wasn't so gloomy for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Derrick Brooks returned one of Tampa Bay's 4 interceptions 21 yards for a touchdown and the Buccaneers won their first road game in more than a year, 22-7 over the dreadful Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

The Buccaneers (4-11) had lost eight straight outside Florida since winning at Carolina on December 11 last season. But they had little trouble with the Browns (4-11), who lost their third straight, managed just 187 yards of offense and were taunted by their own fans.

Cleveland avoided being shut out for the second straight year on December 24 when cornerback Daven Holly returned a fumble 40 yards for a TD with 11:33 left.

By then, the Bucs had spoiled the Browns' holiday with their most lopsided win this season.

Michael Pittman, filling in for injured starter Carnell ``Cadillac'' Williams, had an 11-yard touchdown run and Jermaine Phillips had two of Tampa Bay's four picks against Derek Anderson.

With Tampa Bay leading 12-0 early in the 4th quarter, Brooks stepped in front of Braylon Edwards to swipe Anderson's pass and returned it for the linebacker's eighth career TD. On Cleveland's next possession, Phillip Buchanon intercepted Anderson, drawing boos from humiliated Browns fans, some of whom wore paper bags over their heads.