TAMPA, Fla. -- Really, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense can't play much better than they did Thursday night in a 28-14 loss to the Detroit Lions.

	Keyshawn Johnson had his helmet taken off by this fourth-quarter hit.

The Bucs limited the Lions to 107 net passing yards on 38 pass plays. They allowed 277 total yards on 75 plays, a mere 3.7 yards per play. Defensive end Marcus Jones had a career-high four sacks and blocked a field goal. The defense stayed on the field more than 36½ minutes.

And it still wasn't good enough as the Bucs' losing streak reached four games. Pro Bowlers John Lynch and Derrick Brooks couldn't do more than they did. Neither could defensive tackle Warren Sapp, who had seven tackles, two sacks and a pass deflection.

The Bucs' defense could go to Divorce Court and win a case of abandonment by the offense.

"We got to come up with plays," Brooks said. "I look at history and the way that the Buccaneers have pulled out of holes we dug ourselves. Our defense in the past has come up with turnovers. We are playing hard. We are playing well. We just aren't coming up with the turnovers. Once we start coming up with turnovers, we'll turn this thing around."

Rookie linebacker Nate Webster blocked a second-quarter punt and appeared to create the necessary turnover. The ball bounced toward the Lions' end zone, where cornerback Ronde Barber, who has scored two touchdowns this year, juggled what should have been an easy recovery in the end zone. The ball bounced around, and, by the time the Lions fell on it, it was a safety.

The Bucs led 8-0 instead of 13-0, and Mike Alstott fumbled on the next possession, killing a chance to take full control of the game and allowing the Lions the opening they needed to turn things around.

"We are going to have to come out of this hole turning turnovers into touchdowns," Brooks said. "I point the finger at me. It's got to start with me."

Brooks need not point the finger at himself. He fought through a right knee injury suffered in the fourth quarter and refused to come off the field. Brooks will undergo tests on the knee, but he says he's fine. Still, his knee ached after the game.

No Bucs gave more than Lynch, who had to be taken to the locker room for IV treatment because he dehydrated himself playing so hard. He harassed quarterback Charlie Batch and halfback James Stewart with his blitzes and hard hits.

"It's hard to be on the field in our territory so much," Lynch said.

Tampa Bay's defense may have played its best game of the season. What makes the situation frustrating is that the Bucs' offense played so badly, and the Bucs lost by two touchdowns.

"This is one of the toughest losses we have had since I've been here," coach Tony Dungy said. "We had a lot of things going for us, but didn't take advantage of it. We played hard, but are not playing particularly well or smart. The second half of the season, we need to get back to how we know we can play. Mentally, we need to get cleaned up before it's too late."

Physically, though, the defense is exhausted. It's becoming more impossible each week for the defensive players to overcompensate for an offense that makes more turnovers than the defense can create.

"We have dug ourselves in a big, big hole," Dungy said. "Now, we have to pull ourselves out. Losing two home games is tough. It's hard to battle that. But we have to come out of it."

John Clayton is the senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.