IN THE END, STILL A WIN
Washington remains atop NFC East as Bucs squander numerous chances
TAMPA, Fla. — Inside Raymond James Stadium, with on-field temperatures climbing over 100 degrees, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the Washington Redskins.
They threw for 395 yards. They ran for 103 more. They had the ball for more than half the game.
But despite putting up outrageously gaudy numbers, the Bucs could not score, and so they walked off the field to a spattering of boos in a 16-3 Redskins victory.
Washington’s win, the fourth in the team’s past five games, made the Redskins 6-3 and kept them in first place in the NFC East despite playing without six opening-day starters on offense.
And yet, given the way the 3-6 Buccaneers controlled play, the Redskins’ victory felt less like a win and more like a gift. Six of the Bucs’ drives went for more than 55 yards, yet they generated just one score: a field goal in the second quarter that tied the game at 3. Washington remained in first not for an impressive offense or stifling defense, but because Tampa Bay gave up two fumbles, had two passes intercepted and missed two field goals attempted by Chandler Catanzaro.
In the end, it doesn’t matter that Redskins quarterback Alex Smith only threw for 178 yards or that Adrian Peterson generated just 68 yards on his 19 carries. Washington won because the Bucs and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick kept blowing golden opportunities.
Now, in a Redskins season where the lead has not changed in their nine games so far, they earned what might have been their strangest win yet.
The Bucs went at the Redskins’ defense right from the start with a series of quick passes that took them from their own 25 to the Washington 19. But on a second-and-7, Fitzpatrick lobbed a throw toward rookie running back Shaun Wilson in the end zone. Redskins cornerback Josh Norman leaped and snatched the ball from the air, stumbled to the ground, then got up and ran 32 yards, allowing Washington to avoid going down by a touchdown before even touching the ball.
After the Redskins went three-and-out, Tampa Bay got the ball back on its 15 and
began another long march down the field. On a third down from their 47, the Buccaneers appeared to have broken a big play when Fitzpatrick stepped out of three tackle attempts by Washington defensive linemen and ran downfield. He had already gained eight yards when he threw what appeared to be a lateral to Adam Humphries, who ran for another 22 yards.
But Washington challenged the play, alleging that Fitzpatrick had actually thrown the ball forward. Replays proved he had, squelching another huge drive for the Bucs.
Having caught two huge breaks, the Washington offense finally was able to move downfield. On three straight plays, Kapri Bibbs gained 15 yards on a pass, Smith hit Jordan Reed for a 24-yard gain and Peterson ran for 16. The ball was on Tampa Bay’s 26 and Washington looked to be in position to build an early lead. But the drive fell apart, and Dustin Hopkins had to kick a 43-yard field goal to put the Redskins up 3-0.
The Bucs stormed downfield at the start of the second quarter, going from their 25 to the Redskins’ 18. Their next three plays only generated 12 yards, setting up an easy 30-yard field-goal attempt for Catanzaro. But the kick went wide to the right, meaning Washington had avoided disaster on the Bucs’ first three possessions.
The Buccaneers did manage to score on their fourth possession, getting a 33-yard field goal from Catanzaro, only after gaining 63 yards on nine plays, stalling at Washington’s 15.
Just before halftime, the Redskins were able to move deep into Tampa Bay territory with quick throws to Bibbs and Maurice Harris before having to settle for a second 43-yard field goal from Hopkins. The kick allowed the Redskins to take a 6-3 lead into halftime of a game in which they probably should have been trailing.
On the Bucs’ first drive of the second half, they again pushed right through the Redskins’ defense only to fall flat. After storming all the way from its own 4-yard line to the Washington 16 in an 11-play drive, a botched snap sailed through Fitzpatrick’s hands on a third-down play. He was able to fall on the loose ball, but the play resulted in a 14-yard loss that set up another missed field goal.
After surviving five long drives, giving up just three points, Washington was able to generate some offense in the third quarter. Helped by a roughing-the-passer call on the Bucs’ Beau Allen, the Redskins slowly moved into Tampa Bay territory, scoring a touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a Smith pass to Josh Doctson in the back of the end zone, pushing their lead to 13-3.
On the next play, Fitzpatrick threw toward tight end O.J. Howard, but rookie cornerback Greg Stroman, from Virginia Tech, jumped in front of the pass for an interception, running to the 14. After failing to get a first down, Washington settled for another field goal, making the score 16-3.