Landover, Md. – The Washington Redskins should have had a heightened sense of urgency during this past week of preparation what with their current record and the Redskins legends that would be at FedEx Field for Homecoming Sunday. They had much to be inspired about. It appeared, however, this wasn’t the case as the team came out and played a lackluster, uninspired brand of football on both sides on the ball during the first 30 minutes of their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Fortunately, this didn’t remain the case throughout the entire game and things transpired in a way that made the 31-30 victory they pulled off one of historical proportions.
At the start of the first quarter the Burgundy and Gold came out and were punched in the mouth offensively by the Buccaneers defense. They would go three-and-out, unable to generate any rushing attack and putting themselves in a third-and-long situation which they were unable to convert.
On the Bucs first possession, they gashed the Redskins’ defense. This has been a unit that has struggled to stop the run recently and has allowed 397 yards in the team’s last two contests.
Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin hit the defense with a big 23-yard run on the second play from scrimmage and the Bucs finished their first drive in three plays as rookie quarterback Jameis Winston hit wide out Mike Evans for a 40-yard touchdown.
Washington, in a game that Head Coach Jay Gruden had deemed a “Code Red,” was again, completely dominated in the first half of this football game. The Buccaneers had 207 yards of total offense and 10 first downs in 25 plays from scrimmage in the first quarter alone. The Redskins offense, on the other hand, was completely shut down during this period, running only 10 offensive plays for 21 total yards.
With 11:34 on the clock and the team down 17-0, the Redskins appeared to get the ball rolling offensively. But a sack/fumble on quarterback Kirk Cousins that was returned for a 43-yard touchdown by Bucs linebacker Howard Jones stopped any momentum.
Washington did have an inspired seven-play, 74-yard drive that would take up 3:54 and end in a Cousins touchdown run off a read-option play. Even with that score, it appeared to be “dead in the water” for the Burgundy and Gold though after the next several plays… it seemed eerily similar to last year’s match up.
It looked as if the Bucs had ripped out and stomped on the heart of the Redskins as Tampa Bay held Washington’s offense to 123 total yards and allowed them only nine first downs; most of which was gained in the second quarter. The Buccaneers finished the first half with 264 total yards and 13 first downs. Even though the Redskins defense manage to slow the Bucs offense down in the second quarter, with Washington’s second-half woes, it seemed to most fans that this was a game that was all but over.
It wasn’t.
“We just had to challenge them a little bit and the players were up to the challenge,” Gruden said about the team’s halftime period. “They came out and played. This isn’t about anything I said before the game with the ‘code reds’ and the ‘halftime adjustments’ or anything like that. It’s about 46 men coming out of the break, stepping up and making some plays.”
Washington came out of the locker room and did just what Gruden described. With the Bucs receiving the ball at the beginning of the second half, the Redskins defense (despite its injuries and other issues) showed a sense of pride and resolve and fought its way back. Led buy the big boys up front, the Burgundy and Gold tightened up on the run and brought the heat into the kitchen of the Bucs rookie QB Jameis Winston, forcing a five-play drive in which Tampa Bay would gain only 15 yards. The defense forced a punt, giving the offense a chance to tighten up the score.
Cousins & Co. took the field with 12:54 and an opportunity to exercise the winds of change.
The offense got off to a great start, putting together a 4-play, 60-yard drive in which wide receivers Ryan Grant and Andre Roberts would redeem themselves. Roberts made a huge play on a third-and-two with a 38-yard catch-and-run. Shortly afterward, Grant found himself wide open in the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown; the first of his career and the first score in the third quarter for the Redskins in 2015. This would put them within 10 points of tying it up.
Gruden then got creative and the Redskins attempted — and succeeded at — an onside kick.
Recall that coming into this week’s games, no football team in the National Football League has recovered one of these this year (there have been 0 recoveries on 24 attempts) until today. Redskins safety Trenton Robinson emerged out of the pile with the football and this set the winds of change in this game into motion. Cousins, on the first play of the Redskins drive, found Grant again in the middle of that Tampa Bay defense for 32 yards.
The eight-play, 49-yard drive that took 4:14 seconds off the clock ended with a touchdown that would put Washington within three points.
After only putting up a total of three points in the third quarters of their the first six games, the Redskins offense put up 14 points in the first eight minutes of the second half against Tampa Bay. Washington’s defense, despite its issues, held the Bucs’ offense scoreless in the third quarter.
Washington could only muster up three points for most of the fourth quarter while its defense allowed six. With 2:24 left in the game, Cousins had an opportunity to shine and show that he can be the leader he appeared to be against the Philadelphia Eagles three weeks ago. Trailing 30-24, the former Spartan threw on every play, completing nine of 11 passes for 75 yards and capping off the 11-play, 80-yard drive (that took two minutes) by throwing a six-yard touchdown toss to tight end Jordan Reed.
The 24-point deficit that Washington was able to overcome today is the largest in Redskins history (previous to today’s game, the largest was 21 points). Cousins threw three second-half touchdown passes, including the go-ahead score to Reed with 24 seconds left and lead the Redskins past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-30 (after the extra point). The quarterback would finish the game with 33 completions of 40 attempts for 317 yards, three TDs and zero interceptions. He also had the aforementioned eight-yard touchdown in the second quarter for Washington’s first points.
No doubt, there are things this teams needs to improve upon, like the inability to run the ball. Today Washington ran for a total of 51 yards. As well, the defense was unable to stop the run, giving up 190 total yards.
What is truly important however is how the team came together and fought with a “never-say-die” attitude. It takes a complete team effort; offense, defense and special teams, to put together a comeback of the magnitude the Redskins accomplished today.
With their second-half-return-from-behind, this Redskins team now will take a little bit of momentum and upbeat feeling into their bye week… they deserve some rest and healing before they face the so-far-undefeated New England Patriots with this historical win.