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Mike Evans and the Buccaneers capitalize on Redskins’ mistakes in 27-7 victory Robert Griffin III sacked six times as Redskins fall to lowly Bucs, 27-7
(about 3 hours later)
With a full week to rest and two weeks to reflect on the numerous opportunities they’ve let slip away this season, Washington couldn’t have looked more ill-prepared in its first game back after its bye. With a full week’s rest and two weeks to reflect on the countless opportunities they’ve let slip away this season, the Washington Redskins couldn’t have looked more ill-prepared and inept in its first game back after its bye.
In what should have been a feel-good FedEx Field homecoming against an opponent that had won only one game all season, the Redskins fell behind early in a turnover-prone, penalty-strewn first half in which they lost Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams. In what should have been a feel-good FedEx Field homecoming against Tampa Bay, an opponent that entered with just one victory, the Redskins fell behind in a turnover-prone, penalty-strewn first half and never recovered.
The result was a 27-7 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that highlighted the grim reality that Washington, under first-year Coach Jay Gruden, has failed to fix the familiar problems that have bedeviled the squad all season — turnovers, penalties, red-zone impotence and late-game defensive collapses. First-year Coach Jay Gruden called the 27-7 defeat, which dropped Washington to 3-7, “horrific.”
Set against a soundtrack of lusty boos from the first quarter through the fourth, the loss also underscored the inability of quarterback Robert Griffin III to get rid of the football in a timely manner. The franchise quarterback’s hesitation, as he repeatedly scanned the field for open targets, became even more perilous after Williams went down with a knee and ankle injury on the Redskins’ second series. Franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III, who was intercepted on his first and seventh throws and sacked six times, called it a “travesty,” conceding that he had trouble “seeing the field” as well as he would have liked and vowing to improve.
More than 10 minutes remaining in the game when Griffin was sacked a sixth time, and isolated chants of “We want Colt! We want Colt!” broke out. Backup Colt McCoy led Washington to back-to-back victories against Tennessee and Dallas in October, as Griffin put the finishing touches on his recovery from the dislocated ankle that sidelined him for six full games. The fast-exiting crowd, announced at 77,442, had no words — just boos — at least until the offense’s futility reached its peak on Tampa Bay’s sixth and final sack of Griffin, and isolated chants of “We want Colt! We want Colt!” rang out with more than 10 minutes remaining.
Griffin, making his fourth start this season, played to the conclusion Sunday, finishing 23 of 32 for 207 yards, with two interceptions. He rushed six times for 41 yards, but was sacked six times — some, the result of his own indecision; others, due to poor protection by an offensive line that lost two starters. Left guard Shaun Lauvao suffered a concussion in the second half. Backup quarterback Colt McCoy, who led Washington to victories over Tennessee and Dallas last month while Griffin completed his recovery from a dislocated ankle, stayed on the bench.
Griffin, 24, has now gone more than a year without leading the Redskins to victory. His last triumph came Nov. 13, 2013, against San Diego. Griffin, making his fourth start this season, played to the conclusion despite the battering he took — partly due to poor protection by an offensive line that lost two starters, partly due to his own indecision. Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams (ankle and knee injuries) and left guard Shaun Lauvao (concussion) left the game and did not return. Griffin finished 23 of 32 for 207 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed six times for 41 yards.
Sunday’s loss wasn’t the most lopsided of Gruden’s tenure, but it was the most inexcusable. Tampa Bay (2-8) represented a very low bar, with an offense and defense that each ranked 29th in the league. “All the sacks are on me,” Griffin said, setting a tone of personal responsibility that he hoped the locker room would follow. “I’m looking myself in the mirror and saying, ‘I can do better. I have to do better.’ And I need every man in that locker room — player, coach everyone — to look themselves in the mirror and say, ‘What can I do better?’ ”
For all the derision Griffin and the offense took by the early-exiting crowd of 77,442, Washington’s defense bore a significant share of culpability, allowing a team that hadn’t scored 20 points since Oct. 5 to nearly equal that mark in the first half. Griffin, 24, has gone more than a year without leading the Redskins to victory. His last triumph came Nov. 13, 2013, against San Diego.
When the Redskins regrouped from their bye this week, Gruden had made a priority of narrowing Washington’s turnover differential — among the league’s worst, at minus-nine. The defeat highlighted the grim reality that Washington, under Gruden, has failed to fix the problems that have bedeviled the team all season — turnovers, penalties, red-zone impotence and late-game defensive collapses.
The deficit only got worse against Tampa Bay, with Griffin intercepted twice, Roy Helu Jr. fumbling once and the defensive not registering a single takeaway against the turnover-prone McCown. It also underscored Griffin’s inability to get rid of the football in a timely manner. The quarterback’s hesitation, as he repeatedly scanned the field for open targets, became even more perilous after Williams’s injury on the Redskins’ second series.
Darrel Young did his part, however, recovering a muffed punt. Sunday’s loss wasn’t the most lopsided of Gruden’s tenure, but it was the most inexcusable. Tampa Bay (2-8) represented a low bar, with an offense that ranked 29th in the NFL and the league’s worst defense in terms of points allowed (30.2 per game).
But even that special-teams highlight was undercut by the performance of normally steady place kicker Kai Forbath, who missed both missed of his field goal attempts, from 47 and 50 yards. For all the derision Griffin and the offense took from the crowd, Washington’s defense bore a significant share of culpability, failing once again to get a single turnover and allowing the Buccaneers’ rookie wide receiver Mike Evans 209 receiving yards, including second-half touchdown catches of 36 and 56 yards that put the game out of reach.
As the clock ticked down, Washington was so dispirited that it didn’t even mount an attempt to score, conceding with roughly 30 seconds to play. What few thousand fans remained booed. Gruden said he had no explanation for a performance that looked, to him, like an NFL team’s first preseason game. The failings were across the board, he noted, citing the three turnovers, six sacks, nine penalties, lack of game-changing plays and host of mental mistakes.
The losing tone was set from the start. When the Redskins regrouped from their bye this week, Gruden had made a priority of narrowing Washington’s turnover differential.
Griffin’s first pass, which he flicked to Niles Paul under pressure, was bobbled by the tight end and picked off by Tampa Bay’s Bobby Lansanah. Taking over at Washington’s 29, the Buccaneers managed a field goal. But it only got worse, sinking from minus-nine to minus-11, with Griffin intercepted twice, Roy Helu Jr. fumbling once and Darrel Young supplying the lone bright by recovering a muffed punt.
Washington’s next drive opened with false-start penalty on Pierre Garcon. Griffin had a chance to score but overthrew DeSean Jackson in the end zone, when Garcon was open in the flat. And normally steady place kicker Kai Forbath missed both of his field goal attempts, from 47 and 50 yards.
Taking the field for the third series, Griffin threw a pass that was tipped and picked off by Jonathan Banks, who returned it 19 yards for a touchdown, putting Washington in arrears, 10-0. Thetone was set from the start, when Griffin’s first pass, which he flicked to Niles Paul under pressure, was bobbled by the tight end and picked off by Tampa Bay’s Danny Lansanah. Taking over at Washington’s 29, the Buccaneers managed a field goal.
Young’s recovery of the muffed punt set up what looked like a sure-fire score. But the drive, which at one point reached first and goal on Tampa Bay 6-yard line, marched backward with breathtaking efficiency. Washington’s next drive opened with false-start penalty. Griffin had a chance to score but overthrew DeSean Jackson in the end zone.
Washington committed two penalties, Griffin took sacks for losses of 10 and nine yards, respectively, bringing up Forbath for the 47-yard attempt. It sailed wide left. Taking the field for the third series, Griffin threw a pass that was tipped and picked off by Johnathan Banks, who returned it 19 yards for a touchdown, putting Washington 10-0 in arrears.
Griffin quickened his decision-making on the next series, pitching to Alfred Morris (20 carries, 96 yards) for a 5-yard gain and taking off running for a first down. But the promise of a sustained drive was short-lived. A completion to Roy Helu Jr. ended in Washington’s third turnover, with defensive end Jacquies Smith punching the ball out and linemate Akeem Spence recovering. Young’s recovery of Marcus Thigpen’s muffed punt set up what looked like a sure-fire score. But the drive, which started on Tampa Bay’s 17, retreated with breathtaking efficiency from a first-and-goal on the 6. What followed was a penalty and back-to-back sacks that lost 10 and nine yards, respectively. That brought up Forbath, who was wide right from 47-yards.
This time, Tampa Bay came away with nothing, with cornerback Tracy Porter breaking up a must-have third-down throw. Washington’s defense limited the damage of Helu’s fumble, with cornerback Tracy Porter breaking up a third-down throw.
Washington had time for one final drive in the quarter. And Griffin kept his faith in Morris and Helu, connecting with Morris for a 24-yard completion and finding Helu on a screen pass for a 30-yard touchdown with 11 seconds to spare. With time for one final drive in the half, Griffin kept his faith in Helu, finding him on a screen pass that the running back stretched into a 30-yard touchdown.
After Washington’s defense forced Tampa Bay to punt to start the second half, the offense showed the makings of a promising drive. But Griffin was sacked a fourth time, dropped for a six-yard loss. With a chance to salvage the effort and pull within three points, Forbath missed again. The Redskins entered the locker room on a high, having pulled within, 13-7.
Tampa Bay proceeded to march 60 yards for a touchdown that made it a two-score game once again. Quarterback Josh McCown hit rookie wide receiver Mike Evans for the completion, and safety Ryan Clark, who was supposed to backup cornerback Bashaud Breeland, arrived for coverage just as the 6-foot-5 Evans streaked in for the score that made it 20-7. Tampa Bay was forced to punt on its first drive of the second half. But a promising Redskins drive stalled on Griffin’s fourth sack. With a chance to salvage the effort and pull within three, Forbath sent his second field-goal attempt wide right again.
McCown finished 15 of 23 for 288 yards and two touchdowns, both to Evans, who had 209 receiving yards. Tampa Bay proceeded to march 60 yards to restore its two-score margin. McCown hit Evans for the key completion, and safety Ryan Clark arrived just in time to see 6-foot-5 receiver streak in for the score that made it 20-7. The duo teamed up for the Buccaneers’ final touchdown early in the fourth quarter.