LANDOVER, Md. - The last three plays run by the Bucs offense Sunday produced the same result:
Sack.
Sack.
Sack.
Blame it on a lack of continuity during the preseason, but the Bucs' inability to handle a relentless Redskins blitzled to their worst offensive performance under coach Jon Gruden. Tampa Bay had 169 net yards - 139 passing, 30 rushing - and failed to score a touchdown.
"They have not been shy about their blitzing," Gruden said. "I think it's a great thing to do to a football team that maybe hasn't played a lot together. It's a very good strategy to come out and blitz and see where the opposition is."
Tampa Bay knew it was coming.
Under first-year defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the former Buffalo coach, the Redskins were true to preseason form, blitzing 40-50 times. They sent safeties and linebackers. They clogged the running lanes and harassed quarterback Brad Johnson in the pocket, leaving him little time to run through his options.
Charlie Garner rushed 11 times for 25 yards. Johnson was 24-of-37 for 169 yards but was sacked four times for 30 yards and had several passes batted down at the line.
"We didn't execute," said center John Wade, clearly frustrated as he sat at his locker, arms folded. "We prepared for it all week. There was nothing we hadn't seen from the coaching staff. We did not execute."
The starting offensive line, which played together only for a quarter during the preseason because of injuries, was not entirely to blame. Tight ends and running backs play a role in blitz pickup, and they also had breakdowns.
Redskins safety Matt Bowen was especially troublesome with eight tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. In the first quarter, he beat running back Mike Alstott to strip Johnson of the ball, a turnover that led to a touchdown and 10-0 lead.
"We just missed the pickup there," Gruden said. "It was a strong safety blitz, one that we worked on this week. We had a hat for a hat. Bowen made a heck of a play beating our back."
The Bucs studied tapes of Buffalo in addition to Redskins preseason games. What Washington did came as no surprise. But the offense clearly was befuddled by a Redskins defense that disguised its intentions.
"Our disguises were better than the pressures themselves," Williams said. "That was a huge part of the game plan with Brad, because I have such respect for him. He gets rid of the ball quick. He's a coach on the field. He understands Jon's offense. That's a credit to the safeties and the linebackers and what they did."
Even so, Johnson's unit had a chance. Needing to convert third and 14 at their 34 with 5:37 left, the Bucs called timeout to set up just the right play. But it never developed because no one picked up a blitzing Bowen, who sacked Johnson.
"That is what Gregg does," Bowen said of Williams. "He does not want the offense to dictate to us. We want to dictate to them and said, "This is what you want to do, but we are not going to let you do it.' "
